Spiteful Brewing (Chicago, IL)

Got my first taste of Spiteful Brewing at The Bad Apple in Chicago. The socializing was in full swing by then, so I don't remember much about my draft of Biter Biker except that it was good enough to inspire buy a few more bottles from Binny's in Schaumburg.

Here's what I took home:

Ghost Bike Pale Ale: hazy amber, gold around the edge, with an off white head that dropped off quickly. Light hop nose with sweet caramel and malt overriding. Caramel and malty sweetness follows on the tongue with a apple cider and ripe fruit in the center before a solid bitterness lingers off the back.  Interesting beer that almost a throwback pale ale with more malt than hop, and more pleasant than the BeerAdvocate reviews. In honor of white bikes where bikers have been killed on Chicago streets.

God Damn Pigeon Porter: the slightly darker than tan head leaps up off the beer and fills the glass with a fairly easy pour over a pitch black ale with ruby highlights at the farthest edges.  Creamy head mingles with the burnt sweetness of the porter. Very good first impression but the thinness of the body lessens the impact but still a very good beer.

G.F.Y Stout: dark brown head flattens to a film quickly in spite of a hard pour over a jet black stout.  Dark malts, heavy roast, molasses, dark chocolate and a hint of spice in the nose that continues onto the tongue plus an alcoholic hotness.

Overall, all of the Spiteful brews were solid and interesting.  The stout was lacking a bit and the porter was my favorite of the bunch I took home. I remember thinking Biter Biker having a brash bitterness that reminded me of Bitter Brewer from Surly, which had some similarities with the Ghost Bike. From the website, the name of the nanobrewery comes from an childhood incident on a hockey pond that led to friendship. With their in-your-face attitude, indie vibe and passionate brewing, Spiteful I will try again at my next opportunity to see if they are going to be the next big thing in Chicago.

Bud Light Lime Straw-ber-Rita (Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO)

We were at a wedding last weekend and a couple we were chatting with much of the night told a funny story that included a new "beer" called Bud Light Lime Straw-ber-Rita.  Aghast at the description, I of course had to buy one when I happened upon it while on a beer run.

Candy red in the glass without a hint of a head on the pour. Besides the advertised lime, the nose smells like a Shirley Temple with too much grenadine and a shot of fresh moonshine floated on top.  Syrupy sweet taste of strawberry and lime, but each is independent and not blended at all.  Raw alcohol aftertaste burns in spite of the obvious effort at a fruity cover up, leaving almost no discernible beer taste at all.

Maybe I should have tried the suggestion on the side of the can to pour it over ice so the taste would be muted and diluted. My wife admonished me for pouring it into a glass since drinking from the can would limit the affect of smell on the taste; as usual, she may have had a point.  Compared to craft beer tallboys that are just solid enough to pour once popped, this 24 oz can is clearly sturdy enough to hold and drink from while boating on the Mississippi or at a garage party when the folks are out of town. With the 8% alcohol clearly highlighted in green on a red background, the design of the beer seems to be little more than a cheap alcohol delivery system to bypass the taste of beer completely, at which is succeeds.

Nelson Sauvingnon 2012 (Mikkeller, Copenhagen, DK)

12/30/12

Got them to pull this one from the back. We thought about getting the Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin, but the BA reviews were so low that it didn't seem worth the 600 Kroners. The Mikkeller was less than half the price for twice the bottle and significantly higher BA ratings.

Came wrapped, cork and caged as a 75 cl. Effervescent body creates a clean white head that falls almost immediately to a ring around the edge. Yellow copper ale when back lit that's amber in the low light of the bar.  Assertive yeast spiciness that's clean and pleasant, white wine, grapefruit, tangerine and pear. Great blend.   For flavor, Ian called it as Welch's white grapefruit juice as a metaphorical base of  sweetness that's tempered by a yeasty tartness. Champagne yeast smooths and blends it all together into a version far more fun than actual champagne. Similar to Deus, but with a fuller body and it's more palatable.  But I don't like champagne as a rule, so take it for what it is--in Danish, Værsgo.

Daniel and Agnes, our new friends at the end of the bar, ordered the same bottle aged--2009.  Musty and muted, the taste had lost a significant spiciness but possessed more Belgian yeast.  They liked it better, but we preferred the brighter 2012 version.  Drink this one slow since it opens up well with some degrees on it.  Happy with our choice for an elegant champagne beer that was recommended on the front page of the bottle list by Mikkeller HQ versus the big-for-the-sake-of-big Brewdog beer.

