La Dona Cerveceria El Reyna IPA ( and part one of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

One thing has been missing from this blog lately, and you know what it is. Individual write-ups about visits to breweries, rather than simple reviews of their beers. I've seen many breweries and not written them up here, and I can offer no excuses or explanations.

In addition to this, I wanted to accomplish the task of doing brewery reports of Minneapolis first, close the circle on it, so to speak. At year's beginning, I began a project of hitting up brewery taprooms until I got through a certain number, all through the year. Well, you know what happened. But now, the breweries and taprooms are re-opening, and I still haven't gone back to work full-time. As good a time as any to try, try again.

In the logo for La Dona Cerveceria, Minneapolis' Latinx-themed brewery at 241 Fremont in North Minneapolis (it's practically outside Downtown), we see very prominently the number 2016. This is one of those cases where that number does not reflect the year that they opened, but the date of their inception, the time they decided to start doing something, maybe the date they formed their LLC. If they'd opened in 2016, I might have written about them sooner.

In fact, they opened in late 2018, and I put off visiting them until May of 2019. This is when they first appeared here, after bringing home a couple of crowlers from my Monday stop. I'd been hearing from friends who'd been there, and raved about their brown ale or their Mexican lager. That wasn't good enough for me, I had to see if there was more to them.

You walk in and see the Mexican-themed art is everywhere. There's a long bar, surrounded by all kinds of other seating, with televisions all around. Past the bar is a small restaurant area that's been occupied by various enterprises. It wasn't open that night, and I'd just missed the night's event, a lesson in Spanish. Other advertised events included Latin dance lesson, DJs, and bands. Outside, a miniature futbol field, definitely the only one of it's kind attached to a Minnesota taproom.

I had three beers that time, and took no notes. They included Bromista, an American Pale Ale, El Rey, an American IPA, and Xipe, a Mosaic & Simcoe IPA. I was pleased with all three, found them all refreshing, tasty, and being indicative of their respective styles. Perhaps I should have gone outside my usual comfort zone, and tried different styles, but that's just the way I was feeling that night. Two crowlers came home with me, and they were hits with my palate, too: an Azacca DIPA and a Coffee Brown Ale. I didn't want to only praise their lagers, as one might suspect that a Latinx brewery would be best known for lagers, and wanted to make sure there were other treats
available.

Now I have to ask why it took me so long to return. One theory might be that in order to get there from where I live, one would need to pass Sisyphus Brewing, and would I really want to skip them.?Also, no buses will take you there, you'd need to walk a mile from the area near Sisyphus, and in winter, do I want to do that? No excuse for when I'm on bike, though. No excuse at all.

In the before times, we used to gather.

And so it came to be that my second visit was on a Sunday night in March of this year, when I was at Sisyphus, near closing time. Sam was going to go there for some televised futbol after closing, and offered to give me a ride, so that was that. A large crowd had convened to watch the local Loons kicking around the Soccer ball in Portland, OR, much larger than the 30-some that the management had anticipated. I saw my futbol-loving friend Steve at the bar and squeezed in between the stools. My super-fan friend Rich, who had gathered all these fans there for the occasion, saw me and uttered, "Al! You're at a soccer game?" "No," I told him, "I'm at a bar." "But, you're watching a football game!" "No, there's a game on, where I'm drinking beer." Silly.

I had two beers while there, first, one of their standard IPAs, La Reyna, which you will hear more about below. I followed that with Cuauhtil, a Russian Imperial Stout. Which you will hear about when I crack open a bottle. They were both served in plastic, due to the larger number of patrons than they suspected. It seemed that they were doing a good job of keeping up with cleaning the glasses, though, and I spied the back-up snifters sitting dry on a shelf. Asked if I could get my imperial stout in one of those, instead of plastic, please. Nope, only plastic while the game is on. But it's right there, I think, but don't say. Okay, whatever, I won't argue. I took my leave and Ubered home.

I wished that I could have brought crowlers home from that visit, but it was after 6 pm on a Sunday, and that wasn't allowed. Too bad. This was nearly the last taproom visit of 2020, until recently. I'd done a Wisconsin trip to see Oliphant & Dave's BrewFarm, after,  and a pop-in to Town Hall, before it all came crashing in, and the world shut down. So many things seem like ages ago. The carefree feeling of standing/sitting next to people. Crowds. Being able to walk in without worry. I won't say "freedom" because that makes me sound like certain other people.

