Kibbitzing about Colbitzer

German lager in the US via Japan? Perhaps brewed for the US and Japanese markets? A shipment of Pils refused by Japan? Not the best Pils but not terrible either. Found at a Shop and Save in Downers Grove, Illinois for $3.99 a four-pack. Purchased cold out of the cooler. They also had a weizen and Schwarzbier. A little bit of a rustic hop bitterness but not bad for four bucks.

An alternate dimension

Here we have an attempt at something German called Altbier. This is Alternate Dimension from Trader Joe's. The back label says the brewer used a special Alt yeast from Dusseldorf. Pretty impressive for $7 a sixer, right? But is it good?

With bit of a pretzel-like aroma, a pleasant maltiness and just the right amount of bitterness, Alternate Dimension is a very drinkable beer. In fact, I've tasted quite a few much higher-priced Altbiers and this one is just about as good. I might go back for more...it's just too bad that it's so hot outside....(I like my darker beers when it's colder.)

Hmm. Keep driving?

Here's a new Trader Joe's beer (at least new to me) that I picked up today. It is a dry hopped red ale that clocks in at 7.2 percent. I paid $7 for the six-pack which I think is cheap for craft beer these days. The label design of thus beer appeals to me, with the VW bus and hop cones and all. Dry-hopped is always good. That said, this ale is hopped with Tettnang, which is a unusual choice for dry-hopping an ale. Most U.S. brewers would use Mount Hood, which is a Tettnang-like American hop. There's just a brief burst of a spicy hop note in this beer. There is, however, a satisfactory hop flavor. The carbonation seems a bit off at first but I realize my glass is not clean. I transfer the beer to a clean glass and it foams up nicely with a lasting head. Poured into a tall pilsner glass, I notice the Tettnang hops a little more. All in all a pretty enjoyable red ale with good caramel malt sweetness balanced by enough spicy hops to keep it interesting. Be careful though, as this beer is quite quaffable for it's 7.1 percent alcohol by volume!

Josephbrau scores again!

Revisiting a couple German-style beers from Trader Joe's this evening. The first is Josephsbrau Hefeweizen. It is an unfiltered wheat beer brewed to 5.3 percent alcohol by volume. Perhaps on the higher side of sessionable, it is certainly a decent weizen to be had for seven dollars a six-pack. There is the typical banana-clove flavor profile, albeit somewhat muted. Good stuff.

The Dunkelweizen is priced the same. It pours a very hazy amber with a muted spicy nose with a suggestion of orange. Again, this isn't your fancy Paulaner, Ayinger or Franziskaner. Interestingly enough the dunkelweizen is a a tenth of a percent weaker than the weizen with 18 versus 12 IBUs. All this mumbo jumbo means is that they added more hops in the dunkel, probably to balance the addition of caramel malts. The result is a dunkel that is not as sweet as most which is something that I rather enjoy.

Update: I have found out this evening that noted beer writer, homebrewer and craft beer pioneer Fred Eckhardt has died. He was 89 and I believe he appreciated the German styles. Cheers, Fred! Here's a column he wrote for his 80th birthday.

Classic cheap beer

Chicago area people! Pilsner Urquell cans are on sale at Jewel for $1.29 a can. I love these vintage-style cans. I'm a sucker for them. PU isn't really a cheap beer, but it is more affordable than some of the craft lagers these days. It is still a go-to beer for me, especially on weeknights. The 4.4 percent ABV will treat you right and still 40 IBUs after all these years....

Do you like Bock?

So the other day I was told about Josephsbrau Prost (Rich Malty Lager) by my cashier at Trader Joe's. The conversation went something like this, "Do you like beer? Do you like bock? We have a new Maibock, do you want to try it?" The look on my face must've have shown indifference because the cashier followed with "it's only a dollar a bottle and I can get you one if you want." I agreed to try it and he fetched the bottle. "If you don't like it you can bring the empty bottle back and we'll refund your money."

