Taprooms – Toppling Goliath in Decorah, Iowa

The Eastern Iowa Airport is a little bit further away from Decorah that I realized.  When I plugged the route into my GPS it told me that I was 112 miles away from my destination.  112 miles is a pretty good distance, but I figured I could burn through it pretty quick.  No problem… I had an entire afternoon to kill.  But I was thinking like a city boy.  What I didn’t realize is that I would not be travelling on an interstate.  Between me and Toppling Goliath was 112 miles of two lane highways, a half a dozen small towns, residential streets, oversized tractors, and thousands upon thousands of acres of corn.  The posted speed limit constantly changed from 70 miles per hour, to 25, and back.  All in all it took me around two and a half hours to drive each direction.  It’s a good thing I had my evening open as well.

The Toppling Goliath taproom is in what could have been an old Pizza Hut or Chinese food restaurant.   The parking lot appeared to be fairly full, but when I walked inside there was maybe only six to eight patrons.  Half of them were nestled up to the little bar area, and the other half was sitting at a table in the front “solar”.  I settled into a little table between the two.   

I came for the fabled pseudoSue, but I wanted to see what else they had to offer as well.  I ordered a pint of Naughty 90, a heavily oaked English IPA, and began my self-guided tour around the small taproom. The arched ceilings are tiled, and the floor is a nice hardwood.  The first wall you see upon entry features an array of merchandise, an open wood frame that leads into the front area, and a flat screen television.  Over the bar there are pictures of their “Mug Club” participants, and small posters that promote several of their brands.  There are two TVs on this side too.  Of the three televisions in the place, two featured big game hunting (not the same channel).  I got the impression that animals would be dying on the third one too, but it was late in the baseball season and some playoff races were getting down to the wire.

I transitioned into a little people watching as I sipped on my pints of Rover Truck Stout and ZeeLander (the latter is a brilliantly assembled, single hop IPA made with Nelson Sauvin).  Beer drinkers of all ages came and went throughout my stay.  The population of Decorah is only about eight thousand people, so I felt like I was seeing a relatively good sample size of the town.  The dialog at the bar was rich with Midwest-isms, and focused largely on guns and cars.  Beer orders were affirmed with an “okie-dokie!”, and folks left with a hearty “so long!”  I loved it.

Toppling Goliath may be grabbing a lot of attention, but it’s unquestionably in a little town in northern Iowa.  I really appreciated that they weren’t trying to be anything else.  I ended up taking my pseudoSue back to my hotel and drinking it out of small, plastic cups.  This probably wasn’t the best way to enjoy one of the most respected pale ales in America, but it worked out just fine in the end.  Ultimately it was a much longer day of beer hunting than I expected, but fortunately it was worth the effort.

310 College Dr.

Decorah, Iowa 52101

563-387-6700

http://www.tgbrews.com/site/

-Matt

Beer Bars – Old Town Pour House in Chicago, Illinois

I could tell I was not going to like the Old Town Pour House from the second I walked in the building.  I’m not much of a sports bar enthusiast, and as soon as I passed through the revolving door I was immediately presented with no less than twenty flat screen televisions playing every sport that cable television had to offer that evening.  My friends and I showed the bouncer our IDs, and we were quickly seated at one of four long “community” tables that make up the majority of the main floor seating.  This puts us literally elbow-to-elbow with the couple next to us.  I’m really not a big fan of this type of seating arrangement.  I grabbed the menu to search for my first pint, and was pleased to find it fairly well organized with the beers sorted by style.  I settled upon Surly Bender, and then screamed my order to our waitress.  Screaming is apparently the only way to verbally communicate at the Pour House because the music turned up so loud that you can’t hear anything else.  I have literally been to concerts that were quieter than this bar.  I hate that.  After the first was ordered, my buddies and I started to fight against the noise in hopes of assembling a conversation. 

After about a half hour of struggling through a fragmented dialog, 75% of the televisions switch over the Thursday Night Football.  I know that America loves its football, but I found it very odd that the bar decided to demote the Cubs game to two of the twenty or so TVs.  The football game didn’t even feature a team that was based within a thousand miles of Chicago.  I know the Cubbies lost hope of a playoff spot a couple months ago, but are the locals no longer interested supporting their team?  I guess.

It’s a shame that I was so turned off by the place because it really is a beautiful bar.  The entire interior is covered with deeply stained wood.  The ceiling and walls are covered with this amazing wood paneling, and the hardwood floor is laid out in a lovely fishbone pattern.  There are about twenty five stools at the bar and a handful of small tables here and there.  On the far end of the restaurant is a wooden staircase that leads up to a few more tables (and even more televisions).  I didn’t get a chance to check it out, but I think there may be another small bar up there too.  The downstairs flooring switches to a black and white tile, but retains the stained wooden walls.  The bathrooms are down there, as is another little bar.  All in all it’s a very elegant looking establishment that should be the perfect environment for libations. 

