THE New Glarus Thread

I can't keep up with all of their products. I don't really even try any more. I'll usually grab a case of the Cow, and few spacks of some other stuff when I drive thru Wi to do my fam vacations / getaways up in da U.P. New G has a bunch of products, and as I was reading the recent updates in the Sour Beers thread, one poster hinted that NG should have a thread. I agree. Please post your findings / thoughts on what you have tried. There's lotsa NG love / hate / indifference floating around here, I think I'd definitely find this thread useful when I'm milling around Woodman's trying to remember what (if anything) I've heard about any of the 20 or so NG products that are on display in the stacks of cases and sixers in the aisle, or the one-off bottles in the fridges.

Format that I think would be helpful:

New line with each product name + PRODUCT NAME in caps, then a quick description. For reference, while reading thru the thread on my phone, while meandering the selection in the store, imo, that would work well. Just a thought. I'll start with the obvious..

SPOTTED COW
It seems that this is a favorite of many ppl, and I am one of them. It's a cream ale (whatever the shit that means.) I like it because it is light, crisp, and just when you think it's gonna leave you with a bitter, hoppy, aftertaste, it just doesn't, and then it finishes clean. It's almost like a jalapeno, which normally gives a quick flash of heat, then it finishes clean. Spotted Cow gives off a quick hop flavor, and then finishes clean.

FAT SQUIRREL
I'd liken Fat Squirrel to Newcastle, but with much more lingering hop flavor. I'm not a hop-head in the LEAST, so I didn't care for the Fat Squirrel very much at all. I'm admittedly not a major beer lover, as far as standard beer flavors, but I really do like the beers that I like. I just do not like hop flavor.

RASPBERRY TART (big bottles only, I think)
Pretty gross. Sweet, syrupy, sugary. Not my thang. Calling it "pretty gross" is harsh, I'm sure there are ppl who really enjoy it, I mean, they make the shit every year so...

Post if you can. I'll try some different ones soon.

The big fruit beers I find are nice served super cold at a picnic or something, in lieu of wine or cocktail. I don't even think of them as beer, really.

But yeah, there are so many NG beers. I usually pick up a variety pack plus a few of the foil-wrapped one-offs. Though with those for every winner there's a:

SPICED ALE
Horrible beer that tastes like you're drinking a beer poured into an unrinsed glass that had previously housed apple juice.

THIRD COAST
a nicely hoppy brew that satisfies on a hot summer day.

I had three on the boat yesterday and wished Mrs. Davooda had packed more

My mistake - this is a Bell's beer - SORRY! Thanks for catching nr....

I thought Third Coast was from Bell's - not New Glarus. I agree it's a great beer, tho.

Bell's, Founders, New Glarus, Surly ... I love our regional neighbor beers.

seebee wrote:RASPBERRY TART (big bottles only, I think)
Pretty gross. Sweet, syrupy, sugary. Not my thang. Calling it "pretty gross" is harsh, I'm sure there are ppl who really enjoy it, I mean, they make the shit every year so...

Post if you can. I'll try some different ones soon.

Weird thing is, I don't generally like fruit beers, but their Raspberry Tart and Belgian Red made with Door County cherries I find absolutely outstanding and among the best beers this brewery does. Of their regular releases, I would say these are the best. The nose and flavor of these beers is just so redolent of fresh fruit. I don't know how they do it. A lot of fruit beers have an "alco-pop" tinge to them, but this one tastes to me to taste like you're biting into a fresh, perfectly ripe strawberry or raspberry. Yes, it's sweet, but this is not a beer you chug by the pint. I simply cannot sing its praises enough and these two beers are what make New Glarus Brewing particularly stand out for me. Their limited edition Belgians are pretty damned good, too (the sours in particular). It's the fruit, sours, and limited edition Belgian style beers that push this brewery from "solid Midwest microbrewery" into "one of my favorite breweries in the US" territory for me. Of the regular six-packs, I enjoy Moon Man the most, but they're all well made.

You're makin me wanna re-try them. I have both (Raspberry Tart, and Belgian Red) sitting on a shelf in the pantry right now. The wife bought them both and I cringed when she did, because I remember them being waaaayyyy tooo sweet when I tried them before a few years back. I'ma put one in the fridge tonight, and crack it this wknd after a hard day of yard labor.