We're slowly opening up. Now, at last, I made my third visit to La Dona, on a Saturday afternoon, again biking south after seeing Utepils. And there's no fuss about reservations. We can take glassware outside. Plenty of room for "social distancing". They ask that patrons wear masks while indoors, and everyone complies. Jason and I moved our table to the shade, and just enjoyed spending the time. I was delighted by the 3:17 to Cologne kolsch, which hit all the right notes. Next up: the Dona Fria lager, a style I typically skip, but was perfect for the weather at the time. I finished up with Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a kolsch/IPA hybrid that didn't knock my socks off, but I enjoyed, nonetheless. In the middle of the beers, I had a chorizo taco ($4 each).

This time I was able to pick up crowlers/bottles, and I went with 2 of each. One of which is reviewed below.

La Dona Cerveceria El Reyna IPA. 6 % ABV. 73 IBU.
La Dona Cerveceria, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, larges, lasting, lace-leaving ivory head. Looking good.

In the nose: Slight sweetness swiftly subsumed by hop aromatics. Resiney, piney, some citrus.

In the mouth: Starts out bitter and bridges over to juicy and hoppy. Ending on a dry note. Big bite of citrusy hop flavors, a touch of tropical on the side. Long, bitter finish, that I love. Medium-bodied, and easy-drinking. A splash of sweetness continues to counter the brittle, bitter side.
Juicy, bitter, dry, cha, cha, cha.

I like this one. My kind of IPA. I'll drink it again.

North meets South as Simcoe and Mosaic hops create a duet of piney and tropical fruit aromas and flavors.

After three visits, I haven't found a La Dona beer that I didn't like. And I'd be a fool to not return with more urgency. I just have to see every other Minneapolis brewery first. Maybe. We'll see.

Here's how they describe themselves, by the way: We are the nation's first Latino-influenced for-benefit beer company, supporting and accentuating the Latinx communities of Minnesota. Inspired by our upbringings, our goal is to provide quality craft beer to anyone who appreciates beer with purpose, culture and heart. We are fusing Latin and local Minnesota culture, one cerveza at a time

Come for the waste elimination, stay for the art!

Lagunitas Hazy Memory IPA

Lagunitas Hazy Memory IPA.
8% ABV. 55 IBU.
Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA.

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: bold and citrusy hop explosion. Orange and lemon with grapefruit on the side.

In the mouth: juicy meets bitter when it joins the palate. Bursting with citrus fruit flavors. Medium/light bodied, easy drinking, despite the higher alcohol. Watch out for it.

Tasty stuff, this, good IPA and you can drink it.

We're going a bit blurry on this nebulous release... Hazy Memory is a cloudy IPA full of oats and smooth wheatly-esque-ish-ness, packed with some of the murkiest, juiciest, turbid Loral 291, Hallertau Blanc,Galaxy, and Citra hops. It's a huge flavor you won't forget!

Three Floyds Sexy Neckbreaker Hardbody Pale Ale

Three Floyds Sexy Neckbreaker Hardbody Pale Ale. 6.4 % ABV.
Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN.

I'm not entirely sure what it is, but this is positively my first "hardbody pale ale." I suspect that there is something going on here that I will need an education upon.

Also, I must admit to my local readers that this is not a Three Floyds beer you can find around here. I am lucky to receive certain gifts from time to time. This one is called a "Brewpub Only Release", but was probably distributed to stores in their home market, due to the brewpub remaining closed during our current pandemic crisis.

Clear, bold amber color, ample layer of ivory froth, leaving some lacing.

In the nose: Big citrus and pine aromatics, fine and fruity, with sweet malt keeping time and balance. Caramel apple mixed with grapefruit and orange.

In the mouth: Big slap of bitterness on the palate, nice and hoppy, lip-smackingly delicious. Citrus and pine lead the flavors, with malt mixing it up just behind. Smooth, tasty, medium-bodied, refreshing. A good ol', zesty pale ale, and you can drink it.

Cheers, Cory!

What I'd like to have right now is for all fat, out of shape, craft beer drinking sweathogs to keep the noise down while I take my robe off and show all the ladies what a real man is supposed to look like.

I have no idea what they're going on about.

