Schmaltz Brewery - Messiah Bold

Tonight I'll be drinking a Messiah Bold brown ale from Schmaltz Brewery in San Francisco, CA. I've only tried a couple beers from this brewery, the most memorable being the Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA, a huge Rye IPA that absolutely kicked ass.  Schmaltz is well-known for their Jewish....ness.  They include lots of facts, quotations, and funny little quips about the religion and culture.  On this particular bottle, the label states "MESSIAH BOLD", "THE BEER YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR."  They've got quite the marketing shtick!

The beer is nearly black-brown color, far darker than your typical brown ale.  Nice off-white head forms and recedes quickly.  The aroma is completely stumping me - I have no idea how to describe this!  Malty, musty, with some fresh dark fruits covered in brown sugar.  Sounds good, right?  Well not quite, something in there seems off.  Can't put my finger on it - it's a weird sort of astringent-ish-ness.  The flavor starts off with a chalky maltyness - cocoa powder and light roast coffee meet slightly bitter, citric hops.  And that, folks, is about it!  The carbonation is fairly high for the style, and the finish leaves a hint of that cocoa powder and lets it linger for a while.

Overall Rating:  I'm sorry to say it, but this beer was boring.  Not a whole lot going on...certainly not "BOLD" like the label claims.  I won't be seeking this beer out anytime soon.  C

Bell's Brewery - Best Brown Ale 2011

I just finished watching a documentary on the making of South Park, and Trey Parker/Matt Stone are insane.  Aside from their undeniable creative genius, they have incredible work ethic.  Can you imagine having to come up with ideas for a show, develop the scenes, write the script, create the animation, record the voice-overs...literally create an entire episode from scratch....all in just 6 days!?  Seems impossible.  But they make it happen.  Their true genius is in their ability to mock everyone and everything that deserves to be mocked.  Love those guys.

Tonight I'm drinking Best Brown Ale from Bell's Brewery in Comstock, MI.  Bell's is well-known for the heavy-hitting HopSlam Imperial IPA, and their Expedition Stout.  We've also tried their Batch 10,000, which was one of the oddest brews I've ever tasted.  Best Brown Ale is a seasonal brew from Bell's, registering a mild 5.8% alcohol.

The label includes a picture of an owl on the front, quite the stately label, as expected from Bell's.  The beer is a murky, dirty dark brown with a thin layer of cream head.  The aroma is pretty basic - sweet, nutty maltyness with a touch of nutmeg.  The flavor starts off with hefty malts.  Very nutty, with some woody, earthy undertones and a touch of hop bitterness in the middle.  This beer is heavily carbonated....too carbonated.  A hint of dark fruits, along with a dry and sour bitterness at the finish that lingers for a bit.

Overall Rating:  Well, I disagree with the name of this brew.  It's definitely not the Best brown ale....the carbonation was overwhelming, and the finish left an odd, out-of-place sour flavor that didn't sit well.  This one will go towards the bottom of my Bell's list.  C+

Grand Teton - Bitch Creek Extra Special Brown

Tonights review is from Grand Teton.  A well known and respected brewery out of Colorado.  Dunz and I have been reviewing these guys and enjoying their beer since the start of our blog.  We are continually impressed with our experiences as we try the Grand Teton brews that are new to us.  Tonight, GTs take on the "ESB" is new to me.  Lets see how it fares.

ESB is generally an acronym for Extra Special Bitter.  Grand Teton has taken this and bastardized it in the only appropriate way a craft brewery can!  This Extra Special Brown is a deep dark amber with a voluminous tan foam.  A pungent aroma of citrusy hops plows full sails ahead in front of any malt characteristics you would have expected with a brew this dark.  Any remaining aromas are back-filled with toasted bread and caramel malt.  The flavors represent the aromas to a 'T'.  Plenty of American hops to go around.  A solid, creamy and smooth base malt of toffee, toasted bread and light chocolate support the massive hop explosion in my mouth.  The bold citrus flavors that are well known in West coast IPAs somehow find their way into Bitch Creek.  Its unexpected, but certainly welcome.

Overall - Bitch Creek threw me off a bit.  It took me a bottle or two to get used to the unusual amount of hops within this brew.  American Brown Ales are mostly hoppy but this one is taking it to the extreme.  I like it!  The name Extra Special Brown is earned here.  Plenty of bitterness to go around while also keeping the beer balanced and easily drinkable.  I believe this is a year round offering so be sure to grab a sixer next time you are in the mood for a solid American Brown!