New Beer Sunday (week 620)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017.

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  1. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Today is Beer History Day!

    Well, not officially but…:flushed:

    I am filling in for @cavedave so I am taking this opportunity to unofficially make this “Beer History Day”.:slight_smile:

    I am going to discuss the past and present of Stroh’s beers but first let me lead in with a story. The first time that I had a Stroh’s beer in my hand was a loooong time ago. I was just a couple of years out of college and I was invited to a Fourth of July picnic/party. One of the beers available there was Stroh’s and since this was the first time I have actually seen this beer I figured I would give it a try. The only thing I really knew about Stroh’s was their advertising slogan of “Fire-brewed” and since at that time I knew nothing of the brewing process I was uncertain what meaning this had. As I was drinking my first can of Stroh’s (and yes I did drink it from the can) I heard some guy at the party loudly exclaim: “Who brought Stroh’s? I hate that beer, it gives me gas!!” I will admit that this statement gave me a bit of pause but I thought to myself: who is this loud mouthed Bozo and what does he know? I am glad to report that I did not suffer any gas issues, well no more than usual.:rolling_eyes:

    I am guessing (older) folks who originate from Michigan have a pretty good understanding of Stroh Brewing Company but for the uninitiated (like me) a few details. Stroh Brewing Company was started by Bernhard Stroh in 1850 in Detroit, Michigan so this was one of the early breweries started by German immigrants (e.g. Schlitz – 1849, Miller – 1855). Wikipedia makes the claim that Bernhard Stroh “immediately started producing Bohemian-style pilsner”. Sometime in the 1960s a decision was made to expand distribution of Stoh’s beer and by the late 1970’s: ”By 1978, Stroh's served 17 states when it produced 6.4 million barrels of beer.” In the early 1980’s Stroh Brewing purchased Schaefer Brewing Company which included the Schaefer brewery near Allentown, PA which is reportedly the last large efficient brewery in the US not built by one of the major national brewers. My guess is this was the timeframe when Stroh’s was first made available in my area of Pennsylvania (SEPA). Two years after the Schaefer purchase, they beat out Heileman in the race to buy the failing Schlitz - which leapfrogged Stroh into the #3 brewer in the US (behind only AB and Miller) with 13% of the US market, selling 23.5 m bbl. yr. With Schlitz came 4 modern breweries (CA, TX, NC, TN), with capacities of 3-6 million barrels a year and what would become Schlitz best selling beer for much of its last two decades - the "popular-priced" Old Milwaukee.

    In the mid-1990s, Stroh added to its already large brand portfolio (and to its problems) by taking over the failing Heileman, accumulating dozens of more brands and a few more breweries. Well, as with many Regional Breweries all good things must come to an end and Stroh’s sold their brands to Pabst and Miller in 1999. Present day beers with the Stroh’s label are Pabst products brewed at Miller breweries via contract brewing.

    But wait, there is more!

    In August 2016, a brewery in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood called Brew Detroit began brewing batches of Stroh's Bohemian-Style Pilsner beer. And this brings us to today’s beer: Stroh’s Bohemian-Style Pilsner.

    On the back label of the bottle is the following story:

    “Established in 1850, the Stroh Brewing Co. is proud to honor our brewing heritage by reintroducing Stroh’s Bohemian-Style Pilsner. Our Master Brewer has crafted an exceptional European-style pilsner in the heart of Detroit, using Saaz and Magnum hops with Vienna Malt. The result is a crisp, balanced pilsner with a floral aroma, subtle hop spice, and a rich, bready maltiness. Brewed for everyday enjoyment, this is a Bohemian-Style Pilsner worthy of the Stroh’s name.”

    Well, I will frankly admit that this has me salivating but can a small brewery in Detroit suitably create a beer like Bernhard Stroh brewed in 1850? We shall see.

    Served in a new Christmas present – Firestone Walker Pivo Pils glass

    Appearance:

    A nice medium golden color with a BIG rocky white head. Nice Belgian Lace as the beer is consumed.

    Aroma:

    The first smell that I perceive is Pilsner Malt aroma (sweet-ish & cracker/biscuit like) and in the background is some herbal/spicy hop aromas.

    Taste:

    The flavor for the most part follows the nose. The Pilsner Malt flavors are there but there is more here from a malt flavor perspective; there is a depth of malt flavor which I presume is from a judicious addition of Vienna Malt to the grain bill. The hop flavors of herbal/spicy is more prominent resulting is a pleasing balance of the malt and hop flavors. There is a firm bitterness.

