I'm not sure how many people, percentage-wise, are so overtly pro-Michigan that they would go through the necessary effort of brewing a beer that was made entirely of Michigan-grown materials. I guess it's good to have your beer have a theme, but I'm not sure it's strictly necessary. Certainly, I wouldn't think it would be so necessary that you would eschew other, potentially better, sources for your ingredients just so you can slap a label on it saying that it is a Michigan beer. But, I'm not in Michigan. Maybe I just don't get it.
The golden beer has a nice, sticky head that is made up of surprisingly small bubbles. During the pour, it's evident that there will be haziness by the various chunks of detritus that break up on impact with the top of the beer or the side of the glass and disperse into the center of the beer. The aroma is biscuits, lemon, grapefruit, and lemongrass. It smells tart.First sip is not as difficult as I thought. The tartness and the malt really made the scent a bit... intimidating, but the reality is much more pleasurable. The taste follows the nose, but it's more watered down than the comparatively thick aroma. That may sound bad, but the smell needed watering down, so the sip is pretty good. It leaves an odd tang in the mouth afterward that probably will do better in the swig.
Tip-in is light carbonation tingle with pine and citrus mixing with the biscuit malt. The middle brings the pine up to the nose to give a slight sting in concert with the carbonation while citrus and biscuit try to mellow underneath. The finish is a tartness that lapses into bitter before the dry and bitter pine trail off.
Bottom Line: Not the greatest, but not the worst.
2.5/5