Weekly Review: Bell's Flavor Rings True

I just rebuilt our bar and in an effort to christen it I felt I would need to return to a beer of the darker variety, such as Bell's Amber Ale. Digging in my fridge I came across my last one, and it had passed its "born on date", but I took the chance anyway because I knew I could be rewarded with something delicious. And I was. It still retained its familiar smoky, smooth taste that I have been unable to find in any other brew. Sam Adams and Fat Tire have amber varieties that have their own distinctive flavors, but they really don't come nearly as close to Bell's.

Bell's Brewery, formerly known as Kalamazoo Brewing Company, has been a successful brewer of quality in the Midwest since the late 80's and it went from a very small craft brewer to a bustling regional craft brewery. Although craft breweries began in the united States on the West Coast in the 1970's, Bell's prides itself as being the oldest craft brewer outside of Boulder, Colorado.

Bell's brewery remains in an unlikely district of the outer downtown area of Kalamazoo. It is uncharacteristically low profile and almost hard to find. It has an unheard of beer garden since Michigan law does not allow breweries to sell beer by the glass on the premises. It contains a barbecue grill and plenty of fenced in green space for the little ones including an outdoor stage, picnic tables, chaise lounges and a flagstone patio area. It is truly a great find and you need to taste and stay at this craft brewer.

As for the Amber, it is considered their flagship beer and it has a slightly sweet end that keeps you coming back for more, thanks to its Munich style caramel malts. The result is a deep copper color and rich flavor. Even though this particular bottle may have tasted better had it been fresher, it was still far too good to waste.

-submitted by contributor Bingo

Craft Beer Monday Review: Summit Brewery Reaches Peak of Flavor

This week I decided to look into more Pale Ales, and one that had been recommended to me was the Extra Pale Ale from Summit Brewery, in St. Paul Minnesota. I have been hearing about it a lot lately, so I thought I would check it out. Besides, I was a little familiar with the Minnesota beer scene, having toured the Minnesota Brewing Company Factory a few years back, home of Grain Belt (now produced by Schell, another Minnesota favorite).

This was a lot like the English Style Pale Ales I have tasted, but with a more consistent taste throughout the glass. Plus, the bitter edge that I noticed early was still there by the end of the drink, although it was definitely lighter than the India Pale Ales that England boasts.

The smell at first was pleasant, fruit initially, but a sweet fruit unlike the sour smells I note with other ales. It was hop dominated, I would say. The color was a slightly dark amber color, and the foam remained for the initial tastings, which is a good sign for me.

Overall I would say that it did for me what I had hoped, but I think the fact that it did not stand out in any one area leaves me a little dry. I give it a CBC Rating of 3.

Weekly Review: Pilsner Urquell is an Original

Even though I prefer pale ales and heavier beers like porter and stout, this week I had a taste for a lager or a pilsner. I wanted to return to one that I have enjoyed for a long time, one that has what a lot of those commercial size lagers or those that call themselves pilsners lack: some character, some flavor, some boldness without excessive strength.

I therefore turned to an old favorite, one from the original brewery for lagers or pilsners: Pilsner Urquell, brewed in Plzen, Czech Republic.

Mugs of frothy beer served in this cobblestone-studded city southwest of Prague may resemble others the world over, but a trip to the local brewery confirms these are no ordinary suds.The faintly bitter lager first produced in Plzen more than a century ago gave rise to a style of beer that has since circled the globe. Much of today's lager-style beer, in fact, owes its flaxen color and crisp flavor to a brewing process formulated in this small metropolis in the Czech Republic's Bohemia region. Its name still reflects its origins: Pilsner, Pilsener, or sometimes just Pils.

The beer's precise birthplace, the Pilsner Urquell brewery, stands on the city's fringes, enclosed by an ornate 19th century double archway. Its copper kettle-lined confines have changed with the times, but visitors can still see hints of the past, including a network of underground tunnels once used to store huge casks of fermenting beer.

The Pilsner Urquell factory of today is a marvel of modern brewing, operating 24 hours a day and churning out 120,000 bottles of beer per hour. In 1842, after years of bad recipe produced unsavory beer , a young brewmaster and reputed ruffian, Josef Groll, took the helm and began making the beer that became known as Pilsner lager, fermenting barley malt, hops and water at a low temperature, and adding yeast that collected at the bottom of the mixture.

