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Beer Tour Finds, Insights & Tips




Between August 21 and 27 the Beer Tour will be underway. Watch this space for the tour stops, comments, pictures and other things we come across on the trip!

Itinerary and Comments:

Day 1 (Sunday August 21)
Fantail Brewing Company
Sturgis 



The Beer Tour starts today...with a slightly broken fan belt.

Yesterday Paula decided to do a little research on today’s first stop, Fantail Brewing in Sturgis, MI. She had relied on the Michigan Brewer’s Guild’s website for where to go, so imagine her surprise (hard core beer lovers may be laughing now) to discover that the brewery had burned to the ground in June 2009.  A bit of further research on Beer Advocate had few ratings averaging a “C+” for Fantail’s products before their demise.

So with the first stop erased from the list. We moved one of Monday’s stops up a day – The Livery in Benton Harbor, MI. 

The Livery
Benton Harbor 


Paula said: Ok. Not funny. We went to The Livery and (for whatever reason) couldn't get in, despite the fact that the hours said that it should have been open. So we'll try again on Monday. Went across the street to Pauly's Bar and sipped Blue Moons, not at all local, and had deep fried dill pickles to sooth our souls.


Meg:  The take-away for me--or "learnings" as my friend Terri puts it--regarding trip planning here is to always plan trips around national icons like the Grand Canyon or the pyramids of Giza that aren't going anywhere rather than businesses.  But the good news is that Pauly's has an eclectic clientele and awesome deep fried pickles.

Day 2 (Monday August 22)

Green Bush 
Sawyer



Beers pictured, left to right: Bantam, Retribution, The Fool, Dune Grass, Sun Spots and Traktor. Also pictured are pretzels and tasty mustard. At the end, all were empty. Flight: $12. For descriptions of beer styles by people who know what they are talking about, click here

Paula said: Yipes! I knew there were a lot of beer styles but not as many as I'm learning exist. And brewers also use language like "nose" and "thickness" to describe their brews. Jason, our host was very helpful, giving just a bit of info and selecting the beers for us to taste. Maybe this launch found me in a particularly good mood, but even with the variety of the tastes in these beers, I could easily drink any of them again. None would need to be an acquired taste for me. Traktor was a yummy lager that came across slightly sweet to me. My first thought with Sunspots was how good it would taste with a salami or hard sausage - it had a tinge of clove but I couldn't taste the banana Jason described. Dunegrass was a crisp, tighter-flavored beer, true as promised with a grapefruity-ness about it. The Fool had a hoppy finish and coffee-ness about it which made it a sturdier drink to me. Something I'd probably choose a six ounce glass of rather than a larger one. Retribution tasted like a dessert beer (probably not something a true beer drinker would say!) even though Jason had said this one had a rock-candy taste. Finally Bantam was the lightest. A sort of (don't laugh) breakfast beer - juicy and sweet as well. Truly I wouldn't drink it for breakfast, but am trying to relate the first thoughts that occur to me as I taste...


Side note: I brought along some amazing cinnamon roasted pecans with the idea that some of the places might like them as snacks. Both Jason and one of the brewers, Joe, agreed that they were wonderful with the Dunegrass. Nuts available from  Go 'n' Nuts, gonnutscc@cs.com or 616.243.4391 in Grand Rapids. No website but they will ship. If you contact them, say the "raw peanuts" person referred you. I don't get anything but satisfaction in promoting a Michigan business.


Meg said: Greenbush Brewing Company re-purposed the local laundromat in Sawyer to stage their brewing and tap room.  There's room for about 10 folks at the bar and seating at numerous tables.  A young couple was seated at the far end of the beer completing a "refresher" tasting, trying to determine which of their favorites to purchase for home.  While we were there, another three couples who had been in the day before also returned for one for the road.  Sitting at the bar, I watched the owner/brew master pour off and taste his mixture from a beaker, swirl it around in his mouth and then pour off the remainder.  My favorite was Sunspots, the German wheat (6.0% alcohol) and then Dunegrass (6.7%), an IPA, both described above. 


