Beer Review

**IMGreat101** · 02-10-13, 05:50 PM

Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats, jackals, and dung beetles. Sumerians
worshipped beer. The tradition of the superior civilization has survived ever
since. Sumerians rock!

Ninkasi is the Sumerian goddess of brewing and beer and head brewer to the gods themselves. Her name means "the lady who fills the mouth" and her birth was formed of sparkling-fresh water.

Ninkasi, the Sumerian Goddess of Brewing and Beer - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-06-13, 04:40 PM

Hessen Haus

Central Iowa's Favorite German Bier Hall home to over 175 unique German and European hand crafted brews, as well as comfort food made from scratch.

Hessen Haus [ ] Des Moines' German Beer Hall | Drink from the boot and dance some polka!

This is a great place to enjoy the best Germany has to offer. The beer hall atmosphere is just screaming for polka music!

Weihenstephan Hefeweizen

At $4.75 this is not only a great deal, but a very tasty bier!

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan - Freising, Germany - BeerAdvocate

Weihenstephan Kristall Weisse

Same price, and a lighter crisper taste.

Schnee Bock

This is a rare beer that has limited production in the winter months. The name translates, "Snow Beer"

Schnee Bock - Schlossbrauerei Au-Hallertau - Au i. d. Hallertau, Germany - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-06-13, 04:53 PM

One of my favorite stops for beer.

Welcome to the El Bait Shop, home of the biggest selection of American Micro-brews in the world.

El Bait Shop - Restaurant & Bar - Des Moines, Iowa

My favorite, Rogue Old Crustacean is a barley wine. Very rich, very tasty. This is a meal in itself.

XS Old Crustacean - Rogue Ales - Newport, OR - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-06-13, 05:23 PM

High Life Lounge

A 1960′s style corner tavern opened local owners of (Full Court Press) on Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2005. Every city should have a bar like this with shag carpet, Formica bar top, vintage wallpaper, and wood paneling. Retro light fixtures and vintage Miller beer promotional lights and signs hang everywhere

High Life Lounge

How about a Schlitz!

Schlitz - JOS. Schlitz Brewing Co. (Pabst) - Woodridge, IL - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-06-13, 05:32 PM

Back to El Bait Shop - Restaurant & Bar - Des Moines, Iowa

Bell's Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we've grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 200 people over an 18 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC.

Bell's Brewery, Inc. :: Home

Hopslam

Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.

Bell's Hopslam Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc. - Kalamazoo, MI - BeerAdvocate

This was not nearly as hoppy as I expected. A very nice rich flavor.

**IMGreat101** · 03-13-13, 07:37 AM

Hessen Haus [ ] Des Moines' German Beer Hall | Drink from the boot and dance some polka!

The taps

This building used to be a train depot. The tracks are still active.

Mönchshof Schwarzbier

Very dark brown colour, semi-transparent once held against a light source, two fingers of off-white head with average retention and lots of activity in the glass.
Smell of dark roasted malts and coffee, very pleasant.
Taste follows very close the smell, lots of roasted malts and coffee, slighty bitterness.
Low carbonation and light to medium on the body.
A nice alternative to a lager.

Mönchshof Schwarzbier - Kulmbacher Brauerei AG - Kulmbach, Germany - BeerAdvocate

Although the one liter glass is a bit large, I enjoyed the bier all the way to the end!

**IMGreat101** · 03-13-13, 07:57 AM

Royal Mile

You can find quite an extensive selection of Scotch whisky here!

I tried the Ardberg. Very peaty. I do not like Scotch whisky, but this was ok.

London Porter

Appearance-Extremely dark, barely any light penetrates

Smell-Inviting dark chocolate with undertones of high quality coffee.

Taste-Unbelievable, it tastes like it smells but even better. Chocolately with a delicious
Coffee finish.

Mouth-This is the kicker. Thin and light but ridiculously creamy. I don't how that is possible.

Fuller's London Porter - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC - Chiswick, London, United Kingdom (England) - BeerAdvocate

The origins of Porter date back to London in the early eighteenth century, and the beer has seen fame around the world, from Ireland to the USA and Australia. It was the dominant beer style in London for quite some time, and takes its name from the street and river porters of the city who carried goods around the streets.

London Porter is a traditional London beer that used to be called Entire

**IMGreat101** · 03-18-13, 09:05 PM

It is said that women have a civilizing influence on men, but beer deserves more

credit:

Luckily, from time to time, our ancestors, like other animals, would run across fermented fruit or grain and sample it. How this accidental discovery evolved into the first keg party, of course, is still unknown. But evolve it did, perhaps as early as 10,000 years ago.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/op...dayspaper&_r=0

**IMGreat101** · 03-19-13, 10:08 AM

Hessen Haus [ ] Des Moines' German Beer Hall | Drink from the boot and dance some polka!

Aktien Landbier

A - This one is slightly hazy, dull yellow/bronze, and topped with a two finger fluffy white head. Lots of fluffy lace is spattered all about the glass, and head retention is stellar.