Surly Mango Supreme Tart Ale

Surly Mango Supreme Tart Ale.
Berliner Weisse. 4.5 % ABV.
Surly Brewing, Minneapolis/Brooklyn Center, MN.

Clear, light golden hue, slim, soon-gone head.

In the nose: Sweet, fruity, tart. Mango-y.

In the mouth: Big carbonation, very spritz. Along comes the mango, and the tart. Quite light, minimal malt flavors, precious little hop flavors, low bitterness. Clean and easy-drinking.

Patio crusher, ideal for hanging out in the sun. Get to it.



A perfect summer quencher, Mango Supreme is the tart, refreshing answer for that empty spot in your cooler. 

Sisyphus Helles Yeah Helles Lager

Sisyphus Helles Yeah Helles Lager.
4.5 % ABV. 15 IBU.
Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

I've said it over and over again, but maybe you weren't there when the memo went out. I'm not that much of a lager lover. But, sometimes, the time is right for one. And I felt that tonight was the night to try out the helles lager from Sisyphus.

Clear, golden-hued, slim white head.

in the nose: Lightly hopped, floral, touch of malt sweetness.

In the mouth: Light bodied, smooth, easy-drinking. Low hop bitterness, touch of sweet malt/cereal grain flavors. Just a whisper on the palate, then off she goes. Thirst quencher, indeed. Damn, that's a nice helles.

You guys aren't open, what the helles wrong with you? We still want to get you this thirst quenching beer with our curbside ordering. Come grab one, two, or 12 crowlers to get you through this work week.

Contrary to what the above states, Sisyphus Brewing is open again, and it feels fine to sit down at a bar once more and relax with fine craft beer in hand. A little pinball. Chat with Sam for a bit. The prospect of slowly returning to normalcy. Little bit, by little bit.

Town Hall Wheat Shine Ale

Town Hall Wheat Shine Wheat IPA. 5.9 % ABV.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Hazy. Bright orange hue, large white head, softly drifting down.

In the nose: Highly hopped, within the realms of balance. Fresh, floral, dank.

In the mouth: Hoppy, slightly bitter, nice and smooth. Medium bodied, long, hoppy finish. Bright, lively wheat ale, bursting with hops. Tasty, tasty stuff.

Brewed with American 2-row, wheat, & oats.
Pacifica, Mosaic, & Nelson Sauvin in the kettle. 
Pacifica, Mosaic, Simcoe, & Summit in the fermenter.
Some orange peel, too.

Three Floyds Sicario Pina

Three Floyds Sicario Pina. Barrel-aged Pineapple Saison.
6.6 % ABV. 21 IBU.
Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN.

Clear-ish. Crimson colored. Slim white head.

In the nose: Funk, fruit, and more funk. Brett and oak are in full effect. Pineapple lurks below. Getting louder, though. Complexity abounds.

In the mouth: Sharp, acidic, slightly sweet. Brett drives this, along with the power of the barrel. Red wine barrel flavors unspooling. Pineapple lies beneath, but never comes near domination. It almost seems pointless, but you've got to have some fruit in play, might as well try that one out.

Acidity and tartness is large in this one, Very refreshing and just about delicious. Delectable.
Plenty of citrusy flavors to balance it out. I like this one.

I keep wondering what kind of barrels this was aged in. Muscat? Well, that explains it.

Muscat barrel aged Brettanomyces pineapple saison. Primary aroma is reminiscent of fresh squeezed pineapple juice. The pineapple is balanced by oak, citrus, and fruity/earthy Brettanomyces character.

Falling Knife Ghost Step-Bali Natural Coffee Stout

Falling Knife Ghost Step-Bali Natural Coffee Stout.
5.6 % ABV. Falling Knife Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

To the eye: Absolute blackness, fully opaque, slim brown ring.

In the nose: Earthy, chocolatey, semi-sweet. Epresso rich, lightly fruity.

In the mouth: Coffee notes climb boldly on board. Light bitterness, rich malt forward flavors. Medium bodied, easy drinking, for a stout. Nicely roasted. Small doses of caramel and toffee. Quite tasty.

Sweet Stout showcasing Bali Natural coffee beans from UP Roasters

Bauhaus Guavatron Pink Guava Gose

Bauhaus Guavatron Pink Guava Gose. 4.9 % ABV. 5 IBU.
Bauhaus BrewLabs, Minneapolis, MN.