Tower Hill Farm (side trip!)
Sodus

The farmhouse at Tower Hill with Mike Studier, as the red speck walking up the hill after a tour of the property.
Behind the house is the multi-story, metal "tower" that named the property, invisible with a tree grown all around it.

The tour stopped here because it could. This farm, originally a large apple orchard largely wiped out by a nasty tree blight decades ago, was purchased by Julie and Mike and for the last four years they have been reclaiming it for both apples (fresh and cider) and vegetables. They even have a tiny stand of trees left from the prior owners which produce small, crisp, tangy tart-sweet red apples of an unkown variety. They also produce, Jonathans and Ida Reds. The Chicago couple travels back and forth to care for the property and is spending more and more time in Michigan. They have volunteered on a well-know South Haven organic farm, Eaters' Guild and can be found Tuesday evenings with their produce, apples, cider and baked goods at the Tuesday evening market at Cafe Soe in Sawyer, MI between 5-7:30PM. Their farm is environmentally friendly so no chemicals!

Side note: While walking the property a goodly sized pile of cut up trees was spied from where the prior orchard had been removed. Once confirmed as apple wood, a call placed to Local (the new artisanal sausage and smoked meat producers in New Buffalo) further confirmed that, yes, Local would be interested in buying the wood to use in their smoking. Nice how things can work out...

The Livery
Benton Harbor 


Beers pictured, left to right: Red Canoe, Silver Queen, String of Ponies, Berry Wheat, Double Paw and Unknown Soldier. And yes, this was after tasting. Levels may indicate preference...or the fact that this was after a meal....Flight $14. Descriptions

Paula said: We arrived just at opening at 4PM after a late lunch at The Phoenix. Hopes for tasting upstairs in the tasting room pictured in a recent Chicago Tribune article were dashed as it was closed, so we ended up in the lower level which had the feel of old time neighborhood bar. For me, Red Canoe and String of Ponies were somewhat similar...more bitter/hoppy than the others. Silver Queen had a unique flavor that I couldn't quite put my finger on...perhaps the style of beer is what provided the flavor moreso than the ingredients? Will need to do a bit more research. The Berry Wheat had a nice, light dessertier flavor. It was a bit sweeter as the name would imply and would be a easy summer sipper. Double Paw a beery beer - clean light and just slightly bitter - according to one of the knowledgable bar patrons due to the use of northwest hops. Finally the Unknown Soldier was a very interesting beer. Reminiscent of my father's home made fruit brandy the peach and nectarine additions came through the aging in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels.

Side note: Along the way we discussed the fact that taste is very personal. The fact that one does or doesn't like something may in no way indicate quality.

Meg: Located in a period brick building, The Livery's basement tap/grill was not as inviting as the upstairs loft space but the bartender poured us two lagers and four ales that we'd requested from a list and I enjoyed eavesdropping on the brewmasters conversation with one of the locals. The Silver Queen (5.5% alcohol) conjured up a strong fresh hay flavor, while the Berry Wheat spoke of light summer and raspberries its made from. The Unknown Soldier, a Belgian Amber, was very aromatic but much too sour for my taste.


Day 3 (Tuesday August 23)


New Holland Brewing
Holland
Beers pictured: starting at 3 o'clock, moving clockwise - Sundog Amber Ale (please note, this glass is empty, our bad!), Matter IPA, Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, Cherry Belgian, El Mole Ocho, Dragon's Milk. Price of flight: $10 Descriptions

Meg said: The tasting room is located in downtown Holland, about three blocks from the Hope College campus.  Sweet! The spacious, lofty tap room has a long bar and lots of table seating in addition to a large side room especially suited for families. Katie was our bar tender and she arranged our six choices  from light to dark. Mad Hatter is probably their most popular brew.  The taste of the hops comes through, but it's pretty subtle. The Ichabod Pumpkin Ale had a great smooth velvety taste that was very surprising to me because I thought it smelled a little soapy. And no, it wasn't the glass. El Mole was very rich in flavor and full bodied.  The taste of chillies was very pronounced for me. I can't believe I drank the Dragon's Milk.  It was so dark, but it was smooth and had a definite bourbon taste to it.

