I am embarrassed to admit it, but I hadn’t been to Block Brewing Company in Howell until recently. A trip to an outdoor Halloween laser light show took me out that way and what a find! I’ve discovered that it is rare to find a brewpub that creates tasty food and worthy beers, and Block has done it! I had a flight of their beers that included their Blocktoberfest; Pumpkin Head; Blockhead, which combined the Blocktoberfest and Pumpkin Head; and Blonde Stout.
The Blocktoberfest proved to be a solid märzen, which is one of my favorite styles simply because I think it is difficult to make a good Oktoberfest beer. You don’t get the luxury of playing with a bunch of different types of hops or adding spices to round things out – you get the malt, the yeast, the water. This one had a nice balance with the taste of malt, medium body, no hint of cloying sweetness or hoppiness.
The pumpkin spiced amber named Pumpkin Head was balanced with just the right amount of pumpkin spices and malt. It poured a shade of the loveliest jack o lantern with a robust head. Spicy nose, clean finish.
The Blockhead really brought together the best of both worlds in that it had the malty crispness of the märzen but the delicate spice of the amber.
Block’s Blonde Stout rounded out my flight, a perfect dessert beer. I am often skeptical of the fad of “blonde” porters and stouts but this one succeeded. It look like a light headed lager but the nose gave it away – chocolate, coffee, vanilla. Light on tongue, the beer started off with a strong hit of chocolate before easing into the other flavors.
My favorite out of the flight was the Pumpkin Head. It would have made a nice pairing with last week’s beer review of the Saugatuck Brewing Company’s Peanut Butter Porter. Enjoy these tasty beers while they last – Christmas beers and their spices are right around the corner!
Disclaimer: Patti purchased this flight of beers for review!
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