Beer of the Weekend #361: Grain Belt Nordeast
Tonight I decided to do a beer review for the hell of it. The beer tonight is Grain Belt Nordeast, brewed by the August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota.
I decided to use my Goose Island becker glass for the hell of it, too. I need to justify the purchase somehow.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. There are smudged batch codes printed on the bottom of the can but no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a becker glass. The color is dirty amber. Two fingers of dense, fluffy, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly, leaving trails along the glass, a thin lacing, and a ring of buttery foam.
Smell: Like Minnesota. (It reminds me of a trip to the Twin Cities in January.) Or at least like a Schell lager. Caramel covered apple, musty grain, a little toffee, and that distinct Schell hairspray. It smells like it wants to be an ale but is still coming to terms with the fact it is just lager. It is a beer that needs some talk therapy.
Taste: Like Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge. Toasted caramel and toasted grains. Honey, toffee, a little hop bitterness (it is like a beefed up macro with taste). It has a mouthfeel much like Coca-Cola, covering my teeth in some kind of dentist contrived corn syrup conspiracy.
Drinkability: You know… I, um… Probably won’t be buying this again unless I find myself at one of those frozen lake fishing contests where a handful of people fish and everyone else gets drunk. I love Minnesota, but Schell lagers are just not my thing.
Fun facts about GBNe:
-Style: Schell calls it “Amber American Lager” and BA classifies it as “American Amber / Red Lager.”
-Price: $1.99/can at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Latin cuisine, beef, and poultry.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Named after the hardworking neighborhood where the original Grain Belt Brewery established its roots back in 1893. ‘Nordeast’ is an endearing term which comes from the Northern and Eastern European immigrants and their language which helped shape Northeast Minneapolis. This amber American Lager is our way of honoring the storied past of Grain Belt and the people who helped to make it legendary! Cheers!
Grain Belt Nordeast is an American Amber lager and is the newest member to the Grain Belt Family. It has a light maltiness and hop aroma with a mild bitterness. Smooth taste with an excellent drinkability.
-Nordeast also comes in clear bottles. I am not a fan of clear bottles. It is fitting, though.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C/C+.
I decided to use my Goose Island becker glass for the hell of it, too. I need to justify the purchase somehow.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. There are smudged batch codes printed on the bottom of the can but no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a becker glass. The color is dirty amber. Two fingers of dense, fluffy, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly, leaving trails along the glass, a thin lacing, and a ring of buttery foam.
Smell: Like Minnesota. (It reminds me of a trip to the Twin Cities in January.) Or at least like a Schell lager. Caramel covered apple, musty grain, a little toffee, and that distinct Schell hairspray. It smells like it wants to be an ale but is still coming to terms with the fact it is just lager. It is a beer that needs some talk therapy.
Taste: Like Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge. Toasted caramel and toasted grains. Honey, toffee, a little hop bitterness (it is like a beefed up macro with taste). It has a mouthfeel much like Coca-Cola, covering my teeth in some kind of dentist contrived corn syrup conspiracy.
Drinkability: You know… I, um… Probably won’t be buying this again unless I find myself at one of those frozen lake fishing contests where a handful of people fish and everyone else gets drunk. I love Minnesota, but Schell lagers are just not my thing.
Fun facts about GBNe:
-Style: Schell calls it “Amber American Lager” and BA classifies it as “American Amber / Red Lager.”
-Price: $1.99/can at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Latin cuisine, beef, and poultry.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Named after the hardworking neighborhood where the original Grain Belt Brewery established its roots back in 1893. ‘Nordeast’ is an endearing term which comes from the Northern and Eastern European immigrants and their language which helped shape Northeast Minneapolis. This amber American Lager is our way of honoring the storied past of Grain Belt and the people who helped to make it legendary! Cheers!
Grain Belt Nordeast is an American Amber lager and is the newest member to the Grain Belt Family. It has a light maltiness and hop aroma with a mild bitterness. Smooth taste with an excellent drinkability.
-Nordeast also comes in clear bottles. I am not a fan of clear bottles. It is fitting, though.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C/C+.