Paula said: Tasting beer is more work than I ever imagined. Good work for sure, but work. Old Holland's brews were all appealing in one way or another but I'm beginning to be able to narrow things down a bit. The Sundog Ale was very light, drinkable and went down easily. The Mad Hatter was hoppier at the front which was fine with me I think. Meg doesn't like hops at the front but we're sorting out whether all hops are out for her. For the Ichabod Pumpkin Ale the first thing that came to mind when tasting was "pie!" (the second thing was "hackneyed!") but it's true for me. Its mild, pie-filling tast was not too cinammony or clovey or nutmeggy. Just rich - not an every day beer, but worth drinking. The Cherry Belgian was a tart cherry taste, not at all sweet. Less cherry than I expected but a rather grown up cherry flavor. El Mole Ocho was a dark, serious beer. Serious is the only word I could come up with for it. Finally, one I'd had before - Dragon's Milk. Knew going in that I would like it. Reminded me of Tom & Jerry's at Christmas; bourbony, smooth. One I would gladly drink on special occasions.

Side note: Katie tried and loved the nuts! She said that they went amazingly well with the Envious Fruit Ale and she kindly gave me a taste. Was she right! Yum! A sip and snack combo for all afternoon. I may give up wine with this beer infused with pears and raspberries. And it might also pair well with roasted meats, especially turkey...

Side side note: Katie also outdid herself when we were tasting the Dragon's Milk and commenting on its sweetness and how it was a bit creamy somehow. Next thing we knew she had brought two little cups of  locally made, Polazotto's Poet gelato and we tasted it with the beer. Stop my racing heart! It was great! Next thing you know we had made beer floats adding beer to the gelato just like we did as kids with Cokes. Wow! (No we are NOT kidding!)

Side side side note: the final knock your socks off taste was the Charkoota Rye. Nothing either of us would be interested in. Even Katie said she didn't like it....except with a cheese and sausage board with some great olives. Whoa! Flavorful stuff! It's smokey aroma was apparently hard to take alone, but with prosciutto, hard sausage, cheese, robust crackers, olives and cheese, good grief....cut me off! Not surprising they called it what they did....charcuterie...Charkoota Rye.


Saugatuck Brewing
Douglas


The beers pictured, from left to right: Oval Beach Blonde, Raspberry Wheat, True Scot Ale, Boathouse Stout, Bourbon Black Cherry Porter, Indian Summer IPA. Price of flight: $12 Descriptions 


Meg said: I've gone from a shy, wimpy beer drinker to an adventurous one  in a very short period.  Case in point--the Oval Beach is just too light in flavor, but probably qualifies as a good session beer. The same is true of the True Scott Ale. The Bourbon Stout was so dark it was opaque and exhibited a slight chocolate smell. It tasted like iced coffee. I thought the Bourbon Black Cherry or the Bourbon Stout might be good in the slow cooker with some beef and root vegetables.  


Paula said: The Oval Beach Blonde was a very light tasting, middle of the road beer and their best seller. Raspberry Wheat was no doubt infused with the berries. Lots of berry flavor; a great summer day beer. Like a grown up soda. True Scot Ale seemed to be a real mouthful of a beer. Not too hoppy but big, gold and not overly yeasty. More of a winter drink than summer to me. The Boathouse Stout was slightly smokey like fall leaves burning. A dark smooth, not bitey flavor.  Bourbon Black Cherry Porter tasted sweet but not too sweet. Filled my mouth with lots of flavor cleanly. Chocolate too on the second taste. After the last stop wouldn't hesitate to pair this with ice cream or gelato. Indian Summer IPA was hoppy and hard for me to describe. It was a bit bitey but not too long that way in the mouth; clearly wakes up the taste buds and maybe a bit piney? 


Side note: Getting the hang of things, we had an extra taste here too, Neapolitan Milk Stout. Sounds like the milkshake beer with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla tones and the added milk sugar. Desserty beer. Paula liked it.  In spite of its inviting milk chocolate aroma, Meg didn't care for it.  


