HEARTLAND OF YESTERYEAR (Heartland Brewery)

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

SADLY, HEARTLAND BREWERY IS NOW CLOSED.

While the NY craft beer scene continues to expand with breweries, craft beer bars, and restaurants that brew their own beer, Heartland Brewery has sort of gotten the short end of the stick. I remember visiting the original Union Square location back in 2001 and feeling like I was in a casual brewpub in suburban America. It felt like a TGI Friday’s or Applebee’s, but with better food and exciting beer. In fact, this was probably the first place I ever tried a pumpkin ale and realized that beer didn’t have to taste solely like bread and water.

Back then, the beer was probably still brewed on premises. This was also before the restaurant expanded and really began to emulate those previously mentioned casual chain restaurants by opening six more locations across the city. Now it’s just as likely that a tourist from middle America has eaten at the Heartland Brewery below the Empire State Building as it is that they’ve waited in line at the Olive Garden in Times Square. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that most of the Heartland Brewery locations are in tourist heavy neighborhoods (Theater District, South Street Seaport, Radio City, etc.).

It’s mostly because of this and the strong corporate feel of the eateries that I’ve rarely returned. I’ve had a beer at a few of the other locations, but I had not been back to the original in Union Square for almost a decade.

Now that I’m tasting as much NY beer as possible, it was time for a return visit. The beer is now made at an industrial brewery in Brooklyn called Greenpoint Beer Works, which is also the home to Kelso of Brooklyn. All the beer (in addition to some contract brewing for Empire and Great South Bay Brewery) is supervised by Kelly Taylor, the brewmaster and co-founder of Kelso. Since the beer is brewed in one location, it enables them to keep a consistent product while continuing to experiment with new styles and brew a large amount of product. I was fortunate enough to visit the brewery and interview Kelly for my recent beer video.

The beers here are available as a pint, a half pint, a 23 ouncer, or as part of a beer sampler. Anybody who knows me or this blog knows which one I chose. I’m all about the samplers – the most bang for my buck and the best way to taste as many beers as possible in one sitting without falling down.

There were two samplers to choose from and I chose the larger of the two ($14.95) which includes all six of their signature brews plus a choice of one of their seasonal beers and their Empire State Premium. Whew! I was in for some serious drinking.

The 5 ounce pours were certainly enough to get a good taste of each beer. I followed the order suggestion (numbers are engraved onto the wooden beer tray) by starting with the Indian River Light Ale. It had the most impressive creamy head with lots of good carbonation. I got bready fresh grains and sweet malts on the nose. Surprisingly, the most prominent flavor was orange peel. That was unexpected, but easy to drink with a smooth finish. It had a very light body and a strong drinkablity.

Next up was the Cornhusker Lager with its clear golden color and subtle carbonation. Wheat and cereal revealed itself on the nose. This beer smelled very much like fresh corn flakes. On the mouth, there was a slight creaminess and the medium bodied beer finished easily and sweet. This might be the most aptly named beer on the docket – really made me feel like I was out in the fields (in a good way, of course).

The Harvest Wheat continued the theme of freshness. It was unfiltered and hazy with a lemon garnish to bring out the flavors. I tried to sniff far from the lemon wedge residue, but I still got mostly lemon and some ginger on the nose. The palette wasn’t terribly complex but it was light and drinkable. I’ve had tastier and more interesting wheat beers.

I found the Red Rooster Ale very smooth and balanced. It was a dark amber color with some hints of ruby red. The head had vanished by the time I got to tasting the beer and there wasn’t too much on the nose – maybe some caramel malt. It did have a nice richness with notes of toffee and a smooth nutty finish.

Their version of an IPA is called Indiana Pale Ale and it shines with a hazy orange color and aromas of grapefruit and fresh hops. I found this a very mild IPA with balanced bitterness and a spicy finish. It’s definitely more of an east coast style and the hops did not overwhelm the other flavors.

