I thought I might be less enthralled to frequent the boisterous and expensive Dominick's, until I discovered the beer selection at the inner counter included options not available at the outer one. More on tap:
- Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Kalamazoo, Michigan (american india pale ale) - appears orange gold, smell hoppy and fresh, slight syrupy notes on nose, mouthfeel big frothy and smooth, taste roasted hops, pine tree, bit overly syrupy and overly roasted, but still tasty, and wears quite well, a beer I have no objections to drinking
- Founders Dirty Bastard. Grand Rapids, Michigan (scotch ale) - appears jelly red, smell subtle complexities, light hops, mouthfeel thicker and heavy, full on carbonation, taste sweeter malty side, bare hops, tripelesque feel of warmer alcohol to it, doesn't seem to wear particularly well, no my style
- Bell's Poolside Ale. Kalamazoo, Michigan (american pale wheat ale) - appears orange brown chrome, thin white head, smell soft tender nose, soft and very pleasant, mouthfeel medium firm, spiky and frothy, taste is more tart than I'd expect from nose, superfine peaches, sweet and rounded, a careless fun kind of beer
- Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca. Dexter, Michigan (witbier/belgian white) - appears light orange, smell thick cherry nose, faint but nice, mouthfeel is frothy but open, big and loose, taste big rounded peach and mandarin orange, very clean but still very interesting, fruity fun with a touch of class, wore very, very well, best sip was the last
Arbor Brewing isn't getting old, but I have made my way through most of the on-tap selections--which isn't a bad thing as their bottle-aged beers are pretty serious and worth a contemplative hour or two:
- Arbor Brasserie Greff Barrel-aged Blonde Ale. Ann Arbor, Michigan (belgian pale ale) cork on 750 ml bottle served at Arbor Brewing - the nose on this beer is stunning and I had to pass around my glass quite a few times so everyone could get a sniff, it was mesmerizing, along with nutsy complexity, it smelled like freshly cut orange slices, the nose alone was worth the price of the beer, mouthfeel is tight yet frothy with sparky carbonation, tastes soft rounded, slightly rusty, far more simple than the nose, pleasant and easygoing, enough of interest to enjoy the bottle, but that nose, Wow!
- Arbor Brewing Brasserie Greff Barrel-aged Sour Brown Ale. Ann Arbor, Michigan (flanders oud bruin) 750 ml bottle at Arbor Brewing – appears cloudy red, smell yeast with fantastic depth, rich, interesting and precise, lightly sweet, very nice nose, mouthfeel sparky and attacking, medium thin, taste rich and concentrated with yeast overtones, rich tamarind, fantastically crunchy, rich hi-toned fun, very likeable for the adventurous set
- Arbor Brewing Special Reserve 2004 Cellar Select. Ann Arbor, Michigan. (belgian strong dark ale) - 750 ml bottle at Arbor Brewing - appears reddish brown, smell yeast and rhubarb, lots of rhubarb, in a very nice place, mouthfeel is heavier and even, filling and heavy, taste wonderful spicy rich fruit, intense blood orange, chipper spice on fire, wonderful charred wood, a beer to drink slowly, very slowly, nice experience. Not sure about the classification on this, it's more lambicesque than strong dark alesque, but not quite.
Along the brewpub-dense Washington Street lies a more glitzy, marketing-oriented Blue Tractor. I can't say much in favor of the beer, but the bartender was awesome and the downstairs area quite romantic (which you'd never guess from the upstairs area). But at least gives some variety to our goings on about town . . . On tap as a sampler was the following:
- Blue Tractor Bearded Pig Pilsner. Ann Arbor, Michigan (german pilsner) - appears light gold with thin white head, smell light hay and light hops, mouthfeel is thin and sparky, taste is flat and disappointing, only slight rot about it, the flavor is a bit detergent like, but most the beer just lacks precision, the flavors aren't offensive in any way, the beer just lacks focus and reason for being, pass
- Blue Tractor Bumper Crop IPA. Ann Arbor, Michigan (american india pale ale) - appears light caramel color, smell bit of hops, light, mouthfeel is frothy with thin carbonation, taste nice fresh dry hops, tastes a little fake, a bit like pop (in midwestern parlance), this isn't special, but it is okay, and I would not mind drinking one of these, it's decent
- Blue Tractor Red Barn Amber Ale. Ann Arbor, Michigan (american amber) - appears red, smell almost nothing, mouthfeel slightly sparky, taste is rich caramel malt, lots of non-beer like flavor, flavor is overweighted and clunky, horrible match with food, a complete pass of a beer
- Blue Tractor Sudworth Bock. Ann Arbor, Michigan (bock) - appears reddish black, smell warmth and light alcohol, mouthfeel is thinner with light carbonation and slight feel of syrup, taste caramel, licorice, sweet confectionary, unfortunate caramel, pass, not much of a package
