Beer of the Weekend #232: Sun "Ryes" Helles Doppelbock
Today I had the honor of interviewing Teresa Albert at Millstream. She had a lot to say about beer, brewing, and Iowans' growing thirst for in-state microbrews. After she gave me a quick tour of the facilities (their little building hides how big the operation is), I picked up a pack of tonight’s beer…
…Sun “Ryes” Helles Doppelbock, brewed by the Millstream Brewing Company of Amana, Iowa.
Serving type: Four 12-ounce bottles. The bottling date notch on the side of the label is located at the “A” for April.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a deep gold with a chill haze. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge. There is a little bit of yeast sedimentation at the bottom of the bottle, which I did not realize until it was too late.
Smell: Sweet and lightly toasted grains: honey and caramel. It also has a fruity/citrus tang: lemon, grapefruit, orange, and strawberry. At the end of each whiff is a slightly astringent alcohol sharpness.
Taste: There is a lot more slightly toasted caramel in the taste, but it is balanced nicely with sweet honey. The fruits from the smell (lemon, grapefruit, orange, and strawberry) are also present, but do not play as prominent a role. As it warms, a hop bitterness emerges at the end and the honey sweetness begins to dominate. The alcohol sharpness from the smell is immediately noticeable in the taste, and leaves a tame but vodka-like sting lingering in the mouth.
Drinkability: I am just not much of a doppelbock fan, but this version seems like a good start for the team in Amana.
Fun facts about Sun “Ryes” Helles Doppelbock:
-Style: Doppelbock.
-Price: I don’t remember for sure, but I think it was around $8.41 at the Millstream Brewery taproom in Amana.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7.9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends German cuisine (like, I am sure, the excellent landjägers they sell at the Amana meat shop), buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, and game meat.
-Sun “Ryes” is the second beer to be released in Millstream’s “Brewmaster’s Extreme Series.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
…Sun “Ryes” Helles Doppelbock, brewed by the Millstream Brewing Company of Amana, Iowa.
Serving type: Four 12-ounce bottles. The bottling date notch on the side of the label is located at the “A” for April.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a deep gold with a chill haze. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge. There is a little bit of yeast sedimentation at the bottom of the bottle, which I did not realize until it was too late.
Smell: Sweet and lightly toasted grains: honey and caramel. It also has a fruity/citrus tang: lemon, grapefruit, orange, and strawberry. At the end of each whiff is a slightly astringent alcohol sharpness.
Taste: There is a lot more slightly toasted caramel in the taste, but it is balanced nicely with sweet honey. The fruits from the smell (lemon, grapefruit, orange, and strawberry) are also present, but do not play as prominent a role. As it warms, a hop bitterness emerges at the end and the honey sweetness begins to dominate. The alcohol sharpness from the smell is immediately noticeable in the taste, and leaves a tame but vodka-like sting lingering in the mouth.
Drinkability: I am just not much of a doppelbock fan, but this version seems like a good start for the team in Amana.
Fun facts about Sun “Ryes” Helles Doppelbock:
-Style: Doppelbock.
-Price: I don’t remember for sure, but I think it was around $8.41 at the Millstream Brewery taproom in Amana.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7.9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends German cuisine (like, I am sure, the excellent landjägers they sell at the Amana meat shop), buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, and game meat.
-Sun “Ryes” is the second beer to be released in Millstream’s “Brewmaster’s Extreme Series.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
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