Borealis Raisin Liaison Saison

Borealis Fermentery Raisin Liaison Saison. Knife River, MN. Belgian-style Saison Ale. 1 pint, 9.4 fluid ounces.

At last, at last, Borealis is dropping by the Twin Cities and bringing their beers to us. I haven't been to the Duluth area since the All Pints North fest in 2012, and haven't had a chance to pour one of their beers into one of their glasses since I brought bottles back home in May of 2012. Another trip to Duluth is long overdue, but I don't need to make that journey, for now their beer is at Zipp's and a few other stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Enough blah, blah, blah, I'm ready to crack this open!

Appearance: dark amber/ hazy burgundy coloration, with a sizable, staying head of white froth. Looking great.

Aroma: Ah! Utterly lovely. A lot of yeasty notes in this nose, some citrus fruits, more dark ones. Minor hops, major malt. Creamy, rich, beautiful.

Taste: Smooth, mellow, and malt-tastic. Hops are very low, spices are felt, and dark fruits maintain a delicious presence. Perfect integration, magnificent melding. I'm not really getting what I would from a normal saison, the fruit additions transform it a bit.
 Saisons have been turned into a rather malleable style these days, a platform for tossing about other flavorings. I wouldn't have guessed this as a saison, more of a Belgian pale or, no, a strong dark, with the raisin additives.

Hey, you know what, maybe the label will make things clear….First paragraph is the same as all the others…then "Raisin Liaison is a Franco-Belgian-style Saison of "seasonal" ale that was served up to summer field hands to keep morale high and the work flowing. The traditional spiciness of a Saison with a hint of darker fruitiness imparted from our friends, and liaisons, the raisins."

No ABV listed. I'd guess it at 8.5 or 9%, maybe…maybe more? Higher than an average saison (6-7%), is what I'd assume.

What this is, though, is terrifically delicious. It makes me very happy. Mmm, smooth, malty, well-rounded, and all kinds of wonderful. Love it.

New Belgium Mighty Arrow Pale Ale

New Belgium Mighty Arrow Pale Ale. 6% ABV. Looking at notes from June, 2008:


Clear, pale orange appearance, big, lacey white head, high carbonation.

Highly hopped aromatics, citrus & spice. Cascades? Really lively, clean, piney. Lemon zest & orange rind.

Soft and lovely on the palate. Lush, tasty malt holds it down, a tender pillow for the hops to spring off of.

Nice and smooth, tasty, hoppy, light bodied, and easy drinking.

Clown Shoes Muffin Top Belgian-style Triple IPA

Clown Shoes Muffin Top Belgian-style Tripel India Pale Ale. Mercury Brewing company, Ipswich, Massachusetts. 1 pint, 6 fl. oz. Alc. 10.5% by vol.

Clear, golden-hued, slim white head.

Aroma: Spice and fruit (citrus, stone), with with alcohol lurking in the background. Floral hop notes.

Taste: Bright and bubblegummy. Moderate hop bitterness meets Belgian yeast. Do we have triple that meets an IPA, or is it a "triple IPA" vs. a double? I'd think a "triple IPA would have to be stronger, richer, danker. Leaning hard on the former choice.)
Tangerine, mango, grapefruit blends with Belgian candy sugar and yeasty funkadelica. Fruit flavors hang over the hops, with booze roaring in.
Medium-bodied, drinkable in spite of the high ABV. A bomber may be more than I need of this.

Let's look at the label and see if there's any gobbledygook:
"Intense flavors, reminiscent of candied fruits, mix with American hops and sweet orange peel to create a unique take on a Belgian-style ale. Disclaimer: no muffin tops were harmed in the creation of this label."

Seef Bier

"Seef Bier, the Original Antwerp Ale. Brewed by Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie. 11.2 fluid ounces. 6.5% aBV. Serve Cold. Swirl bottle while pouring."

Cloudy, golden coloring, lush, looming head, leaving lace.

Aroma: lightly hoppy, slightly spicy, with sour traces, floral notes, vegetal tones. A curious blend, in Belgian fashion.

Taste: It's there again, and in that order. Uniquely Belgian hop flavor, little touches of indecipherable spicing, a hint of wheat, distinctly Belgian yeast flavor, and then a whisper of sour and funk. Light bodied. Clean, crisp and refreshing, with the sour kick never quitting.

This "Seef bier" is a style unto itself…let's look over here and let the importer tell us all about it.

I do like this. It's a little weird, but that's what's special about the Belgians.

Bell's Midwestern Pale Ale

Bell's Midwestern Pale Ale, Brewed and Bottled by Bell's Brewery, Comstock, MI. Alc. 5.2% by Vol.

Clouded golden hue, snowy white head, settles to a slim collar.

Aroma: Large citric notes, some spice, plenty of yeast. Hops and yeast, that's what we've got.

