State Beer Challenge

Well it's a third of the way through June and I wanted to post about this sooner but forgot.  June is the month for the state beer challenge.  Can you make it a whole month with drinking only beer that was made in your home state?

For some of us it is a lot easier than others.  Here in Michigan I get the good fortune of Bells, Founders, Jolly Pumpkin, Shorts, Darkhorse, New Holland, Kuhnhenn, etc....  Most people are jealous to get only a few of these offerings and here I am getting them all...  California, Oregon, and Colorado are about the only other states that have such a good variety of offerings that would make this challenge a cake walk.

Unfortunately I am already out of the challenge.  Bach on the 5th my wife finished her first 5k race and as a congratulations we drank the last of the beers we bought on our honeymoon, a batch 5 Supplication from Russian River Brewing Co.  It was worth not finishing the challenge!

Review: Biere de Mars: Grand Reserve 2011

It was a big week for Jolly Pumpkin, they released 3 beers in the span of a week.  First was their Raspinachal, a belgian dubbel brewed with spinach.  Then came Bambic, and finally the Biere de Mars Grand Reserve.

The Grand Reserve is different from the normal Biere de Mars in that it has spent at least 8 months longer aging in the barrels making it much more sour and flavorful.  So lets see what a year in an oak barrel can do!

Appearance:  Deep amber, almost brown in color with a nice fluffy head leading to nice patches of lacing.

Smell:  A vinegar sourness with oak overtones and a floral grapefruitiness.

Taste:  Acidic tartness which is followed by the oak with a sour blueberry/raspberry flavor with the JP funk and brett flavor throughout.

Mouthfeel:  A smooth medium body, good tartness with a dry finish.

Drinkability:  The Grand Reserve has a huge flavor.  I would be able to drink one 750ml bottle or two glasses on tap before my palette would call it quits.  This is a great sipper that would last me throughout a meal.

As with the Bambic I would pair the Grand Reserve with rich foods such as duck, pork, venison, or greasy foods; the sourness would help cut through the richness and help cleanse your palette.  Also like most sours it would go very well with some rich/funky/barnyard-like cheeses.

Review: Jolly Pumpkin Bambic

Ahh Bambic.  A blend of about 70% Bam Biere and 30% Lambicus Dexterius that was created especially for the Winking Lizards 25th Anniversary.  This is from the second release of Bambic and my how it's gotten better since the first blend!

Appearance:  Cloudy gold with a nice white head that leads to some wonderful lacing once the head dissipates.

Smell:  The usual JP funk, some lemon, grapefruit, and oaken aromas.

Taste:  Very sour with a nice acidic bite.  Very much like the smell, lemony with grapefruit and a nice touch of Brett.  It finishes very dry with a good amount of oak from the barrels.

Mouthfeel:  A nice and crisp carbonation that ends slightly astringent.

Drinkability:  Very nice, could drink a few of these while still being able to enjoy every sip!

I would pair Bambic with rich foods such as duck, pork, venison, or greasy foods; the sourness would help cut through the richness and help cleanse your palette.  Also like most sours it would go very well with some rich/funky/barnyard-like cheeses.

Review: Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

Got cut early from work tonight so I decided to grab a bottle of one of the most popular Jolly Pumpkin beers, La Roja.  The label describes it as an "artisan amber ale brewed in the Flanders tradition.  Deep Amber with earthy caramel, spice and sour fruit notes developed through natural barrel aging."

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.  It is noted as Blend 3, Bottled on 3/11/11.

Appearance:  Deep ruby amber with a fluffy white head that dissipates quickly leaving a nice lacing.

Smell:  Some sour cherry, some brett, very wine-like with a faint tinge of oak.

Taste:  Sweet to start, quickly building to a sour apple flavor and finishing with a musty yeast tartness.

Mouthfeel:  A very thin mouthfeel, but nice.  Very dry and crisp with a good tartness at the end.

Drinkability:  Could easily drink this one all night.  A great crisp beer that just begs for another sip.  I think it would go great with a wide range of foods from spicy curry to earthy cheeses.

If you haven't tried this beer yet, you need to invest in a bottle.  I need to put a few in the cellar to see how this ages.

Review: Madrugada Obscura

Jolly Pumpkins Madrugada Obscura Dark Dawn Stout is a very unique beer to say the least.  There are a few other commercial examples of a sour stout but none are as easily obtainable in Michigan as Madrugada.

Appearance:  Black, 1/4" tan head, good lacing on the glass that stuck around for awhile.

Smell:  Typical JP funk, coffee, chocolate, and a slight whiff of cherry.

Taste:  Very sour, some brett funk, good bit of oak, a tart chocolate covered cherry, light fig, and ending with a well blended stout maltiness.

Mouthfeel:  Medium bodied, ok carbonation, a little on the high side, would want it to be a little thicker.

Drinkability:  Great taste but too much of this stout would quickly burn out my taste buds.

Beer Review Cards

I am quickly learning that the best way to understand what you are tasting in a beer is to do it in groups of people.  This way you can get everyones opinion and hopefully, with their help and vocabulary, you can better understand what you are tasting.  If you do not have a group of people to taste with the next best thing is to take copious notes and write things out in as much detail as possible so you can learn key words that best describe the flavors.  To this end I have created a Beer Review Card specific to Jolly Pumpkin but it can be used to review any beer.

The Review Card is a combination of the reviewing guidlines found on BeerAdvocate.com with a Meilgaard flavor wheel attached to give you a visual representation of what you are tasting.  I will be posting my reviews of all of the Jolly Pumpkin beers that I get to try.

So look for my reviews in the coming days, and if you follow JP on twitter or facebook then you know we have some big things coming out in the next few weeks!

First Steps

The first step of becoming a certified Cicerone is to take the online Beer Server Exam.  It currently costs $69, is multiple choice, and you need a 75% to pass.

I took the exam on 1/11/11 and passed with a 95%.  Being a homebrewer and avid follower of the many topics talked about on the Beer Advocate forums meant I had to study very little for the test.  Once you pass you can print off a certificate and in a few weeks you will get a stylish lapel pin showing the you are a Cicerone Certified Beer Server.

The next step to becoming a full Cicerone is getting the required experience.  You must have at least 1 year experience selling or serving beer, or have a recommendation from a brewer.  To that end I looked at all of the brewpubs in the area and luckily, being in Ann Arbor, MI there are close to a dozen breweries/brewpubs in an hours radius.  I was fortunate enough to get a job at the Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery.  Now it is just a matter of getting the experience to continue on my journey and see where all of this takes me!

What is a Cicerone?

What exactly is a Cicerone?  Why does this guy want to become one? and why is it worth blogging about?!?

 A Cicerone is another word for Beer Sommelier.  It is a certification program to help the beer industry raise its standards by giving people the knowledge of how to properly store, dispense, and help enjoy the wonderful beverage known as Beer.

Over the last 4 years my interest in beer has grown exponentially.  It started when my then girlfriend, now wife, bought me a homebrewing kit and ever since I've delved into the world of craft beer.  Becoming a Cicerone would give me the knowledge and a great foundation in the beer industry and hopefully make it a full time occupation.  I would love to work in an environment where beer is given the respect it deserves and can be enjoyed in the company of great local food.

Becoming a Cicerone involves passing multiple tests that prove that you know the knowledge and this blog will hopefully be a resource in helping any future persons wanting to go down the same path as myself!