    Mouthfeel:

    Medium bodied with a pleasant dry-ish finish.

    Overall:

    This is a very tasty Bohemian Pilsner beer. I found the balance of malt and hop flavors to be an excellent feature of this beer. When I was finished I very, very much wanted a second Stroh’s Bohemian-Style Pilsner.

    I have no absolute way of knowing but I strongly suspect that Bernhard Stroh would be very proud of this rendition of his beer and would be very happy seeing his name on the label.


    I have two other new Pilsners in my existing inventory and I have another locally produced Pilsner ‘on my radar screen’ for purchase. Stay tuned!!

    Please discuss your chosen beer with us today and if you have some history to share with us please do so.

    Cheers!

    @RobH @rotsaruch @jesskidden @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @premierpro

    [​IMG]

    For your viewing pleasure some ‘spiel’ on this beer from the Brand Manager for the introduction of this beer:

     
    #1 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  2. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    Is this beer 100% malt?
     
    #2 dennis3951, Jan 8, 2017
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  3. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Dennis, there are no complete details for the grain bill for this beer on the label and a quick web search did not yield complete details for me.

    What I can report is that this beer is very similar to my homebrewed Bohemian Pilsner (I brewed another batch of my Bohemian Pilsner last Friday) and my beer is all malt. Given the depth of malt flavor in Stroh's Bohemian-style Pilsner I am willing to guess that it is all malt.

    Cheers!
     
    #3 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  4. lordofthewiens

    lordofthewiens Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,225) Sep 17, 2005 New Mexico
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks for the history lesson! An interesting story. I know I drank some Stroh's when I was in college in the 60s.
     
    #4 lordofthewiens, Jan 8, 2017
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  5. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Your drinking history pre-dates me by a couple of decades.

    Cheers!
     
    #5 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  6. Wasatch

    Wasatch Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,050) Jun 8, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks for getting this weeks NBS started. Was getting a little worried that it was not up already, this late in the morning.:slight_smile:

    Cheers!
     
    #6 Wasatch, Jan 8, 2017
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  7. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    LOL!! :grinning:

    Cheers!
     
    #7 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  8. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good morning, Jack! Lovely way to start New Beer Sunday.

    My first entry for the day, as seen over on WBAYDN?, is Sierra Nevada's new Tropical Torpedo. Let's dive right in!

    [​IMG]

    The first thing I'm struck by is the appearance; this is a gorgeous beer. Crystal clear, with a strong, snowy white head.

    You know that smell that fills the room (or garage) when you're boiling the wort? I like to call it Beer Soup. This beer smells wonderfully of that. Sierra Nevada has never forgotten that no matter how much you hop a beer, it still has to be a beer - and that means a solid malt backbone. The hops are a touch restrained, considering my expectations.

    The palate matches the impressions on the nose. It's a Torpedo, first and foremost. That means: balanced with bitterness; strong malt backbone; and sure, plenty of hops. This isn't a NE-style hop profile, though. There's SN's signature pine and resin, a touch of mandarin orange and pineapple, and a slightly sweet dank finish.

    This brew reminds me of the Stone refresh efforts. In other words: it's not so much a brand new beer or direction for SN, but rather an update to a classic. It is undoubtedly Torpedo, just with a refreshed, more modern hop bill.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/251571/
    3.97 / +1.0%

    Cheers!
     
    #8 Roguer, Jan 8, 2017
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  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    What was the intensity of pineapple in this beer vs. the other flavors for Tropical Torpedo?

    Cheers!
     
    #9 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  10. utopiajane

    utopiajane Grand Pooh-Bah (3,982) Jun 11, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah


    Cheers Jack and thank you fora wonderful start to NBS . I have a beer this morning that is part of history too. The pilsner style is indeed an historic style. No other style has gone through the scrutiny, the changes and the adaptations that this beer has. When I first started tasting beer it was this style that made me fall in love with beer. It''s sensational and bold. I think that in our threads we are seeing a lively new contingent of pilsner lovers who demand excellence in brewing and a bit of what I am going to call adherence to the style definitions. In fact over the past year I have amassed more in ticks in the pilsner style than ever before. The variations i am seeing that are the most true to style use American noble hop varieties and I know that you yourself like to use them in your brewing. It seems to me that brewers are saying you have to know how to do this. The brewers who sport pilsners in their lineup are my first choices for other styles to try. If you put too many hops in the pilsner is it really an IPA? The pilsner is my favorite , I am not ashamed to say it. I think it goes with every food except cake and I have an historic pilsner to taste for you today.


