Looks like Glacier Brewing Company is popping the cork on an aged Biere de Mars, a French/Belgian farmhouse-style ale traditionally brewed in early winter and served in the spring. If you’re in Polson and coming to Missoula, pick me up a growler.

Biere de Mars Montana

Prost,

GG

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Big Sky Saison

I’ve enjoyed Big Sky Brewing Company’s Saison when I’ve had it from time to time. It’s a big, yeasty Saison with a lot going on. The new 406 Series, a local-only bottling of specialty beers, was kicked off with a bright and fresh Saison that although customarily, or perhaps, traditionally consumed in the summer or during harvest, might be the perfect spring beer.

It’s light and fruity nose with all kinds of great Belgian yeast esters is followed by a light-bodied beer with really nice malt/hop balance. Unlike a lot of American-style beers, the Belgian yeast characteristics on this beer lend a grassy, almost earthy note to this beer. It reminds me, in some ways, of the barnyard description on some wines. The more barnyard the nose, the better the wine tends to be. I feel like a good nosy yeast with lot’s of bisquite, and earthy spiciness tends to make for a really good Saison.

People often ask me if I think they’ll like to drink saison if they don’t typically like specialty beers. The answer is an unequivocal yes. A typical saison is light-bodied with a lot of flavor. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t like these characteristics. At over 6 percent ABV, Big Sky’s Saison is a bigger beer, but you wouldn’t know it as there is little alcohol heat on this beer. While some specialty beers go to extremes, saison typically is a light and refreshing seasonal beer that has wide appeal. I have tried a few that were much hoppier than this model, but in general, many saisons have similar characteristics.

You can find the 406 series at Worden’s Market, Good Food Store and Grizzly Grocery.

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GG

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Driving up the Bitterroot Valley under a high, spring sun can be distracting. The jagged peaks of the mountains dancing in and out of sunlight, and the glistening river snaking along beside you can drive a man to daydream. Lucky for me I had my trusty traveling companion, my best friend whom I’ve known since third grade, the one who keeps me on the straight and narrow, so to speak. Now a lot of guys wouldn’t instinctively grab their wife when running off to a beer dinner at a nice craft brewery. After all, most of our quaffing is done in the presence of other beer nerds, and a beer nerd my wife is not.

But craft beer can be redemptive, and I want to tell you why.

Many years ago, my wife would only sip a little pink wine once in a while. Fast forward many years and a hard-working husband who would bring home every imaginable type and style of wine trying to grow her palate. Flash forward a few more years later, and she’s sitting on the beach sipping a Corona with about a dozen lime wedges stuff in the neck.

Flash forward to Sunday night at Bitterroot Brewing. Many years of hard work have produced a palate able to taste different beers and discern flavor differences. But it didn’t really matter, you could have been a novice and enjoyed the amazing spread that evening.

A decent crowd mingled before the event, standing around an L-shaped table with white linen. The evening sun bounced off red-brick buildings in view out the back of the brewery’s upstairs dining area.

There were a few acquaintances, and we introduced ourselves to others sitting around us about to become “beer buddies.”

The cheerful servers poured each diner some Nut Brown ale, which we sniffed, sipped, swirled and otherwise quaffed. Then two perfectly seared sea scallops appeared with a roasted green chili corn puree and a dollop of preserved lime “Beer” blanc.

A bit of the scallop alone was enough to dissolve into a long, savoring sigh, but with a bit of the puree and the lime condiment added, it brought out the faint hops in the Nut Brown like warming to a new found friendship.

Conversation rose and fell like a tide, coming back at times to the craft beer and proceeding on to politics, music and technology. Always it came back to beer.

My wife had struck up a conversation with a delightful lady across the table from her over the first beer, and much like flavors build one on top of another, little commonalities grew to become shared experiences, which are fertile grounds for the blossoming of friendship.

