Belated Beer Review

This has been a crushingly busy week, but right near the very end of the week I had the opportunity to taste a real treat.

The historic holder of Michigan's first brewpub license is an eclectic restaurant in downtown Detroit, not too far from the DIA, called the Traffic Jam and Snug. It's got a little bit of everything on its menu, but of most note, this weird little slice of heaven features its own dairy and its own little brewery. In fact, in 1992, the Traffic Jam became Michigan's first brewpub. Tangentally, a brew pub allows for the sale of beer brewed on-premises, but it is not bottled or sold outside of the pub.

The beer list currently holds the Grand Theft Pilsner, an oatmeal stout, an IPA and a doppelbock. I chose to try the doppel.

All in all, this was a very nicely-constructed brew. It came to the table a lovely deep brown/black with ruby highlights and a thick, pillowy off-white head.

I immediately smelled bananas-and-chocolate, backed by a lovely roasted coffee. Really, the only bitterness came from the dark-roasted malt though there was a hint of floral hops that balanced the beer well.

The taste was a very nicely balanced beer. It is nowhere near the calibre of Ayinger or Paulaner, mind you, but for locally-brewed beer in small quantities in a brew pub, it was very balanced and drinkable. There was a nice roasted flavor right up front balanced by a malty sweetness that was neither subtle nor cloying. And there, after some hops shone through, was that lovely chocolate flavor that makes doppelbocks all taste like drinking chocolate milk and beer. Yum!

Again, all in all thi was a solid, drinkable, sessionable beer. I could see sitting there for hours at a time and never switching beers. The beer was very light-bodied and slightly watery, but really those are minor in the grand scheme of this beer.

So for all 5 of my Michigan-based readers, go visit the Traffic Jam and Snug. Enjoy their beers and take home some delicious cheese...it all tastes greatwith the beers they brew (in the fine tradition of European catholic monks brewing beer and making cheese in the same place; Roquefort, anyone?).