DRAFT Magazine

I’m going to make an assumption here: you’ve never heard of Beermann’s Beerwerks in Roseville, California nor tried their beers. Further still, it seems even more unlikely that you’ve been to the production brewery and sampled some of their ‘brewery-only’ beers. Not to worry, this small brewery doesn’t do a lot to promote themselves beyond its immediate vicinity and the brewery tasting room is only open twice a week for a couple hours. That said, the brewers proved this past weekend that name recognition doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to putting out high-quality brews any beer enthusiast would be happy to sip.

Case in point: Saturday Beermann’s opened its industrial-sized, roll-up doors for a tasting event I had to attend. The event didn’t have a name, but they poured 10 strong ales that were all brewed on the premises, seven of which were aged in barrels. The youngest beer was just a few months old and the two oldest beers were each brewed in 2002 — I’ll get to those in a second.

Before discussing the lineup, I must put out there the one thing that really struck me while sampling beers, talking with long-time customers and brewers, and generally getting a feel for the occasion. A local brewery is special. We read a lot of posts online about a handful of well-respected breweries — the places we all want to go, the places that put out beers we only hope to find in our region. However, becoming a regular at a local brewery offers something more than flavorful beer and a place to be after work; it offers a community experience rarely found in most watering holes. (Granted, there are a lot of great bars around the country that foster community). The beers poured here weren’t just meant to showcase the brewers’ abilities, they were a celebration of all the brewery stood for, as well as a “thank you” for those who have been supporting the brewery year after year. I know Beermann’s isn’t unique. I’ve been to small breweries in Colorado, Philadelphia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and beyond and found the same experiences. My hope is that you find a local that’s worth supporting, a place that becomes more than just another bar with good beer.

On to the beer.

My first beer of the day was an unfiltered double IPA that was brewed just a few months ago. To be honest, the beer could have used a bit more time for the hops to tame as the first sip was an assault on the palate. It was a grassy beer, quite green, with more than a punch of bitterness and a sticky residue that gripped the tongue well after the beer was swallowed. To be sure, this wasn’t a bad beer, not in any way, but I’m certain this brew will only improve over the next six weeks or so.

Up next was a “triple IPA” brewed in 2004. This was quite an experience. The hops must have been huge in this when it was first brewed because there was still a fair amount of hop flavors, bitterness, and even a bit of aromatics. In all, this beer aged wonderfully and seemed restrained, approachable, and clean. The body and texture was also a hit with this beer, creamy and full-bodied without being heavy or overly sweet.

The first barrel-aged beer was a 2006 Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. Honey sweet, viscous, with flavors of raisins, vanilla, and toasted nuts, this beer was complex and playful. The bourbon did seem slightly hushed — something I like in a bourbon barrel beer — and the finish was just a touch sweet.

The 2005 Bourbon Barrel Barleywine had more bourbon character to it: more vanilla, a touch of orange and coconut. It also seemed to have a bit more residual sugars, making the body a bit heavy and contributing to the sweet finish. Still, this was a fun beer to sip on.

The 2004 barleywine never touched wood and was called “Mr. Big.” I’ll just come out and say this was my favorite beer of the day — it was “man candy” if I can borrow a phrase from the guys at Craft Beer Radio. Brown sugar, toasted malts, a dry finish, and a full body that wasn’t cloyingly sweet. This beer proved the brewers at Beermann’s don’t need the boost of bourbon barrels to make an enticing barleywine. In fact, it made me long for more un-oaked vintages.

I was a little surprised with the 2002 Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. It was a few shades lighter in color than the newer versions and less bourbon character. (I appreciated both). This had a lot more caramel and toffee sweetness, a beautiful head, and an overall delicate nature to it; the complexity teetering on becoming unbalanced. When all the tasting was done I was sure I’d be coming back to this.

I skipped the 2003 beer on purpose, and I was happy I did. This year the brewers barreled their “Big Blonde” beer, a light gold beer with a whole lot of alcohol and more oak than any beer here. In fact, this beer was woody from the first sniff to well after the last swallow, masking the beery qualities of the brew (like malt, hops, alcohol). Don’t get me wrong, this was a very fun beer to sample, but I just couldn’t see myself ever sitting down to a full pour.

The last two beers were both brewed in 2002 and showed me things I’ve never seen before in beer. These both began as big barleywines, but one was aged for seven years on tart cherries while the other played long-time host to once-fresh raspberries. For starters, these beers had no barleywine-like qualities, and I don’t mean that as a negative. The raspberry version was full and rich with raspberries in the aroma, which shocked me. Its flavors were slightly tart, winey, and a bit musty — a fantastic explosion of flavor on the palate. As good as the raspberry beer was, the cherry absolutely stole the show. It had a pie-cherry aroma, complete with caramel malts that played up the pie likeness. Flavors were quite sour, very dry, and very easy to drink. Unlike fruited lambics, these beers weren’t necessarily refreshing, but to my surprise they weren’t sweet in any way. At the end of the day, I still preferred Mr. Big to these beers, but there was no mistaking they too kicked all kinds of ass.

Along those lines, the whole day kicked ass. The crowd was full of people who worked at Beermann’s over the years, current and former brewers, bottling line volunteers and people who could be considered stakeholders in the business. Apparently this event was years in the making, an idea spawned by the brewmaster and workers several years ago, but only realized now. I felt honored to be in attendance, it was almost like drinking at a friend of a friend’s house, a place that allowed for a lot of observation sprinkled with casual conversation and little expectation. It was relaxed. It was fun. It was like so many great, small breweries around the world.

View more pictures of the event at our Flickr page.