Lake Monster Empty Rowboat India Pale Ale

In my efforts to close in on the local scene as tight as i possibly can, I picked up a 6-pack of a beer I'd never seen before from a brewery I've read of, but don't remember much about. Lake Monster, it's called, and I grabbed their IPA, of course, called Empty Rowboat, because that's what happens when you encounter a Lake Monster.

And that's it, for the run-on sentence portion of our program. Now, on to the beer:

Clear, bright, amber-colored ale, with a snowy-white, lace-leaving head.

Nice and hoppy aromatics, mildly bitter, fruity and piney. Grapefruit and lemon. Floral.

Taste: Nice bitter bite in the front, then smooth and clean. Light bodied, easy-drinking. Snappy hop attack occurs in every new sip and swallow.

Let's find out what the gobbledygook says: "Brewed with a unique blend of classic and American hops, our India Pale Ale has a firm bitterness, intense citric-hop aroma, and enough flavor to knock you overboard."

Okay. No ABV is given here, nor any other information. Also, no base of operations for this new Twin Cities brewery (Which one?), but we know this: "Brewed and bottled by Sand Creek Brewing Company, Black River Falls, WI, for Lake Monster Brewing." Ah, so, it's a contract brew, so we really don't have a new brewery, but a new brewing "concern".

I checked the 6-pack holder for more info, and found none, but some garble-garble akin to a mission statement: "Founded by three Minnesota natives who share a passion for great beer, Lake Monster Brewing is dedicated to exploring the depths of beer flavor {eh? eh?}, making unique versions of classic beer styles."

Well, it's good beer, and you can drink. This is an IPA I'd drink any time. I'll check out their other brews at my next opportunity. Cheers!