Among the beer's defining qualities were its shimmering appearance and subtle bitterness from locally grown hops. Other ingredients specific to the region included soft water drawn from 328-foot-deep wells and malt made from barley grown in the Czech regions of Bohemia and Moravia. The strain of yeast used reputedly is traceable to that used in the original recipe.

The brewing of Pilsner Urquell has remained largely unchanged since Groll's time. Ground malt and water are boiled three times in copper kettles, a procedure carried out perhaps once or twice in the making of other beers. Carmelization occurs at the bottom of the kettles, producing flavorful compounds.The concoction is boiled with hops before being fermented at a low temperature, pasteurized and packaged in bottles, cans, kegs and tanks. The total brewing time remains the same as in the days of yore, about five weeks.

The beer's name, Urquell, means "the original source" in German. Pilsner beer is the ancestor of the kind of global international lager style that makes up 90-something percent of the beer being drunk today, like brands such as Budweiser, Rolling Rock and St. Pauli Girl. In a nod to the beer born in Plzen, American brewers of the 19th century created a brew that was much softer for the American palate. That, in turn, has swept the world. Pilsner and pale ales that emerged around the same time stood out because they were light colored, and you could see it was pure.

The beers owed their attractive look to malt made from barley that had been heated evenly using an indirect source — then a revolutionary technique. Earlier malt may have been partly burned, producing beer with a darker and roasted taste. The malt's consistent quality yielded exceptionally clear beer, and its emergence coincided with the spread of glassware that allowed drinkers to admire its appearance. Pilsner Urquell's flavor tends to be dry rather than fruity like an ale.

Weekly Review : Chimay a Trappist Delight

I finally cracked open that 25.4 oz bottle of Chimay Blue that I received as a Christmas gift from Carol, who, although not an official member of the beer club, understands the nuances and associated pleasures that European beer has to offer.

Chimay has been producing beer (and cheese) since 1862 at the the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont near Ghent, Belgium. They have a lengthy explanation of why they exist and how they live, but I still don't understand why they are so huge into beer, if not for competitive reasons or even entirely commercial ones. (Sorry, God). The Trappist monks who produce beer operate out of 6 different abbeys in Belgium, and each produce a different brand yet the style is unmistakeably Belgian.

They have three varieties, the Red, the Blue and the Triple. The Triple and the Blue have a yeasty strong aroma and flavor, and the Red is fruity, sometimes described as apricot. As one who believes fruit should be nowhere near the beer, I am glad I was given the Blue to sample.

I really did know what to expect, because, I have to admit, I am quite the virgin when it comes to Belgians, especially the fancy ones that have the champagne cork and wine bottle. My only exposure has been American attempts at Belgian Whites or Stella, so I was ready for something new.

When pouring I first noticed the dark reddish color and the strong aroma that I think it a product of the natural fermentation that you get in a non-pasteurized beer. I like some head on a beer, which is something I miss with all the pilsners I drink, and this was a nice think one that settled in due time. I was thankful I chose to pour it into a wide mouthed tulip glass, even though they always recommend the brandy snifter, because I was able to enjoy its smell, like a yeast or bread while drinking it.

But it is one best savored, and it is a high alcohol brew (9.0%). I think I will find myself entering into the new world of Belgian beer soon, but I still think I am not ready for the Wit or other popular ones yet. I was happy this was the first I have tasted, because it did evoke some of the good feelings I appreciate with a good ale.

Rating: 5.

RAM Brewery's Pale Ale a Big Hit

I sat down with an old friend at the RAM Brewery in Rosemont this week, and it proved itself to be as lively and fun as always. There was a pretty big crowd, so we took a table in the corner, and we had a good meal and only tasted two of the offerings. But the beer club will need to visit, so we can sample a flight of all the beer, most of which I haven't tried in a couple years.

