Beer of the Weekend #1,134: Polka Band
It may not feel like it because of the unseasonal heat, but it’s Oktoberfest season! (The cooler-than-normal weather we had earlier this month was perfect for Oktoberfest.) Fall is upon us and I hope the fall-like weather will return soon and stay.
Märzen may not be ideal to drink during hot weather, but I drank Polka Band, brewed by the Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company of Bondurant, Iowa, last weekend anyway.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. There was no freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a stange. (I love my stanges, especially my 300-milliliter glass. It’s a sexy little thing that gets the job done.) The color was solid caramel and clear. A light caramel-colored, dense, buttery head settled slowly.
Smell: Rich and malty. It was on the maltier side of the märzen spectrum. Caramel, chocolate, dark fruit, earthy/metallic hops, toasty, bold.
Taste: Malty and rich. Caramel, chocolate, dark fruit, earthy hops, toasted rye bread. A nice, bold, and solid version of the style.
Fun facts about Polka Band:
• Style: Märzen.
• Price: I did not get the receipt, but I think it was around $12.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 5.6 percent ABV.
• I assume Reclaimed Rails gets its name from the Chichaqua Valley Trail, which according to the its Polk County website, “spans 26 miles long from Berwick to Baxter” (https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/chichaqua-valley-trail/). Central Iowa has a badass trail system.
• I have driven through Bondurant quite a bit but never explored it. The town is along Iowa Highway 330, which we use when driving to the Des Moines area. I usually stop at the BP station there because it seems to have the cheapest gas along the entire route from Mount Vernon.
• Polka is not my thing. I can tolerate and even tune it out, but I don’t listen to it.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Märzen may not be ideal to drink during hot weather, but I drank Polka Band, brewed by the Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company of Bondurant, Iowa, last weekend anyway.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. There was no freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a stange. (I love my stanges, especially my 300-milliliter glass. It’s a sexy little thing that gets the job done.) The color was solid caramel and clear. A light caramel-colored, dense, buttery head settled slowly.
Smell: Rich and malty. It was on the maltier side of the märzen spectrum. Caramel, chocolate, dark fruit, earthy/metallic hops, toasty, bold.
Taste: Malty and rich. Caramel, chocolate, dark fruit, earthy hops, toasted rye bread. A nice, bold, and solid version of the style.
Fun facts about Polka Band:
• Style: Märzen.
• Price: I did not get the receipt, but I think it was around $12.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 5.6 percent ABV.
• I assume Reclaimed Rails gets its name from the Chichaqua Valley Trail, which according to the its Polk County website, “spans 26 miles long from Berwick to Baxter” (https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/chichaqua-valley-trail/). Central Iowa has a badass trail system.
• I have driven through Bondurant quite a bit but never explored it. The town is along Iowa Highway 330, which we use when driving to the Des Moines area. I usually stop at the BP station there because it seems to have the cheapest gas along the entire route from Mount Vernon.
• Polka is not my thing. I can tolerate and even tune it out, but I don’t listen to it.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
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