Well, heck...it's not hat bad. It's not great either, but at 7.3 percent alcohol by volume it at least provides a fairly flavorful cheap buzz. The maltiness isn't that smooth, but it is slightly complex with some interesting caramel notes and almost a hint of coffee. Yeah, I know a little weird for an amber bock, but not bad. At a buck of bottle it's a decent low-end craft beer that I think fits the high-end of the cheap category. Available now for a limited time.

Head for the Mountains

I collect "retro" and vintage beer glassware. My most recent purchase replaced a Hamm's pilsner sham that got knocked over and broke into pieces. The new glass (pictured) promotes Busch Bavarian, an old Anheuser-Busch product (now Inter-Bud-Ambev or whatever) that was recently re-packaged into cans with a retro label from just after the time when the "Bavarian" part of the name got dropped. As you can see, the can says "Clear and Bright as Mountain Air" and "Busch Classic." The can says the beer was introduced in 1955 as Busch Bavarian. Wikipedia adds that it changed to just Busch in 1979. I'm guessing that real Bavarians were appalled by the original name and made Bud change it.

This beer has a bubblegummy and slightly fruity smell laced with a sort of medicinal aroma.It tastes very watery and light for its 4.7 percent alcohol by volume, with a bit of bubblegummy sweetness and a dryish, but slightly sweet finish. It's definitely light, but with a fairly inoffensive amount of corn. This stuff initially formed a bit of a rocky head (which I missed in the photo) and which I haven't been able to replicate since, which makes me think it was my imagination. Budweiser has always equaled Wonder Bread. They brew the Wonder Bread of beer and in this sense, Busch doesn't disappoint. That said, it seems like the kind of beer that just doesn't get you drunk, it makes you stupid and maybe a nasty, old, hillbilly. Oh, and if you're still interested, I paid a little about a buck for the big can and I noticed it's $3.40 a six-pack, definitely qualifying as cheap.

Well, what else can I say...it was time to head for the mountains.

PLZNR?!

PLZNR, huh? Interesting. A "Josephsbrau Brewing Company" beer the Trader Joe's Czech/German-style line of lagers bought for a buck. Available for six bucks a six-pack. Well, it pours nice an clear with a decent quarter-inch of head. Bubbles stream from the bottom of my PLZNR (pilsner) glass. Smells like fresh malt and herbal hops. It ain't too bad. Tastes crisp and well, like a Pils. Decent malt flavor here, with some decent hop bitterness. Tastes almost exactly like pils I had a Gordon Biersch. I'd drink this stuff again. Especially in summer.

Not bowled over by Boatswain

A new Trader joe's beer brand called Boatswain (pronounced Bo-sun) has pulled into port. It's brewed by Rhinelander Brewing Co. of Monroe, Wisconsin, which really is Minhas Brewing, which brews a lot of cheap beer for Trader Joe's. The two beers are both described as IPAs. One is simply called Boatswain IPA and the other is called H.L.V. -- or Heavy Lift Vessel. Both are also described as brown on color, but really only H.L.V. is really brown. The beer snob in me also knows that IPAs really shouldn't be brown, but this is cheap beer, so who cares?

I bought both these beers for $1.99 each. I tried the IPA first. It poured crystal clear amber with plenty of carbonation and big fluffy white head. This beer certainly looked tasty enough. It smmelled of sweet cereal grains with only a faint floral hop nose. I suppose I really shouldn't have expected much more than that. Then there was the strange metallic bitterness that cthankfully comes and goes quickly. I'm calling this mallt liquor for people who like hops, but there's also no way this is 79 IBUs as indicated on the label. (An IBU is a measurement of bitterness in beer. Budweiser has about 10 IBUs.)