Samuel Adams Utopias 10th Anniversary (Boston Beer Co, Boston, MA)

I decided last time Utopias was released that whenever I could purchase a bottle, I would take the opportunity.  Last month when I saw a post, I called the Ale Jail; one was left, so I drove right there, but missed getting the last bottle by fifteen minutes.  Petschen's was my ticket to my own bottle of this unique beer and I got the last one.  Being that getting this gem released a month or so before my birthday on 12/12/12, it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate.  Not going to try to explain Utopias--here's the description from Sam Adams if not familiar. Be sure to check out the tasting video for the 2012 edition at the bottom of the page.

Dark brown with ruby highlights around the edges and served at room temperature, which is mid 60s in our house during winter.  Heavy, exquisite legs on the gratis Riedel glass from the 27% alcohol.  Complex nose of dried date, cherry, dark chocolate, fresh vanilla and spice.  All of which is subdued under a multifaceted, woody alcohol presence that somehow doesn't overwhelm in spite of it's sinus clearing strength.  Taste is lighter than expected from the nose with sweetness, dark fruits and alcohol blending together elegantly that drifts down lightly with no carbonation.

Happy Birthday to me.

1/27/13 update: Between hosting Christmas dinner, a trip to Copenhagen, and re-entry into school and the start of the speech season, I didn't get to the last pour until six weeks later.  I've read from other posts that one can simply seal the container and drink at your leisure.  That was true for the samples just after the 12.12.12 opening.  For the the early samples, including Christmas day with my nephew, I noticed no difference in quality.  However, tonight, there was clear oxidation and it had lost a step.  Since life made it inevitable anyway, it was a useful experiment.  In the future, when opening a Utopias, I'm going to plan to drink it within approximately two weeks.  Probably shorter than necessary, but I'm conservative—on beer quality anyway.

Trader Joe's beers

For the record--I love Trader Joe's.  Shop there almost weekly.  I especially love their pesto tortellini, which I'm pretty sure is Amy's repackaged.  But it's cheaper than when source my lunch elsewhere.  And, therein lies the issue.  Trader Joe's great products at low prices come at a cost.  In most cases, I'm willing to overlook the hidden nature of TJ's supply lines, but their beer is an exception.  

Ten seconds worth of googling yielded a small history of TJ's brewing.  Since I didn't do the research myself, I'm not sure if these attributions are completely accurate but the idea is clear.  TJ's generally finds quality suppliers to provide their discounted products.  An example discussed in this Texas example outlines the basic approach.

Here's the range of $1.99 beers:

Boatswain Twin Screw Steamer Double IPA.  Poured nice in the glass with an off white lace over a dull amber ale.  Double IPA on the bottle, but my first swig tasted more like an American lager.  Nose isn't bad if it was a light pale ale, but no where near DIPA territory.  Mineral and caramel with little to no hop bite.  Very disappointing, even for $1.99.

H.L.V Heavy Lift Vessel.  Mud brown and copper ale with light brown head.  7% alcohol comes through with chocolate and dark malt.  Acrid cold coffee taste with a metallic twang.  Out of balanced and inappropriately tastes of butterscotch.

American I.P.A.  Copper and gold IPA with a dirty white head that disappears quickly.  Some fruitiness and spice in the nose but overwhelmed by a musty stank.  Light caramel sweetness is cloying and has little in the way of bitterness.  Unpleasant version of one of my favorite styles.

Chocolate Stout.  Tan head of tiny bubbles piled thick and creamy over a dark brown to black stout.  Slight roast in an unassertive nose.  Velvety chocolate and coffee taste though the mouth is a little thin but not a problem.  While still not great, easily the best of the bunch and pleasantly drinkable.

2012 Vintage Ale.  This Belgian dark ale is brewed by Unibroue yearly.  Rocky, irregular tan head falls quickly over a dark chocolate ale.  Alcohol hotness and noble hops written on the bottle come through the nose nicely.  Dark fruit and surprisingly hoppy taste is adequate but not impressive.  Not a $1.99 beer but cheap for the target quality.

In a word: disappointed.  Evidently there's not a beer person working in the upper echelon of Trader Joe's.  My main concern is that people in Woodbury where I shop (and elsewhere) are buying these beers and thinking that they represent craft beer.  Rightly, they will turn up their noses and, sadly, return to the Three Buck Chuck wines without actually tasting a solid craft brew.  Sigh.

