Finding Oliphant...and Jabba da J IPA

Jonathan is ahead of me, as we enter the halls of Oliphant.

The Oliphant logo, whatever it is (elephant? alien? African? Native American? walrus?)
on the wall, VHS tapes on the table and the back of Jason's head in front.
Don't feel too bad for the front of Jason's head, it's appeared plenty in the blog over the years.

Oliphant Brewing. Of all the breweries that opened recently around these parts, this one in western Wisconsin was at the top of the list for places I wanted to visit. This past Sunday, I was heading to Dave's BrewFarm with Jason and Jonathan, and Jason wanted to know if we'd like to take in another spot before hitting Wilson, WI. I cast a deciding vote for Oliphant, hearing so much from friends and the media, so off to Somerset we went.

Coming down Main Street, you have to keep your eye out for it, with the only sign that the brewery is near being a little one handing over a window with a Bud Light neon in it. Turn the corner, and pull into the parking lot, and another small sign with their distinctive logo hangs over a door. Here we are, settling into a small, cozy taproom with about 4 tables, 8 bar stools, plenty of board games on hand, and a TV meant for playing VHS tapes of favorite movies or old video game cartridges.

A rich and delicious 8.5% ABV Baltic Porter called Gaer Bear,
named after a guy named Gaer or maybe a bear.

A tasty rye saison with the strange name
of "don't get 2 close (2 my fantasy),
don't be afraid 2 touch the hand of the creator.
Stare into the lion's eyes and if u taste the candy,
you'll get 2 the surprise. Ah!"...or something like that.

Jonathan and Jason each decided to do a flight, but I wanted to drink a full glass of a couple of them. I picked "don't get 2 close 2 my fantasy", a rye saison named for a Ween song, and cryptically abbreviated as "dg2c2mf" on the chalkboard, and Gaer Bear, a Baltic Porter.




I liked the first, and loved the latter. But, as per usual, I didn't take notes while among friends in a social setting. Instead I chose to take home a half-liter growler of the IPA, and those notes will follow. Maybe I'll go back before too long, and get a growler of that porter for more notes. Or whatever other enticing ales they offer.

Here's a peek at the taps at the Oliphant taproom,
with various oddments and ephemera surrounding.

The taplist chalkboard at Oliphant. 

Since there was no one else in the place for much of our stay (we were told that the locals come out later on Sundays) , our bartender, one of the owners and brewers, Matt, did a lot of chatting with our trio, even giving us a full tour of their 5 barrel system. Matt seemed incredulous that we'd driven out from Minneapolis to see the brewery, (kept saying "we keep our heads down")and couldn't believe that we were aware of their doings. Well, guys, you have a Facebook page for a reason, don't you?

Also, the local media treats Western Wisconsin as the Twin Cities' neighboring playground, and we look at it as an easy getaway. An hour or so away isn't that big of a deal, especially if the beer that awaits us at the end is rewarding. And it was.

Here's the Jabba the J IPA,
which I enjoyed from a growler at home,
notes at the bottom.

Oliphant Brewing is a small, but ambitious operation with talent and imagination to spare. Anyone can come up with goofy names and a far-out logo, and maybe someone else would consider wooden, hand-branded coasters, but if the beers are not excellent, will it fly? We don't have to wonder, thankfully. Everything I tasted was top-notch, and satisfaction was reported from my companions. Things can only get better from here.

….and now, the Jabba the J IPA, a "whoda eeda whookie IPA", as Jabba would say, and it's 6.0% ABV. (Why the name? Matt and his gf has just seen "Hunger Games" and thought of the bird called "Jabber-jay", yet wanted to obscure it a bit and conflated it with the Star Wars Jabba, who's actually an H. Just more of the Oliphant's inspired nonsense.)

The Oliphant Brewing slogan.
Sure, what the heck, let's give that a try.

Appearance: Highly hazed, bright golden/orange coloring. Large and lasting, snowy white head, leaving lace. Looks fantastic.

Aroma: soft citrus and pithy pine. Grapefruit, orange, and forest floor. Slice of lime, splash of mango.

Taste: Ah, yes. Once on the tongue, it's a hoppy blast and an utter delight. Bright and lively hop attack, awash in citrus zest. Hop bitterness brings an astringent urgency next, which is soon whisked away and sent off softly. A smooth one, this, and especially delicious. Medium bodied, with a long, fruity finish.

I forgot which hops are in this, but I seem to remember that it was all of the good ones. Additionally, this one is a dream to drink down. I'm practically in love with it.