At long last, the final can from the Breezebox. Also, the final beer from my last purchase at Minnehaha-Lake Liquors. Nowadays, if you do a Google search on the George Floyd protests and riots a few weeks back, you'll likely see a picture of this store in flames. I hope we don't see anything else go up from now on. Peace and love, people.

So, it's pinkish/pale yellow, highly hazed, slim white head.

In the nose: Tart and fruity. Grapefruit and guava. I can catch a little salt.

In the mouth: Intensely tart from the start, turning to the juicy side, ending on a dry note. Refreshing. Medium bodied, easy drinking. Some of the salt requisite for the style is coming through. Nice, fruity sour. I certainly enjoyed it.

Fulton Chocolate Oatmeal Milk Stout

Fulton Chocolate Oatmeal Milk Stout.
5.5 % ABV. 25 IBU.
Fulton Beer, Minneapolis, MN.

Final bottle from the Fulton sampler pack.

Pitch black, fully opaque, slim brown head.

In the nose: cocoa and cream, semi-sweet, very inviting.

In the mouth: Slight bitterness, very smooth, light roast. Medium bodied, easy-drinking. Long lasting cocoa flavors. Delightful stuff. Good oatmeal chocolate milk stout, and you can certainly drink it.

Built on a backbone of Pilsner and Marris Otter, this stout showcases the flavor and complexity of 9 different varieties of malted barley and oats.  We used oats for over a quarter of the malt bill and added a touch of lactose to the kettle to create a full bodied, smooth stout while still coming in at just 5.5% ABV for easy drinkability. Northern Brewer hops were used with restraint in order to allow the malts shine through. After fermentation, we "dry-hopped" this beer with cacao nibs from Ghana. These particular cacao nibs were selected because they impart a milk chocolate/nutty/coconut flavor. Our Nitro Chocolate Oatmeal Milk Stout is an exceptionally smooth, chocolatey, malty milk stout that's exclusive in this form to our taproom.

Untitled Art Hazier Triple IPA

Untitled Art Hazier Triple IPA. 9.5 % ABV.
Untitled Art, Waunakee, WI.

And here we have the first beer from Untitled Art here in the Nib. I don't see them often at some of the stores I frequent, and I tend to skip anything that says "milkshake" or "smoothie" on the label. Or "puff". That's how it is, folks, deal with it.

This one says IPA, which I like, and tripel, which is sometimes good, and also, at the front, Hazy(Hazier), which I'm less thrilled about. It was more expensive than I like, more than $18/4-pack, but I felt like, heck, let's go in all the way with this one.

But before I begin, I went looking for more information on this particular beer, which is something that I do. What the can tells us is: Triple India Pale Ale. Brewed + Canned by Untitled Art, Waunakee, WI. And: Artist: Stephanie Kamen. So, I took to their website, and under the heading of "Beer", there are three options to click on: Artists, Collaborators, Distributors. There is no place to learn even the names of their beers, or to read any words about the recipes, ingredients, etc. But I kind of want to know some of that stuff. And then I found this, on Untappd:

Our goal is to make new and exciting beer styles available in Wisconsin. Called "Untitled Art", the beers are presented without explanation allowing the drinker to formulate their own opinion. In a market filled with exhausting back stories and kitschy names, we strip this away and let the beer speak for itself. With creative influence from Levi Funk, Untitled Art is similar to a gypsy brewery. We brew what we want, when we want it.

Okay, that's cool. It's just odd that Untappd lists 121 beers from this company, but their website won't tell me anything about any of them. That's just a little backwards. There's a lot about their sparkling waters, though.

On with the beer:

Hazy, yeah. Bright golden hue. Slim white head.

In the nose: Big citrus. Traces of sour/tart, verifiably funky. Complexity abounds, outside of the fruit.

In the mouth: Grapefruit, lemon, and orange, with an extra-urgent pungency I can't quite trace. Alcohol content reveals itself early on, limning the length of the palate, sending the fuzzies up into the brain. Flavor remains fruity and juicy, and never remotely bitter, with a side of scalding booze.

I'm not 100% sure that I'm into it. But that's what you get with your triple IPA, right? I do wish it were more of an IPA. There's some bitterness here, but not enough for my liking.

Well, I drank down 4 of them without complaint. But, I won't hand over $20 that easily again.

Town Hall Inspired By...Session IPA

Town Hall Inspired By...Session IPA. 4.6 % ABV.

Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

My first crowler purchased at the brewery in over two months, on the occasion of my first meal and pints there (on the patio, not yet my desired bar stool) since the shutdowns due to COVID-19.

Apparently this is the start of a series. I think the session IPA that inspired this one was Steel Toe Size 4.

Clear, amber/golden hue, small slice of white foam atop.

In the nose: bright and citrusy.

In the mouth: Light bodied, easy drinking, quaffable. Citrus fruits on the palate, with a touch of stone/pit fruit, to boot. Slim malt component. Stone fruit takes over for a while, apricot, peach, getting closer and closer to deliciousness. In the end, I gobbled this one down. I drink one again, and again, and again.

Belching Beaver Melty Hops Double India Pale Ale

Belching Beaver Melty Hops
Double India Pale Ale.
Collaboration with Revision Brewing Company.
8.8 % ABV, 70 IBU.
Belching Beaver Brewing, Oceanside, CA.

I can't pass up any beer whose label riffs on Salvador Dali. I mean, duh.

Clear, bright golden hue, large white head, leaving some lace.

In the nose: magnificent mix. Citrus and sweet, tropical and dank, overpoweringly delightful. Orange, grapefruit, pineapple, pine tree, a little guava.

In the mouth: Starts slightly harsh and bitter, until the fruit pops up, citrus and tropical. Juicy. Bitter. With alcohol rearing in, loading onto the palate for the long haul. It's got everything I'm looking for.
Medium bodied, good drinking, nice balance of the sweet and bitter. Guava meets orange, grapefruit butts up against pineapple. Tasty, tasty stuff. Nice and melty, too.

We are proud to collaborate with our good friends from who happen to be some of the best hoppy beer brewers in the world. This beer is loaded with Citra, Simcoe, Cashmere, and Azacca to create a bouquet of tropical fruit, pine, mandarin orange, and tangerine.

Falling Knife Hidden Temple Hazy IPA

Falling Knife Hidden Temple Hazy IPA. Azacca and El Dorado NE IPA.
7.3 % ABV. Falling Knife Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Super hazy, bright-ish orange, large ivory head.

In the nose: Citrus notes, following by traces of tropical.

In the mouth: Starts off slightly bitter, all come grapefruit, orange, lemon, and their pals, ending with tropical touches, the sweeter stuff. Medium bodied, with a whole lotta haze. Yeast aplenty. Pineapple begins to take control, splash of guava on the side. Moderate bitterness. Just a little bit juicy.

Quite an enjoyable version of this style.

The Brewing Projekt Oh Snap! Hazy IPA

The Brewing Projekt Oh Snap! Hazy IPA. With Citra, Simcoe, and Sabro.
6.7 % ABV. The Brewing Project, Eau Claire, WI.

It's a strange time, as we all know. Lately, it's been hard to find a beer around here. (Though it's getting better.) On a particular Wednesday of last week, I set out for some beer, and found the liquor store closest to me, a mere 3 block walk, still boarded up after riots and looting. (Still, today, too.)
I thought about all the stores down the street, most, if not all, named after the street, Lake Wine and Spirits, Chicago-Lake, Hiawatha-Lake, etc, and how they were all looted. And Minnehaha-Lake was burned down. Zipp's, too, closed to looting. My bike had a flat (my tire pump went missing, the bike shop nearby was still closed due to COVID, and the gas stations I would go to to use their pump...burned or closed due to looting), I still don't drive, and I was picking my options due to walking distance, before picking the bus.

These are not complaints. I am not complaining. These are first world problems, white privilege problems. I'm not dead. I'm never been harassed by police due to my race. (Due to other things, but that's another story.) I'm just saying how it is.

So, I head to another store that I thought would be fine, being far from the looting zone. It was all boarded up. There's the looting zone, and the fear of the looting zone. I walk a few more blocks, and head up to a store I thought would be safe and they were putting the final nails in the boards. Okay. Keep on walking, and the next place is open, but the windows are boarded. A manager is guarding the door, keeping the customers inside to a minimum. Masks are mandatory. Everyone is keeping social distance. And I'm impressed at the selection. This place, Franklin-Nicollet Liquors, used to be the closest store to me years ago, and I rarely went there. I'd go out of my way to Zipp's for the better selection. This time, the craft section had widened significantly. Most of my choices for purchase were beers I can get most anywhere, but love to drink. Having so much time off during quarantine means more time to drink. I can only have so much Snapple before I've got to crack open a beer. Got to have the good old good ones. Steel Toe Size 7, Surly Furious, Three Floyds Alpha King, and one more.