Day 4 (Wednesday August 24)


Olde Peninsula Brewing
Kalamazoo 
The beers pictured, from right to left: Sunset Red, Black & Tan (Haymarket and Midnight Stout beers mixed), Midnight Stout and Stout Chocula. Price of flight: $6. Descriptions


Paula said: When tasting the Sunset Red the first thought was "sweet" then "hops" and maybe a tiny bit of caramel on the finish. The Black & Tan - the first mixed beer of the trip - combined two of the beers on the menu to make a third. The taste was coffee for sure tamed by the cream ale. Not too bitter. A glass would be nice, and enough because of the richness. Midnight Stout alone was a "wow!" The chocolate/vanilla notes made a grown up soda, almost phosphatey drink. Easy to drink, not too sweet (sweet is a word I never dreamed of using to describe beer before this trip) and not hoppy. I could really smell the aroma of what I was going to drink in this one. Another ice cream pairing candidate. If you're beginning to see a theme with chocolate flavors in the tasting list, you could be right. Stout Chocula was a yummy beer - not sweet but dark chocolate, deep and hearty. 
 
Meg said: Old Peninsula (OP) was founded 15 years ago and is located in an awesome historic brick building frpm 1866 in downtown K'zoo. Inside patrons can view the fermentation and brewing tanks as well as bags of hops and barley through three large picture windows.  We got there before noon and it was obvious and customers came in that some were regulars coming in for grub and a brew. Sunset Red was very drinkable, but I never tasted the advertised hint of caramel. Dark is not scary I discovered as I sipped the first of the remaining three glasses. Very drinkable in smaller quantities, the coffee flavor came through on the third sip of Black and Tan. "Damn good beer served here" proclaims several placards posted around the place, and I would have to agree. The Midnight Stout was very dar, but not too rih or sweet.  But then there is Stout Chocula.  It smells of dark chocolate and tastes that way too.  Was wishing for a bowl of chilli or maybe vanilla ice cream  to accompany it.


Side note: out of curiosity we also tasted the Haymarket alone. This slightly sweet, easy sipper could be a session beer for sure. Good to have with things that aren't too spicy or hot; cold dishes rather than hot appetizers. 


Bells Brewing
Kalamazoo 
The beers pictured, in no obvious order, but the order in which we tasted, Lager of the Lakes, Quinannan Falls, Octoberfest, Oarsman, Porter, Rye Stout. Price of flight: $10 Descriptions 


Paula said: The Lager had a clean aroma - one of the few I can detect, even though I've sniffed before tasting each one. Defective sniffer? Just learning what to sniff for? Hoppy in ta not overwhelming way and crisp. Could sip over an afternoon. Quinannan was very hoppy - pine foresty. Like a certain kind of sauvignon blanc - really dry and crisp. One would be enough and quite good! Octoberfest had a fruity aroma - nicely sweet and soda-y despite being dry. A good choice for a sunny fall day. Oarsman first struck me as a "lemonade beer" - clearly a session sipper. Light so it wouldn't overpower food but you'd know it was there. Not very carbonated which suits me fine. The Porter was another delightfully chocolate-y one (yeah!). Do you see a theme emerging? Its rich, creamy dark taste had tinges of molasses. Finally the Rye Stout. Tasted because of the success with similarly titled beer previously was a lovely surprise. It's smooth, deep flavor was complex - can't find a single word to describe it. Definitely rich; a single glass would be ample. 


Meg said: Bell's is located near the train tracks in an up and coming section of town in one of the many reclaimed manufacturing buildings. It's funky decor adds to the atmosphere, but there is nothing funky or skunky about the beer. Need a tall iced coffee?  Forget it and order the Porter!  It's all that flavor with a shot of mocha, too. It was my favorite. The Rye Stout had a velvety maybe nutty flavor and the Oarsman was at the other end of the spectrum--light straw color and very light taste.  A good choice for a long day at a family picnic.


Kalamazoo Institute of Art (side trip!)
Kalamazoo


After a busy day tasting beer we took in one of the current exhibitions at the fine local Arts Institute. The phenomenal 20th century portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh's work was on display. The 100 black and white photos of a pantheon of 20th century icons (Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Martin Luther King and Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier to name only a few) is part of a group of 200 master prints that are a promised gift to the Art Institute of Chicago by Karsh's widow. Lucky Chicago!


