It was a good night...

[hops99]

So, I started the evening with a Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. For those who swear off pumpkin beers, this is something you should try. Lots of malt and hop flavor, some nice spiciness, and just a hint of pumpkin. It's a big beer. If I didn't know it was a pumpkin beer before I drank it, I don't think I would have guessed.

Next, I polished off my last Celis Pale Bock from the summer. Malty sweet, and a great session beer.

My penultimate choice was a Boulevard Bob's 47. Man, I really like this lager. It's got a subtle hop profile, and a generous malt background. Also a great session beer.

Last but not least, I finished up with a Penn Dark. One of the best dark lagers I've had anywhere, this puppy has got a rich roasted malt flavor - perfect to drink on a cool November evening.

It was a good night!

[steveh]

Never heard a bock referred to as a "session" beer! Don't try that at the Forschungsbrauerei outside Munich, famous for their St. Jacobus Blonder Bock liters...at around 7% abv! Kicked my ass!

S.

[hops99]

The Celis Pale is not an ordinary bock. In fact, it's a Belgian style ale, and is only about 4% ABV. Very easy drinking.

[skahtboi]

Is it just me, or does the Celis not taste like it used to before the original brewery went under? To me, the "new" Celis pales (pardon the pun) in comparison to the original Celis!

[hops99]

I live about 90 minutes from Michigan Brewing Co., where Celis is now being brewed, and I've been to the brewery a couple of times in the last year. Celis White, for example, is tough for me to judge - since I hadn't had a fresh Austin Celis White in about three years. To me, the new White tastes close. As for the Bock, I think it's also close, but again, it's hard to say just how close.

I will say this - I bought two sixers of Celis White over the summer from a beer store in Ann Arbor, and they were terrible when I got home. Not sure what the heck happened, or how fresh they were when I bought them. It might be my imagination, but I think Celis White has always been more perishable than other brews.

[steveh]

Originally posted by hops99
...is only about 4% ABV. Very easy drinking.

Ah ha, interesting interpretation.

S.

[beerturtle]

Ah yes, Penn Dark. Try the Penn Pilsner too, it's one of my favorite American pilsners.

[hops99]

Yes, the Penn Pilsner is probably my favorite domestic pilsner as well. Really, I've liked all the Penn beers I've tried over the years. The St. Nikolaus Bock is great too.

[chazwicke]

Aside from the nice Penn beers, They had a great liverwurst sandwich on their brewpub menu a couple years back.

[ratman03]

Originally posted by hops99
To me, the new White tastes close. As for the Bock, I think it's also close, but again, it's hard to say just how close.


I tasted them both at this year's GABF, and I agree that it's tough to tell. My gut instinct was that the white was close, but not quite as rich or tangy. I emailed Michigan Brewing a while back and asked them to confirm that they're brewing to the original recipes; I never heard back from them. But if you like Celis I guess you've gotta be happy that they're brewing it at all.