The very last of the brewery’s vaunted Collabeeration Porter was served into snifters, and those of us who know and love the beer let it warm in the glass to reveal the deep vanilla and chocolate flavors hiding there. Even through the sweet seared pork tenderloin sitting on a bed of charred radicchio and glazed with an apple cider reduction and chunks of festive Gorgonzola dotting the plate, we let our beer sit, sipping slowly to combine the tart apple flavors and faint bitterness on the radicchio with the bold malt on the beer. Masterful.

Sweet-potato beignet with orange peel ice cream

The only flaw I could see coming was my own. I’ve never been able to convince my wife as to the shear pleasure of India Pale Ale, which was the beer pairing for a root vegetable gratin in a buttermilk cauliflower sauce with crumbled goat cheese. Fortunately, the creamy sauce with plenty of butter made for a nice palate coating that took a little bitterness off the IPA. And for the first time ever while drinking an IPA, I saw her smile. Of course it could have been the new friend she found sitting across the table, but I like to think it was a little of both.

The intermezzo, or palate cleanser, very nearly wiped away the palate memories of the foods and beers just tried, which is what it’s intended to do, and yet it also served as a great connecting bridge. A spoonful of malted parsnip sorbet topped with candied ginger kept some of the best flavors of beer moving us forward, rather than just washing away. Brilliant.

And now to my epiphany, for I have seen a good thing, and it has changed my life. Duck has been my fascination for many years. From hunting the birds along ditches and small ponds as a teenager to hunting for the perfect duck dish in restaurants, I’ve pursued this wonderful food for a long time without really understanding what I was looking for.

The new and amazing Imperial Red Ale recently released at Bitterroot Brewing Company provided the ground work for my epiphany. With a smooth, caramel and toasted bread body and a nose that faintly reminds one of the night smell of hop harvest, this big red ale spoke of rich flavors combined in a fowl melange. Which is exactly what showed up on our table. Bowls of hearty cassoulet, rich and creamy with chunks of duck bacon, chanterelle mushrooms and duck-fat-infused beans held up duck sausages and seared duck tenderloin. And the big red ale curled around this goodness adding a slight sweetness and mingling with gamey duck with floral hints of spring bursting from each bite. Inspired.

Full to bursting, we conversed in rapid-fire exclamations at the shared epiphany, while others simply sipped the remaining beer in pondering silence.

And unlike other beer dinners, which sometimes end in a big stout or porter as a pairing for dessert, the Belgian Honey Trippel, dripping with fireweed honey and lavish Belgian yeast notes of cloves, cinnamon and bready goodness, was poured to combine with a sweet potato beignet and orange peel ice cream with a delightful molasses caramel drizzled over the plate. Light and with almost perfect pairing flavors of orange and cream and caramel and breadiness, this dish almost single-handedly captures the pure power that beer and food combinations can have.

And so we ended the night completely satisfied and fast friends with our dining companions, a testament to what craft beer and food can do in a slow, contextual way. The Bitterroot Brewing dinner was one of the best examples of how craft beer is the greatest lubricant to conversation and friendship I’ve ever seen. And I’m raising my glass to many more of these in the future. My compliments to the brewers, the chef, the servers, my table mates and my soul mate who made Sunday night unforgettable.

Prost,

GG

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As far as popular craft beer goes, Big Sky Brewing Company’s Summer Honey doesn’t just indicate a change of seasons, it actually introduces a whole way of life. My wife, for one, will be intensely happy to see this beer in growlers in our refrigerator again. Yes, spring is on the way, and this light, dry beer is a favorite of ours for its versatility with food, its structure and its easy drinking enjoyability.

For you craft beer loving men out there, don’t let the name fool you. Yes, this beer might be marketed to women, but it’s not a chick beer by any means. And by chick beer, I don’t mean to offend anyone, but lightly fruit-flavored wheats are typically not consumed by a lot of guys.

Summer Honey is lightly spiced, but not so that you taste a lot of spice. It’s vaguely Belgian in its characteristics, which allows for a lot of food interplay, but it’s a dry beer, and at 4.7 percent alcohol by volume, it’s easy to drink a couple without feeling too full.

