Johnny "Blood" Red Coming out of the gate, the Roundtable headed right into one of Titletown's most popular house brews, Johnny "Blood" Red. This Irish Red Ale is named after Johnny "Blood" McNally, a Green Bay Packers halfback from 1929-33. Not quite as red as some Irish Reds, Johnny has more of a dark-peach complexion. It pours with a nice, thick, creamy head. Up front, the aroma has a distinctly fruity undertone. In terms of taste, it has a rather surprising malty flavor with just a touch of caramel. The Golding hops lend a nice counterbalance. This is not a rich, malty beer, nor is it overly hoppy. We thought Johnny was not an extremely lively beer, which we agreed isn't a bad thing. Titletown has plenty of really bold choices on its beer menu. For a simple Irish Red to compliment your meal, Johnny is one of those great "anytime" choices. English Ale selection of conditioned unfiltered cask-English style "real ales" from the beer cellar housed in the top floor bar. Starting with Golden-Promise barley from Scotland, he has added English hops and English yeast. The beer is served from a hand-pumped beer engine at cellar temperature and with minimal carbonation. Poured from the pitcher, it appears a darker gold than the picture above shows. It poured with a thin soapy head due to the low carbonation, and released a heavier malt aroma and less aromatic bite than one would expect from a bitter. On first taste, we noticed some thin, fruity flavors which we didn't expect. This gave way to a nutty, bitter taste, which finished clean, leaving only a hint of an aftertaste that was both sweet and satisfying. Even though it's not as bitter as the ESBs that you would find in, well, England, this beer is a great American introduction to the world of bitters. Railyard Ale A regular offering, Railyard Ale is a Dusseldorf Altbier. Brewmaster David Olderburg says it marries the complexity of an ale to the smooth and clean palate of a lager. It pours a nice copper color with a good head that continuously replenishes. It has a slightly bitter, hoppy aroma with just the right amount of a smokey malt undertone. It has a good, roasted taste, and is just bold and hoppy enough. As with any good altbier, it doesn't confuse the tongue with too much complexity. With a clean, dry finish, it's not unlike many of the beers we've found during visits to Germany. A perfect beer for a crisp spring or autumn evening. Meditator Ahh, the meditator. This is one beer we've found damn hard to explain. A creation of David's, the Meditator is a Belgian Doppelbock. That is, a combination of two monastic beer styles, the German Doppelbock and the Belgian Strong Ale. This dark, ruby-colored beer is truly distinctive. It pours with a fine, caramel head that lasts a while. The first taste that hits your tongue is the good, peppery Belgian flavor. Then the sweet, roasted and chocolatey tastes of the malts of the Doppelbock side of the blend emerge. We found this to be an interesting marriage of two great beer styles, pulling out the best of each. A specialty beer, the Meditator hits at 7% ABV, the highest you'll find at Titletown. This is one we definitely wouldn't mind seeing perfected a bit and added to the list of regulars. Bridge Out Stout A favorite of the locals on these cold Wisconsin winter nights, this oatmeal stout is a meal unto itself. The Bridge Out Stout is poured using nitrogen. It has a gorgeous, deep-brown body with a full, thick, creamy head and a slightly nutty aroma. Uncomplicated, like an oatmeal stout should be, it offers tastes of coffee, cocoa, caramel and a hint of smoke. We hope you'll be able to try all of Titletown's selections, but if you can only try one, this is our choice. January 2008 |
Our first-ever Featured Brewery is a place we at MidwestMicroBrews have found ourselves more than a few times: Titletown Brewing Company here in our hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. History Housed in a depot originally built for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway in 1897, Titletown Brewing opened its doors in 1996. Very quickly, Titletown became a destination restaurant for tourists and locals alike. In the heart of downtown Green Bay, Titletown serves as an upscale smoke-free restaurant and microbrewery. Owners have made every effort to beautifully preserve the 100-year history of this city landmark. In December 1999, the depot was officially named to the National Register of Historic Places. The Restaurant Titletown has a wide range of classic American food, everything form burgers and wraps to some of the best pizzas in town. Not too hungry? Try one of their great appetizers like fresh beer-battered cheese curds, or have a cup of their Beer Cheese Soup which they make with one of their signature brews, 400 Honey Ale. While their food is great, the real attraction for us is the beer. The Beer Titletown's Brewmaster, David Oldenburg apprenticed at the Brewery for years, before taking the helm about a year and a half ago. Still a young man, he has already established himself as an accomplished brewmaster. Given a great amount of creative freedom from Titletown President Brent Weycker, David has created some amazing specialty beers, while maintaining the high quality of their signature brews. We visited David recently and took time to sample some of his best. It's a tough job we have, but somebody's gotta do it. |
Titletown Brewing Company Reviews |
Titletown Brewing Company 200 Dousman Street Green Bay, WI 54303 Phone: (920) 437-BEER (2337) Brewmaster: David Oldenberg |
MidwestMicroBrews, 118 S. Washington Street #402B, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301 |
| Featured Brewer Archives |
| Featured Brewer Archives Titletown Brewing Company Green Bay, Wisconsin Grumpy Troll Restaurant & Brewery Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Central Waters Brewing Company Amherst, Wisconsin Stone Cellar Brewpub Appleton, Wisconsin Arbor Brewing Company Ann Arbor, Michigan Detroit Beer Company Detroit, Michigan The Herkimer Pub & Brewery Minneapolis, Minnesota Copper Canyon Brewery Southfield, Michigan Sun King Brewing Company Indianapolis, Indiana |