First, more on tap at my local haunt, the beer-serious Arbor Brewing Company:
- Arbor Brewing Big Ben House Mild. Ann Arbor, Michigan (english mild pale ale) - appears orange with thin white head, smell nice cool nose, mouthfeel spark carbonation that I am not a big fan of, steely, taste gentle acorn, okay taste, nice steely with slight yeast, okay flavors, but not particularly special
- Arbor Brewing Hefeweizen. Ann Arbor, Michigan (american hefeweizen) – appears orange brown cloudy, thin white head, smell great nose with good depth, mouthfeel thin but firm, taste great explosive flavor, firm banana, but not overly so, fruity and very decent, darkness lurking which I liked, better than expected, no problem enjoying the whole thing
- Arbor Brewing Crye Baby Rye. Ann Arbor, Michigan (rye) 7.75%, 23 IBU - appears light red, thin off white head, smell soft brownies, super nice nose, mouthfeel tight with even carbonation, taste nice earthy flavorful, bit sweet, delicious, fun granola beer
- Arbor Brewing Milestone Cask Porter. Ann Arbor, Michigan. (american porter) - appears black with tan head, smell soft elegant nose, mouthfeel even and slithery, fun, taste awesome cocoa, finely ground, lightly savory with fantastic non-intensity, rich without feeling of richness, stunningly low grade delicious, fantastic stuff
- Arbor Brewing Batch 1000 Smoked Lager. Ann Arbor, Michigan (smoked beer) 5.5% - appears beautiful red with thin white head, smell smoky animal fat, lots of bacon here, mouthfeel thin with loose bubbles, taste simple bacon, flavors are flat and overly simple, lacks any depth whatsover, blech
- Arbor Brewing Faricy Fest Irish Stout. Ann Arbor, Michigan (irish dry stout) 4.5% - smell faint smoky/peaty nose, mouthfeel thick carbonation, taste even dark earthy smoke, simple, but pretty nice, drinkable rounded and fresh, but not particularly interesting
Then a couple at the very popular early-closing outdoor-seating high-decibel Dominick's which has a much more respectable on-tap selection then I had anticipated (but since I have learned Ann Arbor has a very respectable beer culture). A fun place and one where one need not drink macrolagers--though drinking from a mason jar is obligatory:
- Bell's Oberon. Kalamazoo, Michigan (american pale wheat ale) – appears orange pineapple, smell flat fruit cocktail, but not much of a nose out of a mason jar, mouthfeel even with big bubbles, taste unfortunate rotten pineapple, unlikable, blech, can't see the appeal on this one. Evidently seen as the default/favorite beers amongst the locals--my one experience with it really not to my taste. Really not--though I seem to like Bell's brews in general.
- Arcadia Lake Superior ESB. Battle Creek, Michigan. (extra special bitter) - appears bright red jelly, smell woodwork and toolshed with earthy orange peel, mouthfeel loose carbonation, frothy, taste oddly drying sandpaper, lots of rye and hops, definitely has flavor, but nothing about it caught my attention, meh
And more of my by-the-bottle explorations . . . Dark Horse was an excellent recommendation for a serious brewer by my beer geek housemate:
- Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA. Marshall, Michigan. (american india pale ale) - appears bright caramel red, thin tan head, smell interesting piney hops, dried sweet herbs, still pretty fresh--which I found impressive, given the piney notes, mouthfeel foamy and frothy, soft and gliding foam, taste nice rich hops, little pine cone on edge, very hopsy, almost syrup, but more refreshing and interesting, light enough, nice
- Dark Horse Raspberry Ale. Marshall, Michigan (fruit beer) – appears orange cloudy with white head, smell distinct raspberry, very fresh, light zest, super nice, mouthfeel slightly thick and blocky, taste crisp good grip, certain but not sweet raspberry, tasty, not cloying, enjoyable summer beer
- Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale. Marshall, Michigan (tripel) - appears beautiful chrome with white head, smell fantastic fresh richness, slight honey, mouthfeel slight carbonation with foamy easiness, taste breakfast cereal, sweet and crunchy, but very restrained, delicious and slightly cinnamonesque, alcohol does not interfere in any way, incredibly well balanced and far easier to drink than I'd expect