S - Understated pilsener notes (saaz hops, salt, and crackers), with a very mild complexity. Salt water (like the ocean waves), vanilla, and gentle caramel.

T - Whoa. This is SALTY. This reminds me of swishing with salt water when I was a little kid with a sore throat. This is medicinal, plastic-y, salty, slightly sour, and odd as hell. I kinda like it, but its extremely weird! I'm getting this flavor that reminds me of the way that the inside of a plastic bag smells, or the way my dog's rubber toys smell after sitting out in the sun on a hot day. I don't dislike it, but its gonna take some getting used to. Some mineral notes are there too.

M - Light bodied, clean, refreshing, and slightly dry on the finish. Actually, now that I think about it, this is VERY dry at the finish. Almost powdery, but very very soft.

D - Odd. That's for sure. I like it, and the odd flavors add complexity rather than disappoint. Not bad, but not as good as the other Keller/Zwickels that I've had.

Holzhausener Landbier - Aktien-Brauerei Kaufbeuren AG - Kaufbeuren, Germany - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-19-13, 10:15 AM

Monchshof Festbier

Poured from the tap at 33 a clear light amber with two fingers of off-white head.

The aroma was sweet malts and herbal notes.

Tasted of Juicyfruit gum with herbal and floral notes. Finished clean.

Moderate body, smooth, with a good carbonation.

A nice Oktoberfest which really hit the spot. Will definitely have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

Mönchshof Festbier - Kulmbacher Brauerei AG - Kulmbach, Germany - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-19-13, 10:27 AM

Freigeist Abraxas
Smoked Lichtenhainer Weisse

These were stored right side up, the yeast had settled to the bottom. My Bier Guide put on quite the show while pouring. This technique combined with rolling the bottle ensures you get nearly all of the yeasty goodness into your glass.

The Freigeist Abraxas was a curiosity pick in the rauchbier section (such as it is). A smoked wheat? Intriguing, to say the least.

No date stamp but the bottle looks old. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if this one has been sitting around as there are two separate clumps of yeast visible in the bottle but cracking it open it’s clear it still has a lot of life. A vigorous pour gave a cloudy hazy golden straw colored beer with a tremendous cloud of foam atop.

There’s a gentle dusting of smoke on the aroma. It’s light and nuanced, and it delicately compliments the weissbier notes. It’s a welcoming aroma! It’s kinda cool to smell it because it’s unlike anything I could have expected

The flavor is lightly smoked, with a wheaty smoothness. The tartness is dialed down--not a Berliner weiss sort of tartness, with a sweetness on the finish. Light, refreshing, with that great whisper of smoke keeping it interesting.

Freigeist Abraxas - Gasthaus-Brauerei Braustelle - Köln, Germany - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-19-13, 10:36 AM

Royal Mile

More Scotch

On to the beer!

Fuller's ESB (Extra Strong/Special Bitter)

This beer looks amber, with a slightly tanned head. The aroma is estery and hoppy, working very well together. The slim, silky body, relatively well-carbonated (for the style), has hops suitably balanced with the other features of this beer. The aftertaste is neither strong, nor subtle, but is definitely long and showing a hoppy tone. What an excellent session beer!

Fuller's ESB - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC - Chiswick, London, United Kingdom (England) - BeerAdvocate

**IMGreat101** · 03-19-13, 10:51 AM

El Bait Shop - Restaurant & Bar - Des Moines, Iowa

Decisions, decisions!

Sam Adams Norse Legend

Legend has it that barrels of this ancient brew were found on sunken Viking ships. This Nordic ale called a Sahti took root in Finland becoming one of the oldest continuously brewed styles. Deep amber in color, the distinctive herbal citrus aroma and flavor comes from aging on a bed of juniper berries for a fresh and flavorful brew.

Samuel Adams® - Norse Legend - Limited Release Craft Beers

**IMGreat101** · 03-19-13, 11:01 AM

Evil Twin Imperial Stout

The color is opaque black with a good sized medium tan head with very tight bead that falls to a ring with wispy spotty lace. The smell is good with a decent amount of dark chocolate and subtle spice with gentle aroma of alcohol and mild toast. The feel is very good, lots of malt with clean yeast profile and moderate carbonation making it feel light for a 12% ale with mild alcohol as it warms with mostly dry finish.

This is a tasty stout -you get a lot of dark grain character with subtle chocolate elements and a light smokiness in the back with subtle briny hop aspect near the finish with only a smidge of alcohol flavor and somewhat biscuit element as it finishes dry. Overall I was pleased with the drinkability but it certainly is a sipper, I was glad I was able to split this with friends since the abv comes out a bit after the chill wears off.

Westbrook / Evil Twin Minigrowler Imperial Stout - Westbrook Brewing Co. - Mount Pleasant, SC - BeerAdvocate

Mini Growler - Evil Twin Brewing