Taste: Full-bodied, full of yeast-y goodness, with plenty of vibrant, citric hop notes bouncing on the palate. Much maltier than the average pale ale, and as it's unfiltered, so much more yeast-ier. I have to wonder, though, if this is different that the other Bell's Pale Ale? Is that retired, and this is it's replacement? Good questions. I'm searching for answers.

Without those, I'm still enjoying it for what it is. Hey, there's gobbledygook on the label, and as it's Bell's, it's probably terse, mysterious, perhaps poetic? Here it comes: "A blond ale reminiscent of the golden fields at harvest--made with Michigan-grown barley and a delicious blend of pale malts with a distinctive spicy, floral aroma and taste. We invite you to reap what we've sown."

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

Cross one brewery off the ones to shop for in Wisconsin Trips. Oskar Blues of Colorado is now in Minnesota, kegs and cans. I noticed that their groundbreaking pale ale, the first craft beer in cans, hasn't appeared here, and brought a can home. The notes are from my first taste of it, in March of 2005:


I have to tell you, the rhyming name reminds of the Preston Sturges classic film, "The Lady Eve", where Henry Fonda plays a herpetologist who also happens to be heir to a brewing fortune. In one scene, a waiter onboard the ocean liner "Hopsy", as he is nicknamed, is traveling on, dryly intones the following line: "They only want Pike's Pale, the Ale that won for Yale. Rah. Rah."

But how about Dale's Pale Ale, "A Huge Voluminously Hopped Mutha Of A Pale Ale", as the can reads...you said a mouthful, bub. Let's crack the snap-top, and dig in...

Hazy, crisp amber color, good chunk of cream-toned foam above.

Aroma, plenty of hops in there, the piney, juicy, grapefruity, zesty, tangy kind. Puts me in mind of Alpha King and others of that sort. Big citrus...I like it!

Taste: zing, zing! Nice, pungent hoppy taste in every bite, but not too bitter. Flavor slides along the mouth, with a neat resin-y edge, loads of alpha acids, abundant fruity flavor. This one is right up my alley.

Body is medium, but the flavor is full, and the finish is bitter, hoppy, fruity. Taste is long-lasting in the mouth. This would definitely be a regular buy for me, if it were available here.
tasty stuff, with plenty of hops...just what turns my crank.

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome

I've got something to say that will not surprise you: This post is far too late. Right now, winter has worn out it's welcome. How about a Winter Goodbye?

Okay, on with the beer...


Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome. Here's a brew that once upon a time, way back when, I would look forward to every year, and anticipate the changing of the labels. I haven't touched a bottle in years. Why not revisit it? And will it be another case where my 11-year old notes are still satisfactory? I decided it was not.

So, I'm opening a recent bottle, and taking new notes…here we go…

the 2013/2014 edition once again, as always, features the quote from W. Shakespeare, "Blessing of your heart you brew good ale." New this year, a depiction of one the shire horses of Samuel Smith, being fed.

Clear, light amber/caramel-toned appearance, under a lush off-white head.

Aroma: Uniquely British. Fuggles? East Kent Goldings? wormwood? It's a malty nose, yeasty, caramel and toffee notes. Hops are low.  Nicely balanced.

Taste: Hop bitterness comes to the fore here in the taste, shines for a moment, then fades as malt takes over. From their, it's nothing but balance. Nothing dominates, nothing goes forward. Sweet malt and bitter hops keep things going on the tongue.

Now, the problem I'm having is that this is an utterly English ale, but it doesn't seem especially special, and hasn't any particular qualities that set it apart as a winter seasonal. I feel that it ought to be bigger in one way or another, maltier, hoppier, stronger in some way.

Let's pause and read the label: "This seasonal beer is a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter, the full body resulting from fermentation in stone Yorkshire squares, and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced by against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities that should be contemplated before an open fire." 6.0% ALC./VOL.

Yeah, except it's not really all that. It's tasty, it's delicious, and satisfying, but nothing more. And I want it to be more. I also wonder what it was in the past. The last time I published notes on this beer was back in February of 2003. I didn't rely on those old notes to represent this bottle, because I can't find any resemblance. Here they are, for old times sake:

2001 bottle, reviewed in December '02. Now why is it I never saw the '02 anywhere? So, the question is :how does it hold up after a year?
Thin white head, dark reddish appearance. Vinous nose, raisin, reminds me of a barleywine, but just a smidge. Spicy, aromatic, with notes of vanilla, sweet and malty. Smooth, and quite downable, with just enough flavor.
This used to be a wintertime staple for me, but I've fallen for the darker, bolder type of winter ales.
Quite good after 12 months, nothing wrong with it at all, though it tastes maltier than bottles I had last winter.

