Big Shag Big Stout - HDW Review

Backdated repost of an HDW missive from Camp. An important historical link in the Big Shag Big Stout saga, and pointing to the future of yooper home brews:

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: Big Shag Big Stout - Sept 3 2005
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2005 22:59:37 -0500
From: HDW

Big Shag Big Stout - Sept 3 2005:

I am at the cabin, ending a near three week stay. I have posted 7 Big Shag updates, but frankly they'd be about 10 megs of pics, so I"m not forwarding them on now and crushing your in boxes. The first 2 1/2 weeks I was here with Jonah and Leah. Then I was called to the office for a meeting on AUG 31, drove down in a hurry, and left the tribe there. Returned to finish up some work here, and thought I should at long last try the stout, and retrieved a bottle from the well.

It is 51 degrees here, at 9PM and the temp is supposed to go into the low 40's tonight. The wood stove is keeping things fine and toasty, and true to its efficient form, I have the windows open because otherwise it'd be too hot in here.

The Big squared fizzed nicely on opening. A fine head on decanting, and good at the nose.

Yesterday I was out at Little camp, and looking at the river a bit beyond the dirt road turnoff. The clouds, river, sky, all said take this picture, so I did.

And .. Lo and behold I discovered a fine vine in complete harvest mode growing up the "do not pass" sign. The sign vine transplanted by Joel in the spring did not survive. But, this is evidence a wild U.P. hop strain doing just fine along the banks of the Escanaba. Perhaps some future trip east from the brewmaster on Labor day will mean an all Escanaba brew : water and hops. A detail of the vine:

The Big squared caught me off guard at first, as I was anticipating something heavier like a Guinness. It's lighter and chocolaty. No hint of Bay muck, algae or "bass Pee" at all. A fine stout. Another reason for a trip on Labor day may be to sample these:

About a dozen and a half of these boletus edulis came up in the front lawn at big shag. I am doing a spore print as a safety and plan on cooking these up tomorrow with a trout with Mike in Menominee. I'll report later to the mycophagists here on the success of the feast.

Lastly, Thought I'd finish with this guy, snapped on the bank when fishing yesterday.

A white sided tree frog.

How was the beer? Pretty good.

Big Shag Big Stout #5 of 12