An Eclectic Pick 6

A random assortment of Midwestern beers.

Wisconsin beers

With the Great Taste of the Midwest only a month away, what better way to celebrate than exploring all the great taste the region has to offer. So I bought a random collection of (mostly Wisconsin) midwestern beers and got drunk and wrote about it.

Summit – Cabin Crusher – Kölsch – 4.8%

“Low in alcohol, lightly hopped and high in carbonation and drinkability, Summit Cabin Crusher is a traditional Kölsch-style ale spiked with fresh lime peel and puree, plus lemon-lime citrus-forward hops from the U.S., including Lemon Drop and Loral varieties. Balanced by malt flavors and aromas of honey, biscuit, and toast, the end result is a crisp, thirst-quenching ale perfect for hot days in Cabin Country. Slightly hazy in appearance, floral notes lead to huge citrus rind aromas of lemon and lime.”

It starts off with rich biscuit and caramel malts, with a strong lime presence that gives it a tart and tangy kick. Kind of like a key-lime pie vibe, but less sweet. And it’s crisp and refreshing, so it has my vote for a summer staple. Reminds me of sitting by the lake in a cabin in the country.

‘a windsong carried over the wildflowers and water, a slow steady heartbeat
Calm in it all, a soft raging fire
filled with desire
and a longing without knowing
What we want at all.’

Collective Arts – Guava Gose – 4.9% – Gose

“It’s back, summer drinkers rejoice! We take pride in tracking down the freshest ingredients to further our drinkers’ experience! Using our core Gose as a base, we added the freshest guava puree we could find and then let the brewers go to work. The end result was a perfect balance of tart, sweet, and sour. Expect the Pink Himalayan Salt and flowery guava to leave you refreshed and wanting more.”

It’s been a hellishly hot summer. But what better way to cool off than all these goses? I’m glad it’s been the summer of sours and there’s no shortage of new ones to try. I’m also excited to visit Collective Arts in a few weeks and try their beers straight from the source in Eau Claire.

This guava gose does everything right for a gose. It’s salty, super salty, but also filled with fruit flavor, giving it a refreshing finish. It reminds me of a guava margarita. And along with the saltiness and sweetness, there are hints of coriander to add a small hint of spice.

‘Salt and sweat covered in a basement hands to the rafters listening to the band as they play their rendition
of punk rock love listening to lyrics shouted in holy communion a chorus of youth and beer-stained cement floors mixed with some blood but it sure as hell won’t ever last forever.’

Mobcraft – Rhubarb IPA – 6.5% – IPA

“Rhubarb IPA celebrates Wisconsin’s early crop harvest. Pleasant rhubarb tartness blends with a medley of bittering and aromatic hops creating a true Wisconsin IPA.”

Whoooooa buddy. This Rhubarb reminds me of Hopalicious, with its delicious caramel and toasted malt base, but then it jumps into a tart fruity bitterness. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually had rhubarb alone (always as a pie with a bunch of strawberries) so it’s hard to put a nose on its flavor. It tastes tart, earthy, and bitter though. And it works well to balance the sweet caramel malts.

‘You spend it. 40 hours the same shit.
Monotonous.
Is this it?
All of it?
40 some hours for forever.
At least till the ticker gives its final tick.
I miss working outside with the earth.
The heat of the sun
The salt on your shirt.
Sweat and callousness
Is this really it?’

Mikerphone – The Reflex – 5.00%  – APA

“Fruited Pale Ale with Strawberry, Lactose, and Mosaic Hops.”

Hey we just had a rhubarb and now we are on to strawberries. I should have combined the two to make dessert pie beer. Anyway, god I love mosaic hops and they sure standout here with fruity/tropical dominant notes. As an APA, you also get a rich biscuit/caramel malt background and a noticeable creaminess to the beer. And with the strawberry fruit flavor, it tastes like Belgian waffles covered in whipped cream and strawberries.

‘There’s a diner on the corner that helps the fast life feel a little slow
On the sleepy side of town, after bar time close
If you do decide to go
Make sure you order the 72 special
Belgian waffles under a mountain of strawberries and cream and a side
glass of breakfast beer, to help with the comedown ride
after that you’ll be fine in no time
A breakfast of a spiritual level.’

New Glarus – Break O’Day –  6.30% – IPA

“Break O’Day Juicy IPA explodes with unruly exuberant citrus notes. Brewed for a session or a lively break, this juice-infused Wisconsin Session IPA boasts 100% Midwestern barley malt. Complex dry hop additions of Comet, Amarillo, Chinook, Bravo, Sterling and Citra hops bring the haze to our boisterous and bright Juicy IPA party that you hold in your hand.”

A session IPA at 6 percent doesn’t make much sense to me, but I won’t question it. It’s more juice (nectarine, citrus juice) than IPA, although it does have some fragrant floral hops. There’s also some spice to it that reminds me of a Belgian. The best way to describe it would be a juicy Belgian IPA.

‘How can you balance the yearning
Sense of hungriness yet having
But always wanting more
In life in love in a world littered with hollow shells
Do you keep reaching or learn to be happy with your self?’

Third Space – Java Blanca – 7.3% – Cream Ale

Ah, the Java Blanca. One of those beers that makes you feel ok about your decision to have beer at breakfast. It’s less of a beer as it is a heavily creamed coffee. It has some hints of light, pale malts, that quickly disappear to bitter coffee notes and strong vanilla creaminess. 10/10 would have at breakfast again.

‘Coffee and beer on a quiet Sunday
Nobody reads the paper anymore but we can settle down
To a good book as the sun catches dust and floats gently in
Warming whispering to us
To remember the moments much like
This.’

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