Lakes & Legends Board Shorts

 Lakes & Legends Board Shorts.

6.3 % ABV, Lakes & Legends Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. Brewed with Centennial, Hercules & Comet hops. 

I’ve been to Lakes & Legends a bit more than usual lately, after moving just a few blocks away from the brewery three months ago. On every visit, I enjoyed this beer, sometimes twice. And on the occasion of the purchase of this can, I was told, “it’s can only now, is that okay?” They had another West Coast IPA on tap to replace it, and I tried that one out. 

And then and there, I was confronted with a fresh section of our new taproom terrain. Breweries can now sell cans of their beer to go, sure, but for on-premises, too? I hadn’t thought about that. I turned to my right and saw a man on the bar slurping from a can Marigold, their Belgian strong golden ale.  Was that sold out on tap, also, or did he just prefer it from a can? Was he offered a glass, or does he eschew such fanciful preparations? Some enjoy the simple comforts of sucking strong beer out of the top of a can, but should that really be done in public? Can’t that be left to one’s home or tenement stoop, or bus terminal?

All good craft beer should be enjoyed in a glass, whether poured from tap, or from can or bottle. I have spoken.

Clear, with slight chill haze, bright golden hue, large and lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: plenty of pine, stocked with citrus. Grapefruit, orange and a pinch of pineapple. 

In the mouth: brace of bitterness up front, laying hard on the palate for a bit, before laying low. Floods the mouth with hoppy goodness, finishing dry and bitter. Medium bodied, refreshingly drinkable for this hophead. Hop bitterness never quits. 

This is one of the best West Coast IPAs brewed locally that I’ve had in a long time.