Before I dive headfirst into this week’s installment of beer reviews, let me begin by saying there is indeed good beer and bad beer. A brewer can screw beer up, as can a brewing company hellbent on producing pablum for the masses. That’s not to say that mass produced can’t be good, however, when producing for the masses, one creates a product that appeals to the lowest common denominator.

Beers like Budweiser and Coors are designed to be unoffensive and with as little taste as possible in the effort to appeal to the broadest possible base. It’s often the same model followed by Hollywood in its effort to create a blockbuster – some of the best films to come out in the last couple of decades have come from independent film makers who weren’t afraid to take on controversial topics, offend, or deal with sensitive issues. The highest grossing films, on the other hand, have been movies which, while entertaining, haven’t always been great. I enjoy the Harry Potter films, but I wouldn’t really put any of them on the level of say The Shawshank Redemption, or The Visitor, or Hotel Rwanda. The Star Wars films have been god-awful, but have made a ton of money. Essentially, they were made to make money and be inoffensive – the Budweiser of the film world.

That said, it’s important to remember that no matter what, you drink what you like. While one company might make what brewers and food critics call the perfect IPA, or the perfect Dunkel, you might find you just plain don’t like that beer. Drink what you like, and don’t let anyone bully you into what you don’t like. The idea is to enjoy  the experience. If you don’t enjoy your craft beer experience, then you’re not going to come back for more – and with so much out there waiting to be tried, that would just be a shame.

On to the reviews…

Leinenkugel’s Fireside Nut Brown
J. Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Chippewa Falls, WI
Style: American Nut Brown Ale
Grade: 4.5

This is a nut brown in color only, but color does not make the style.

I came to this beer with some trepidation. They had been advertising on my local sports radio and extolling their virtues (as ads will do), and pumping up the fact they had been around for forever and had been recognized repeatedly for their brewing excellence. When I picked it up at the store I was struck by the fact that, from a packaging perspective, they looked as though they were trying very hard to be a macro instead of a micro. That just filled me with more trepidation.

After tasting the beer, I believe I was well justified in my hesitation to pick up the Leinenkugel product. My first impressions were that everything about the beer except for the color was just wrong for a nut brown. The aroma was less suitable to a nut brown than it would have been to a coffee porter, and the flavor was just plain off. It tasted a little too much of coffee and ash with a sour hint, with virtually no sweetness or nuttiness in the finish. The color, as I previously noted, was good, and it poured well, but that was almost the extent of it.

I said almost because I have to admit, I used the remainder of what was in the half bottle that was left to make meatballs. It turns out to be a good beer to cook with, but I wouldn’t drink it again.

Munchen Dunkel
Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau GMBH
Munchen (Munich), Germany
Style: Dunkel
Grade: 9.25

I really try to stick to the American craft brews for this site, but I was at a store with limited selection, and figured that I had the beer, I might as well review it.

I knew what I was getting into with the Spaten-made Dunkel. The German brewery makes a damn fine beer, and I knew that going in. It poured the way a Dunkel should and had a gorgeous deep amber color – almost a rich brownish. There was some head, but not huge – something consistent with style.

The aroma of the brew was nice and subtle. A good, beery aroma with a hint of burnt caramel. It was quite pleasant. This was a good tease of the flavors one should expect, and does get from the beer. It’s a smooth beer with heavy caramel overtones and a light smokiness in the finish. Really an enjoyable beer, and a good example of the style.

Red Rocket Ale
Bear Republic Brewing Company
Healdsburg, CA
Style: Bastardized Scottish Red Ale
Grade: 8.7

Bastardized styles are always fun, and somewhat problematic from a review standpoint. When reviewing a nut brown, or an IPA, or a Dunkel, there’s a standard against which to compare. Things like Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch (Belgian IPA), or this beer, both of which combine styles, has no ideal associated with them. In a way, it’s liberating as well – is it a good beer, or isn’t it? That becomes the question. No, “is it hoppy/malty enough? Is the color right,” sorts of questions. It really comes down to – did I like it, and would I recommend it.

My guess, based on tasting this beer, is that Bear Republic was going for a fusion of IPA and Scottish Red. As such, there is a strong, hoppy flavor combined with a nice maltiness. The beer has the aroma of an IPA and has a nice creamy head to go with a deep red/amber color in the glass. While not my favorite beer that I’ve had, it’s a solid, enjoyable brew that I would definitely recommend.