Lake Superior Special Ale

More looking back, this time on Special Ale from Lake Superior Brewing of Duluth. And, once more, notes from that magical month of April in 2003:


Color is cloudy bronze, showing a clearer orange at the bottom of the glass, and the head is a thick, fluffy white.

Aroma holds traces of spice and fruit, is fresh and largely clean, resembling an ESB in that regard.

Hops give a full attack on the palate, and texture is smooth, but spicy. Fair enough finish, with a distinctly citrusy aftertaste.

Malt is adequate, hops are ample and tasty, beer was fully enjoyed. More hops than a bitter, and less than an IPA (at least, an American craftbrewed IPA), and quite a drinkable ale.

Grand Tetons Coming Home Barleywine 2012

Grand Teton Coming Home 2012 Barley-wine. Or Holiday Ale, whatever you want to call it. Check the attached jpegs of the card that rests around the neck of the bottle. All kinds of info there. I read it, and you can, too. It talks of hops and growing and traditions and bottle-conditioning and blah, blah, blah. ABV: 10%. IBU: 75.

Deep burgundy coloring, slim white head. Looks the part, inviting.

Aroma: Caramel and toffee, under smoke and tobacco. Burnished brandy and leather notes, It's what I want in a barley-wine, a little fine and mellow with appropriate aging. Very cool.

Taste: Forward fruit, massive malt, giant hop presence. Everything's here in abundance, and it's all getting along just fine. A bombastic brew, kept in good balance. This is one that should be shared with friends and family. Me, I drink it by myself so that I can write about it and tell you.

I like the work of the bottle-conditioning and the age on it. All barley-wines really ought to have a good year on them. I appreciate them young, but they're much nicer when they're calm and mellow like this.

More chocolate coming through, more caramel and toffee, plus a ton of American hops, bringing us the bitter with the sweet. Hugely hoppy, a massacre of malt. Boom, boom, this is the goods.

Surly/Three Floyds/Real Ale Blakkr Imperial Black IPA

Surly Blakkr Imperial Black Ale. IBU 85. ABV 9.99% (Why can't they say 10? Because that wouldn't be 666 upside down.)

So, I'm going to scan the sheet from the tap release at Grumpy's Monday night night and post it here, to give you some further information and a flavor for the approach of this thing. I didn't get any kegs this week (next week, I hope), so I wanted to make sure I got some and went out and paid $17.99 for a 4-pack. I've been trying to keep a budget, but some things take priority.

I will break the news that this concept was conceived when three brewers met and discovered their mutual love of the music called metal, and embarked on this project to make "the most metal beer ever." And here's where I know that I will fail to truly appreciate this beer before I even try: I don't have any heavy metal music to listen to while drinking it. No soft metal, either. No metal of any kind. Maybe Hendrix? The Bad Plus' cover of "Iron Man"? Forgive me, one and all, but I just don't care for metal. I had to say it, and I'm not sorry, so, can you let me pass on this? I dig what I dig, man.

So, I'm laying down some late period Coltrane ("Om", maybe,) for volume, chaos, and kinetic energy, although it seems slightly sacrilegious, for Trane wasn't speaking to Satan when he blew his horn. How about the Stones' "Sympathy For the Devil"? Again, I'm clutching, so I'll forget the metal-ness of the mise-en-scene, and start pouring.

On the label, designed and drawn by Michael J. Berglund, a 3-headed demon arises from flames, with numerous symbols float around them and about the top of the can, and sorrowful souls writhing in agony around them. (I assume. Maybe they're bowing in prayer, or calling out for an encore?)

Perfect blackness, with slight traces of red creeping out at the sides and foot. Roasted tan head stays large on top, until retreating, while leaving lace. Ominous.

Aroma: Hops hit first, pungent and powerful, piney and citric, even while being enveloped by the darkness below. Malt keeps pace and threatens to swallow all else. Hop aromas are screaming out of this nose, hoping to escape the dread darkness.

Taste: Once in the mouth, things get more intense. Hops hold their own and then some, becoming stronger on the palate that you'd suspect, and the flavor of the malt strives to catch up. Dark chocolate flavors, aniseed, char, smoke, tobacco…deep, dense, rich stuff. But the hop bitterness is never quite conquered and the two parts reign supreme in the flavors, hand in hand.

Not quite balanced, but not quite not. The alcohol is felt fairly early on, and brings on a mood of doom. (Not really, I'm just exaggerating for effect. I thought you'd figured that out by now?) Not one for the mild or fearful. Don't have more than one if you've got anything else to do later in the night. (Says the guy who's going to close the evening with a 10% barley-wine bomber.)

So, now we read the label" "This double black as night IPA is too massive for just one brewery's efforts. BLAKKR took the trinity of REal Ale Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co., & Three Floyds Brewing Co. to actualize this crushing ale. Cheers."

This is another mighty, massive Surly (co-)creation. I would smash the can on my forehead as a sort of salute, but, you know, I'm just not that metal.