 

The food was fine.  We ordered three appetizers to share and nothing was left in the end.  The tater tots appeared to be made in-house, the fried pickles were nice and thick, and the fried cheese curds were actually pretty spectacular.  Despite the aforementioned shortcomings, I will allow that the Pour House seems to have perfected the art of deep frying things.

In my eyes, the Old Town Pour House is more or less a “classier” (and more expensive) Buffalo Wild Wings.  It’s not a good place to meet up with friends because you can’t hear them, and, if you’re unlucky enough to get stuck at the long tables, you’re forced to make new friends because you’re essentially sitting on your neighbor’s lap.  The food was pretty good, but I can get good food at a thousand different places in Chicago.  They’ve got a lot of draft handles, but honestly only a few of them were interesting.  Most of it was stuff I could get easily back home.  I guess there were a lot of pretty women to look at, but they were outnumbered pretty close to ten-to-one by guys with shirts that are one size too small.  So in the end, I guess I’m happy to have checked the Old Town Pour House off my to-do list, but I don’t expect that I’ll ever return. 

1419 N Wells St.

Chicago, IL 60610

312-477-2800

http://www.oldtownpourhouse.com/

-Matt

Old Ale Project – Lightning Brewery’s Old Tempestuous Ale (#17)

22oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  9% ABV. 

Appearance:  Amber honey with rich, ruby highlights.  Presented a decent beige head upon the pour, but it faded quickly into a thin ring around the edge of the glass.  Thin streams of bubbles rise in sporadic columns to the surface, but can find no purchase upon their arrival. Absolutely brilliant (both in visual perception and clarity).  But watch out on the last pour because there's a ton of sludge on the bottom of the bottle (5/5).

Aroma:  Perhaps one of the most aggressive aromas I’ve experienced with the style.  I’ve set the glass aside to type out the appearance, and from almost two feet away I’m still nearly overwhelmed by the smell.  Grape jam, brown sugar, and molasses.  Figs and dates.  Old, blackened bananas.  Everything you’d expect from an Old Ale, but apparently dialed up to eleven (5/5).

Taste:  A lot of what I got in the nose also shows up in the flavor.  I immediately get figs, dates, and old bananas.  That is followed by a touch of dark bread crust and burnt marshmallows.  There is a faint suggestion hop bitterness and maybe just a hint of wood.  Very easy to drink for such a big, rich beer (5/5).

Mouthfeel:  Full body and low carbonation.  Silky smooth with a hint of alcohol warmth (5/5).

Overall:  I am blown away.  This beer exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable.  If I am looking for the perfectly crafted Old Ale, I honestly don’t know what to change here.  It is rich, smooth, sweet, and warm.  I don’t like to give away perfect ratings for free, but Old Tempestuous has earned it.  I guess the only thing that may improve it would be a few years in a cellar, but right now I'm glad I didn't wait.  Well done, Lightning (5/5).

-Matt

Old Ale Project – George Gale & Co.’s Prize Old Ale (#16)

9.3oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  9% ABV.  Bottled in 1998. 

Appearance:  Deep mahogany brown.  Lightly hazed with no head and minimal carbonation.  As I neared the end of the glass, I noticed there were some fairly substantial chunks of something that has collected on the bottom (4/5).

Aroma:  Extremely rich port wine aroma.  My head was enveloped in a cloud of amazing smells from the second I took the cork out of the bottle.  I also get some overripe plumbs and brown sugar as I dig deeper into the glass (5/5).

Taste:  Incredible.  Massive wine flavors from extended aging.  There are also some prunes, figs, apples, and raisins in there, as well as some vanilla and tobacco.  On the back end I get a woody note that dries out the finish a little bit (4.75/5).

Mouthfeel:  Medium body and low carbonation.  A touch of heat from the alcohol (4/5).

Overall:  Brilliant!  I absolutely love this beer.  It seems like it’s lost a little body over the years, but the flavor is unbelievable.  It is rich, mature, and beautiful.  I am very fortunate to have stumbled across a bottle (4.5/5).

-Matt

From the Cellar – 2011 Bell’s Expedition Stout

12oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  10.5% ABV.  Packaged on “9/19/2011”.

Appearance:  Super black.  There was a thick, beautiful tan head when I poured it, but it quickly faded into a light ring around the edge of my glass and a small island of bubbles floating in the middle (4.5/5).

Aroma:  The predominant smell here is soy sauce.  I have had this beer in its younger days, and I don’t remember an aroma like this.  There is a little bit of roasted malt in the background, along with some burnt molasses, charcoal, and overripe stone fruit, but it’s nowhere near as pleasant as I remember it being (2.25/5).

