Preamble by Steve Siciliano
I am pleased to announce that Jeff Chase is the winner of Best of Show for the Sixteenth Annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition. The member of the Motor City Mashers homebrew club took the top honors with his American Porter and was presented the prestigious Siciliano’s Cup last Saturday at the awards presentation at Johnson Park.
Jeff also received a $500.00 gift card to Siciliano’s Market and will be brewing his winning recipe at The Knickerbocker, New Holland Brewing Company’s Bridge Street location on the west side of Grand Rapids.
After being presented with The Cup, Jeff carried on the tradition of drinking from the trophy and, unlike the majority of previous winners, managed to accomplish the rather difficult maneuver without a stream of suds cascading down the front of his shirt (see below). Congratulations Jeff!
New and Returning Beer
Beards Forget Me Knot, $2.39/12oz - "Peter and Kari’s, this session saison features specialty hops and hibiscus giving it soft pink color and tart finish" (source).
Bell's Smitten, $2.09/12oz - "Drawn from one of our oldest recipes, Smitten began as Golden Rye Pale Ale, part of a series of beers that explored the use of rye malt at our pub, the Eccentric Café. With wonderfully bitter citrus notes, resinous hop aromas and earthy overtones, this dry-hopped Pale Ale doesn't leave a lot of room for you to wonder if you'll love it" (source).
Bell's Song of Myself, $2.29/12oz - "This the first of 7 beers celebrating a literary classic and one of our favorites, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Brewed to the season, this IPA is made with 100% German malt and hops, putting a European twist on a classic American style" (source).
Big Lake Tangerine Haze, $3.39/16oz - "Juicy, hazy New England IPA - very tangerine-forward" (source).
Blackberry Farm Classic Saison, $3.29/12oz - "This is a Belgian-style farmhouse ale. The aroma is dominated by fruity esters reminiscent of citrus fruits along with a moderate earthy and floral hop aroma from the use of Noble-type hops in the brewing process. Has a deep gold, hue that is often hazy, and a voluminous head on pouring as a result of the bottle-conditioning and high natural carbonation. The beer is medium-bodied and has a very refreshing effervescence which, along with a fairly low alcohol content, makes this a beer to be enjoyed on a warm day by itself or with a wide range of foods, whether casual or fine dining. Complex flavors and aromas in this beer are a result of the special yeast used in fermentation combined with the additional complexity added by bottle-conditioning in large bottles for at least six weeks before being released" (source).
Blank Brewing Round on the House, $4.89/16oz - "Chocolatey cracking cereal crafted by elves" (source).
Boulevard Hibiscus Gose, $1.99/12oz - "Our version of an unusual, yet resurgent, beer style. It pays tribute to the pleasantly sour, slightly salty wheat beers that originated in Goslar and became popular in Leipzig, Germany around the late 1800’s. A great introductory sour beer, Hibiscus Gose receives coriander and sea salt during boiling, then we steep dried hibiscus flowers at the end to create a vibrant pink hue (really, though, it’s pink!). The result is a tangy, sweet and sour ale with a refreshing citrus character" (source).
Brewdog Clockwork Tangerine, $1.99/12oz - "This fully automated IPA is infused with tangerine. At 4.5% it’s a stand-out session beer that packs a perfectly timed delivery of juicy citrus and mellow tropical fruit resting on a light toasty and caramel base. Fresh, juicy and sessionable" (source).
Brewdog Cocoa Psycho, $4.69/12oz - "18th Century Imperialism meets 21st century optimism. And decadence meets detante in this bitter-sweet psychosis of a stout. Silky smooth coffee beans, chocolately cocao nibs and dark malts combine to excess with infusions of vanilla pods, all resting on a toasted oak chip backbone. Eventually, you'll come face-to-face with the madness required to make this beer; a kind of insanity that would have made Rasputin himself proud" (source).
City Built Monroe Beach, $4.09/16oz - "Berliner with Pineapple, Guava, Passion Fruit & Lactose" (source).
Mitten Dock's No No, $3.29/12oz - "A Mitten Double IPA meant to showcase individual hops each time its brewed! This batch was brewed with Galaxy hops from New Zealand" (source).