I was surprised that they had The Brewing Projekt, which has really been hyped up these days, though I've been skipping them. I look on ye olde Nib, and I've only reviewed two of theirs, one was the Hero Project collaboration with Oliphant, and the other the Cryo Citra Dare Mighty Things IPA. In the review, I said "I hope there are more to come." And this was nearly two years ago.

So why did I pass them over again and again? Price. I just hate the $20 4-pack. I hate it to Hell. And this one was a mere $16 4-pack. Or $15.50 or something. And I bet those $20 4-pack beers are good, and I just might go back to pick some up, if they still have them, because I don't know, maybe the hype is worth it...I still hate that price. This is one reason I will buy Steel Toe Sticker Fight every time I see it, the $11 6-pack price. And it's awesome.

Enough of that jibber jabber, let's talk about this beer:

No slouch in the haze department. Dull orange color. Huge white head, leaving lace, looking good.

In the nose: Pow! Bam! Whoa! Hop resins wafting out with wild abandon, citrus explosion. Nice! Fruity, but dry.

In the mouth: Yow! Powerful meets delightful. Bursting with citrus, profoundly juicy, smooth and delicious. Slight sweetness steps ahead of mild bitterness, swims about til it turns dry on the palate. Easy drinking. Quite consumable. This one goes down well and good.

Again, I went through the first three quickly and with great aplomb, leaving this last one for the review. And I wish I had more. It's very good.


OH SNAP! ⁣
Is that a UFO? Starlink? Space Force? A hazy IPA bulked up with Citra, Simcoe & Sabro hops?!⁣
⁣
Probably the last one. ?⁣
⁣
Oh Snap is prepped for launch and set to blow your mind.?

Pipeworks Emerald Grouper Double IPA

Pipeworks Emerald Grouper Imperial IPA. Brewed with honey and Citra hops.
Collaboration with 4 Hands Brewing.
9.5 % ABV. 75 IBU.
Pipeworks Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clouded, bright orange hue, large white head.

In the nose: Big, bold citrus and stone fruit notes in the aroma. Orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and mango.

In the mouth: Juicy, aggressively bitter, grips the palate with powerful hoppiness. Blasts of citrus and more. My kind of IPA. Robust hop character, juicy, fruity, malty, easy drinking, despite the alcohol. Slightly out of balance, but I don't mind that. Various levels of dank and sticky-icky are getting it on up in here. Yes, it's that kind of DIPA. And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Dudddde.... we put in like what was it... honey. No, like insane amounts of honey. Annnd... pssshh... seriously dank hops I got from this one guy I know. I think it was like... dude.... I am so gone. Simcoe and some Citra and some Mosiac and what if the colors I see are like not the colors you see... what was I saying? Right, right, 4 Hands. They brew the stickiest of the ickiest.

Spiral Mississippi Fog Hazy IPA

Spiral Mississippi Fog Hazy IPA. 7 % ABV.
Spiral Brewery, Hastings, MN.

Thoroughly hazed up, dull orange hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Screams out citrus and tropical fruit notes. Grapefruit and pineapple aplenty. Orange rind and mango puree.

In the mouth: Soft and smooth, small bitterness on the palate up front, just enough to keep me, an old bitter head, happy. Medium bodied, long, hoppy finish. Juicy, fruity, highly enjoyable.

Once more, I finished the first three of this pack rather quickly, and sat on the fourth until I felt like reviewing it. Now, I wish I had some more. Nice stuff.

Don’t let the haziness of this New England IPA fool you. It packs a punch on top of the big and balanced flavor. The haze is characteristic of this unfiltered style, but it certainly doesn’t mask the juiciness and varying notes of citrus. Upfront you taste the passionfruit and mango but the hints of pineapple is what lingers for a while.

Bauhaus Zenata Mexican Amber Lager

Bauhaus Zenata Mexican Amber Lager.
4.3 % ABV. 12 IBU.
Bauhaus BrewLabs, Minneapolis, MN.

Another from the "Breezebox."

Clear, light brownish hue, caramel tinted, slim head.

In the nose: Caramel in the nose, too, with a hint of cola. On the sweet side.