Taste:  The taste follows the aroma.  Burnt soy sauce with charcoal in the aftertaste.  There are some stout qualities in the background, but they are so far removed that there is little reason to comment on them.  Ultimately, it has been overtaken by this weird soy sauce flavor that hits you up front and lingers well beyond the sip (2.5/5).

Mouthfeel:  Full body and light carbonation (4.75/5).

Overall:  I understand that both beer and wine cycle as they age and I’m wondering if I caught the 2011 Expedition Stout on a low point.  I can’t remember having a stout that tasted like it ran through a Chinese kitchen before reached me before.  I would highly recommend that if you have a 2011 bottle of this beer, you give it another year or two before opening it.  I’m sad to report that this beer has gone from an exceptional stout to a sub-average one over the past three years (2.75/5).

-Matt

Beer Bars – Mr. Beery’s in Sarasota, Florida

Mr. Beery’s is in a quiet little strip mall off an abused road in Sarasota, Florida.  I almost broke my rental agreement driving through the dilapidated parking lot, but there were plenty of spaces for me to nestle into at 8pm on a Wednesday night.  A backlit sign, a few neon beer logos, and a series of stickers mark the entrance. 

At the entrance I was greeted by a twenty-stool bar and a couple of old pool tables.  The overhead is softly playing various popular rock songs from the 90’s to current.  There is a small stage and a screen, but neither was in use during my visit.  Every wall is fairly dark and decorated with a collection of various types of brewery paraphernalia.  There are a handful of table-and-chair sets sporadically scattered throughout the establishment, with an elevated “lounge” (couches and coffee tables) in the back.  There are four flat screen televisions broadcasting various sporting events.  A couple of video games, a dart board, a skee-ball machine, and a modern jukebox complete the ambiance (definitely bonus points for having skee-ball). 

Behind the bar is a chalkboard announcing the current draft selections, which appears to be hosted on about twenty four handles.  There are a few locals, a few Belgians, some German beers, and a random collection from around the US.  They’ve got some bottles, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a cellar.  I didn’t have to struggle to make a decision, but I don’t feel like I was missing out on much after I left either. 

The staff seems pretty nice.  When I asked for a local recommendation, the bartender suggested a can from Cigar City.  I don’t know why this surprised me, but it kind of did.  I almost always ask for a local recommendation, and it’s never been presented to me in a can.  I’m not opposed to cans as a beer storage vessel, but I kind of assumed my next beer was going to be on the draft list.  Isn’t that where all the exciting beers are supposed to be?

When I travel I tend to reference DRAFT Magazine’s “Top 100 Beer Bars in America” list, which is how I found this bar.  I have been to many locations on their lists, but I’m not sure I agree with this one.  It would probably be a great find if you were thirsty and randomly stumbled into it, but I wouldn’t consider it among the upper echelon in the country.  It certainly wasn’t worth driving an hour in the wrong direction to visit.

In summary, Mr. Beery’s is a decent craft beer bar with an unfortunate name.  They don’t do any food, so eat before you arrive (or order a sandwich next door).  Their draft selection is pretty good, and their bottle list is meager.   But if you love to drink and play skee-ball, I guess you’re in luck.

2545 Mall Dr.

Sarasota, Florida 34231

941-343-2854

http://www.mrbeeryssrq.com/

-Matt

Old Ale Project – Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale (#15)

18.7oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  6% ABV.  Served a little cold, but allowed to warm.  Vintage listed as “2012/2013”.

Appearance:  Amber honey body with fat bubbles on top.  The eggshell white crown fades very quickly into a nothing.  Brilliantly clear (4.25/5).

Aroma:  Earthy and musty.  Smells like an old, wet cellar.  I can almost see the water dripping down the walls and the fungus and moss growing between the cracks in the bricks.  In the background is ancient, dried up molasses and damp wood.  This beer has taken the “old” in Old Ale very seriously (4.5/5).

Taste:  The immediate impression is surprisingly dry with a bread crust finish.  Very English tasting.  It continues by following suit with the aroma; damp and musty.  There is also an underlying sweetness that tastes like peaches, which is followed by a faint oak bite (4.5/5).

 

Mouthfeel:  Medium body and light carbonation (4.25/5).

Overall:  I’ve been trying to avoid Winter Warmers throughout this project, and I was a little concerned when I stumbled across a beer named Winter Welcome.  But the BJCP lists this beer as one of the commercial examples of the Old Ale style, so I went ahead and picked it up.  I’m glad that I did.  This is an incredible beer.  It’s full of flavor and personality.  Perfect representation of the style.  I’d like to buy a case of it and sit on it for the next decade (4.5/5).

-Matt