Minnesota Breweries One by One #60: Disgruntled Brewing, Perham

This way to Disgruntled Brewing!

It's Thursday, July 28, and the second stop of the day is a town I'd never heard of until the
announcement of this brewery. Perham, Minnesota, in Otter Tail County, population 2, 985, only 94.1% of them white folk. Incorporated in 1881. Gender breakdown: 45% women, 55% men. During our brief, confusing tour through the town, there seemed to be an equal number of thrift stores versus feed stores.

Tucked away in a little wooded area at 735 2nd St. NE, far from the hustle and bustle of downtown Perham, we at last entered Disgruntled Brewing, which has been open about six months now. We had beaten the
crowd and were able to take in the space without the noise and crush of the masses.
It's a very well-assembled, beautiful space. Above the windows showcasing the

brewery, the sketchy black & white logos of their regular beers are displayed. Across the room, a television for when the big game is on, I presume, looms over the comfy chairs, with board games, a taproom must, shelved below. The dark wood of the walls, tables, & chairs put me in mind of a comfortable cabin. A chalkboard with the current offerings hangs above the taps, and Jason decided to go with a flight, while I picked a half-pint of the Lingerer wheat IPA. Notes from the growler I brought home will appear below.

L to R: Sample of Imperial Stout, Jason's flight, Brett,
Jason's elbow.

Jason's flight included the lemony and lean Toasted Blonde, the spicy and smooth Stoopid Good oat IPA, a tart and fruity Cherry Berliner Weisse, their most popular beer, the Guvnor amber ale, the nutty, malty and dry Bulletproof Brown Ale, and the Menace Stout, dark and toasty, bittersweet and smooth.

Lingerer IPA.

nitro chocolate milk stout. mm, mm, good.

For my second beer, I went with the Nitro offering, Chocolate Milk Stout, and my notes on that one were very short and to the point: "just about perfect." Didn't feel like writing anything else, just really satisfied with it, as it hit all the right notes. Chocolate, roasted malt, creamy, smooth, espresso hints. Yum. (I overheard disgruntled Disgruntled brewer Brett say that he isn't exactly a fan of nitro, and serves it because that's what people want. I'm actually not a fan, either, but I can see the appeal.)

In case you're wondering, the sign on the ladies
room features a bottle pouring straight down.

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out what transpired when Jason and I took our seats, initially. Head brewer (/owner?) Brett Doebbeling (I knew it was him from his Disgruntled brewers shirt with "Brett" sewn on.) looked at the two of us and said "I recognize you." I thought to myself whether we'd met or not, and he cleared it up by inform us that he'd been reading the blog, and was anticipating my arrival. He'd seen a tweet I sent that morning, the first thing I'd done on Twitter in months, actually, where I told the Twitterers that we'd done Fargo/moorhead and were hitting three more breweries on the way back home. He'd correctly deduced that we'd be visiting his brewery on the return trip, and was concerned that the beers would pass scrutiny and be worthy of our exacting standards.

There is that concern, of course, with every new, untested taproom we enter. We'd not heard good nor bad about the place, and there was the possibility that we would immediately turn disgruntled upon first sip. Each time a new brewery's wares have been inspected by our tastebuds and have been deemed "legit", we thank our

various gods that we haven't had to enter another into the bottom tier.

We assured him that there was no threat of that happening. All the beers were good, within style, no off flavors, nothing odd, or weird, or half-baked about them. And he could rest assured that I would happily tell the world about it.

Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout, aka
Disgruntled Brunch Stout. We had this on July
28, but you can try it on August 6. 

It is odd, though, that an enterprise this ambitious should exist in such a rural area. He's a bit disgruntled that the amber ale is so popular, but it's a reality that most folks just want a beer you can drink, and aren't willing to fuss around with new styles and flavors. Some will come around, though, and I hope it's enough to keep him going.

Brett had a surprise treat for us, and poured a sample of a beer he wasn't going to release until this upcoming Saturday, a barrel-aged (6 months) 10% ABV Imperial Stout called Disgruntled Brunch Stout. It was right on the money, rich, full, deep, dark and decadent. Wish I could have taken a growler of that home with me, but I settled for the first beer I tried there, the Lingerer IPA, notes follow now....

Disgruntled Lingerer India Pale Ale, brewed with wheat. .6.8% ABV.

Hazy, orange/apricot, lovely white head, leaving lace.



Beautiful aromatics: low-key notes of pine and citrus. Orange, grapefruit, and lemon. Very nice.

In the mouth: Even better. Pungent citrus-y hop flavors, juicy malt body. Medium mouthfeel. Long lasting hop bitterness. Creamy, fruity, bitter, and lovely. Nice, easy drinking IPA.

On our way out the door, we noticed the patio, on the side of the building, with bean toss games decorated with the Disgruntled logo. Lights were hung high over the top. I bet it gets lively out there, when Perham gets it's beers on and lets loose. By the way, you can learn more and read some highfaluting gobbledygook on their website, but better yet, go check them out for yourself.