And now on to the newest Minnesota brewery of 2014, the first and certainly not the last. This year looks to possibly outdo 2013. In the past few weeks, I've learned of four new breweries getting ready to open. Who knows how many have yet to show their hand?
So we turn to Day Block Brewing Company, 1105 Washington Avenue South (mere blocks away from Town Hall Brewery, right next to Grumpy's Bar) which is in the street level floor of what I never knew, until I heard about this business, to be the Day Block Building. What an odd name for a brewery. A block for the daytime? A block full of days? Blocking days? No, it's named for the building, because it's original owner, Mr. Leonard Day, once owned the entire block. One has to wonder what happened to the rest of the block, for the other buildings are clearly of another, more recent, era.
It was the home of Frank Plumbing for many decades, and was purchased in the 2000's by the current owners, who leased the space to a restaurant called Spill the Wine. That relationship ended some time ago, and the owners, who house their internet business on site, as well as an event center on the top floor, followed their passion for home brewing into building their own brewpub. This plan fell into my focus when my friend Paul Johnston informed me in spring or summer of last year that they hired him on as their head brewer. Paul worked for Harriet for almost a year, his first professional brewing job since receiving training at the Siebel Institute. This was followed by a short stint at Lucid Brewing, in Minnetonka. With the opening of Day Block, Paul at last gets to show the beer lovers of Minneapolis his original recipes, a proud time for him.
My first taste of his beers was Saturday in St. Paul at the Winter Carnival Beer Dabbler, a bit of the Black IPA and the scrumptious Coffee Porter. I made it down Monday for the very end of their grand opening Monday night, and had a Northern Discovery IPA with Paul at the bar, following that with a Porter. I popped in again Tuesday for a Bahn Mizza (yes, I forgot to mention that the restaurant for this brewpub is a pizzeria), their pizza version of a Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich, and 3 more pints to fill out the range of their offerings. I took home a growler of the IPA for a full review. Forgot to take notes, or copy from the menu, so I'll feel in the details on this brew later. I remember Northern Discovery is new variety of hop, grown in the Mid West.
Some of the staff have been shortening it to Northern Disco. That's cool, I guess. This is what's written on the tape over the cap. Also, "11/27", the date it was filled, I presume. (Others, like Town Hall, use a drink by date).
Clear, amber/orange hued, under a full flush of chalk white head, drifting down, but staying put.
Aroma: fresh, vibrant citric hop notes. A little bit floral, though not overtly bitter. I keep wanting to say "creamy"…what is that exactly?
Taste: Once again, when it hits my tongue, "creamy" jumps to the front of my mind, keeping up with "fruity." Is there lactic yeast at work, somewhere? Interesting combo. Further sips in reveal a clean, even mouthfeel, with moderate hop bitterness. No "palate buster" here, just smooth, easy-drinking hoppiness. There's enough bitterness on the palate so that you know it's an IPA, but it's not a punishment, it's just a solid treat. Now here's where I wish I'd taken the notes, on the IBUs and ABV's. I'm gonna guess, and we'll see how I do when I next go on their website, or peek at the menus. I'd say 5.9 % aBV. 60-some IBUs. (I'm way off: 5.5%, 45 IBUs)(They label it a session IPA, and describe it thusly: The unique hop character comes from the Northern Discovery hops, a rare breed grown in Western Wisconsin. With a low bitterness and lighter alcohol, this sessionable IPA is great any time of year.)
The main thing I get from this is flat-out tastiness that would pair excellently with their bill of fare. Pizza and beer are a classic combo, and I see this as a go-to match-up with any of their offerings.
No comments:
Post a Comment