The last signature beer is named after Heartland Brewery’s owner Jon Bloostein and has won awards at the Great American Beer Festival. It’s their Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout. Above the tan head and dark brown body, I could smell a nutty butteriness with some chocolate and coffee notes. I was surprised that I found the beer a bit watery, but it had a nice creamy, light finish with a hint of burnt coffee. Surprisingly, I detected very little oatmeal character.

I then got a sample of the Empire Premium Beer, which seems to be available all year long so I’m not sure why it’s not part of their signature collection. This is a pilsner so it’s very light and probably should have been further up on the tasting order. It’s completely clear with golden hues and very little aroma. The taste revealed a lot of flavor, however, with some firm hoppiness and a wonderful crisp dry finish.

And finally, the seasonal beer I chose was the Not Tonight Honey Porter, which was only available January and February. It would be a perfect Valentine’s Day beer (so start planning now for 2013) with an interesting combo of black coffee and honey. It had a tight dark creamy head and a very black complexion. I found molasses and milk chocolate to be the overwhelming aromas and the taste matched that. It had a powerful roast flavor, but finished smooth and nutty.

The menu lists quite a few rotating seasonal beers and so I felt like I should return to try something that wasn’t available the first time around.

After one of my Food Cart tours in the Financial District, I stopped by the South Street Seaport location, which seems to focus on barbecue in the food department. I sat at the bar and had a tall pint of one of Heartland’s most well-known beers, the Summertime Apricot Ale.

Generally, I think of fruit beers as cloyingly sweet and sugary. Of course, this was not that. The hazy orange brew had a nice solid head and barely even smelled of fruit. Fresh wheat and yeast were the major notes on the nose with a subtle hint of apricot or peach underneath. I tasted fresh apricot first in a very subtle way with a very pleasant malt backbone. The beer was restrained and refreshing. The carbonation was heavy, but the body was light. It’s a very good summer ale.

Most of the beers featured vivid flavors I wouldn’t necessarily expect. The throughline of the sampler was certainly a focus on fresh, harvest ingredients and quality beer. It’s surprising to find this level of suds at a chain restaurant. And while the beer is no longer brewed on premises, it’s brewed close enough. So while the other big guys might be getting all the attention, Heartland has been doing this for a long time. And continue to do it well.

Is Heartland Brewery the best brewery in NY? Well, it’s not technically a brewery any longer since the beer is made elsewhere. But based on the amount of quality production coming out of Greenpoint Beer Works, I might have to hint that they are.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Indian River Light Ale the best beer in NY? It tasted fresh and light with surprising notes of orange. 8 out of 10.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Cornhusker Lager the best beer in NY? It felt like I was taking a taste of the heartland of America so I have to give it a 9 out of 10 thanks to it’s fresh, sweet and balanced flavor.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Harvest Wheat the best beer in NY? 7 out of 10 since it’s a fine example of an American wheat ale, but didn’t do anything special for me.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Red Rooster Ale the best beer in NY? I loved the strong nutty, roast flavors and balanced hop character earning it a 9 out of 10.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Indiana Pale Ale the best beer in NY? The mild IPA is utterly drinkable with its fruity grapefruit notes and spicy backbone earning it an 8 out of 10.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout the best beer in NY? Even though it won multiple awards, I give it a 7 out of 10 since I found it a bit watery with some pleasant notes of chocolate and roasted nuts, but not much oatmeal.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Empire Premium Beer the best beer in NY? 8 out of 10 for having lots of hop flavor but still maintaining a crisp, balanced finish.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Not Tonight Honey Porter the best beer in NY? I loved the combination of rich molasses, milk chocolate, and clover honey. It was surprising, not too sweet, and made me fall in love. 9 out of 10.

Is Heartland Brewery’s Summertime Apricot Ale the best beer in NY? The subtle apricot notes with crisp malt and a refreshing effervescence makes this an 8 out of 10 that I could drink all summer long.