Ram's offerings include their standards: Buttface Amber Ale, Total Disorder Porter, Big Horn Blonde and Big Horn Hefeweizen. In addition, they offered two choices I hadn't tried before, The Big Red IPA and the 71 Pale. They usually have a seasonal that they make in a small batch and this was described as a Irish Stout but with "fruity and light characteristics" that didn't sound appealing to me at all.

As I am a big fan of IPAs and other heavily hopped beer, I chose the Big Red IPA first, and the description on the menu was appropriate:

Big Red I.P.A An American style IPA, our Big Red combines the distinctive and assertive citrus flavor and aroma of Amarillo hops with a crisp, pleasantly bitter finish.

This was a heavy hopped beer, but I have to say that the bitterness at the end was quite dominant, so I didn't experience quite the citrus flavor. It had a really strong and pleasant aroma and its reddish brown color I prefer.

I thought it was a good beer to start with, because I was able to discern its differences with those I tried later. It had a nice color and weight, and it wasn't a truly bad beer, but the choice for my second one was much better, as it turned out.

This next choice was the 71 Pale, and this was the one I liked the most. I had to have another to make sure. It was worth the second pour.

Their description:

71 Pale Ale A distinctly drinkable Pale Ale brewed with a touch of rye and a blend of 5 hops. Deep copper in color with a subtle spicy rye character and an enjoyable hoppy flavor.

Maybe it was the rye but it had a sweet flavor and very little bitterness, plus it was a lot darker in color than the IPA. I enjoyed it the most.

But I think it will be necessary to taste them all again, so a better estimation can be made by all of us. There are 3 locations near here, in Schaumburg and Wheeling also, so it will be convenient too. They also have a complete food menu and I really haven't had anything that wasn't top rate. A good accompaniment to the beer can be the homemade potato chips they serve.

Sampled at Two Brothers Last Saturday

The beer we sampled on Saturday are seen here. They were all very tasty, and we were able to taste all of them, either in a taster or a glass.

Please comment on your favorites.


Domaine DuPage is a rural, northern France, amber colored ale. This well balanced beer is full and sweet up front with caramel, toasty, and fruity characters. The finish has a gentle floral and spicy hop balance that cleanses the palate.







This unique red rye beer is full of hop flavor and aroma. We add 70 pounds of Thai palm sugar to each batch. The sugar does not add much sweetness to the beer, but rather a fruity and vanilla-like flavor. A new hop variety call Summit is really showcased here. This 18% alpha hop is also very aromatic which gives a pungent citrus aroma. Then we heavily dryhopped the beer with Simcoe. Original, yes and that is no sin.






Prairie Path Ale is brewed with Belgian malts that lend a golden hue and toasty malt character. It is balanced with Saaz and Goldings hops for a slight hop flavor and finish.This is a clean, crisp, beer that is light in color but not in flavor.




Monarch White is our anniversary ale brewed once a year in a small batch. It is brewed with unmalted wheat and a touch of oatsfor a light body and crisp, refreshing finish. It is then spiced with coriander and orange peel giving this Belgian-style White Beer it's traditional citrus aroma and flavor.


Northwind is a deep dark robust Imperial Stout. This velvety stout starts with a nice caramel sweetness and is loaded in chocolate and firm roasty maltiness. It is balanced with a generous helping of hops and the mild presence of alcohol. A big winter warmer.




Heavy Handed IPA is brewed to celebrate the harvesting of the hops every year. Within moments of harvest we add freshly picked "Wet Hops" to this IPA. Since the hops have not been dried beforeuse, they add a wonderful character found in no other beer. A hop lovers dream.




The Bitter End is a classic American pale ale that has a subtle malt character and noticeable hop flavor and aroma. We use three American hop varieties to add a citrus and floral hop complexity making this an incredibly drinkable beer.




Red Eye Porter is a marriage of two of our favorite things: big beers and dark roast coffee. Red Eye starts with a 9.3% ABV Imperial Baltic porter recipe that can easily stand on its own. Then we loaded it up with 100% organic, fair trade coffee beans that were roasted about 3 miles from the brewery. The dark roast coffee beans were still warm from the roasting process when they were added to the beer. The result is a wonderfully rich chocolate and coffee aroma, with nice coffee and black malt flavor, and a soft clean finish. EYES OPEN!