This year Capital Brewery of Middleton, WI turns 25. To celebrate the occasion brewmaster Kirby Nelson has a unique idea to carry the brewery on it’s next 25 year journey. It’s called Eternal Flame, a blend of Autumnal Fire and a new beer called Imperial Fire. Each year a portion of the current batch will be saved by Kirby for addition to next years batch, creating an eternal beer.

Kirby started the process at the breweries 25th anniversary party:

Nelson came up with the idea of brewing a special version of Autumnal Fire for the brewery’s anniversary that he’s calling “Eternal Flame.” He stared a 50-barrel batch during the party, amidst music and libations. Later this week, he’ll start a similar brew that he’s calling “Imperial Fire.” This will be added to the first batch of Autumnal Fire, and together this blend will be the “Eternal Flame.” Every year hence, Nelson will hold back a portion of the previous batch, and blend it with a new vintage. Through this process, the beer will live up to its name. [The Isthmus]

The beer will be available this fall in 4-packs. I for one can’t wait to try it, Autumnal Fire is one of my favorite non Square Series Capital beers every year. Kirby – congratulations on 25 years of great beer, I look forward to 25 more!

Great Lakes Brewing Company is at it again! Thay have installed 5 more 300 barrel tanks after having just expanded the rest of the brewing facilities last summer. From their Facebook page:

Five 300-barrel stainless steel fermentation tanks installed in GLBC’s Tank Farm on 3-4-11. These tanks are crane-lifted off of Carroll Avenue in Ohio City and installed through the roof of GLBC’s Tank Farm.

Just last summer, GLBC’s brewing operations underwent a $7M expansion and upgrade that included a new centrifuge, brewhouse additions, filler, rinser, conveyors and packaging efficiency improvements, a new grain silo, flooring and piping and the installation of four additional storage and fermentation tanks. This installation represents the latest phase in the brewery’s overall expansion project. Read more »

Luna Coffee Stout
Hinterland Brewery – Green Bay, WI
5.6% ABV
Bottle and Draft / Year-round

Hinterland, who recently received some national attention with its appearance at the White House Super Bowl party, is quickly becoming one of my favorite Wisconsin breweries.

Luna Coffee Stout fills your glass with a very dark black body and a couple inches of a coppery tan head that after a moment leaves behind beautiful lace. As you pour the beer you are immediately seduced by the aroma. Freshly roasted coffee beans scream at the top of their lungs with murmurs of chocolate and dried fruit not far behind. It is a very intense and complex smell with some alcoholic notes recorded by our tasters. Based solely on our noses I’d bet Luna would have been in the top five.

Given the exceptional notes that were recorded about the aroma we were expecting a bit more from the rest of the experience. Unfortunately we found Luna Coffee Stout to have a flaws in the mouthfeel department.  One taster commented “more bark than bite”. I’d have to agree, especially when it comes to texture, which almost all of our tasters said was too thin.

Following the initial mouthfeel issues the flavor does follow thorough nicely. Smooth roasted coffee dominates while a medium intensity smokey and burnt malt massage your taste-buds. A sweetness is noted along with chocolate and caramel. A bit of hops and bitterness from the chocolate make this a balanced beer. Overall Luna Coffee Stout has a very clean taste and low alcohol which makes this a very drinkable beer. Midwest Beer tasters liked this beer overall but wanted a bit more body in this coffee stout.

Mike – 3.5 of 5
Overall – 3.3 of 5

Beastie Barrel Stout
Barley Island – Noblesville, IN
6% ABV
Bottle and Draft / Seasonal

This is the first Barley Island beer I have had the pleasure of enjoying. It’s a bit of an odd fit for the style – a Bourbon Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout with 6% alcohol? I was worried it would be watered down or weak but Barley Island packed a good amount of flavor in to this beer, after thinking about it, maybe 6% abv just means you can have more than one without falling over.

Beastie Barrel Stout pours an ebony brown with a rich brown head which sticks around for a few sips. Sweet chocolate and burnt toffee fill your nostrils without knocking you back in your chair. I thought it might be a bit over carbonated, but I was the only one, otherwise the silkiness of the oats shine in this texture. Beastie Barrel has a very malty sweet character with a medium-high intensity, which I was quite satisfied with. Roasted grains, coffee and a slight hop flavor round out a pretty good beer. You may have noticed though, I left one detail out. The name indicates it is bourbon barrel aged, but I wouldn’t have guessed it if I wasn’t told. After I reviewed the label again and discovered that I was in fact supposed to be tasting a bourbon barrel aged stout I began to taste it, that must have been cause I was looking for it.

If you like stouts but not bourbon, perhaps this one is for you. If you like bourbon barrel aged stouts but wish you could drink a few without telling the man sitting next to you that you love him, perhaps this is for you. If you like drinking a strong bourbon barrel aged stout that gives you a hangover from looking at the bottle, this isn’t for you.

Mike – 3 of 5
Overall – 2.8 of 5

NBC 26 out of Green Bay, WI reports that the White House has ordered several cases of Hinterland beer for the President’s Superbowl party. The beer, reported to be the Pale Ale and Amber Ale, will mark the first distribution of Hinterland beer outside of WI. Owner Bill Tressler and Head Brewer Joe Karls are very excited to have brewed beer for the President, you can read their quotes at the link below. Congratulations to Hinterland and good luck to the Green Bay Packers this weekend! You both do the Midwest proud!

It’s not known how the White House found out about Hinterland beer, but Tressler and Karls believe their recent brewing awards may have played a part. With 200 people expected at the party, they have their fingers crossed Washington becomes a fan.

Check back later this week week for our top Big Game beers!

[Source: NBC 26 Green Bay, WI]