Day 5 (Thursday August 25)
Walldorff Brew Pub/Bistro
Hastings

Beers pictured, left to right: Sun Dancer Summer Wheat, Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Ale, Bee Sting Honey Rye Ale and State Street Oatmeal Stout. Flight price: $5 Descriptions 

Paula said: Sun Dancer was a light beer but not wimpy. We almost didn't taste it and I am glad we did. Definitely a session beer, the coriander and orange tones were a refreshing surprise. One word for Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Ale - "yum!" Creamy, fruity, big mouth feel. Another ice crease candidate. Bee Sting, a four-malt, two-hop beer had a slightly sweet, very pleasing flavor. Understand completely why the locals like it. And, oh, my yes, on the Stout! Rich coffee flavored beer. Smooth, easy drinking beer with big taste and a big feel in the mouth.

Meg said: Who'd a thought that Hastings was such a good sized town with a downtown business group obviously in action trying to keep the look of the old store front buildings.  The Waldorff was located in a grand old lady of a building on the corner. This brewery was the first place that talked about "IBU's" or international bitter units.  Most of the beers here were low on the scale.  The stout came in at 40 and the IPA's in the 80 to 100 range. Adding to what Paula wrote above, the Sun Dancer's orange flavor was there, but not overly pronounced.  I didn't get the coriander.  This was very drinkable.  As in all afternoon. Strawberry Rhubard was --not surprisingly-- pink in color.  It had a little carbonation and tasted a bit like a soda pop without the sweetness.  Bee Sting reminded me of honey suckle nectar and the State Street Stout was creamy without being heavy.  Very good.

Side note: While we were there the bartender, Mike, was practicing doing mix beers like Black&Tan to have them sit on top of each other and not actually mix. He layered either three or four beers together in a large glass. Then we challenged him to do the same in a small glass, and got a bonus taste of their Black & Tan (Hopnoxious and State Street Oatmeal Stout) in return!  Noted during this visit the first listing of a scale to measure bitterness (IBU) which was very helpful to novices.

Side side note: Timing is everything. The Brewmeister, Sam, was at the bar and offered to give us a tour of the facility. Fascinating! We got to peer into the big copper tanks and see the mash and sniff the aroma of brewing beer. And then downstairs to see how the beers are connected directly to the upstairs bar so that the beer comes directly from being brewed to being poured. Small scale brewing up close and personal!

Grand Rapids Brewing 
Grand Rapids
Well, another case of the Michigan Brewer's Guild's website being just a bit off. Beer lovers and tasters might have known, but it took the Brewmeister at Walldorff to tell us that Grand Rapids Brewing was not in business any longer. So we pressed on to Schmoz.

Schmoz Brewing
Grand Rapids 

We arrived at Schmoz after driving by it. No one in the parking lot. With good reason we found. No, not permanently closed, but closed nonetheless. Ok, note to self....be sure to check that the places exist and what their hours are. We looked around and decided not to wait for this place to open. Possibly our loss. We'll never know. Decided to keep going and move up the Hideout from Day 6 to Day 5. 


Hideout Brewing
Grand Rapids
Ok, this is getting to be a trend. Finally found the aptly named "Hideout" and walked in. The staff looked up and said - you guessed it - "we're not open yet." Realizing that it would be about two hours til they opened. We looked at each other and chose to head to the day's B&B to check in and relax from what had been a lot of driving and disappointment. 


Day 6 (Friday August 26)

Founders Brewing
Grand Rapids
Paula forgot to take a picture of the actual flight :-( , but the beers tasted were Gruit, Red's Rye Pale Ale, Cerise, Breakfast Stout. Price of flight: $8 Descriptions all except Gruit which was described as a hopless ale beverage from the Middle Ages in the low countries of Europe, midieval times. 


