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The beer has landed!

When Benjamin Franklin said, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," it is doubtful whether he knew what a cliche his statement would become. And yet, last night, literally hundreds of Champaign-Urbanians came to The Blind Pig Brewery (known also as The Piglet) to partake of that cliche — to guzzle down a pint or two of life-affirming, locally-brewed booze.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over. After months of anticipation, it was announced that the water, malt, hops and yeast that were tossed into the giant stainless steel brewers you've seen looming over Neil Street is finally beer. Mere months after brewmaster Bill Morgan pitched the yeast into four towering vats of wort, The Piglet gave Champaign-Urbana its first commercially brewed beer since Joe's Brewery actually brewed — and it was pretty good.

Now here our arbitrary opinions:

Kölsch

Michael: KolschNot completely a lager, not completely an ale, Kölsch is fermented with ale yeast and then it is lagered so as to mellow out some of its ale-like qualities.  The final product of this traditional brewing process generally tends to be a smooth but complex beer that can be enjoyed for its lighthearted texture and its complex flavor. Brewmaster Bill put together a subtle, almost perfume-like brew here, anchored by a hop flavor with just enough crispness to balance out its pretentious looking umlaut. —Caleb Curtiss

——

I guess this one reminded me of Rolling Rock. It was a tasty light beer with a bitter undertone that wasn't overwhelming. Plus, it came in a normal pint glass, which helped me avoid self-consciousness whilst enjoying it. Maybe it's a PBR and I'm a garden-variety hipster — you'll never know! —Joel Gillespie

Hefe Weizen

Joel: HefeHefe weizen is my favorite kind of beer, and this was a good representative. It wasn't very fruity and had a clean finish, which allowed me to feel manly even though I was drinking a nearly-transparent beer from a tall, narrow glass. Hold the orange slice. Bottoms up, fellow workers of the world!Joel Gillespie

——

Before brewing a five-gallon batch of my own, I used to think that hefe weizen was somehow infused with banana and clove flavors.  It isn't, but those flavors are most certainly generated through the mild hop flavor, the wheat malt, and most importanly, the German ale yeast. The Pig's version of hefe weizen is solid.  It essentially tastes like most of the mass marketed hefes out there today, which is a compliment given that most of those places have been making beer since before we had a constitution. —Caleb Curtiss

India Pale Ale

Caleb: IPAIPAs may well be my favorite kind of beer.  When done well, they're hoppy and crisp, with enough malt to balance out the bitterness that defines it. Now I have to say that I've sampled a pretty wide variety of IPAs in my day and lately have been disappointed at how many of them try to melt my face off with bitterness without paying me the common courtesy of a well balanced, approachable flavor profile.  The Piglet's IPA does not suffer from this folly.  Weighing in at 55 IBUs, it has enough hop flavor to keep you interested and enough malt flavor to keep you from switching over to PBR.  A well crafted effort that's more than worth a sip — but be sure to get there quick — as of 9 p.m. last night, they only had a half a keg left! —Caleb Curtiss

——

Because I can't smell things too good (the result of a childhood broken nose) I tend to disregard the scent of things and fixate on how they play over my tongue. Because of this, I usually think of my beers as little tiny meals, and so usually I don't appreciate the bitter taste associated with most popular IPA's. I recall, as a child, being given little pieces of paBrewmaster Bill!!!!per with different flavors on them (this was apparently instructional to some degree). I do not remember putting the bitter piece of paper on my tongue and thinking 'Yes! That is how I'll spend my adulthood!'. But I also remember thinking Doritos's and Mountain Dew kicked ass (whereas today, I am may still believe this to be true, but feel a quiet shame for it). As it turns out, the IPA's I've been un-enjoying over the past few years are actually 'double IPA's', which have a pretty hefty International Bitterness Unit (IBU) rating. However... the Blind Pig Brewery IPA is a 'single' IPA, which makes it awesome and delicious to those who don't drink just to show how much of something terrible they can put up with. Three sips in and you'll taste bits of citrus-y fruit pass over your tongue. Three beers in, and you'll be hugging your bartender. Good stuff. —Michael Curtin

Hard Cider (Made with Curtis Orchard apples)