Clown Shoes (Ipswich, Massachusetts)

Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp

A query of our waiter at The Great Lost Bear in Portlane, Maine, about a previously unheard of brewery during our 2011 New England road trip yielded a strong recommendation for Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet, a black IPA.  I was impressed enough to buy a range of bottles at The Ale Jail recently.

My week of Clown Shoes brews, in order:

Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA.  Interesting name and label. Inappropriate, just like a Belgian IPA.  Maybe that's the connection.  Very pretty amber ale with a creamy off white head.  Nose is light with yeasty esters and hop.  And the flavor is strongly hoppy with resin, orange and a hop bite.  Very well melded and elegant for such an inelegant name.

Pimp Double Brown Ale.  Big, dark brown ale with strong molasses, chocolate and a hop punch that balance a chewy sweetness.  As it warms, dark cherry floats over to the surface of 10% ABV hotness.  Could fall in love with this beer over and over again.

Clementine White Ale.  Orange and spice nose is pleasant which flows into a fruity taste.  Belgian yeast flavors blend well with the Summit hops, adding a punch of west coast style grapefruit.  Interestingly good but not great.

Third Party Candidate.  One beer that doesn't have a link on the website.  Says 50% Eagle Claw Fist Imperial Amber and 50% Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale on the label.  Creamy light brown head that yields a big hoppy nose with a strong caramel backbone. Promised hops show up in force on a surprisingly thin body, possibly heavily attenuated from the 10% ABV.  Evaporates on the tongue, leaving a heavy trace of hop.

Chocolate Sombrero Mexican style Chocolate Stout.  Light brown head piled up massively no matter how I poured it.  Glad I put it in a large Belgian glass.  Slight chili and vanilla in nose, but not aggressive.  Tongue explodes with creamy dark malt, big time almost dark chocolate and the ancho chili hits cleanly later on but isn't overpowering.  Vanilla and cinnamon hides in the back, which I might have missed if not on the label.  Second best chili beer I've had behind Stone's Smoked Porter w/ chipotle that I had on draft at The Republic last spring and reminds me a lot of a mole sauce we like at Taqueira la Mexicana on the south side of Chicago.

When I visit a new brewery--and it's not working out--I always wonder how the people running it seem to not be able to see problems that I, just an overly enthusiastic amateur, can easily taste.  Clown Shoes is the flip-side of this scenario--people who know beer that decide to create better beer.  From an article on Drink Craft Beer, Clown Shoes contract brewed through Mercury Brewing and it's recipes are the inspiration of liquor store owner, Jesse Dooley and his employees.

In short, the Clown Shoes process is to sample a particular style's range, brainstorm improvements to test batch, and then drink the results until epiphany dictates the one that goes to the big leagues.  Love this model, which, from my tasting notes above, I think should put an end to any doubts about the effectiveness of contract brewing.

Clown Shoes is producing some great beer, and when I saw a post that four new brews are in state, my first thought was to head down to get me some.  Unfortunately, my schedule didn't agree and I've yet to add more Clown Shoes to my list.  However, I will correct this error at my earliest opportunity.

Anniversary Ale 2012 (Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN)

Happy anniversary to one of the best brewpubs anywhere.  This year's Anniversary Ale has a great punch, especially in the growler.

Dark copper ale with a dirty snowdrift head that fall with a thick lace.  Massive nose of northwest hops that's grassy from the growler almost like a fresh hop ale.  Same caramel and toffee malty base in the draft last night, but the hop nose wasn't nearly as big.  Green hop bite on the tongue that overrides the full, sweet mouthfeel.  Grapefruit in the nose that's stronger on the tongue. Over balanced hoppiness, but nothing I'm upset about.  A great IPA that I'm enjoying, surprisingly, more in the growler than on site.

Anniversary week is a always a special week at Town Hall.  Ten times I've quaffed the anniversary ale in a row, starting in 2003, and they all rank high.  We returned on Saturday after the disappointing Purdue vs Minnesota game (disappointing for Boilermakers) to drink the coconut porter Three Hour Tour and Eye of the Storm, a honey ale. Both excellent, and the porter oddly went especially well with the iconic Town Hall fries and chipotle ranch.  On a bartender's recom, we sampled and then ordered two more of the cherry spiked Eye of the Storm to finish the night in spectacular fashion.

