Getting back to all things beer, I thought that this post would be dedicated to the drink that so many of us love. Sorry this has to be ranting and raving, but that is all I can do at this point.
Trying to shop for beer in Michigan can be difficult. I truly believe that buying from the state of Michigan whenever we can is a good thing. Whether that is produce or a vehicle, I think that keeping it local is great for the Michigan economy. Depending on where you live in Michigan, your local beer store might stock nothing but Budweiser and Miller or, if you have the benefit of living in the Traverse City area, you are exposed to a great number of local micro-brews. I picked up a 6 pack of Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company Iron Horse IPA.
IPA is one of my favorite styles of beers. The bitterness and thirst quenching qualities of IPA is the reason I love it so much. It goes great with all the food that I love, it usually has a lower alcohol content so that you can have a few pints without feeling the need to call a cab, etc. After my first taste of Iron Horse I knew that something had gone wrong.
Listen, I love hops! I love bitter beer. But when I buy an IPA I expect it to be an IPA and not the double and triple hopped beers that a lot of the breweries are doing nowadays. If I wanted to buy that sort of thing I would have bought it. I wanted nothing more than a decent IPA and what I got was a super dose of hops.
Call me a complainer, call me a whiner....However, when I have to plug my nose to have a sip of beer I knew that I went wrong somewhere. There is nothing but bitterness from this brew. No flowery aroma, no hint of pine, no citrus notes. Bitterness. Bitterness to the point that it makes your stomach hurt just drinking it.
I know there is a market out there for this type of beer. A lot of people are leaning towards the hoppiness and want the most bitter tasting concoction they can get their hands on. That's fine, just market your beer to what you are brewing. It's like buying a Miller High Life and tasting a wine cooler. It's like buying a bottle of Gentlemen Jack and having it taste like gin. It's not what I wanted.
I don't buy beer to get drunk. If a good drunk was all that I was after I would buy a 30 pack of Natural Lite Ice and go to town. I buy my beer because I want to taste it. I buy it because I want to savor every flavor that comes from the bottle. If I am in the mood for stout, I buy a stout. If I want to go after the taste of Porter, I buy a Porter. Just because the flavor of the day in beer has become hopped up IPA's doesn't mean I want to drink that. Tell me what I am about to buy and let me make my own decision. The letters I P A doesn't give anyone the right for anyone to dump in as many hops as they want and still get to call it an IPA.
If you are a fan of very hoppy brews, Iron Horse IPA from Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company will fit your bill. If you are looking for a true IPA, steer clear. Drink this brew with very rich savory foods. I am thinking a meat laden pizza, eggs, hearty cheese, or rich cuts of beef.
When are you going to do a review of "Hoss" Rye Lager from the Nevada Brewing Company? I thought this was a beer blog?
ReplyDeleteTodd
Good question, Toddler -- I was wondering about the Hoss beer review too. I'll tip my hat and say that I have tried it; and, it's fantastic! In fact, it won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival last year for the third best Marzen rye lager in the country. Now that's impressive! But I'd still like to hear "Mack's" blog review -- always entertaining.
ReplyDeleteWe're bringing at least a case of it to Bonanza this year, Mack, so you'd better have a review of it posted on your blog within a week! This is a great hobby for you, by the way. You drink beer and tell the world what you think about it. Very amusing.
ReplyDeleteHey, another one I'd like you to review is "Bitches Brew" from Dogfish Head, if you can find any. I haven't been able to find any down here but maybe some of the hippie joints up Traverse City way will have some. It's supposed to be a "fusion" (see what they did there?!?) of stout and honey.
ReplyDeleteTrying to find a distributor guys. I would love to review this beer. Give me time and it will be done.
ReplyDelete