Paula said: An eye-opener, Gruit had a bit of bite without hops. Easy to drink and very pleasing sweetness. Not a session beer candidate because of the alcohol content but certainly fits for the flavor. In the Red's Rye, for the first time (maybe because I now know the rye taste comes from the malt/grain) I could taste the rye. It was like getting a rye seed on rye bread. I'd tasted it in the past without knowing where it came from. In this case it was blended with Amarillo and Simco hops. Cerise was the dessert beer of this group. Truly a delightful cherry-lover's beer. Unmistakably cherry, yet not cloying. Another beer I'd be tempted to sip all day and pour over ice cream. Or maybe mix with a bit of Breakfast Stout for a mix beer. (Gabriel, our waitperson, when asked for a glass to mix some of the two from our flight, kindly mixed the two for us in a separate glass. My intuition was right! Without having tasted the Breakfast Stout the 1/3 Cerise 2/3 Stout mix proved that these two work together wonderfully. Would like to taste a 50/50 mix....) Finally, the Breakfast Stout alone was and increidbly smooth chocolate/coffee mix. Not bitter at all. Big taste that if I could have warm without destrying it I would. This too would be a great addition in or with a robust chili or hearty stew with witner veggies. 


Meg saidFounders, located in a newer building, is apparently always noisy and busy.  This year they hope to double their production and put out 40,000 barrels.  This is not a micro-brewery, but certainly an important regional one now shipping to 15 states. Gruit  is the color of dark straw.  Light, drinkable. Paula noted I must have liked it as I finished it off. “First beer of the day,” I reminded her.  The Rye smells and tastes of the hops.  I just don’t like those IPA’s.  But if you do, I noted a citrus—grapefruity—finish. When we finished our flight. I asked out bartender for another sample size of the white zinfandel.  He smiled and brought me another Cerise.  I’m diggin the stouts, and Breakfast  Stout did not disappoint.  It was not as velvety as others we’ve had, but very good. We were treated to a final sample—a nitro pour called Mister E Froot.  Three fruits aged in a bourbon cask. Very creamy.


Side note: Another black mark for the Michigan Brewer's Guild website. Founders had changed locations two years ago and the wrong location was still on the website. No longer trusting the info from the site we decided to confirm with a local about what's what. Gabriel, confirmed some things we'd heard about where to go - Hopcat and Brewery Vivant - both new, both up and coming brew pubs/micro breweries. So we added them to the list for the day and moved B.O.B.'s Brewery to Saturday. Also, Gabriele graciously let us taste a very special specialty beer - Mister E Fruit - which is made with strawberries, cherries and raspberries then aged for two years in bourbon casks. It was an elegant brew, etherially good. This is the type of beer that you enjoy when you can, because when it's gone, it's gone. The height of special; the height of local since while they've expanded, they aren't interested in being a national brewer. 


Hop Cat
Grand Rapids
Beers pictured, right to left: Zugspitze Weizen , Northern Boy, Sage Against the Machine, Hoppopotamus IPA. Flight: $10 Descriptions - be sure to scroll down to find their beers. A limited menu; the place is known for the wide array of craft beers they carry as well as for their own brews.


Meg saidJazz was playing  at the Hopcat when we entered this pub located in a corner downtown historic building.  The décor was decidedly not pub-like. There will be no peanut shells thrown on the floor here. The Zagspitze Hefe tasted of the hint of licorice and spearmint.  I didn’t care for the American pale ale hopped wheat Northern Boy, but liked Sage Against the Machine more.  Hippopatamus was an IPA, so natch, I didn’t like it.


Paula said: The Zugspitze was light and farm-fresh, kind of a green hay combined with licorice flavor. Northern Boy (a hopped wheat beer) was a candidate to be not favored. Nope, not much enjoyed; hoppy and too bitey for my taste. The Sage Against the Machine (aside from having a great name) was truly a sage-flavored, light, crisp beer. Mildly sweet - clearly a session - with few bubbles. Reminiscent of sage leaves muddled in a crisp white wine. Hoppopotamus also wasn't a fave - IPAs need to be stricken from my ordering list it seems. Just not my thing. 