    Cheers Jack! Cheers NBS and HAPPY NEW BEER SUNDAY!
     
    #10 utopiajane, Jan 8, 2017
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  11. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not to insult the efforts over at SN, but I would say weak. Perhaps that's my particular palate on this particular day. I really didn't get much in the way of tropical notes; a touch of pineapple. I thought pine and resin notes were much stronger throughout.

    Still quite good, though.
     
    #11 Roguer, Jan 8, 2017
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  12. lordofthewiens

    lordofthewiens Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,225) Sep 17, 2005 New Mexico
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    There's something about freshly fallen snow that makes me feel very peaceful. We only got 4-5 inches yesterday/last night, but there's a beautiful blanket of white on the ground and in the trees. My dogs love it. They run around and frolic in it, which is no mean feat since they're both 13 years old. This snowfall is very powdery, making the shoveling relatively easy.

    My new beer for today is Muerte, brewed by Backlash Beer Company in Holyoke, MA. It is 10.5% ABV and was bottled in October 2015. It apparently has been retired. Muerte is a Mexican hot chocolate imperial stout, so we are in the mole realm described in last month's BA magazine. The label says it is "a deviously dark ale brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, Scotch Bonnet peppers, and cold brewed coffee."

    Let's see how this is 15 months from bottling.
    It's black with a small tan head.
    Cinnamon and chocolate aroma. Maybe a hint of coffee. Couldn't detect the vanilla.
    Cinnamon taste up front, followed by chocolate, then a little coffee. There's a late peppery taste which lingered. No vanilla.
    On the thin side.
    I wonder what it was like in its younger days.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    #12 lordofthewiens, Jan 8, 2017
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  13. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Well, the tradition (oops, there goes that word:flushed:) of Pilsner beers is that they were hoppy beers; hoppy in all three phases of bittering, flavor and aroma. The beer that Bernhard Stroh would have brewed would have been a hoppy beer just the the first Bohemian Pilsner brewed in Plzeň in 1842 was a hoppy beer.

    I suppose it depends on which baseline a beer drinker chooses when it comes to "too many hops".

    Cheers!
     
    #13 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  14. foundersasap

    foundersasap Maven (1,405) Feb 2, 2015 Michigan
    Trader

    Witches Hat Brewery
    South Lyon, Mi
    This Guy, DIPA, 7.7 ABV

    Thanks for the history lesson on Strohs, I'm a Detroiter and back then we thought we were to cool to drink Strohs and preferred to drink imported, Molson and Labatts. Man has the industry changed!

    Witches Hat Brewery is a small local that is producing some great beers and occasionally bottle, I picked up a four pack of this outstanding DIPA. As hard as I tried, the head generation was a bit disappointing and left just a soapy film up top. A very hazy look which makes the carbonation difficult to discern. The aroma is where this gets top ratings with a huge pungent pine forest hitting the senses. First sip is a hop punch, and you know this is a serious IPA, huge grapefruit, orange peel, some pineapple, and just a real great mix of hops. Highly recommend this as well as Rez Gets Smashed, another stellar DIPA from The Hat!

    [​IMG]
     
    #14 foundersasap, Jan 8, 2017
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  15. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,584) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I recall passing the brewery on trips to visit family, as it was one of those indicators that we were almost there. I recall doing a double-take when the Schaefer sign became a Stroh's sign. I did another when it became, as I recall, a Nabisco Keebler sign. Not sure what it is now. If no one else knows, maybe @jzeilinger has an idea :slight_smile:.
     
    #15 cjgiant, Jan 8, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017
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  16. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I have watched a couple of video reviews for this beer and those reviewers made the same comment as well: not much in terms of tropical flavors.
    And that is indeed worthwhile. I wonder if Sierra Nevada might suffer a consumer 'backlash' from folks who are disappointed that their Tropical Tornado is not too tropical. Maybe most drinkers will be content that it is tasty beer and the fact that the flavor profile does not exactly match the branding will not be be too big of a deal for them?

    Cheers!

    P.S If I see Tropical Torpedo on tap I will order one pint.
     
    #16 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  17. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) now own that brewery. The majority of Sam Adams beers are produced there.

    Cheers!
     
