BWBB

Hello Friends,

I am finally getting some time to sit down and write the latest installment of the BWBB. Geez, there have been numerous new, interesting, bad and great beers since my last BWBB. Here are a few I remember:

Sofie - Goose Island
Rosie - Lakefront
Picnic Ants - O'so
Lilja's Hopnest Monster - Sand Creek
53212 - Stonefly
Shine On - Central Waters
Hopdinger - O'so
Alpha King - Three Floyds
Bridge Burner - Lakefront (ok, I've had this one on many occasions, but it's just that good.)

I should also mention that I tried my hand at brewing a batch of beer. I'm hoping this one turns out about 100x better than the last one..because my first attempt was an epic failure. This latest batch has been bottled and is currently being conditioned. Soon, it will be moved to the fridge for a little bit of cold conditioning***fingers crossed***

On a related beer note, everyone should watch the new show Brewmasters on Discovery Channel. The show follows the owner of Dogfish Head Brewery as he travels the globe in search of traditional and unique brewing methods. New episodes are Sunday nights. It is pretty entertaining.

For this BWBB, I am going to review Picnic Ants from O'so Brewing Co in Plover, WI. Picnic Ants is O'so's Imperial Saison. A saison is a type of pale ale that originated in Belgium. In the past, saisons were simply refreshing pale ales that were usually drank by farm workers during the Summer. For that reason, it is common to see modern beers brewed in the saison style referred to as "farmhouse ales." Picnic Ants is referred to as an imperial saison because it has approximately 7% ABV, while typical saison are generally low in alcohol, near 4%.

The Picnic Ants I had was on tap and served in a tulip glass. I was not overly impressed. It pours very bubbly, almost over carbonated. It has nearly zero aroma. As soon as it hits your mouth, it has a sour, citrus taste. Unfortunately, not in a good way. There are a bunch of off flavors, and the the aftertaste is acidic. I have had good sour ales in the past, but Picnic Ants fails.

I have yet to try an O'so beer that I really enjoyed. The clerk at my favorite liquor store told me their "Rusty Red" is good. The brewery must be doing something right though, because all of a sudden, you can find their beer on tap at various locations throughout the city. However, I won't be having Picnic Ants again. Just a funky ale that is not refreshing in way.

For all of those reasons, Picnic Ants gets 2 pints out of 10. I would definitely not recommend it to any of my readers.

Well, that's all I've got to say for this BWBB. Until next time...