For those of you who have been following along with our experimental hop series at the Eccentric Café, one additional beer, EXP Hop 2012-1, has been recently tapped (EXP Hop 2012-2 will be available soon). This brings the total number of beers released so far to four.

Some interesting things have developed since our first post on this series of seven different beers, each brewed with a different hop varietal coming straight from growers’ trial plots. These hops are limited both in quantity and availability and only one has been formally named. The rest are designated with numbers.

While there weren't a lot of surprises with the second and third beers (EXP Hop 2011-2, Type 366 and EXP Hop 2011-3, Type 509), the two most recent batches actually turned out quite different than what the initial aroma test led us to expect.

Rather than being a flaw, we prefer to look at these new developments as just another part of the experimental nature of this series.

The goal after all is to become familiar with these new ingredients and learn more about how they perform in the real world.

Below are the initial assessments followed by the actual descriptions for comparison.

EXP Hop 2012-1: Type 423

(photo at right)

Initial: Very pungent fruity & floral aroma, with pine as a secondary note.

Actual: A mildly herbal & woody aroma with just a touch of citrus. The mouthfeel of this unique black ale is quite smooth, with a pleasantly soft bitterness & hop presence.

EXP Hop 2012-2: Type 556

Initial: Intense floral character with fruity undertones 

Actual: This hop-forward beer offers a floral hop aroma upfront that shifts to a blend of woody & herbal notes at the finish.

For more, check out our previous post. To see if any of the beers in this series are currently available, take a look at our Draft Cam.

Here is a look at Bell’s beer events this week in Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Indiana and Ohio.

Illinois

March 12

Hopslam firkin tapping at Farmhouse
Don’t miss your chance to enjoy the last firkin of Hopslam in Chicago until 2013. It will be tapped at 5 p.m. Call 312-280-4960 for more information.

March 14

Hopslam tasting and Beer School
Duke's Alehouse & Kitchen in Crystal Lake will feature a rare pouring of Hopslam for this event at 7 p.m.  Call 815-356-9980 for more information or go here.

Michigan

March 16

Tap takeover at The Mitten Bar
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early with seven stouts, a  firkin and other drafts in Ludington starting at 4 p.m. Call 231-843-7616 for more information. See the full list of beers here.

Arizona 

March 13

Bell's beer tasting & meet and greet with Larry Bell
Join Larry Bell for some Oberon, Two hearted, Porter, Best Brown and Black Note from 6-8 p.m. at O.H.S.O. Eatery in Phoenix. Black Note will be tapped at 7 p.m. Tickets for this limited beer will go on sale at 6:15 p.m. – first come, first serve. Call 602-955-0358 for more information.

Indiana

March 16

Hopslam firkin tapping
The last firkin of our seasonal DIPA in Indiana will be tapped on Friday at Twenty Tap. Call 317-602-8840 for more information.

Ohio

March 17

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Bell's Oatmeal Stout - Cleveland, Colmbus areas
Five Winking Lizard locations will tap Oatmeal Stout on St. Patrick’s Day - Independence, Gateway, Mentor, Bedford Heights and Crosswoods. Once it is gone, it’s gone.

Looking ahead

More March Madness and Firkin Fest: Take a look at our full calendar here.

2012 Oberon release

Oberon will be released March 26. The list of midnight tappings and celebrations has been growing since our first roundup – part of the inaugural issue of our new eMail Newsletter – take a look at what we have so far.

KALAMAZOO – Bell’s Brewery, Inc., in partnership with the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, is proud to announce Oscar and Grammy award winner Luis Resto will perform at Bell’s Eccentric Café on March 22.

Resto’s recording resume includes working with musicians Anita Baker, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Jay-Z, B.o.B., 50 Cent and Eminem.

Admission to Resto’s performance at the Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. in Kalamazoo, is $10. Doors will open at 8:30 p.m. and Resto will perform at 9:30 p.m. inside the Café’s recently renovated and state of the art performance space.

Known as one of Detroit’s most creative and accomplished songwriters, Resto earned both an Oscar and a Grammy for co-writing the hit song “Lose Yourself” with Eminem for the film “8 Mile.”

The single spent 12 weeks atop Billboard’s Top 100.

Resto continues to work with Eminem as a songwriter and keyboardist on both recording projects and live in concert. He co-wrote the single “Not Afraid,” part of Eminem’s 2010 album “Recovery,” which also received multiple Grammy nominations including Best Rap Song.

Luis was also responsible for the musical arrangement and choir production for the use of “Lose Yourself” in the 2011 Chrysler 200 commercial featuring Eminem.

Amongst all of these accomplishments, Luis has also found time to launch a solo career with the recent release of his debut album “Combo De Momento.”

Resto’s performance at the Eccentric Café is a little more than a month before he performs as part of this year’s Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival held April 26-May 12.