Monkey Fist Touch of Sunshine, $2.79/16oz - "Pale Ale brewed with Chinook, Brewers Gold, Amarillo, and Citra hops" (source).
Monkey Fist Weizen Shine, $2.79/16oz - "A German style Hefeweizen using Safir and Willamette hops" (source).
Old Nation Dry Honey Saison, $3.39/16oz - "French style summer ale with spicy phenols from the yeast and a dry, honey finish" (source).
Omnipollo Bianca Lemon Coconut Tart, $6.29/16oz - "Ale brewed with lemon, coconut and lactose sugar" (source).
Omnipollo Devin the Dude, $2.79/12oz - "Brewed in honor of Devin The Dude, with can artwork by Karl Grandin. Inspirations for our beers come from everywhere. Sometimes it’s like the universe is telling us there needs to be a beer. It sounds pretentious and, in a way, it is… But with the release of this Omnipollo® German style pilsner we are in the center of a vortex of incidences telling us that all we want to drink is a truly well-crafted pilsner. My own pilsner journey started long ago, and pilsner is still my favorite style of beer, but it totally seems like the right time to celebrate this style. The signs are there. Like when your favorite rapper doesn’t enjoy the IPA you had planned to brew in his honor, saying “none of that fruity stuff”. Or the fact that for the last couple of years, all brewers at festivals will not be found drinking the latest hype brew, but instead gathering at the tap of whoever brought a classic pilsner. A pils is sort of like your favorite t-shirt, you wear it often, but it is never a loud statement. So we raise our (pilsner) glass to you, and hope you will enjoy Devins German style pilsner and the rest of our pilsner journey. Be curious, be classic" (source).
Omnipollo Tetragrammaton, $5.99/16oz - No description available.
Oskar Blues Hazy Can O Bliss, $1.79/12oz - "Can-O-Bliss Hazy IPA (7.2% ABV) is a hazed-out and hopped-up IPA brewed with Strata, Cashmere, Enigma, Hallertau Blanc and Eureka hops and packed with flavors of stone fruit, melon and peach. Just like Oskar Blues, this beer is unfiltered, uncommon and unrestrained" (source).
Prairie Rainbow Sherbert, $3.29/12oz - "Sour ale with Rainbow Sherbet" (source).
Railtown Yew!, $3.29/12oz - "Cherry sour" (source).
Rochester Mills Homefront, $2.59/16oz - "Homefront IPA is an American IPA aged on Maple Baseball Bats. Brewed with Donated Chinook & Cascade Hops, a significant portion of the proceeds are donated to Soldiers' Angels charity for Veterans. So enjoy this Patriotic Brew knowing you'll be Supporting America's Troops" (source).
Rochester Mills Milkshake Blond, $2.69/16oz - "A full flavored light in the darkness. Close your eyes and this Blonde Ale with milk sugars, vanilla and white chocolate then cold press brewed with White Pine’s locally roasted Coffee beans will fool you into thinking you’re drinking a darker beer" (source).
Saugatuck Radventure, $1.89/12oz - "Go off the beaten path with this beautifully gold, effervescent IPA. Hop flavor and aroma derived from Galaxy, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Michigan Experimental Hops — leading to a one of a kind fruity flavor filled with strawberry, melon, and grapefruit" (source).
Shorts Melt My Brain, $2.09/12oz - "Melt My Brain is an experimental Golden Ale brewed with coriander, juniper berries, limes and blended with Short’s made tonic water to create the tasting experience of drinking a gin and tonic cocktail. Delicate aromas of citrus and pine flow into bold bright flavors of sweet lime with a slightly sticky bitterness. Refreshing and clean, a tasty tonic effervescence provokes the palate for more" (source).
Stillwater Shaken Not Stirred, $5.49/16oz - "A Nitro sour ale inspired by the classic whiskey sour brewed with cherry, orange peel, lemon, lactose and American oak" (source).
Tapistry Morning Trippen, $3.59/16oz - No commercial description.
Picture of the Week | Thy Cup Runneth Over
Cheers!