Dangerous Man Smash IPA

 Dangerous Man SMASH IPA. Golden Promise & Simcoe. 

6.8% ABV, 45 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head, leaving lace. 

In the nose: high pine and jacked up citrus, grapefruit and orange galore. 

In the mouth: big bitterness spikes the palate, the s slightly softens as juicy malt rises up to meet the hops. Stone fruit and a trace of tropical lends sweetnesses. Light bodied, expertly drinkable and a long, bitter finish. Highly likable. 

Smash stands for single malt and single hop. This malt and hop combination balances and complements each other while letting each shine. Golden Promise lends a big, bold, malty backbone to withstand the huge amount of hops, while Simcoe hops bring bright notes of stone fruit, citrus, and a dash of woody pine resulting in a refreshing, approachable and well balanced IPA.

Destihl Destihlinator Doppelbock German-style Lager

 Destihl Destihlinator Doppelbock German-style Lager.

9.5 % ABV, Destihl Brewery, Normal, IL.

Clear, deep reddish brown, slim layer of creamy white froth atop. 

In the nose: sweet caramel malt, touch of toffee.

In the mouth: starts out sweet, but bitterness reveals and it’s all wonderfully smooth, while rich and full bodied. Excellent balance, but the heat soon unfolds. It’s a big one and the booze begins to shine. 

This is an exceptional doppelbock. Maybe some day it’ll show up in Minnesota, for now I have Kevin & Laurie to thank.

Our German-style Doppelbock is full-bodied and light brown in color with aromas of toffee. Flavors of caramel, malty sweetness and a warming finish make this a perfect beer for pairing with food or celebrating with friends and family. Cheers!

Ārpus Peanut Butter Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout

 Ārpus Peanut Butter Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout.

12% ABV, Ārpus Brewing, Latvia. 

Question: Have I ever had a Latvian beer before? Unsure. Maybe not. Other question: have I ever had a Latvian Peanut Butter Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout before? Highly unlikely. Let’s do it. 

Fully ebony, complete opacity, large and inviting brown ring of foam.

In the nose: boom! PB…and there’s vanilla…coffee’s coming along.

In the mouth: starts out rich, sweet, delicious. Overly sweet? Possible. No, I like it just how it is. Nearly full bodied, and spectacularly packed with flavor. All the flavors are in harmony, with pb and vanilla shiny brightest. 

It’s cool that Latvian brewers are making beers like this, and they’re coming over here. Craft beer is a world wide phenomenon. Was it worth the $9 for the can? (Before my employee discount.) I’d say yes. I don’t spend $9 a can often, but Latvian Peanut Butter Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout? C’mon!

BlackStack Morning Routine Granola Stout

 BlackStack Morning Routine Granola Stout.

7% ABV, BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Look at this, boys and girls, it’s a BlackStack beer that I’m drinking and it’s not a triple dipple hazy IPA. Nope, this here’s a “granola stout”, and why don’t we find out what that is. 

Strictly ebony hued, thoroughly opaque, with a slim brown head on top. 

In the nose: malty, chocolatey, cream and cocoa. 

In the mouth: rich, mucho cocoa, some kind of sweet, plus smooth and delicious. Full bodied, richly textured, very rewarding and flavorful. I’m happy it’s not a “pastry stout” and only somewhat confused about the granola business. 

Getting into a new routine. Conditioned on granola for the full-on breakfast vibes.

Odell Wire Walker West Coast Style Double IPA

 Odell Wire Walker West Coast Style Double IPA. 

8% ABV, 50 IBU, Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Mostly clear, but not clear enough, with a bright golden hue, large, lace-leaving head.

In the nose: pungent, tropical tones and a whiff of citrus. A bit oily. Not really fitting a West Coast style so far…

In the mouth: bitter at first, highly hoppy and showing off the high ABV. More oiliness on the palate. Medium-bodied, a touch dry, but still a far cry from what I expect from the description. 

This one is simply “okay” and will not entire my pantheon of favorite double IPAs. It is very confused, and not really as balanced as it claims. Or, maybe “balance” is not what I value most in this style? 

Coronado Big Weekend Double IPA

 Coronado Big Weekend Double IPA .

8.8% ABV, 62 IBU, Coronado Brewing, San Diego, CA. 

Clear, bright golden hue, large, lush white head. 

In the nose: big citrus, orange peel and grapefruit, with a touch of honey. 

In the mouth:  wild and wooly hoppiness, gritty and dank. Thick and twisted, bitter, juicy, dry. Full bodied,?brisk and dazzling hop attack is in charge. 

I love a good West Coast Double IPA and this is surely one. 

Expertly balanced and perfectly hoppy, Big Weekend is ready to kick it up a notch. Brewed with a unique blend of some of the world’s best hops, this Double IPA delivers all the juicy, tropical and floral flavors you could dream of. Here’s to living in the moment – Let’s make it a BIG Weekend.

Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus schwarzes

 Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus schwarzes.

14% ABV Doppelbock,  Schloss Eggenberg Brewery, Oberosterreich, Austria.

I’ve been sitting on this beer for two years. Bought it in late 2021, when it was already five years old. Time to drink and write. 

Utterly ebon, thoroughly opaque, rich, large head that quits quickly. 

In the nose: coffee and cocoa, dates and figs, immeasurable malt. Char and smoke mingle with the chocolate. 

In the mouth: luscious, thick and viscous, and altogether sweet, but not too. Caramel and toffee. Big and rich, super powerful. Whoa, I should not be up all night, drinking this. But, I am and I am grooving. 

This one held up very well after seven years. 

The newest edition to the Samichlaus line up is a Schwarzbier. Also brewed on December 6th, and aged for 10 months, Schwarzbier means “black beer” in German. It has flavors of spicy rye, dark oak and subtle smoke that balances quite nicely with more bittering and aroma hops than in prior versions of Samichlasus. Bittersweet and complexity is what this new amazing recipe is all about.