A Pint at the Lake
If you get in your motor and drive north of Columbus, after a couple of hours you'll come to Lake Erie, the shallowest of
the Great Lakes, and the 12th largest freshwater lake in the world. Less than 4,000 years old and formed by the
retreating Wisconsin Glaciar, the lake hosts 24 Islands, two of the more famous being South Bass Island and Kelley's
Island.
South Bass Island is particularly well known for hosting The Battle of Lake Erie on Sep 10th 1813, when the British Navy
-- under attack from Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry -- made what we at Roberts Manor call a "strategic withdrawal". The
fact that the Royal Navy gave up six ships in the process is clearly a sign of British goodwill !
Kelley's Island is known for it's geological wonders (notably, what's known as the Glacial Grooves), a rather dodgy
winery, and now, a most excellent local brewing company.
It was on a hot, humid Saturday in August 2007 that myself and an old comrade from my Merck days, Tom Siddle, rode
our motorcycles up to Lake Erie, taking the bikes across on the ferry to Kelley's Island to seek out the aforementioned
Kelley's Island Brewing Company.
About half-a-mile away from the tourist packed "downtown" area, we found the modest, unimposing buildings that make
up the brewery and the accompanying restaurant. They looked like two white ranch houses glued together, but once we
stepped inside and saw a list of five craft-brewed beers ontap (a sixth was added while we were there), we knew we were
in a very special place.
The owners of Kelley's Island Brewery are Doug & Patti Muranyi. Doug is the brewmaster (of Hungarian descent), while
Patti runs the restaurant. They are both wonderful and engaging people, who think nothing of sitting down and chatting
with their customers. You can see the look on their faces; they are both terribly proud of what the brewpub has achieved.
Indeed, Doug is really, REALLY proud of his beers, and will look at you straight in the face and ask for your opinion of
his brews.
Six beers were ontap, and thus six were tasted.
In order...
1) Kelley's Gold 4.5% -- A summer refresher to be sure, Gold is made with white wheat and lightly roasted malt which
produces an intriguing cross between a Kolsch and a wheat beer. Light bodied, there's a faint fruitiness in the aroma,
with a crisp flowery, hoppy finish. Perfect for those 95-degree temperatures. 8/10.
2) Lake Erie Lager 5.5% -- Described by Doug as a "German classic", the Lake Erie Lager is based on the Munich
Helles style. There's a noticeably malty sweetness with a delicate balance of spicy hops, making this lager less bitter than
a pilsner. Another tasty offering to fight off the Ohio heatwave. A bit malty for my tastes, but nonetheless a finely crafted
lager of its type. 7/10.
3) Angler's Ale Bitter 5.5% -- This is Doug's version of an English Bitter (a style yet to be truly adopted in the U.S) and
for no extra charge, I can tell you that he hit this one right on the button ! At 5.5%, this actually qualifies as an Extra
Strong Bitter (most "session" Bitters in the UK rove around the 3.6% region) with an incredible juicy malt and fruit balance
in its character. Angler's Ale is dry-hopped, although the hops don't take over the flavour, mainly appearing in the aroma.
A classic in its own lifetime, I went back for a second pint. As Steve Irwin would have said "What a little beauty !" 11/10.
4) Galeforce IPA 8.5% -- My comrades Tim and Pat at Dunkles and Jaffa Cakes are well aware of my love for American
IPAs, but this one falls somewhat short of the mark. An ABV of 8.5% makes it true to the classic IPA style, but there's a
rather unpleasant bitterness that appears to have no connection to any hop bitterness. It's as if the hops were "beamed
up" from the glass. I mentioned this to Doug, who then took off and reappeared a few minutes later with a glass of the
same IPA -- this time a cloudy version drawn straight from the barrel.
It was a totally different taste -- lots of hop character and hoppy bitterness. Beautiful. But what does this tell us ? It tells
us that brewmasters have the ability to change and vary a particular style in order to reflect culture, climate, geography
etc. Doug has produced his own version of an IPA. It might not be my cup of Earl Grey but you have to take your hat off
to a bloke that's willing to push the boat out with his own innovative brewing.
The grade is based on my own personal reaction to the initial IPA. 2/10.
