BeerFM

Take a listen to this podcast (yeah, we still do podcasts!) review of Hinterland‘s Oktoberfest.

Maybe, just maybe, we might have one of the greatest state-side Oktoberfest beers in the nation coming from this state!

Hinterland Oktoberfest Review

-Andy

Welcome to BeerFM, your source for beer news, tips, reviews, and more and I’m you host Andy. Recently Lakefront released, through their gift shop, their long-time draft-only beer Rosie which has dropped in corked and caged 750 ml. The bottles have been hand-bottled, bottle conditioned, and due to more production, now available in stores. The bottles go for about $10 a piece. So if you see it, pick up this awesome beer.

Let’s get to the review. First, I’d like to thank Lakefront president Russ Kilsch for the opportunity to try this beer as well as discuss it with him. Todd and I split this bottle and poured it into a stemmed wine glass. It’s fresh from the brewery but no date was found on the bottle. At the bottom it reads “Roseclaire style oak aged sour ale fermented and aged with Wisconsin cherries” 9.0% ABV.

A-/ 4.2
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4.5

A – Rosie pours a beautifully clear orange-amber color tinted pink with a puffy, loose tinted light pink head. It’s really carbonated from the pop of the cork to the fizzy pour but produces only a small layer of foam. The foam drops fairly quickly leaving a thin coat of patchy lace and a sudsy ring.

S – Rosie has an awesome nose of bold oak woodiness and delicious-smelling Brett funkiness. The funk doesn’t interfere too much but instead, adds an awesome depth to the nose with small hints of barnyard funk and horse-blanket. Mild cherry tartness pokes out timidly in the background while a swirl brings out more of the Brett yeast aroma.

T – Hints of tart cherries fall gently behind a small malt kiss, but the majority of the flavor profile comes from the Brett yeast. Oak wood and barnyard blend so well with a kiss of the mildly tart Wisconsin cherries. A light and complex flavor.

M – Highly carbonated with a sharp prickly finish and a light body, Rosie could use a bit more in this area. It’s a touch thin, or light-bodied for me. A little more malt presence could really help this out and make it a fuller beer. Otherwise the oak and Brett funkiness blend very well with the mildly tart finish. It’s a crisp and refreshing beer.

D – Where could the 9% possibly hide? Dear lord, it’s not even HINTED at. It hides so well in this beer, it’s dangerous. The flavor profile is fantastic as well as the nose leading in to it. Much better that what I remember on tap, the bottle is fantastic to have and I’ll be heading back to buy a few more of these to age. The cross between the Kriek, Flanders Sour, and American Wild is just awesome in this brew.

Thanks again Russ! Rosie is one tasty treat that’ll age well. I plan on hoarding a case to both share and cellar. If you find yourself in Milwaukee or perhaps at a Lakefront tour, pick up a bottle where you can and try this delicious beer for yourself. Thanks for listening to BeerFM’s podcast, check out our website beerfm.com, brought to you by stolensunmedia.com, for more beer news, tips, articles, reviews, events, and more! While you’re there why not become a fan of BeerFM on facebook by clicking the “like” button in the upper right corner? Also, don’t forget that an entirely new website is in the works! Thanks for listening and I’ll talk to you soon! Cheers.

-Andy