If you wanted to compare this to a wine, a big, oaked California chardonnay comes to mind in its complexity and dryness. And when it comes to food, well, much like the wine, this beer was made for food.

I’ve had Summer Honey with robust spring salads, spicy central-Asian noodle dishes, grilled chicken and vegetables and many other dishes, and I haven’t found a bad pairing yet.

The fact that this beer is out so early this year is really nice, but it makes me wonder if we’ll be sipping our Summer Honey inside our air-conditioned homes in mid-August due to the potential for forest fires this year.

Prost,

GG

Big Sky Brewing Company's Summer Honey

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Bitterroot Belgian Honey Trippel

Until recently, mug number 98 sat dusty and forlorn on a shelf at Bitterroot Brewing. But some hard-working journalists and Grizzly Growler fans at the Ravalli Republic newspaper have been filling in for me in between my long absences from the southern Bitterroot Valley.

Which is why it was funny that the server in the taproom should look at me funny when I requested to see my old mug. “Who are you?” she asked. “I’m the Grizzly Growler,” I responded. “I write the beer blog.” When she looked confused, I explained that the boys from the Ravalli tend to come in and use my mug. “I see, I usually know everyone’s face and I didn’t recognize yours,” she said.

So, yeah, I don’t get down to Bitterroot Brewing as often as I’d like. It’s not always the 45-minute drive, which I love, it’s more the time-sucking requirements of job, family and community.

But I did get a chance to pop in briefly recently and try the vaunted Belgian Honey Trippel and to get a sneak peak of the Wit they’re getting ready to put on tap.

Brewed with 125 pounds of Fireweed honey from Washington State, the Belgian Honey Trippel is a sweet offering the gods of Belgian beer. Made with Belgian yeast to capture the true fruity, bready spirit of Belgian beers, this particular version really stands out in strength of character. From the 9.75 percent ABV to the strong malt backbone, this beer is a balanced ode to Westmalle and the other artisans of Belgian. The light honey taste is an interesting alternative to the use of Belgian candy sugar. I found this beer to be different enough from other Montana-made Belgian-style beers that it stands out a lot. It’s that combination of Belgian traditional brewing ingredients and techniques paired with the addition of local products like honey and even Montana water that make it unique.

The Wit, which should go on soon, was brewed using some rye, which gives the beer a clean and firm bite to it. It’s not a bitter bite, but something strong from the use of rye, which has such a distinctive taste. It also makes this beer much drier than you’d expect.

I’m hoping they will indeed put some away for summertime, because I could more than a few hours spend wading the Bitterroot River followed up by a thirst-quenching session at the brewery over a couple pints of this good-looking cloudy beer.

Prost,

GG

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Blacksmith Brewing Company

Those gray and imposing Missoula winter days that don’t allow for much outdoor recreation are bone chilling and depressing. Far better to sit around and catch up on your movie list or maybe build a model, if that sort of thing still is done. Toward the later part of winter, the sun seems to regain some energy, and once-in-a-great-while, you’ll wake up to find the sun shining, lighting up the hills like the spilled contents of Fort Knox. Yesterday was such a day. In my haste, I ventured onto the front porch at 8:30 a.m. to find frigid temperatures despite the false messages beaming from the big orb in the sky. No matter, I was going to make the most of the day.

Scraping a lethargic family off the couch on a Sunday afternoon always is a chore, but incentives like root beer at Blacksmith Brewing Company pushed video games to the back of sugar-deprived minds. And away we went for a long, casual stroll through the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Area under washed blue skies and the growing shadows of snow-tinged Bitterroot Mountains. Aside from a small group of ducks and geese lingering in tepid sun rays, life seemed to be still embraced in the grip of a northern winter.

As the afternoon went on our thirst grew like the shadows, and we thought something to chase the chill away would be perfect after our walk.

Blacksmith Brewing Company in Stevensville has all the ambiance of nice coffee shop or a warm pub, so we filtered in to thaw out a bit and relax under a big screen playing the remains of an Olympic ice hockey match between Czech Republic and Russia.

