FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN
Located behind gigantic Bronner’s Christmas Store, castle-like wood-arched BLACK FOREST BREWHAUS featured upstairs and basement level banquet facilities plus patio area to complement ski lodge-styled main area. On September ‘04 afternoon trip up from Detroit, discovered many fine libations at this capacious ‘Little Bavaria’ outpost.
Well defined dark brews seem to be specialty, as per terrific smoked chocolate-fronted, mash tun-wafted, butterscotch-soured, maple-sugared ‘Muth Porter, dry earthen-grained, coffee-roasted, oats-charred, anise-embittered Sully’s Irish Stout, and creamy chocolate malted Russian Imperial Stout (with its sugared fig-date-raisin cluster, sweet cherry wining and spiced rum lacquering).
While moderate-bodied, lemon-limed, Vienna-styled Amber Waves Of Grain Lager and pallid lemon-dried, bubble-gummy, wheat-backed Woody’s Light Golden Ale denote lighter fare, sharp red-fruited, ruby grapefruit-tingled, perfume hop-embittered IPA, lemony pine-hopped Frolfing Pale Ale, and dark-fruited, pecan-buttered, raisin-figged Scottish Rye Ale signify more complex fare.
Seasonal brews included harshly brass-toned, raw-honeyed, spice-hopped Honey Bee Wheat and phenol, floral-dried, apricot-soured Angry Bald Man Bitter.