Cheers to many more opportunities to drink Town Hall anniversary ales.

Sorachi Ace (Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY)

Happened to be driving by Petschen's and picked up a few brews to fill the fridge.  Sorachi Ace is a favorite that I haven't had in a while.  In fact, in my opinion, it's one of the best beers from Brooklyn Brewery.  Bittered and dry hopped with the rare Sorachi Ace, it's a showcase single-hop beer.

Frothy, stark white head settles a bit on the second and third pour, then falls to a thick lace. Sun gold colored saison sparkles in the glass from a continuous effervescence.  For me, the nose makes the beer with a clean lemongrass, citrus and underlying sweetness like Hawaiian bread.  An assertive and lingering twang on the tongue from carbonation and a blended hop/yeast spice combines with lemongrass and a slight pepper note through the dry finish.  Lemongrass turns to tart lemon as it warms.

Love this hop.  Drink this worthy beer.

Smashed Shoulder Stout (Scott Lyke, homebrewer)

I'm not an award winning homebrewer.  But the next best thing is to have a friend who is.  To the left is Scott Lyke's Smashed Shoulder Stout, state fair blue ribbon winner in the stout category this past summer.

The name alludes to a rather nasty bicycle accident that tore up Scott's shoulder.  As a result, he was unable to brew for a while because of lifting restrictions.  Recently back to brewing, congrats to Scott for a prize brew.

Taking the first sip, I can see why it's a winner.  Fluffy head the color of malted milk ball center; it floats fully until it falls with to a thin lace.  Great nose that's thick with chocolate, oak and bourbon and a bit of citrus spice underneath.  Creamy smooth taste that brings up a little roast to compliment the nose.  Slightly acrid taste on the back side that lingers pleasantly with the chocolate and oak.  Overall, a fun, full sensory stout that would be warming on a cold night.

Chatting with the brewer, no oak or bourbon in the recipe, but a secret ingredient pushed the alcohol high.  I surmise the yummy added tastes were from the combination of higher fermentation blended with the stoutish flavors.  Beer is always interesting.

Brimstone Tripel (Boom Island, Minneapolis, MN)

Creamy white head with small, tight bubbles on top of this straw gold tripel from Boom Island. Spicy nose with lemon, slight citrus, pepper, some alcohol hotness and a surprising earthiness on top of sweetness.  Not overly complex, but elegant and inviting.  I poured it into the glass I had beer clean; I think a tulip glass would enhance the experience.  Next time.  Mouthfeel is a little light but has a full carbonation bite from the bottle conditioning.  Taste is sweet and bready with a woodsy note, fruit and hop spice.  Semi-dry finish lets the spice and fruit linger nicely on the tongue.

At 9.5% ABV, it's a super easy drinking Belgian ale that lives up to their dangerous reputation. Brimstone seems to be light for the style, at least compared to my mental image.  An approachable beer, it would be great to share at a party.  As it warms, the balance improves and the spice crescendos.  I like it and I'll buy it again, but not impressed to the point of buying it often.

Bitter Neighbor (Third Street Brewhouse, Cold Spring, MN)

Hard pour of Bitter Neighbor

Picked up a six pack of Bitter Neighbor from Third Street last weekend and on my next to last bottle.

Nearly black IPA with hints of ruby around the extreme edges with back light.  The very light brown head  fall slowly and lingers as a full film.  Chocolate, acrid coffee and multi-layered hoppiness in the nose.  The taste lives up to the name: harsh roast plus a significant hop bite over a light body.  Bottle lists Magnum, Hersbrucker, Amarillo and Cascade hops, which gives it the feel of a Cascadian Dark Ale but surprises with an earthiness underneath that counterpoints the bitterness.  Drinks incredibly fast and smooth because of the light body--can hardly keep it in my glass.  

Looking at the reviews on BA, there's a fairly wide range for the beer.  I like the beer, but can see where the lightness in the body might put off some geeks and the bitterness might put off those experiencing a Black IPA, or just dark beer, for the first time.  Interesting beer that I like having around for a daily dose of flavor that's pretty easy drinking.

The brewer at Third Street, Horace, used to be my next door neighbor.  I joked with my wife that maybe the beer was named after me.  She wisely warned me to not asked--just in case.  