I have to say I "drain-poured" the bulk of the IPA, but quite possibly because I'd been drinking Three Floyds (expensive craft beer) earlier in the evening. I still moved on to the H.L.V., the darker brother of the IPA. I felt like this beer was a little better as the dark malts obscured the likely use of adjuncts. The label says dark brown and this time it is to believed. A slightly more pleasant aroma with this one, that fades quickly. The hop bitterness seems a little more for real this time, but I'm still not impressed, even for two-dollar price point. Tastes like a hoppy version of on of my all time favorite Huber Bock (another Minhas brew, but not sold at Trader Joe's.) That said, I think I'd rather pass these beers up and spend an extra buck on a bottle of Charles Shaw.

Short Stuff

I used to buy Rhinelander Export at least 10 years ago when it was produced in 12-ounce brown returnable bottles by Huber Brewing Co. in Monroe, WI. These bottles were distributed in sturdy, reusable cardboard boxes. The bottles and boxes were great for homebrewers (I still have a few of them) but are sadly no longer available as the new owners of the brewery went to much cheaper packaging. It's been quite awhile since I've had a Rhinelander Export and even longer since I've had Rhinelander Bock (all the way back to college.) The Bock is no longer produced, but Rhinelander is back in a retro seven-ounce brown stubby bottle. I had to pick up a couple of these little guys (they were only 79 cents each) on a recent trip to Wisconsin. I even considered buying a case. It turns out a case (for $11.49) might have been hard to swallow. The beer pours a clear yellow with just a bit of fizz. It smells like cheap beer: a sort of fresh, worty aroma with a little puff of vanilla. Rather sweet without being cloying. It has sort of a marshmallow-like powdery sweetness which coats the tongue. The finish is a touch sweet and just short of unpleasant. I think the case of Shortys should be a little cheaper as I remember paying about 13 bucks for a whole case of 12-ounce bottles about 10 years ago, but I couldn't resist the packaging.

A Beer By Any Other Name...

...might be good, but thumbs down for Name Tag (formerly Red Oval) Lager. Suckered in by the low price and a friend's review that it was pretty good, I tried this beer tonight and actually liked it at first. It looked quite appealing in the glass. A rocky head of foam and nice golden hue, a fruity nose and a bubblegummy taste, but alas it was not to be. I should have known better, as I've been let down by the brewer in the past. You see, Name Tag beer is actually brewed for Trader Joe's by Minhas Brewing in Monroe, WI, purveyors of many bargain basement brews such as Mountain Creek (a.k.a. Mountain Crest) lager. I was a fan of the brewery when it was known as the Huber Brewing Co., which it had been for decades. Huber was famous for it's Huber beer and in my 20s I was famous for having a bottle of Huber Bock in hand (sometimes referred to as the Brown Bullet.) Anyhow, the flavor of tonight's can of Name Tag Lager seemed to deteriorate after a few sips; a weird after taste sort of developed, somewhat metallic perhaps, but almost an odd sort of sweetness. That said, I was still able to finish it, although it left me wanting for a Pabst or Old Style.

Bombastic Baltic Porters

Baltic Porters are the bomb. That is to say they are cheap way to get "bombed." They're stronger beers that seems suited to winter: Eastern European winters. They range from between 7.5 and 9.5 percent alcohol. They are a good choice if you want a cheap buzz and you like dark beer. Here is a sampling of some Baltic Porters (that is to say beers that are from Baltic states like Estonia and Poland.) All of the beers below should be found for no more than $1.79 to $2.50 a half-liter bottle.

First up is Saku Porter, an Estonian beer which pours the color of motor oil and tastes fruity with strong flavors of burnt caramel. Its carbonation dissipates and its foam subsides to nothing over the course of several minutes, but the beer doesn't go flat. Flavors of prune, raisin (dark fruits) and molasses with a tawny finish. Hops play a minor supporting role here, as the finish is just shy of sweet with burnt marshmallow notes. Next up is the Polish Okocim Porter, an old favorite of mine. It pours quite dark. Pours with plenty of carbonation that forms a compact but energetic. Very smooth. Starts with chocolate/cocoa flavors, then these meld into more tawny, fruity flavors with a slight tartness and late burst of tannin (but not in any way off-putting.)
Polish Zwyiec Porter is the strongest of the three and the cheapest. It is truly black malt liquor. Comes across simple and a bit watery...but strong! (Actual alcohol content by volume is 9.5 percent, your mileage may vary.) Fairly neutral malt flavor at first, but then there's some espresso flavor and a rather harsh bitterness from grain and hops. Touch of ethanol. Strongest but weakest in terms of flavor.