Brewery Vivant
Grand Rapids
The beers, left to right, back to front: Farmhand Ale, Triomphe IPA, Solitude Abbey Ale, Double Handed: Double Chocolate Stout. Flight price: $8 Descriptions



Paula said: Farmhand was a light, lemonade-y flavored beer that would really quench a thirst. Unmalted and cloudy, it was very easy to drink and would qualify to be on my session beer list. Unfortunately my premonition after almost a week of tasting beer was that I wouldn't care much for the Triomphe IPA. Yep, didn't - too hoppy. I would drink it if served, but won't order an IPA from here on out. Finally, one to cross off the list. The first taste of Solitude left the impression of charcoal (not bad, just not expected) with maybe a tiny bit of raisin, no pear. It would be an in-front-of-the-fire beer, definitely not for warmer weather. Finally the Double Handed was less chocolate-y and less rich than others tasted. Not as big in the mouth but still tasty. Think I prefer the more robust with a stout. 


Meg saidVivant is located in a chapel.  One person told us it was a mortuary chapel and someone else said it was a convent.  The Farmhand was very light and really tasted of no one thing at all.  The Solitude Belgian Ale was lighter in taste than its color would lead you to expect. It had a chalky coffee flavor.  Their Chocolate Stout was the lightest least velvety of chocolate stouts we’ve had this week, but still nice. Triomphe IPA was also probably the least hoppy of all the IPA’s I’ve tried this week.


Side note: Readers in the Harbor Country area will recognize the name of the Chef at the Brewery Vivant - Drew Turnipseed! He and wife Lauren relocated to Grand Rapids a while ago and it was serendipity to see his name on the information there. Sadly we didn't get to say hello....


Day 7 (Saturday August 27) 



B.O.B.'s Brewery
Grand Rapids
Last night we found that this brewery didn't open until 4PM on Saturday and given that this is "going home" day, decided to stay with the original schedule of only one stop to taste. Another trip...sorry B.O.B.'s! (P.S. After I got home I learned from a former Grand Rapids resident that B.O.B.'s was worth a visit...)

Old Hat Brewing
Lawton 
Beers pictured, right to left: Suave Chicken Saison, Amber Rhy Ale, Hefeweizen Ale, Razzmanian Devil Bock, Oatmeal Stout. Flight price: $9.50  Descriptions

Paula said: The Suave Chicken Saison had the banana-y flavor that had been mentioned multiple times this week but I could never taste til now. Good, crisp, flavorful. The Amber Rhy was also crisp and not too hoppy. Another keeper. I wouldn't have tried it  at the beginning of the week. The Hefeweizen also had notes of the banana and cloves of previous beers and again, this time the banana came through. More sophisticated taste buds at the end of the week? Razzmanian Devil was the first bock tasted. Very, very deep flavor...the fall into kind. Big in the mouth. Think I need to taste more to better understand bocks. There is no way to drink much of this given the ABV. Finally the Oatmeal Stout. Knowing that oats makes a creamy brew was looking for that. Not disappointed there. The flavor wasn't as chocolate-y or as coffee-y as other stouts. Again, learned that I prefer a bigger taste. Can't get over that....

Meg said:

Side note: Old Hat also makes a wicked Root Beer which we tasted. Not very carbonated, smooth and full of root beer taste.

Side side note: Paula asked for a clean glass to mix the Razzmanian Devil and the Oatmeal Stout before tasting the stout. Trusting that it would be a tasty mix based on prior experience. The result, yep! A keeper. About a 50/50 mix.

Side side side note: Seeing that the mixing was under way, Pete the bartender provided a mix they have on tap...1/4 Razzmanian Devil 3/4 Amber Ale mix. Another tasty combo!


Final Thoughts:
Paula said: 

  • I'm more comfortable ordering beer based on the style and have some confidence that I will like it. Equally important I know what to stay away from.
  • Want to continue to learn about pairing beers with food. Something that I wouldn't have given a second thought to before. Beer was for pizza and burgers. How narrow minded I was!
  • Will continue to mix beers to come up with my own flavors and maybe even go back to Saugatuck Brewing to make some of my own...
  • Will continue to trek around to more craft brewers in the future. By and large the people are pleasant and helpful and the environments enjoyable. It was all together a good week. Thanks for being a good sport Meg!