The bar was full of recognizable faces, including Paul Roys, head brewer from Kettlehouse Brewing Company as well as Colleen Bitters, another brewer from Kettlehouse. Both of whom recommended a Belgian brown.

Belgian beers are wonderful for cold days, because they often have that alcohol heat that seems to warm you from head to toe. The sweetness of the malt is warming in some ways as well. This particular Belgian brown was a really nice dubbel-style beer with a lot of alcohol presence and really good yeast profile with candied fruits and some banana and clove.

Blacksmith Brewing Company is worth checking out for it’s regular lineup of beers, but the Belgian Brown is just such a great beer for this time of year.

Prost,

GG

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This is not the time of year for a ginormous, dry hopped, Imperial stout. Nor is it really the time of year for a huge raspberry porter, a massive barley wine, a soup-thick coffee porter or any of your favorite specialty craft ales. Don’t let me stop you from drinking those if you were planning on it anyway.

I’m just saying, when the thermometer climbs into triple digits, it’s time to pull out something light and refreshing. When I was growing up, in Europe, my dad would make us a Shandy on a hot summer day. This would entail a really high-quality Pilsner or other European lager and some orange juice or lemonade.

When I got older, my dad and I would enjoy a floral hefeweizen on the back porch together after working on his property on a hot summer day.

These days, lightly spiced Belgian wits are all the rage. These super-light beers are more than just a white beer or a wheat beer, they often come with a little coriander or other favorite Belgian spices tossed in. The other thing that makes them exepctional is the type of yeast that is added.

Belgian yeasts are a whole world unto themselves.

Yesterday, I was at Big Sky Brewing Co. when a lady asked Mel about why there was such a floral, citrusy smell to the beer. That’s the yeast, Mel told her. And Mel is right. The yeast gives this beer so much more character than a normal wheat beer might have. That’s one thing the Belgian’s do that the rest of the world is playing catch-up over – cultivating amazing beer yeasts.

Big Sky’s Belgian Wit is a fantastic version of the style, but these light, summery beers are available all over the place right now. New Belgium has a great version and even the Big Boys of beer have their own versions of the Belgian wit for sale right now.

Let me know what you find out there, and tell me why you like it.

Prost,

GG

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The W’ 09 Belgian Golden Ale does not indicate another George W. Bush run for president. The W stands for the indefatigable Widmer Brothers of Portland, Oregon.

This beer is blatently fantastic. It’s got all the flavor of a big Belgium blonde and the alcohol to boot. With flavors of straw, fruit, earthy yeast and a gentle spice fringe to it, this beer holds up well to its 6.5 percent ABV.

My favorite part of this beer is the way it balances like a good Belgian. It doesn’t have that clean characteristic so common in American-style Belgian beers. I’m told it’s the water here, which, compared to many other countries, actually is cleaner and more free of additional flavors. I can almost believe that Widmer chemically changed the water to resemble something from northwest Europe.

This beer would pair nicely with mussels, fish & chips and grilled chicken salad.

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GG

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It’s always fun to walk into the tap room at Big Sky Brewing Co. and find something new. Since we had a nice corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot, the wife, the daughter and I cruised over to Big Sky on St. Patrick’s Day for a little sample.

Here’s what we had first:

The Stone Thrower is a Scotch-style ale that is tantalizingly malty and sweet, more in actual Scotch-beer character than other American contemporaries. I’m not sure who brewed this beauty, but I know head brewer Matt Long likes some of the traditional Scotch-style beers like the house ale at Traquair House Brewery. Big Sky’s version has a slight amontillado sherry character, which reminds me of the house ale in many ways. And it’s a big hit with the spousal unit, who generally prefers Summer Honey once it comes back around.

The second beer we tried:

The Belgian Blonde style is one of my all-time favorite beers. It’s generally a light, refreshing beer with a hint of barnyard, not in the way a big Cabernet Sauvignon can be barnyard, but with a nose of straw and an earthy quality that reminds me of the French countryside.