Trader Joe's Stockyard Oatmeal Stout

Stockyard Oatmeal Stout at Trader Joe's is a surprisingly tasty stout for $5.99 a six-pack. It's a chocolate tasting stout with minimal bitterness. It almost finishes too sweet. In my opinion it could have a little more bitterness, if not from hops then at least from some roasted grains. It is smooth, which I believe is requirement for an oatmeal stout. The only real complaint I have about this stout is that it has a somewhat chalky aftertaste. Otherwise it's a very affordable stout.

Famous for good cheap beer

Kudos to Famous Liquors in Lombard. They're currently blowing out six-packs of Dundee India Pale Ale for $3.99 a six-pack. I picked up a six tonight and the light amber ale is quite tasty, fairly fresh and sufficiently hoppy (although not terribly bitter.) Chinook and Hallertauer hops contribute cedar and spicy, grassy hop flavors to this ale. It's also surprisingly dry, but not too much so. If you're unable to get to Famous, Chicago area beer drinkers should be able to find Dundee ales at their local Binny's for $6.49 a six. Dundee ales are brewed in Rochester, New York at the Genessee brewery.

If the Dundee isn't a big enough beer for you there's still a few cases left of 2010 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine. This classic, massive American craft beer is being nearly given away for $6.99 a six-pack (also at Famous.) Act now, since supplies are limited. Dieters should be forewarned though: the Bigfoot is massive in terms of hops, malt and alcohol as well as calories: about 350 per 12-ounce bottle!

New Summer Beer from Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is selling a kolsch-style beer. It's called Trader Joe's Josef Brau Summer brew and it is rather good for the buck a bottle price. It's a bright straw-colored brew with a light toasted malt smell that has a crisp cracker-like malt flavor along with a slighty spicy, hoppiness and mineral-like, toasted malt finish. Not too bad.

Mission Possible: affordable hoppy ales

I consider $7 a six-pack for what could be considered a craft beer pretty good these days, so when I spotted Mission Street Pale and India Pale Ale at my local Trader Joe's I had to pick up a couple bottles and give it a try.

First up is the Mission Street Pale, which is probably the palest pale ale I've ever seen, shining a bright straw yellow. It smells spicy and citrusy hoppy which is reassuring and the head looks decent. The taste is very smooth and a bit watery for a pale ale, but with a decent spicy hop note in the finish. A touch of peppery alcohol is a bit of surprise for a beer seemingly so benign and drinkable. A hint of toasted malt surfaces as the beer warms up. This would be an excellent "gateway" beer those wondering what hops are supposed to really taste like, without scaring said person away from hoppy beer. I would also note that the drinkability factor and low alcohol by volume (4.6 percent by volume) of this beer should qualify it as the official pale ale of the summer of 2009.

The Mission Street IPA is oddly not as hoppy in the aroma as the Pale Ale. The hops are there, but as pronounced and more grassy than citrus-like. The color is a bit darker than the pale. It is rather malt forward, too, with spicy hops sort of riding on top of the malt towards the finish. The bitter hops seem to struggle through the malt in the finish, but end up winning, coating the tongue with a latent bitterness. Not too bad, but the Pale Ale seemed a little cleaner, as there seem to be even more fusels here.

Simpler Times?

As anyone who has followed this blog for some time has probably noticed, Trader Joe's is a good place for cheap beer. Some of it is good, some not so good. This evening while buying some groceries I spotted Simpler Times Pilsner, a beer brewed by Minhas Brewing Co. (formerly Huber) in Monroe, Wisconsin. I haven't had too many Minhas private label beers. I've had more of their contract brews such as the Berghoff brand.