5) Dawg Bizkit Brown 5.5% -- Well, of course, I'm not a fan of English or American Brown ales, but like his Angler's Ale
Bitter, Doug has hit the nail right on the head with this one Brown Ales are under appreciated in the western hemisphere,
but if enough beer lovers taste Dawg Bizkit Brown, then this issue can soon be remedied. This beer is described as "A
full body taste, thick head and lightly hopped for a smooth semi-dry finish. A unique combination of roasted barley,
chocolate, and crystal malts. Our most requested ale. It ain't for poodles!!" Need I say more, except that unlike many
brewers, Doug resisted over-hopping this ale, which allows the malty character to shine through. A classic American ale.
9/10.
6) Island Devil 8.5% -- Oh, yes please ! A cross between a Belgian Double and Belgian Tripel -- thus, not overly sweet
-- this glorious ale is an extra-strong, aromatic, hoppy copper ale, using German hops and Trappist yeast. The
fermentation of strong beers can create fruity flavours and one can certainly find a pruney, almost brandyish character to
this superb, luscious, flavorsome ale. One to be sipped and enjoyed -- Tim, where's that bloody Hamlet cigar ! A highly
impressive 10/10.
Finally, here's a paragraph taken from an article written by erstwhile CAMRA writer Jeff Evans, which appeared in the July
2007 issue of Beer, the CAMRA newsletter: "...the USA is the most exciting brewing country in the world at the moment.
We just need major retailers (in the UK) to recognise that and stop perpetuating the myth that American beer is only
about Bud, Miller and Coors". The Kelley's Island Brewery bears complete testimony to this statement !
And there we have it -- a thoroughly satisfying visit to Kelley's Island Brewing Company, not least in part to the hospitality
offered by Doug & Patti Muranyi. Of course, on the way back to Columbus there was still time for a quick glass of Merlot
at Hermes Winery, although I would rather have had another pint of Angler's Ale Bitter !
A proud brewmaster at work, Doug Muranyi's handcrafted beers are made 200 gallons at a time.
Fresh yeast, hops and grains are used to make his extremely fine ales.
Commodore Perry - "Now remember lads, when you get
aboard the British ships, find out where they've hidden the Jaffa Cakes".
Kelley's Island from the air, looking west.
If you get in your motor and drive north of Columbus, after a couple of hours you'll come to Lake Erie, the shallowest of
the Great Lakes, and the 12th largest freshwater lake in the world. Less than 4,000 years old and formed by the
retreating Wisconsin Glaciar, the lake hosts 24 Islands, two of the more famous being South Bass Island and Kelley's
Island.
South Bass Island is particularly well known for hosting The Battle of Lake Erie on Sep 10th 1813, when the British Navy
-- under attack from Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry -- made what we at Roberts Manor call a "strategic withdrawal". The
fact that the Royal Navy gave up six ships in the process is clearly a sign of British goodwill !
Kelley's Island is known for it's geological wonders (notably, what's known as the Glacial Grooves), a rather dodgy
winery, and now, a most excellent local brewing company.
It was on a hot, humid Saturday in August 2007 that myself and an old comrade from my Merck days, Tom Siddle, rode
our motorcycles up to Lake Erie, taking the bikes across on the ferry to Kelley's Island to seek out the aforementioned
Kelley's Island Brewing Company.
About half-a-mile away from the tourist packed "downtown" area, we found the modest, unimposing buildings that make
up the brewery and the accompanying restaurant. They looked like two white ranch houses glued together, but once we
stepped inside and saw a list of five craft-brewed beers ontap (a sixth was added while we were there), we knew we were
in a very special place.
The owners of Kelley's Island Brewery are Doug & Patti Muranyi. Doug is the brewmaster (of Hungarian descent), while
Patti runs the restaurant. They are both wonderful and engaging people, who think nothing of sitting down and chatting
with their customers. You can see the look on their faces; they are both terribly proud of what the brewpub has achieved.
Indeed, Doug is really, REALLY proud of his beers, and will look at you straight in the face and ask for your opinion of
his brews.
Six beers were ontap, and thus six were tasted.
In order...
1) Kelley's Gold 4.5% -- A summer refresher to be sure, Gold is made with white wheat and lightly roasted malt which
produces an intriguing cross between a Kolsch and a wheat beer. Light bodied, there's a faint fruitiness in the aroma,
with a crisp flowery, hoppy finish. Perfect for those 95-degree temperatures. 8/10.