I'm not a big fan of the environment as Ashley's near campus, but it is convenient and they do allow you to devise your own sampler from the beers on rotating tap, so mine included:
- Arbor Brewing Aurora Arborealis. Ann Arbor, Michigan. (American double/imperial IPA) - appears red, smell caramel and indian spice, light and nice, mouthfeel superb, elegant and defined, taste superb, balance of firestone, savory herbs, roasted chicken and fish, fantastically savory, a stunning beer, this beer is everything I look for in a beer, wow
- Dark Horse Rod Ale. Marshall, Michigan. (american amber) - appears crazy brandied cherry red, smell nice easygoing sweet, mouthfeel bit thin with frothy carbonation, taste round easy maltiness, very easygoing, this beer is fine for one, not sure I'd want much more, but mighty pleasant nonetheless
- Original Gravity Primordial Porter. Milan, Michigan (american porter) - appears black with tan head, smell slight tar and asphalt, mouthfeel of heavy oil, thick and sticky, taste good rich bottle oil crude, clean and simple, bit earthy, wears very well, I liked it a lot
- Jolly Pumpkin Weizen Bam. Dexter, Michigan. (american hefeweizen) this one was labeled as the Great Lakes Grassroots Ale, I think labels were switched - appears chrome orange gold, thin head, smell light tropical fruit, mouthfeel sparky, even carbonation, great flow, taste obvious banana, big and obvious flavors, though at first it seemed overdone, the frothiness combined with the big flavors actually made for a completely okay beer, I liked it
- Great Lakes Grassroots Ale. Cleveland, Ohio. (saison/farmhouse ale) not from Michigan, but likely mislabeled as Jolly Pumpkin Weizen Bam - appears cloudy yellow, thin white head, smell nice sweet jolly rancher pineapple, mouthfeel is solid wall with light carbonation, taste fun lifesaver fruit flavor, yummy, but doesn't wear well, an odd different yeasty element, ended up kind of liking but found it flat and steely, jury's still out, but probably won't return
Alas a trip to Ypsilanti for the Michigan Beer Festival was all for naught, as they were sold out, as they evidently do every year (if I had but known . . . ). But a beer at Sidetrack proved an adequate (temporary) compensation . . . the beer was among the best I've had in the past six weeks.
- Short's Huma-Lupa-Licious. Bellaire, Michigan (american india pale ale) - appears chrome with thin white head, smell hyper fruity with lightly piney hops, nice nose, mouthfeel is frothy and smooth, a bit faded, taste superb piney hops, freshly cut hops, hops, hops, hops, it's hopalicious! this beer was delightful to drink, freaking delicious, an easy repeat
And the more permanent compensation . . . a Michigan-themed beer get together on my porch and a few bottles therefrom:
- Atwater D Light. Detroit, Michigan (kölsch) - appears deep dark gold, head, lots of bubble movement, smell nice fresh fruit cocktail, light slate and grey, very nice nose, mouthfeel is tender carbonation, smooth and tender, taste clean, not quite precise, but on its way, cherry stems, nice lightness, fantastic, among the best of the american interpretations of kölsch I have yet tried
- Atwater Pilsner. Detroit, Michigan (german pilsner) - appears gold with with head, smell sawdust, cardboard and glue, very weird, mouthfeel is thin, taste nice weird wheat, faint hops, loose grainy flavors, some cardboard, more weird than likable, does fine with food, but not a particularly likable pilsner to my tastes
- New Holland Mad Hatter India Pale Ale. Holland, Michigan (american india pale ale) - appears orange with big white head, smell piney hops, syrupy hops, mouthfeel thicker with full-on bubbles, taste nice syrupy hop taste, very brusque hopes, okay, not my thing, but clean enough
- Mt. Pleasant Steam Engine Stout. Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (american stout) - appears black with thin tan head, smell awesome earth, musty and sweet, mouthfeel even, medium, taste earthy and nice, metallic rock, nice earthiness, obvious stout flavors, fine on metallic earth side of things
- Arcadia HopMouth Double IPA. Battle Creek, Michigan (american double/imperial IPA) - appears brown, smell beautiful roasted hops, mouthfeel even carbonation, taste roasted nuts, spice, herbs, incredible balance, this is a phenomenal beer, memorable and delicious, worth revisiting
- Arcadia Starboard Stout. Battle Creek, Michigan (oatmeal stout) - appears black with tan head, smell earth and steel, simple nose, mouthfeel is thick and oily, taste rich sweet crude, chocolate and coffee, nice enough
- Arcadia Angler's Ale. Battle Creek, Michigan (american pale ale) - appears bright chrome with white head, slow bubbles, smell subdued hops, fall and acorns, fresh air, nice nose, mouthfeel is full and structured with even and light carbonation, taste rich and easygoing hops, simple summer quaffer, okay
- Arcadia Whitsun Ale. Battle Creek, Michigan (american pale wheat ale) - smell orange peel and coriander, mouthfeel thin, a bit unfortunate, taste loose orange spice, warm, okay, not particularly interesting, many liked this style, me not so much