Binko - what are your thoughts on Leifman's Fruitesse if you've ever had it?

Take it for what it's worth, but the Beer Advocate "ranking" for Raspberry Tart is about as high as any of the NG beers gets, at least for ones with a significant number of reviews.

I've never been a huge fan of Spotted Cow, just seems a bit flat/thin/light, one-note, and uninteresting to me. I always attributed its popularity in part to the "Fat Tire effect" -- a beer that people had fond memories of from college or vacation in Colorado/Wisconsin that seems better than it is in part because of the memories associated with it and in part because of its scarcity. Seems people legitimately like it, though, so who am I to say? May say more about the direction my personal tastes skew than anything.

In general, seems I may be an outlier (from this board and others), but just not a huge fan of New Glarus, and I've tried maybe 8-10 different offerings (most of their year rounds and seasonals). For each of the beers of theirs that I have tried, either there is something in the same style by another local/midwestern brewer I prefer or I just don't dig the particular type of beer generally. That said, while I do not drink a ton of hefeweisen, I really liked New Glarus' Dancing Man -- seems to have a bit more going on than the typical hefeweisen, but still really drinkable. I also had their double/imperial IPA in the Thumbprint series (not sure if it was a one-off or is seasonal) and also enjoyed that.

seebee wrote:You're makin me wanna re-try them. I have both (Raspberry Tart, and Belgian Red) sitting on a shelf in the pantry right now. The wife bought them both and I cringed when she did, because I remember them being waaaayyyy tooo sweet when I tried them before a few years back. I'ma put one in the fridge tonight, and crack it this wknd after a hard day of yard labor.

Binko - what are your thoughts on Leifman's Fruitesse if you've ever had it?

Another thought is if fruit beers arent your thing, raspberry tart in particular is a highly sought after beer for trading. You should be able to trade for a pliny the elder w/ someone on the west coast or a good one from Maine (though they are starting to get around more in Chicago).

seebee wrote:You're makin me wanna re-try them. I have both (Raspberry Tart, and Belgian Red) sitting on a shelf in the pantry right now. The wife bought them both and I cringed when she did, because I remember them being waaaayyyy tooo sweet when I tried them before a few years back. I'ma put one in the fridge tonight, and crack it this wknd after a hard day of yard labor.

Binko - what are your thoughts on Leifman's Fruitesse if you've ever had it?

I've only had it once, but I remember it being a bit too "candyish" for my tastes. Same with a lot of the popular Lindeman's fruit lambic offerings. The New Glarus fruit beers just taste more "lively" and "fresh" to me. Yes, they're sweet, but it's somehow not "candyish" to me. I don't know how to explain it.

I'm not sure it's the best choice for an after yard-labor kind of beer. That's where I would reach for a Spotted Cow. I'm also not exactly a huge fan of Spotted Cow, but it is a very good (in my opinion), easy-drinking summer beer. It's kind of in the same category I put something like Goose Island's 312. The first few times I had either of these beers, I was underwhelmed, but they grew on me. They're both crowd pleasers, they're solid middle-of-the-road beers (which I look for more and more these days), and they're refreshing. I would not call the New Glarus fruit beers "refreshing." I would treat them almost more like an after-dinner dessert wine, or pair them with cheese, or something. Because of their sweetness, I find them "heavy" in a way. Just like I wouldn't have a Tokaji or Sauternes after back-breaking yard word, I wouldn't think of the New Glarus fruit beers in this way. But that's me--everyone's different, of course.

A friend recommended the New Glarus Cran Bic beer (Cranberry).
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.c ... r/cran-bic
I think only available in Wisconsin, so picked some up the other weekend when I was up north.

I found it a nice sour beer w/not too much sweetness. Really enjoyed it.

Also picked up a bomber of the Serendipity
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/86172/

-

I really liked the Serendipity.

Sweet Willie wrote: A friend recommended the New Glarus Cran Bic beer (Cranberry).
I think only available in Wisconsin, so picked some up the other weekend when I was up north.
I found it a nice sour beer w/not too much sweetness. Really enjoyed it.