2) Lake Erie Lager 5.5% -- Described by Doug as a "German classic", the Lake Erie Lager is based on the Munich
Helles style. There's a noticeably malty sweetness with a delicate balance of spicy hops, making this lager less bitter than
a pilsner. Another tasty offering to fight off the Ohio heatwave. A bit malty for my tastes, but nonetheless a finely crafted
lager of its type. 7/10.
3) Angler's Ale Bitter 5.5% -- This is Doug's version of an English Bitter (a style yet to be truly adopted in the U.S) and
for no extra charge, I can tell you that he hit this one right on the button ! At 5.5%, this actually qualifies as an Extra
Strong Bitter (most "session" Bitters in the UK rove around the 3.6% region) with an incredible juicy malt and fruit balance
in its character. Angler's Ale is dry-hopped, although the hops don't take over the flavour, mainly appearing in the aroma.
A classic in its own lifetime, I went back for a second pint. As Steve Irwin would have said "What a little beauty !" 11/10.
4) Galeforce IPA 8.5% -- My comrades Tim and Pat at Dunkles and Jaffa Cakes are well aware of my love for American
IPAs, but this one falls somewhat short of the mark. An ABV of 8.5% makes it true to the classic IPA style, but there's a
rather unpleasant bitterness that appears to have no connection to any hop bitterness. It's as if the hops were "beamed
up" from the glass. I mentioned this to Doug, who then took off and reappeared a few minutes later with a glass of the
same IPA -- this time a cloudy version drawn straight from the barrel.
It was a totally different taste -- lots of hop character and hoppy bitterness. Beautiful. But what does this tell us ? It tells
us that brewmasters have the ability to change and vary a particular style in order to reflect culture, climate, geography
etc. Doug has produced his own version of an IPA. It might not be my cup of Earl Grey but you have to take your hat off
to a bloke that's willing to push the boat out with his own innovative brewing.
The grade is based on my own personal reaction to the initial IPA. 2/10.
5) Dawg Bizkit Brown 5.5% -- Well, of course, I'm not a fan of English or American Brown ales, but like his Angler's Ale
Bitter, Doug has hit the nail right on the head with this one Brown Ales are under appreciated in the western hemisphere,
but if enough beer lovers taste Dawg Bizkit Brown, then this issue can soon be remedied. This beer is described as "A
full body taste, thick head and lightly hopped for a smooth semi-dry finish. A unique combination of roasted barley,
chocolate, and crystal malts. Our most requested ale. It ain't for poodles!!" Need I say more, except that unlike many
brewers, Doug resisted over-hopping this ale, which allows the malty character to shine through. A classic American ale.
9/10.
6) Island Devil 8.5% -- Oh, yes please ! A cross between a Belgian Double and Belgian Tripel -- thus, not overly sweet
-- this glorious ale is an extra-strong, aromatic, hoppy copper ale, using German hops and Trappist yeast. The
fermentation of strong beers can create fruity flavours and one can certainly find a pruney, almost brandyish character to
this superb, luscious, flavorsome ale. One to be sipped and enjoyed -- Tim, where's that bloody Hamlet cigar ! A highly
impressive 10/10.
Finally, here's a paragraph taken from an article written by erstwhile CAMRA writer Jeff Evans, which appeared in the July
2007 issue of Beer, the CAMRA newsletter: "...the USA is the most exciting brewing country in the world at the moment.
We just need major retailers (in the UK) to recognise that and stop perpetuating the myth that American beer is only
about Bud, Miller and Coors". The Kelley's Island Brewery bears complete testimony to this statement !
And there we have it -- a thoroughly satisfying visit to Kelley's Island Brewing Company, not least in part to the hospitality
offered by Doug & Patti Muranyi. Of course, on the way back to Columbus there was still time for a quick glass of Merlot
at Hermes Winery, although I would rather have had another pint of Angler's Ale Bitter !
A proud brewmaster at work, Doug Muranyi's handcrafted beers are made 200 gallons at a time.
Fresh yeast, hops and grains are used to make his extremely fine ales.
Commodore Perry - "Now remember lads, when you get
aboard the British ships, find out where they've hidden the Jaffa Cakes".
Kelley's Island from the air, looking west.
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