Robert: CiderFor some reason not related to taste, texture, or intelligence, I hate apples. Furthermore, I hate the very concept of turning apple cider into booze. To me, it's a ridiculous notion, like fermenting Kool-Aid, or cutting pixie-sticks with cocaine. But before you get caught up with the ins and outs of subverting my childhood with adult depression-induced debauchery, consider this: I really like the Blind Pig Brewery's Hard Cider. Here's why; it tastes like early summer apples when you bite too close to the core, as opposed to fall-time apple-mush, which always invokes a 'slipping into the darkness of winter' feeling. It's a summer cider, bitter and boozy, and it makes your tongue feel like it's been zapped with a battery. I approve in a sort of stoic, clear eyed Illinois way. —Michael Curtin

——

The last time I had a hard cider I was hitchhiking around the British Isles with a close friend. Not being of legal age back home, a great portion of our time was spent thumbing rides from one pub to the next. I've now had a full decade to let that experience ruminate and wrap itself in the hazy golden light of nolstagia. That being said, this cider was as good as anything I remember drinking on that trip. Maybe it's the local apples (I love you, Curtis), or maybe it's the local water, what with the Mahomet aquifer holding 4 trillion gallons of the freshest 12,000-year-old water you'll ever taste. Either way, the end product is pretty damn good. The fruit taste is subtle even as it provides a distinct and suprising element to the tongue of one's drunk. Clear and crisp, the cider thankfully lacked the cloying frutiness and perfume aftertaste that is its potential. I also tried the Kolsch, but this was, easily, my preferred drink for the night. —Robert Hirschfeld

10 comments

username

ben

#1

and what they be chargin’ for the local brew?

username

Anthony

#2

The pints are going for between 4 and 4.50 each.
Also, the Ben Franklin quote in the lead of the article is misattributed. Ben Franklin, by all accounts, wasn’t a beer fan. Instead he wrote, “Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.“

username

Matt

#3

Yea, it was that Sam Adams fella who preferred the brews… mostly for their help in inciting riots in front of Customs Houses…
 
I heard tell the IPA has a diacityl (sp?) taste to it… that would probably make me ask for my money back if true. Can anyone shed some light?

Stef avatar

Stef

#4

Oh, joyjoyjoy!! I can’t wait to try the IPA, and I tend to hate cider beers, but I’ll give it a try. Heck, I’ll give them all a try. I assume you can get the new beers in their sampler doohickey.

Doug Hoepker avatar featured_post

Doug Hoepker

#5

Stef—I went last night (Wednesday) at 5. While they still had the other three beers, the IPA was all tapped out.

Caleb Curtiss avatar featured_post

Caleb Curtiss

#6

Hey Matt,
 
I didn’t detect any diacetyl or any other off flavors for that matter.  It had its fair share of malt going, but it didn’t taste buttery or anything like that.  I’d say maybe we were drinking from a different keg, but that particular off flavor tends to occur as the result of an impurity in the process of fermentation, which would have gotten to all the beer. Maybe my pallet was off, but it tasted good to me (while it lasted).

username

Timbo

#7

Not to kill the buzz, but I tried all the beers, and the only one that I thought that was worth returning to was the IPA. I am sure they will get better at brewing, and I will be very happy when they do. If the size and exuberance of the crowd at the bar on Tuesday is any indication, they will have the resources to continue on and further experiment. For now, however, I will enjoy one of their many beers from other places.

username

DC

#8

I was a little diappointed with the new beers.  The Kolsch and IPA were OK, but not stellar by any means.  Honeslty, for $4.50 or whatever it is, it isn’t worth it.  There are much better beers on the menu. 

username

Sadly

#9

what DC says is true. The BP cider and the BP brew had the same “off” taste - sour and not quite complete. Maybe I’ll go back in a month or two.

username

beergeek

#10

According to the brewmaster, the cider was slightly sour because the apple juice it was made from was pressed from a mix of sweet and sour apples, and that was not his first choice. As far as diacetyl in the English IPA, the BJCP guidelines clearly state, “<span class=“content”>Very low levels of diacetyl are acceptable” for this style, and the 2009 Brewer’s Association guidelines say, “Diacetyl can be absent or may be perceived at very low levels,“ and “The absence of diacetyl is desirable, though, diacetyl (butterscotch character) is acceptable and characteristic when at very low levels.“ Personally, I didn’t detect any, but obviously even a little isn’t out of the ordinary. The Kolsch and the Weizen were both tasty as well. Not everyone wants a hop bomb. Simply put, the beer was good and they sold out of a lot of it in a very short time. And as for the price of a pint, I’ve visited a lot of brewpubs, and the list of brewpubs where you can get a pint for under $4 is very short, in fact, it’s quite possibly non-existant.
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