Not sure if this will be firewalled, but maybe someone has a direct link? I always credit August Schell (via Merchant du Vin in the mid 80s) for my awakening to how beer didn't have to be bland macro lager. https://share.google/vJMLECawRJ4GsbjYr
I don't see their beers anymore - maybe they're no longer in Michigan. Probably most of their beers that I've had were purchased in Illinois back when I traveled there for work before retiring. Have they ever brewed anything that was highly hyped? I've always considered the brewery to be the Sam Adams of the Midwest, good stuff but nothing very outstanding.
They aren't in Illinois anymore, either. And I don't see them in SE Wisconsin like I used to. Calling them the Sam Adams of the Midwest is sort of insulting to a brewery with such a long history. As to hype? Probably only in the general vicinity and to their longtime fans, but really -- who cares? They brew good beer without the need for flash.
Their Noble Star Berliner Weisse series was outstanding. I'm not sure if it is still going, too bad if it's not. This was my favorite of the bunch https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/417/105773/
They stopped making them a couple years ago. Sadly, Minnesota doesn't seem to be able to sustain any kind of barrel-aged sour program (Indeed's Wooden Soul series, Fair State's mixed culture program,...)
That's really too bad. I knew they closed their off site sour taproom, but didn't know the North Star series had ended. Do you know how the old cypress tanks are being utilized now? They put so much time & effort into refurbishing those tanks!!
Hmm, I've never heard of spirits being aged in giant cypress barrels, but I'm not a distiller or brewer, so what do I know! Hope Black Frost can sustain better than the barrel aged sour program(s) in MN
I was fortunate to come across what had to be very fresh Firebrick on draft recently. It tasted so good. Unfortunately, I rarely have that experience with that beer out of their cans or bottles and I think it sits on draft too long at a lot of places and tastes old..
I believe the Noble Star program pretty much stopped when one of the owners sons (very talented brewer Jace Marti) left Schell's to open Black Frost distillery.
Black Frost is not using the Cyprus tanks from Starkeller. The open top fermentation tanks started use in France, ended up at a winery in California and then if I remember this correctly they were at Heineken in IL. Jace got a heads up from a brewer friend they were getting rid of them, went down and disassembled them and brought them back. They are cut down to fit.
So, you are describing different tanks, correct? Which means we still don’t know the status of the old cypress, correct?
