In life, there are many types of “chaos.” Sometimes it’s utter and sometimes it’s controlled, but have you heard of the nobel kind? Read on to learn the story behind our favorite fall brews, Noble Chaos.
“Noble Chaos started life as “Northern Michigan Pride.” It was batch number 115, brewed on 8/4/05, back in the day when Leah and I had a secret summer love affair. It was a spur of the moment recipe. I decided to brew something completely different from the norm, specialty Lager. And so it began, a bag of this, a bag of that and the brew was on. Or so I thought. Back in the olden days of SBC, system failures were a daily occurrence. This particular day was no exception.
Missing Keg Order Number One: The Pub was raging busy and probably understaffed, and the first issue of the day was a missing keg order for a very concerned bride. The keg order fell through the cracks somewhere and was never seen or processed in the brewery. After apologizing profusely and assuring her we could produce these kegs faster than going to another brewery, I was able to pull apart 3 – 1/6th barrels, clean, and fill them the “old school way,” all while continuing to brew our first specialty Lager brew. Crisis averted.
Bellaire Brown Lady: Next walked in a woman determined to fill her growler with Bellaire Brown. Of course, we were out of Bellaire Brown. No other beer would suffice. She had traveled some distance for this beer and was not going to leave without it. So we were keeping it cool and searching for a solution when … EUREKA!! The Bellaire Bar was serving Bellaire Brown at the time. After some pleading with the bartender, I managed to talk them into selling me a growler of Bellaire Brown. I paid for the growler and ran back to the pub in my knee high boots just in time to appease the lady and get back to the brew. Crises averted.
Forgotten Keg Order Number Two: Oh, yeah, not once but twice, keg order protocol failure… Not only was I out of kegs, but also out of tappers. The MacGyver in me was able to materialize 3 Cornie kegs and fabricate dispensing rigs from a handful of “parts bins” for each vessel. This is probably why I’m still a pack rat. Again, crisis averted.
Despite numerous obstacles and a trying day at the pub, our new specialty Lager still turned out to be an awesome brew. Overcoming the chaos of that particular day in Bellaire required what I consider to be a noble effort… hence the name, Noble Chaos. According to Leah, that’s the day I stole her heart. But that’s a story for another day…”
Noble Chaos (6.5% ABV – 40 IBU) is an Oktoberfest/Marzen (German style Amber Lager) with a subtle hop bouquet and toasted caramel malt flavors. It is a well-balanced beer that finishes fresh and clean. With a pleasant nose and medium body, this brew is a taste of the fall season. Find Noble Chaos at the pub, Pull Barn, Short’s Mart, and throughout Michigan on tap and at your favorite stores.