Blasphemy (Weyebacher Brewing, Easton, PA)

Fluffy light head on top of a burnished copper ale.  From almost 12% ABV, the alcohol spice is assertive over top of dark fruit, dried cherry and chocolate malt.  Bourbon barrel aging is there too, but languishing underneath.  Sweet quad taste seems to be a bit thin from the aging. Blasphemy is Weyerbacher's Quad in bourbon barrels, but the ABV is the same on both beers, so the barrel aging didn't up the alcohol to thin it out.  In my memory, the Quad has more body, but I don't have a bottle to compare.  The finish is sweet, hot and warming.  Bottle conditioning gives it a yeasty twang, or I didn't decant well enough.  .

Sweet, big and limited, this is a fun beer.  Definitely worth a try but not necessarily an improvement on the Quad.

Palm Buster Blonde (Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN)

Stopped in Monday night for growlers of Town Hall's fresh hop and guest drafts of other fresh hop brews.  But, with a max of two fresh hop growlers per person, I said the first new beer I remembered from the growler board for number three: Palm Buster Blonde.

In spite of a hard pour right down the center of the upright glass, the shockingly white head of tight bubbles falls almost before I can take a picture.  Effervescence flows continuously up through the golden tinged yellow ale.  Solid hop spice in the nose that overshadows cream corn and apple.  Taste is sweet and slightly warming with the taste matching the nose.  Made with Thai Palm Sugar (thus the name), it has a slight alcohol hotness, even though it's only 5.3% ABV.  Ends with a sweet bitterness that's refreshing.

Not a bad beer and not disappointed to have taken it home, but won't go out of my way to have another.

The Libertine (Fulton Beer, Minneapolis, MN)

By coincidence, my stop at Fulton Beer for the tour just happen to be the tapping of their seasonal brew The Libertine.  Besides having it on draft, there were three firkins of spiked Libertine: added cherry or hard maple, and one aged in red oak.

Pretty beer in the glass that's maroon at the center and blood red with light.   8.5% alcohol is apparent, leaving a peppery note that blends with light hops, cherry, caramel and a hint of chocolate.  Rich, oily mouthfeel  that's surprisingly light with dark cherry and a trace hop bitterness.  I drank my draft at the tap room too fast and warming balances the beer for my home pour.

Not a new top ten brew for me, but I like sipping it at home on a fall evening while watching a movie.  Smooth and relaxing warmth on a chilly night.

Sweet Child of Vine (Fulton Beer, Minneapolis, MN)

Being my first trip to Fulton, there was no way that I could go home without a growler of the IPA--so I did.  It it would be hard to pass up a beer so cleverly called Sweet Child of Vine.  Just a cool name when so many IPA variations have been exhausted.

Second pour builds a thick, creamy head the color of a dirty snowdrift over an amber marmalade ale.  I've always thought that this is more of a workhorse IPA--not that pretty in the glass, but gets the job done.  Assertive, grassy hops in the nose that's a punch in the face of Simcoe and Glacier (according to Fulton) and a smooth caramel maltiness following up behind to console my  bruised taste buds.  Taste follow the nose into a grassy bite that leaves no mistake that this is an IPA.  Sweet, full bodied IPA that's almost chewy.

On the level, this is not my favorite IPA; however, I can see how it could be someone's favorite IPA.  My draft on site was the best I've tasted of Sweet Child, a notch better than samples elsewhere and this growler.  Well brewed and packing a punch, Sweet Child is definitely an ode to the hop vine.

Some advice.  Drink this one slow and sip hard at the peak.  Distracted by other endeavors while sipping the second glass, the warmth opens up the beer more than a bit.  The harshness in the nose and taste mellows, and the sweetness grows in complexity with an underlying taste somewhere between burnt brown sugar and black strap molasses.  With heavy lace on a beer clean glass, this IPA is growing on me by the pint.

Lonely Blonde (Fulton Brewing, Minneapolis, MN)

Picked up a growler of Lonely Blonde after a tour Fulton Brewing.  While, normally, I'm not the target audience for blonde ale, I wanted to give all three in growlers a chance.

Almost white head with irregular bubbles over a straw yellow ale with hints of amber.  Fresh bread maltiness and a hint of corn in the nose with an elegant spice note and green apple from the 29 IBUs, and maybe from the yeast a bit.    Clean malt and spice on the tongue that's supported by a heavier than expected mouthfeel.  Almost 5% ABV, I'm guessing a good malt bill contributes to the fullness.  Still a light beer, the spice floats above the malt with some impact.  Nicely balanced beer that even warms up well for yellow beer.