Also picked up a bomber of the Serendipity.

Sweet Willie (et alia), all the New Glarus beers are only available in Wisconsin. That accounts for the "Drink Indigenous" motto.

pudgym29 wrote: Sweet Willie (et alia), all the New Glarus beers are only available in Wisconsin. That accounts for the "Drink Indigenous" motto.

I love responding to myself!
On a Saturday, it will cost you only $7 to ride a U.P. (nee C&NW) train from Chicago to Kenosha (and back; and somewhere else on Sunday. ) I recommend train #805, which leaves Ogilvie Trans. Ctr. @ 10:35 am and arrives in Kenosha @ 12:15 pm. The next train back to Chicago is not until 6:49 pm, which gives you a lot of time to ride the Kenosha streetcar (an extension of the line was just approved) and then stroll over to Capt. Mike's Beer & Burger Bar @ 5118 6th Ave., which has lots of New Glarus beers on offer, both packaged and draft.

Sweet Willie (et alia), all the New Glarus beers are only available in Wisconsin. That accounts for the "Drink Indigenous" motto.

I have the most wonderful friend whose family farm is proximate to New Glarus and I was the grateful recipient of a case each of Spotted Cow, Moon Man and Staghorn just yesterday. Not an inexpensive import but soooooooo worth it! Hadn't tried the Staghorn before and can't wait to crack one tonight!
Davooda

I spoke with Dan Carey a while ago. and he admitted that they knew their beers were occasionally exported outside of Wisconsin, without their permission, and offered for retail sale.

I spoke with Dan Carey a while ago. and he admitted that they knew their beers were occasionally exported outside of Wisconsin, without their permission, and offered for retail sale.

I can't speak for others, but in my case it is purely for personal enjoyment and consumption

Any new intel on anything? I'll be hitting the Woodman's in Kenosha today, and on the way back a week from Monday. Making my shopping list. Nothing hoppy for me.

BLAM!

APPLE ALE
Too syrupy for me. I thought it was heavy and sweet. Finished with a nice tartness, but the body was heavy and sweet. Not a fan. It'd be a great apple, but not as an ale. "Naked," "Two Sisters," and "Serendipity" are on the docket for today.

I'm a big fan of the IIPA style and their 'now available' Thumbprint series SCREAM is one of the best I've had (and that includes most of the FFF/Surly/Avery/Stone offerings). It was originally released as a seasonal in the fall, but has been so popular they have continued to produce it. Be careful though - it was origainally in 4 packs and now comes in 6ers. The 4's may be a bit long in the tooth. Check the date in case....<6 months.

Tried the Hopster (seasonal) which is supposed to be like the old Cracked Wheat (another one I liked) - but I felt this was not even close to that. OK, but not great.

TWO WOMEN
If you dig on Spotted Cow, and you also like fuller body, and just a tiny bit more hop, this might be right up your alley. It also finishes very clean just like the Cow.

MOON MAN
Not my cup of tea. It's a Pale Ale, so too hoppy for me.

TOTALLY NAKED
Imo, you're better off saving your money and buying Budweiser or your favorite standard. Pretty boring stuff, but plenty drinkable. Very clean, no hoppiness, not much to it.

Two 75 cL bottles of Belgian Red bought @ Discount Liquors on Oklahoma Ave. Saturday during the Chicago Beer Society bus trip to Milwaukee (& Libertyville): $9.95 each.

stoutisgoodfood wrote:I'm a big fan of the IIPA style and their 'now available' Thumbprint series SCREAM is one of the best I've had (and that includes most of the FFF/Surly/Avery/Stone offerings). It was originally released as a seasonal in the fall, but has been so popular they have continued to produce it. Be careful though - it was origainally in 4 packs and now comes in 6ers. The 4's may be a bit long in the tooth. Check the date in case....<6 months.

I agree that the IIPA Scream is excellent. (Woodman's in Kenosha only had four-packs a few weeks ago.)

Thumbprint Berliner Weiss -
Liked it. Liked it a lot. But at 9 bucks for a 4 pack, the subtleties were lost on me. I've found better when considering the price, imo.