    #17 JackHorzempa, Jan 8, 2017
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  18. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,922) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG] So I got this beer from a package sent from @Rcruz9230 and I had never heard of this brewery. Poured down the center at close to room temperature and got an enormous light brown head that leaves behind some spotty lace and amazing retention as it settles into a thin layer of brown bubbles. 4.75

    Smell is roasty expresso,oaky vanilla, nutmeg, dark chocolate, char, pipe tobacco, and some very mellow and smooth bourbon outstanding! 4.75

    Taste follows roasty strong coffee, deep dark chocolate, oaky vanilla, smoke, tobacco, leather, nutmeg, and just a gentle kiss of bourbon in the very balanced finish. 5

    Mouthfeel is on the hefty side, creamy, moderate carbonation as it should be at 11% ABV, and a slow sipper that do to its complexity goes down way to easy. 4.75

    Overall this thing absolutely blew me away, wow! No idea what it costs because it was a trade, but I will put this up there with Parabola, KBS, and BCBS. Maybe even better. Impressed as hell. 4.75
     
    #18 SawDog505, Jan 8, 2017
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  19. utopiajane

    utopiajane Grand Pooh-Bah (3,982) Jun 11, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Cheers everyone. Warsteiner has been brewing the pilsner since 1753. That's a good long time and they must be doing soemthing right because look how pretty this beer is. Their lineup includes a dunkel which they call a dark pilsner, a beer that has grapefruit added, an oktoberfest and a winter ale.

    Warning : This beer is Mild

    Warsteiner Premium German Pilsner

    (premium means no adjuncts I think)

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Pours clear and so bright you can read through it with a fat creamy head of white foam that is loathe to fall. it's even a little funny if you wanted to start to drinking too fast. Falls mousse like, rocky and clinging. Here is an old wives tale I would like to share with you. If the beer is both bright and clear you should be able to read through it. Perfect.

    [​IMG]

    Nose is breaddy but adorned with sweet herbal hops. Faint dms. A bit of spice to mingle with the bread and that is how you see the crust on the bread. No fruity esters. Only a whisper of diacetyl and that shows me the spice and the bread crust. In fact it smells a bit minerally and a lot like water. "??? What do you mean it smells like water?" - people ask me this a lot) Take a good whiff. Clean smelling it's like you are smelling water.

    Drinks mild. This pils has plenty of mild sweet herbs . Breaddy and the palate follows the nose. Spice is mild but prominent and not at all citrusy. Light crisp bubbles that do not bite hard. Finishes gracefully and with one of the most mild bitters for a German pils that I have sampled. It also has that tiny bit of diacetyl that smooths the middle, and lets you see the hops at their fullest and another glimpse of the crust on the bread. There is just enough bitterness to not notice it . . . unless it wasn't there. That's kind of cheeky. In fact it resounds only a little on the tongue as you keep reaching for another sip. That is balanced bitterness.


    Cheers everyone and Happy New Beer Sunday!
     
    #19 utopiajane, Jan 8, 2017
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  20. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Beer number two, and it looks like today's focus is on IPAs. There are worse things in life, I suppose.

    [​IMG]
    Southern Tier 2x Oak'd DIPA

    The clear contemporary for this beer should be DFH Burton Baton (paging my fellow BB lover @WesMantooth ). However, I would like to offer up a different parallel: Oaked Arrogant Bastard.

    Really, I feel it's much closer to the latter. BB has a definite citrus juiciness to it, blending with the oak and toasted malt. OAB is more earthly bitter. ST's 2x Oak'd is certainly more like the latter.

    Right off the bat, the appearance doesn't do much for me. That head may appear to be an appropriate size, but after I started the pour and noticed little life, I nearly dumped 3/4 of the bottle in, nitro-style, and still ended up with only about a finger at most.

    The nose in no way reveals this is a DIPA. It's lovely, but the dominant notes are caramel malt, brown sugar, oak, and maple. The primary contribution to the bouquet of the hops is pine, and a more neutral, earthy spice.

    The palate follows. It's very earthy, even spicy; there's a note reminiscent of curry, something I've never tasted in a beer before. I wonder if one of the four malts used is rye. The hops really blend with the oak chips in a delightful way.

    Citrus? Well .... citrus peel, perhaps. Bitter to a bracing degree.

    Did I mention wood? Because there's a lot of it. The maple perhaps contributes to a lovely sweetness right on the back end, a kiss of syrup that stops well shy of cloying.

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/262289/?ba=Roguer#review
    3.74 / +0.0%

    Man, this is a confusing beer. I can't imagine this being a go-to for me. However, it's a hell of a change of pace, and in no way (outside of head formation) is this beer disappointing. The 8.2% is very dangerously hidden; it's a lively, active, extremely drinkable beer.

    Cheers!
     
    #20 Roguer, Jan 8, 2017
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