My first sample of Lonely Blonde was at Autumn Brew Review in 2010, and my impression was far less favorable.  My guess is that tough festival conditions and a small sample of a more delicate beer impaired a fair tasting.  Fresh and from the brewery, it's a solid beer that's refreshing with a complex taste that explains why a large number of folks are drinking with a Lonely Blonde at the tap room today.

Rye Hatter (New Holland Brewing, Holland, MI)

New Holland is a great brewery that produces one of my all time favorites: Dragon's Milk.  Mad Hatter IPA is their flagship brew, though I haven't always liked it.  But, Mad Hatter has always been zany with randalized, dry hopped and other versions at festivals.  For their 15th Anniversary, New Holland is hatterizing seven different version of their flagship.

I came across Rye Hatter at Chicone's and couldn't pass up the new version.  Hazy copper ale with an off white head that builds quickly and lingers.  Nose is an assertive hop blend with a pungent rye note.   In the taste, the rye battles with the hops for supremacy over a caramel sweetness that attempts to balance but comes up short.  Dry finish keeps the rye and hop lingering in the mouth.

A good beer that's an overflowing punch of flavor that I'm enjoying for tonight, but I probably won't pick up another bottle of it.

Hopsession Super Pale Ale (Brau Brothers, Lucan, MN)

Hopsession is a pale yellow with a bright white head that leaves a thin lace  Brilliantly bright and fruity nose full of grapefruit, mango and a hint of lemon over a light, bready malt.  The sessionable part of the beer is the 4.2% ABV, but a small malt bill doesn't lead to a light mouthfeel.  Smooth and chewy with an assertive, grassy hop bite that loses some of the fruit from the nose.

Delivering a hop bite is always a relative matter.  Bigger the beer, the more hop is needed.  Brau Brothers does a nice job of creating a smooth American hop delivery vehicle without making it thin.  Hopsession is a great go-to beer to have in the fridge for the summer.  According to the website, it's only around until 100 Yard Dash comes out in the fall.  I'm going to assume from this sixpack (and some of the BA reviews), that'll it'll come back again soon.

16th Anniversary IPA (Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA)

Second bottle of 16th Anniversary from Stone and really love this beer.  A quick look at BA and... it seems I'm in the minority.  So be it.

Sunset orange ale in the glass with yellow highlights around the edge.  Creamy fluff for a head that lingers for a long time.  Assertive nose of grapefruit, clear lemon, full spice and toasted malt.  Taste is sharply acidic and full bodied.  Rye from the description shows up as a lingering spice on the tongue.  This IPA fills the mouth with malt and spice that doesn't disappear.  Along with the nose, it's a full experience.  According to Stone, lemon verdena is in this beer, a lemon scented herb (I didn't know).

I have a weakness for lemongrass and lemon beers, so this one is no different.  I enjoy it a lot.  My buddy Al likes it better than some of the BA reviews as well, so I'll stand with Al.

Hopfen Ublich (Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN)

Met a friend at my usual friend meeting spot last Monday night and ordered Hopfen Ublich for no other reason that I hadn't heard of it until I walked in the door.  I love Town Hall because I trust that every tap is worth drinking.

When the draft showed, I was bit surprised at the shimmering pale straw ale with a stark white head in front of me.  Fresh, beautiful nose of Hallertau Mittelfruh hops: floral, spice and light fruitiness.  Hops blend well with a fresh breadiness.  The Floor Malted Pilsner seems to make the beer, but I would have never guessed it without reading.  In the taste, the malt is the equivalent of eating a newly made loaf of oven loaf bread.  Full and enlivening, the double pilsner hop punch floats a pleasant bitterness above the sweet malt.  Fullest mouthfeel I've ever had from a beer this light in color.

This is a great beer and just one in series of  reasons why I sing the deserved praises of Mike Hoops and staff at Town Hall Brewery.

From Town Hall's website:

Roughly translated - "Hops Traditional"

A very special double lager!  We gained access to some of the only Floor Malted Pilsner available.  The Floor malting process is way old school and a very traditional method of grain modification.  This is extremely high quality barley used in this beer.

The hops are Hallertau Mittelfruh, one of the German Noble hops (very traditional to Hallertau region of Germany.)  We used massive amounts of this hop in leaf format (our system is designed for pelletized hops) that created a challenge in the brewery.

The result is a beautiful pale double lager/pilsner that we are very pleased to be serving.