Beer Guide 2014: Bunsenbrewer

Bunsenbrewer

16506 SE 362nd Ave., Sandy, 308-3150, facebook.com/Bunsenbrewer. 11 am-11 pm daily.

Aaron Hanson, a scientist by education, majored in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. When he realized how much chemistry is involved in brewing, he set out to combine the two. After a year of planning, Sandy's Bunsenbrewer opened for business at the end of December. The brewery's branding is science-focused, with the periodic table and a picture of Einstein hanging on the walls. Tasters are served in beakers on the kind of rubber tray you'd use to dissect frogs in high-school biology. We visited a few days after Bunsen opened to find only two house beers on tap: a Belgian Tripel called the Palmer and an oatmeal stout called the Planck. Every batch is an experiment, Hanson says. Our preliminary data was inconclusive. The Belgian Tripel project went horribly wrong, ending up uncomfortably sour with a sharp metallic aftertaste. The oatmeal stout was more promising, malty sweet with mildly toasty aromas. In future tests, Hanson says he will experiment with styles and recipes until he's happy with his findings. SAVANNAH WASSERMAN.

DRINK THIS: The Planck is smooth, malty and drinkable.


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