Simpler Times Pilsner is a pretty good lookin' clear, golden beer that pours with plenty of foam that builds a rocky head. The label advertises hops, and I think I can pick them out in the smell. The rest of the beer ain't bad either. As smooth, very drinkable pilsner, Simpler Times can't be beat. Sure it's kind of plain except for little bit of floral hops and a bit of bubblegum sweet finish, but it called Simpler Times. Not bad at all for a standard American-style lager and pretty cheap at $0.84 a bottle. Drink it cold though, it gets a little too sweet as it warms up.

There is also a Simpler Times Lager, which I didn't buy, that is stronger (6.2 percent compared to 5.5 for the Pilsner), but somehow a dollar a six-pack cheaper. Perhaps more adjunct?

More than a little DAB of beer

If you haven't ever enjoyed German lager out of a mini-keg (a 5-liter self-pouring aluminum can) now is your chance at Famous Liquors at Roosevelt and Main in Lombard, Illinois. Cases of DAB mini-kegs, a fine Dortmunder, (two in each box) are going for $20 or one 5-liter can for $10. Such a deal. I've had this beer before and it is a very clean, somewhat malty, light- to medium-bodied lager with just enough hops. Top reviewers at Beer Advocate seem to like it okay, giving it a "C+" (which is an average that got me into college) so it can't be that bad.

London Pride at a Discount

Today I picked up some cheap Fuller's London Pride at Sal's Beverage World in Elmhurst, Illinois. Fifteen bucks for a case of pint cans of this decent English Bitter is a great deal. I've seen this beer for as much as $10 a four-pack of pint cans. The cases are about three months past there best before date, but I'm sampling a pint right now and it's not too bad. The flavor are a little subdued, but you can't complain much at 15 bucks a case.

Fuller's London Pride is a decent ale with enough complexity to balance it's excellent drinkability. London Pride starts out with a honey-ish nose accented by woody hops, followed by a delicate biscuit-like maltiness, a hint fruitiness, a slight bit of tartness and finally a crisp, bittersweet finish. Although I'd like to taste more bitter hops in the finish, this is still a decent session ale, and it must be noted that the particular sample I'm enjoying is about three months past it's best before date, which could explain it's lack of luster. I normally wouldn't consume beer past it's due date, but in this case I succumbed to a case that was more than half off it's normal price. So, given this product's condition, I'm certainly not too disappointed.

Ya got a deal with Josef's Brau

It's spring 2008 and the definition of cheap beer is changing. Barley malt and hop prices are going up, up, up and there seems to be no ceiling in sight. Fortunately, Trader Joe (or in this case Trader Josef, his German counterpart) is keeping prices down for a decent beer. The entire Josef Brau range of beers can be found for $6 a six-pack. Sure, if you really want to save money at Trader Joe's you can pick up a six-pack of Mountain Creek ($3 for six cans), but Trader Josef offers real value and a heck of a lot more real beer flavor.

Trader Josef's Dunkelweizen is a seasonal offering that shows up at Trader Joe's stores in the spring. It pours very murky, but the murkiness is just yeast, and hefe-weizens are naturally cloudy with yeast. The Hefe-weizen style originates in Germany and "hefe" means "with yeast" in German. There's lots of B-complex in yeast, which is good for you. That said, I'm surprised at the amount of yeast that ends up in my glass, even as I take measures to keep some of the yeast at the bottom of the bottle out of my glass. There's enough in suspension to probably start fermenting a typical batch of homebrew.

The beer has a decent. It smells a little spicy (normal for a hefe-weizen), but also little metallic. A metallic aroma is kind of expected in a cheaper beer. The problem is this beer isn't that cheap. The beer still tastes good, with some sweet caramel aromas, a subtle spiciness (perhaps some clove?) and a dry-ish finish. The body is light, so it goes down easy. I'd probably pick up more of this if I was in the mood for dunkelweizen and didn't feel like paying for the fancy German imports.