Fuller's

It's been a long time, but a couple of beers from Fuller's lineup have made a triumphant return to Stimmel's. One of the most respected breweries in the U.K. (but difficult to get fresh here in Ohio), Fuller's London Pride and ESB are back on the shelves. The Pride is a nice medium-bodied, slightly hoppy pale ale, while the ESB is a rich, caramel-malt driven masterpiece. Both beers are worth seeking out.

Cheers!

Penn Invasion

What a great Monday! I just found out this morning that the wonderful German-style beers from the Penn Brewing Company are going to be available in Ohio, and we should have them here at Stimmel's Market this week. Penn Brewing, located in Pittsburgh, has been brewing some of the best German beers in the states for over 20 years, and is one of my absolute favorite breweries in the country. Initially, we'll have their three flagship beers:

Penn Pilsner - An amber, Vienna-style lager with a delicate hop flavor and a nice caramel-roasted malt finish.

Penn Dark - Smooth, with a slight burnt-toast flavor derived from the black malt. This is simply the best Munich-style dark beer brewed in the United States.

Penn Weizen - An authentic southern-German wheat beer; very effervescent, with a pronounced banana-clove aroma and flavor. Delicious on a warm Spring afternoon.

Tin Roof

Another great distributor closeout: Murphy-Goode "Tin Roof" 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, a crisp California white wine that normally sells for about $10 a bottle is now on clearance for $4.99! It's a perfect wine to sip on the patio as the weather gets warmer, so stock up while it lasts.

Can't you get it here in Ohio?

Every week we''ll get a request here at Stimmel's for specific beers that we can't get. Why? Well, as a retailer in Ohio (or any other state in the country, for that matter), you're only allowed to purchase beer and wine from a distributor in your own state (hence our motto, "If it's available in Ohio we'll get it for you"). Luckily for those of us here in the Bowling Green area, Ohio distributors typically carry a great selection of products for retailers to bring into their stores, and as such, Ohio beer and wine stores boast one of the better selections of products in the country.

So what are the most requested brews that we can't get here in Ohio? The first is Fat Tire, a medium-bodied amber ale that has been the fastest-growing brand of beer in the U.S. for the last several years. Fat Tire is the flagship beer from New Belgium Brewing Co., and the Fort Collins, Colorado-based company only distributes their products West of the Mississippi (with the Chicago market as an exception).

The second most requested brew is Yuengling Amber. Yuengling is the country's oldest continuously operated brewery, and their products are available from Pennsylvania (their main brewery is in Pottsville, Pa.) to Florida. They don't distribute in Ohio yet.

The best way to get these (and other beers not available in Ohio) brews?

Road trip, baby!

Pinots Galore

A bunch of new California Pinot Noirs have hit the shelves this week, and they're all 90-pointers in the $30-$60 price range. Try these delicate reds soon:

2004 Duckhorn Goldeneye Anderson Valley
2005 Melville Santa Barbara
2004 Flowers Sonoma Coast
2004 Orogeny Sonoma

Taste The Vulgarity

I always love to gauge people's reactions when tasting certain wines (and beers), and over the years I've heard many entertaining adjectives to describe what is in the glass. A couple of weeks ago, I heard what has become my new favorite - someone called a wine's flavor profile "vulgar". Well, the wine in question (DeWaal Pinotage, $19.99 a bottle) shows off a myriad of in-your-face flavors, such as smoke, leather, and earth, and would pair well with smoked meats, a bowl of chili, or is a sensory experience all its own. Vulgar? Well, pick up a bottle and judge for yourself.

Brazil, Blasphemy, and The Wooden Shoe

We sampled more new brews at last night's tasting, and there were four beers that really stood out. First, two German-style Brazilian beers: Eisenbahn Defumada Smoked Lager, and Eisenbahn Vigorosa Wheat Double Bock. The smoked lager tasted like a campfire in a glass, with a nice malt backbone accented by a rich, smoky flavor - it would pair up extremely well with ribs, other smoked meats, or even smoked salmon. The wheat double bock was very well done, and could've been mistaken for the genuine German version - a touch of clove and banana, with a sweet malt finish.

Next, Blasphemy - Weyerbacher's Belgian-style Quadrupel aged in oak barrels. A hint of candied sugar and vanilla complement the smooth malt profile, and makes this a very drinkable strong beer. At 13% alcohol, it's deceptively strong, but very well made.

Last, Wooden Shoe. There's a lot of history with this brand of beer, originally brewed from 1869 through the mid-1950's in the small town of Minster, Ohio. The brand has been resurrected, and is drinking much better than I imagine it might have back in the day. No noticeable adjuncts in this one, just a clean, well-done German-style pilsner (although I think it veers a little into Dortmunder territory). A very quaffable brew, and at only $3.49 per 22 oz. bottle, a pretty good price as well.

April Arrivals

All kinds of new stuff at the market this week...

Beer:
Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing is FINALLY bottling the Commodore Perry IPA year-round, and the first batch hit the shelves today. Spicy and bitter up front, with a hint of malt sweetness in the finish, it's one of the best India Pale Ales you'll find anywhere, and at a special price of $6.99 per six-pack, get to the market NOW and pick some up!

Three Floyds Rabid Rabbit Saison would make a great Easter gift for the beer lover in your life. A 22 oz. bottle of spicy, herbal, sweet and bitter goodness, it's one heck of a beer. The Rabbit is only available for a limited time - when it's gone, it'll probably be gone until next year.

If you like big, barrel-aged brews (a newer trend in craft brewing), then you're sure to enjoy Left Hand Brewing's Oak-Aged Imperial Stout. Flavors of coffee, vanilla, and bitter chocolate abound in this gem.

Wine:
I'm often asked to recommend an inexpensive, but good, Italian Red that'll pair well with pasta and red meats, yet will drink great on its own. There are lots of nice values out there in this category, but one of the better ones I've had recently is the 2003 Villa Puccini Tuscan Red, which just arrived here at the market. Medium-bodied with a nice finish, it scored 86 points and is rated as a Wine Spectator best-buy. At only $11.99 a bottle, it's a heck of a deal.

Another must-try is the 2005 Dr. Loosen (Dr. L) Riesling. '05 is shaping up to be a classic vintage for German Rieslings, and at $14.99 per bottle, the Dr. L exhibits wonderful lemon, apricot and peach flavors that would pair well with seafood, lamb, turkey, or it'll drink great on its own.