Big Sky’s version is super light and has a slightly spiced quality that might be coming from the yeast, as I know they don’t tend to spice many of their beers.

So get in and get yourself a growler of each of the new beers before they disappear.

Prost,

GG

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I don’t like making lists. Someone inevitably gets left off and then pissed off at me. But, I know some of you really like lists, so I’m going to round out the top local beers of 2008. I may or may not get around to doing my favorite beers anywhere list, so enjoy this one.

In no particular order:

Big Sky Brewing Co. Biere de Noel: I grabbed three or four bottles of this year’s Biere de Noel to take home for the holidays. It was a huge hit last year, so I figured I’d make everyone happy once more. Huge aroma of vanilla, spice, dark chocolate and dried fruit. This beer is so amazingly complex it offers something new an almost every sip. Once warmed, Biere de Noel explodes into rich red wine territory with hints of tobacco, leather and black fruit on the nose and intense vanilla vodka on the palate. With a mouthfeel like warmed brandy, Biere de Noel consumed slowly over the course of a long winter’s evening, can increase the size of a Grinch’s heart three sizes.

Bitter Root Brewing Co. Saison:

Watching many Montana brewers put out batches of this famous French farmhouse ale, I thought it would be fun to compare one against the others. But, being the hardened professionals they are, our brewers outdid themselves in their own right. Not much to compare here, just several great takes on this classic brew. I grabbed a growler of  Bitter Root Brewing’s saison to taste at home on a warm August day. The earthiness of the beer comes right off the nose, as does a pleasant grassy smell. It’s not fresh-cut lawn exactly but like when you walk out into a meadow after the sun has warmed the dew. The bready yeastiness of this beer was so good with Asian food and even lighter fare like salads.

Flathead Lake Brewing Co. ROY’S Imperial India Pale Ale:

This is imperial IPA the way imperial IPA should be. Big, over-the-top hops and alcohol meeting in a malty medium of balanced goodness. Fig, dark berries, dried peach and green herbs are evident in the nose, and the mouthfeel is of a serious nature given the high gravity of this beer.

Kettlehouse Brewing Co. Sports Recovery Beer:

The reason I’m picking this beer had to do with the fact that the brewers took time out to consider what kind of beer might fit well with the lifestyle here in Missoula. A light, caffeinated beer with hints of ginseng is a perfect idea for the outdoor-minded community that inhabits this fair valley. Nothing is overdone on this beer, and one feels they can drink a pint shortly after a run, hike or bike without the side-splitting affects of consuming a heavier beer. Kudos to the Kettlehouse crew for pushing the boundaries and keeping beer fun.

Great Northern Brewing Co. Highlander:

While not even closely resembling its noble ancestor, Highlander beer has returned to Western Montana in the form of a scotch-style ale brewed by Great Northern Brewing Co. in Whitefish. This malty dog with hints of smoke and a velvet mouthfeel has become a popular talking point for the folks who still remember when the fabled red and white cans still were available in Missoula and the college crowds alike.

Glacier Brewing Co. Autumn Ale:

I don’t like smoked beers. Might have something to do with ordering a pint of Rogue Ales smoked porter several years ago to find the beer tasted just like smoked salmon. Makes me gag just to think about it. But in the last few years I’ve grown to appreciate the fact that brewers have toned down the smoke for better balance. And so I’ve resumed tasting them. A big one still can take me back to Newport Bay, but a great one can be some of the best food beer on the planet. Glacier’s version has the intense flavor of smoked peat, but the smokiness has a woodsy characteristic more like a Laphroaig scotch. The malt dances on your tongue with the smokiness from spotfires of roasted grains spread out with a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Tamarack Brewing Co. Old Stache Porter:

I didn’t try this beer. But everything I’ve heard about it has led me to add it to this year’s top list. Apparently, this popular whisky barrel aged porter was a hit with skiers and boarders returning from Blacktail Mountain as well as locals and tourists alike. Which is why I didn’t get to try any. Craig, you better save some for me this year.

Happy New Year,

GG

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