Insular: the Upper Peninsula

Beer Snob | June 15th, 2016

It is completely different than anywhere else in the U.S.

Ripe with hills and rolling forests, the region borders both Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. There are more miles of snowmobile trails than actual roads in this old mining country. It’s a different style of life and leisure in Upper Michigan, almost like living on an island.

Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette brews Coconut Brown here. And the last place coconuts belong is on the shores of Lake Superior where the average snowfall comes close to 10 feet.

If coconuts belong anywhere it’s in Jamaica, and when people think of Jamaica, they think of Bob Marley. That’s why this brown ale from the UP will be paired with Bob Marley & The Wailers “Uprising.”

“Uprising” was released in 1980, making it the last studio album Marley released.

The initial taste of Coconut Brown is that of a rich, chocolatey brown ale, but the coconut taste is notably absent. “Uprising” starts like any reggae album, with a 4/4 count and offbeat instrumentals.

Although I haven’t heard this record, the first track “Coming in From the Cold” offers the polished sound of the studio album, even coming through on my turntable.

The next sip leads to a hint more coconut, but it hardly overwhelms the palate. It’s just an easy-drinking brown ale. The instrumental sounds and musical stylings are exactly what a person would think of when they think of reggae.

The more I drink Coconut Brown, the more I enjoy it. The first taste hints more and more at chocolate and the signature flavor finishes the sip smooth. This brew is available year-round at Blackrocks, one of the two breweries in this town of just over 21,000 (the largest city in the UP).

If I were sitting on a long pier, looking out over the water at the largest lake in the world, this beer would make it feel slightly more tropical.

“Uprising” doesn’t feel tropical, though this album contains all of the necessary reggae instruments (two guitars, piano or keyboard, drums and percussion), but the songs on the first side generally have been about strife, conflict and fighting through it. Bob Marley probably wasn’t a fan of beer as there were more important things to do.

Coconut Brown is a solid beer. I have no complaints about it except that it might be better paired with Jimmy Buffett. Marley’s music doesn’t jibe well with beer and Buffett’s were written for that explicit reason. It’s a deep album, with lots of meaning, which is more than I bargained for. The beer, while good, isn’t nearly as complex, with only two main flavors.

The first song I recognize comes on the B-Side, “Could You Be Loved,” and is welcomed as my pint nears the end. Coconut Brown is 6 ABV and has 18 IBUs which makes it an easy-drinking darker beer. I can almost see myself on a boat in any lake with this beer enjoying the sun, with a Marley compilation and it works.

With one sip left the album ends, revealing something unknown to me previously. The last song Marley ever recorded on a studio album was “Redemption Song.” It’s a beautiful end to a career that should have continued much longer.

Both the beer and the album are great on their own, but together, it’s a tough sell. “Uprising” is considered the definitive album from the artist that defines reggae. Coconut Brown, while good for a nice change of pace, doesn’t really redefine anything.

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