In the mouth: Light. Slight. Sweet and malty, just barely balanced. More caramel and cola. Briefest bitterness. Tasty enough. But forgettable.

Meh.

Town Hall Apricot Wheat

Town Hall Apricot Wheat.
4.3 % ABV.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweet, apricot-y, pure delight.

In the mouth: Touch of tart, then starts the sweet. Small touches of bitterness. Smooth, light bodied, easy drinking. Just enough apricot flavor. Very refreshing. This crowler will be in the recycling bin in no time. Simple, but very delicious.

American style wheat ale made with natural apricot.

The Bruery Mocha Wednesday

The Bruery Mocha Wednesday. Imperial Stout, Bourbon-barreled, with cacao nibs and coffee.
19.2 % ABV. The Bruery, Placentia, CA.

Black as darkest night, absolute opacity, brief brown head.

In the nose: abysmal, in the grandest meaning. Bourbon barrel, cocoa, coffee, ashes, soot, embers, firewood at the bottom of the pit. Sweet and evil.

In the mouth: Everything's cranked up to eleven. Big on the chocolate, huge with the coffee, rich with the bourbon, and absolutely brimming with the booze. All the usual suspects are at play, running rampant on the palate. Thickness, richness, big beyond measure. Wow, wow, wow.

I feel like I haven't said enough. Maybe an extra Wow?

Mocha Wednesday is the perfect follow up to a Black Tuesday. We've taken our bourbon barrel aged imperial stout and added cacao nibs from San Francisco based TCHO along with freshly roasted coffee from OC's own Portola Coffee Lab. The result is an invigorating version of our popular stout; layered with notes of rustic dark chocolate and bold, fruity coffee beans.

I didn't know it was nearly 20% when I drank it. Holy crap.

Oliphant Brewing The Oliphant Hefe Weizen

Oliphant Brewing The Oliphant Hefe Weizen.
5 % ABV. Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

This is the second hefe weizen from Oliphant. The first was called Turtlelord. This one is called The Oliphant. Shockingly unimaginative, for these guys.

Clear (do we have a kristall weizen on our hands?), bright golden, small white head. Maybe I should have tried this with a true German weizen glass, instead of a tulip?)

In the nose: Soft, sweet, citrus and spice. Not too much banana, maybe a touch of clove. Orange rind and lemon.

In the mouth: Bright and sunny on the palate. Just a little juicy. yeast taste apparent. Smooth and slightly sweet. Good ol' summertime refresher, just in time. More citrusy flavors, with a snap of spice.
Exceptional drinkability.

Wheat Ale brewed with Malted wheat and barley

Fulton Maibock German Style Lager

Fulton Maibock German Style Lager.
6.5 % ABV. 25 IBU.
Fulton Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

So, I picked up a Fulton sampler pack last Monday, two of their flagships, two I'd never heard of before. Sometimes when I drink beers again, I realize that I have an opportunity to do a good photo to replace the one on the blog from years ago, when my camera wasn't as nice, when I didn't always use a neutral background, when the glass sometimes wasn't "beer clean." I made sure to do that with the Lonely Blonde, whose first review of eight years ago was from a growler on my first visit to the taproom. But, I drank the 3 bottles of 300 too quickly to stage a corrective photo. I'm sure I'll get more later. And now, to the two new Fultons, the first one is the Maibock, which I'm drinking in June.

Clear, honey-golden hue, slim white head atop.

In the nose: Slightly sweet, malty, cereal grains, lightly floral/estery.

In the mouth: Clean and crisp, with lingering malt flavors on the palate. Not a trace of hop bitterness, fully balanced. Just enough of a sweet, honey-ish edge to keep it tasty. Medium-bodied, fully flavored, easy drinking.

I like a good maibock, and this is one of them.

NO GOATS WERE HARMED IN THE CRAFTING OF THIS BEER.

Winter is almost over, but Spring isn’t here yet. What to do about it? (brew a beer to bridge the seasons, duh!) Our very first Maibock helps usher us into spring by bringing together a base of a bready malt character, floral hop aroma, and a crisp, slight bitterness to keep the finish nice and clean. We took the launch of our latest mixed 12 pack as an opportunity to venture into some new territory. Brewing a Maibock had been an idea we tossed around over the years, but never pulled the trigger on. Now, sipping on this new beer we are left wondering "why'd we wait so long?".