Latest Reviews

Double Dry Hopped pseudoSue
Toppling Goliath
Modus Vivendi
Wild Beer Co.
Spaceman
Brewfist

Recent Articles

Shameless
Craft brewer sellouts become as tone-deaf and underhanded as their new overlords. Great Taste Eve
Check out the burgeoning Madison beer scene the night before the best fest in country. Good Beer Makes Good Conversation
The effects of drinking beer worth talking about. The Beers of Walmart
The largest retailer in the world now has its own line of beers. Our Take on the Lagunitas-Heineken Deal
Fuck Lagunitas. archives »

Beer Reviews

Yellow Card APA

Copper Canyon Brewery
Southfield, MI
USA
http://www.coppercanyonbrewery.com

Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%

Rings’s Rating:
   (World class.)


Comments:
To review from my initial coverage of the brewery, Copper Canyon is located in Southfield, Michigan, near the intersection of M-10 and I-696, although one has to drive over the river and through the woods upon finding an exit from the highway to find the front door.

Southfield is more or less a business district, full of office buildings, strip malls, shopping centers and tons of traffic. And this little brewpub fits right in, with a bright urban and slightly upscale atmosphere to accompany a hearty menu featuring all the “American” fare you’d expect from an Applebee’s or a Chili’s, but with a little local twist and a couple extra bucks tacked on the prices.

Their beer ain’t bad either.

On this visit, I tried one of their seasonals, Yellowcard APA (American Pale Ale), which turned out to be an excellent choice.

Served unfiltered, this is orange in color with a light hoppy aroma as the glass greets your nose. Going down with a creamy, with a lacy glass cling, it has a light, sweet nose and a rolling hoppy tang that lingers on the finish. There is a soft, herbal quality here that blends magically with the creamy sweetness. This is an absolutely wonderful brew and an unexpected surprise. While certainly not extreme, it’s subtle, complex, and balanced.

Because it’s a seasonal, I don’t know how long it will be on tap or if it will return, but if you’re on hand, do not miss a chance to try it … and make sure you try it first, before throwing other flavors on your palate. Give it a couple good sips to sink in and enjoy.

Reviewed by Rings on November 22, 2010.

Happy Anniversary, Tyranena Brewing!

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Want to know how healthy the craft beer industry is? As always, look to Portland. Craft pioneer Bridgeport announces sudden closure, adding to a growing list of PDX casualties. Did Anheuser-Busch Chicago offer their shit beer to Cody Parkey before his missed field goal? Because that may explain why he "accidentally" biffed it. Chicago now has the most breweries of any city in the country. Other things Chicago has the most of: murders, mobsters, and Ditkas. Trying to spin it positive, BA releases end of year graphic. Only 5% growth in the craft sector when nearly 1000 new breweries opened? That's a collapse waiting to happen. R.I.P. Tallgrass... another casualty as the regional/national craft beer market continues to get squeezed. Wait... Constellation Brands cut all of the Ballast Point and Funky Buddha sales staff? They merged it with their Corona/Modelo staff?? We're SHOCKED!!! Pizza Beer founder crying about failure of company, blames everyone else. Reminder, the beer tasted like vomit. Try having better ideas or making better products so you're not a failure. It's Bud Light so doesn't really matter, but we expect this beer to be sitting around for awhile. Indiana brewery to open with controversial beer names to "get the conversation going". Translation: taking advantage of serious issues for free publicity. Hundreds of amazing beers in Wisconsin and the Cubs took back the one everyone drinks just because it exists and people have heard of it. How fitting...