Beer of the Weekend #240: Spotted Cow
A fridge full of beer is a glorious sight to behold. But, frankly, I need to make a dent in my New Glarus haul.
The beer tonight is Spotted Cow, brewed by the New Glarus Brewing Company of New Glarus, Wisconsin.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. The typical, indecipherable New Glarus batch code is printed on the neck.
Appearance: Straight pour into a Becker glass. The color is a solid gold that has a hint of caramel tan in it. A chill haze developed after the pour. Two fingers of off-white head dissipated to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Lots of musty adjunct grain. It smells a little fruity with hints of apple and strawberry, and it also has a lemon zest. As it warms, the apple predominates.
Taste: The mouthfeel is light and refreshing, and the flavor offers the maltiness and fruit from the smell. Adjunct grains, apple, strawberry, and lemon citrus. Oddly, I also tasted a little cotton candy. Go figure. There is also a hint of caramel, but it is very muted. Each sip offers a nice bitter bite.
Drinkability: It is a nice, light (and not in the derogatory sense) beer that is easy drinking, but it does not offer much in regards to complexity. Then again, it is not supposed to.
Fun facts about Spotted Cow:
-Style: According to New Glarus it is a “Naturally Cloudy Farmhouse Ale,” and BA classifies it as Cream Ale:
Cream Ales, spawned from the American light lager style, are brewed as an ale though are sometimes finished with a lager yeast or lager beer mixed in. Adjuncts such as corn or rice are used to lighten the body. It is no uncommon for smaller craft brewers to brew all malt Cream Ales. Pale straw to pale gold color. Low hop bittering and some hop aroma though some micros have given the style more of a hop character. Well carbonated and well attenuated.
-Price: $8/sixer at the New Glarus brewery. Though I admire New Glarus for keeping their stuff confined to Wisconsin, it kind of sucks for those of us in neighboring states.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s New Glarus webpage has these offerings: “BBQ, Grilled Steak, Jambalaya, Brats, Steak, Fish, Seafood Linguini, Limburger Sandwich, Burgers, Fries, Stir Fry, Bacon and Eggs, Cheese Curds, Potato Chips, Chicken Sandwich, Tilapia Filets, Spicy Foods, Pork Rinds, Reuben, Wings, Fish Fry, Nachos.” The cheese pairings are: “5-Year Cheddar (Hook's Cheese), Avondale Truckle (Fayette Creamery), Silver Lewis Brick, Smoked Gouda, Havarti.” So not only is it breakfast approved (bacon and eggs), it is also Catholic approved (fish fry).
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
-Though BA recommends a Becker pint glass as ideal beerware for drinking Spotted Cow, there is no special reason I am using my Ayinger Becker. I just have not used it in a long time.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
The beer tonight is Spotted Cow, brewed by the New Glarus Brewing Company of New Glarus, Wisconsin.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. The typical, indecipherable New Glarus batch code is printed on the neck.
Appearance: Straight pour into a Becker glass. The color is a solid gold that has a hint of caramel tan in it. A chill haze developed after the pour. Two fingers of off-white head dissipated to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Lots of musty adjunct grain. It smells a little fruity with hints of apple and strawberry, and it also has a lemon zest. As it warms, the apple predominates.
Taste: The mouthfeel is light and refreshing, and the flavor offers the maltiness and fruit from the smell. Adjunct grains, apple, strawberry, and lemon citrus. Oddly, I also tasted a little cotton candy. Go figure. There is also a hint of caramel, but it is very muted. Each sip offers a nice bitter bite.
Drinkability: It is a nice, light (and not in the derogatory sense) beer that is easy drinking, but it does not offer much in regards to complexity. Then again, it is not supposed to.
Fun facts about Spotted Cow:
-Style: According to New Glarus it is a “Naturally Cloudy Farmhouse Ale,” and BA classifies it as Cream Ale:
Cream Ales, spawned from the American light lager style, are brewed as an ale though are sometimes finished with a lager yeast or lager beer mixed in. Adjuncts such as corn or rice are used to lighten the body. It is no uncommon for smaller craft brewers to brew all malt Cream Ales. Pale straw to pale gold color. Low hop bittering and some hop aroma though some micros have given the style more of a hop character. Well carbonated and well attenuated.
-Price: $8/sixer at the New Glarus brewery. Though I admire New Glarus for keeping their stuff confined to Wisconsin, it kind of sucks for those of us in neighboring states.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s New Glarus webpage has these offerings: “BBQ, Grilled Steak, Jambalaya, Brats, Steak, Fish, Seafood Linguini, Limburger Sandwich, Burgers, Fries, Stir Fry, Bacon and Eggs, Cheese Curds, Potato Chips, Chicken Sandwich, Tilapia Filets, Spicy Foods, Pork Rinds, Reuben, Wings, Fish Fry, Nachos.” The cheese pairings are: “5-Year Cheddar (Hook's Cheese), Avondale Truckle (Fayette Creamery), Silver Lewis Brick, Smoked Gouda, Havarti.” So not only is it breakfast approved (bacon and eggs), it is also Catholic approved (fish fry).
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Cask conditioned ale has been the popular choice among brews since long before prohibition. We continue this pioneer spirit with our Wisconsin farmhouse ale. Brewed with flaked barley and the finest Wisconsin malts. We even give a nod to our farmers with a little hint of corn.
Naturally cloudy we allow the yeast to remain in the bottle to enhance fullness of flavors, which cannot be duplicated otherwise. Expect this ale to be fun, fruity and satisfying. You know you're in Wisconsin when you see the Spotted Cow.
-Though BA recommends a Becker pint glass as ideal beerware for drinking Spotted Cow, there is no special reason I am using my Ayinger Becker. I just have not used it in a long time.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
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