Tyranena Rocky's Revenge Bourbon Brown

Tyranena Brewing Company is a microbrewery located in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. As far as I know Tyranena is only distributed in the state of Wisconsin, ala New Glarus. They produce one of my favorite IPA's of all time, Bitter Woman IPA, which I would highly recommened any hop lover seek out. Today, I sampled the Rocky's Revenge after buying a single up in Milwaukee.


The Rocky's Revenge Bourbon Brown pours from the stubby 12oz'er a dark brown with garnet accents. A small khaki head of foam falls quickly to a ring inside the glass. Aromas begin with sweet caramel and a toasted nutty maltiness. A shot of vanilla and a bit of dark fruit. I don't really pull any bourbon out of the aroma.

First sip brings a toasted caramel maltiness upfront with a bit nutty accent. A somewhat strong vanilla flavor moves in that gets to be a bit much halfway through the glass, along with a bit of butterscotch. Subtle notes of cocoa and hops. Finishes with a touch of bourbon.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Lots of fast moving carbonation smooths it out on the way down. An easy drinking beer that just falls off a bit on the flavor profile for me. I don't think I could have more than one or two in a sitting personally. Overall, a unique brown ale that steps outside the norm a bit.

Overall I gave this brew a 3.65 out of 5.

Check out the full lineup of Tyranena brews at www.tyranena.com

Beer Blogs Get Some Press!

Many thanks go out to Otis Hart from the AP for his great article, which included my site, as well as a bunch of other cool beer blogs. You can read the article by clicking here:

http://asap.ap.org/stories/669301.s

Click play on the audio under the picture to hear me talk about Three Floyd's Alpha King, one of my all around favorite beers in the midwest.

Hope this post finds everyone out there with a good beer in hand! Cheers!

Middle Ages Dragonslayer

The Middle Ages Brewing Company is located in Syracuse, New York. The craft brewer has a wide range of brews and specializes in British style offerings. Today I sampled their Imperial Stout, which was previously a draft only offering and has fairly recently became available in 22oz bomber bottles. I acquired this bottle in a trade as it's not distributed in the Great Lakes area at all. This one is worth seeking out and if you happen to find yourself in New York, you have no excuse not to!



The Middle Ages Dragonslayer pours from the bomber into my tulip glass a thick midnight black with a dark tan inch of creamy foam on top and lots of lacing. Looks really good in the glass. Aromas begin with dark roasted malts and a blast of big chocolate. Brown sugar, some dark fruits, licorice and a touch of roasted coffee meld into the overall aroma. Sucks you in and begs you to take that first sip.

A wonderfully rich dark, roasty maltiness leads the way that segways into a big chocolate presence. Hints of licorice, dark fruit, and a mellow roasted coffee midway through each sip. Flows down with a nice green hoppiness with a lingering bitterness. Tasty stuff here.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, rich and chewy. Sturdy carbonation works itself in nicely. Only a touch of alcohol is noticeable here. A tasty RIS that I am glad to have the opportunity to sample. Hopefully I'll run across this brew again someday!

Overall this brew got a 4.3 out of 5 from me. Great stuff!

Check out Middle Ages on the web at www.middleagesbrewing.com

Jolly Pumpkin Fuego Del Otono - Autumn Fire

Ron Jeffries heads up Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, which is located in Dexter, Michigan. The small brewery specializes in Belgian style beers brewed with care in small batches. Using age old techniques of open fermentation, oak barrel aging and bottle conditioning, they produce beers that truly have a hand crafted feel. Due to these processes, the beers can have some variation from bottle to bottle, making it all the more exciting every time you pop the cap on a fresh bottle. They have recently began bottling the Calabaza Blanca and the Bam Biere in 12oz bottles, avaiable in six packs. The rest of their lineup can be found in 750ml bottles. Today I'm sampling the Fuego Del Otono, which falls into the realm of a Biere de Garde.



What could be better than a new bottle of Jolly Pumpkin on a Sunday evening?? The Fuego Del Otono pours from the 750ml bottle a deep auburn hue with a nice two finger cap of fluffly white foam that has great staying power. Aromas of toasty, mildly bready malts swimming in a sea of spiciness. Cloves, cinammon, chestnut and pepper come to mind. Sour fruitiness in the background, apple specifically. The final waft is yeasty with a touch of wood. Good stuff, albiet a bit on the subtle side.

First sip brings a sour fruity flavor upfront that is quickly met by a mix of spices. Cloves, pepper, cinammon and more I can't pick out. A very mellow sweet caramel alongside a touch of yeastiness. Faint nuttiness comes in as the brew finishes off with a touch of dry woodiness. Overall, a tasty brew but it just doesn't have the complexity of some of the other JP brews.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side with plenty of fast moving bubbles that race across the tongue. Rather smooth and easy going, would make a good summer brew as well. An interesting brew to be had here, but not my favorite of the JP offerings. Still, I always seem to have an easy time downing these 750's and this one is no exception. Give it a try and decide for yourself! (Pairs well with some mild cheddar also.)

Overall I gave this beer a 4.1 out of 5. Quite a tasty one.

Check out more about Jolly Pumpkin by surfing over to www.jollypumpkin.com

Louie's Demise

Louie's Demise is one of the few, if not only, beers bottled by Milwaukee Ale House. I picked this one up in Wisconsin awhile back. Here's what I thought of it.



The Louie's Demise arrives in a 12oz bottle stating "hand brewed with noble German Perle and Tettnang hops." It pours from the bottle a deep amber with red accents and a half inch of creamy off white head. Very good clarity as I peer through my pint glass. Aromas begin with a mix of toasted grains and light caramel with a touch of fruit essence. Grassy, herbal hops are nicely placed in the background with trailing doughiness.

First sip brings a smooth toasted grainy maltiness with caramel swirls. Nondescript fruitiness segways into herbal, green hoppiness on the way down. This one finishes crisp with a biscuit dough afterthought and a slight metallic twang. Not too sweet, not too bitter...a pretty straight amber ale.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with a touch of creaminess. Bubbly carbonation. This is one easy drinking brew, but to me it doesn't break itself out of the pack of most standard American amber ales. Drinkable, yes, however it's not one that I would seek out myself. That's just me though, so give it a try and decide for yourself!

Overall I gave this brew a 3.45 out of 5. Give it a try if ya see it and judge for yourself.

Check out the Milwaukee Ale House at www.ale-house.com

Pizza Port Synergy

Pours from the 750ml bottle a bright golden yellow with a nice bubbly head on top. Looks good in the glass and tempts me to explore further. Aroma pops of Brett with an underlying bright fruity character - peach, citrusy. There's a suprising amount of hops present here, citric, oily and slightly piney as well with a light caramel glaze. An intriguing nose leads this one off that ends up being quite nice if I say so myself.



First sip brings a slightly grainy caramelized maltiness with a tropical, citric frutiness about it. Slighty sour Brett accents present throughout add a really nice dimension to the beer. Resinous, citric hops hit on the way down with a shallow bitterness. Spicy accents with a hint of vanilla and a clean finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a steady carbonation...dances across the tongue with ease. Ultimately refreshing, chalk up another fine brew for both Pizza Port and Russian River. A truly tasty conglomeration. I hope to see more beers and brewers experimenting like this more often.

Overall I gave this one a 4.1 out of 5. Good showing.

Check out www.pizzaport.com and feel lucky if you're anywhere near one of their locations!