MetroNOME Squeeze Play East Coast IPA

 MetroNOME Squeeze Play East Coast IPA.

7.3 % ABV, MetroNOME Brewery, St. Paul, MN.

Is the name a baseball reference, from this music themed  (and gnome themed) brewery? Since I have to ask, you can tell I’m not a sports fan. I have to wonder why, when this heart of mine would rather see jazz pop up in beer more often. 

Also, I have to wonder what they mean by East Coast IPA. There used to be East Coast IPAs, and they were maltier than this, closer to English IPAs. And they shouldn’t be confused with New England IPAs, naturally.

Clear, golden hued, slight white head. 

In the nose: bright and fruity, floral, citrus and tropical. 

In the mouth: crisp and clean, smooth and easy drinking. None too bitter and pleasingly flavored with hoppiness. Just a little juicy, a merest touch of sweetness. An amiable beverage to while aware sixteen bars, or sixteen ounces, at a time. 

Flavor Notes: Tropical on the nose and fruity on the mouthpiece. A great low-bitter IPA for wetting the whistle before belting out a few bars of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”

I’ll bet this description was penned by brewer and horn player Kevin Welch himself. I’m also betting this is best consumed at St. Paul Saints games. 

Wild Mind Tiger in a Trance Honey Rye Saison

 Wild Mind Tiger in a Trance Honey Rye Saison.Saison brewed with Minnesota honey, spelt and rye. 

6.5 % ABV, Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: honey sweetness meets floral hops, with a bit of funk. 

In the mouth: honey comes forward in the flavor, matching hop bitterness. Crisp and smooth, light bodied and quite delightful. Rye and spelt’s contributions are sly and understated. There’s quite a lot of individual character in this one, and I appreciate it. 

This is can four of the first 4-pack I have purchased from Wild Mind. If all you put out is $16 hazy IPAs and fruity sours, I’m not interested. An $11 saison? That’s more like it. 

Farmhouse ale brewed with rye. Hopped with Saaz and EKG. Refermented with Minnesota wildflower honey.. 

Hammerheart Hokan’s Brown Ale

 Hammerheart Hokan’s Brown Ale.

6.5% ABV, Hammerheart Brewing, Ely, MN. 

This is can four from the second beer released from the Ely facility. But I had this first at the taproom in 2016, with my dear sweet mother, who said she’d never had a dark beer in all her 83 years (she turns 92 this year). Look up my post about that visit to see a pic of us both.

Dark brown color, opaque, slim brown ring. 

In the nose: roasted malt, slightly smoky, caramel undertones. Traces of chocolate.

In the mouth: rich and full-bodied, this is no ordinary brown ale. Chocolate and caramel trickle along the tongue, smooth and delicious. Hearty. Rewarding. A brown ale that stretches the boundaries of the style. 

Now I truly understand why this one flew off the rails after we stocked it back in July. After finishing my fourth, I long for a fifth. We’ll just have to wait until the next time they brew it, and meanwhile enjoy the next offerings…which might be even better!

Pizza Port Swami’s India Pale Ale

 Pizza Port Swami’s India Pale Ale.

6.8% ABV, 72 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA.

Clear, bright golden hue, large and lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: highly vibrant, abuzz with hoppiness zes . Citrus and pine aplenty. Grapefruit and lemon.

In the mouth: Light-bodied but rich in hoppy flavors. Big bitterness blazes the palate. Citrus notes abound. Flavors never quit. Finish lasts forever. Quintessential West Coast IPA. I will have this one again and again. 

They’ve been making this since 1992? I certain never had a beer like this back then. We didn’t have IPAs like this around here in those days. Was SoCal keeping it all s secret? 

Another mystery is: when I visited the brewpub in 2004, did I have this? There’s no way of knowing, but, probably. I’d previously had my first Pliny at O’Brian’s. What a time for my tongue. 

Swami’s IPA was first brewed in 1992 to commemorate one of our favorite local surf breaks nestled below a spiritual enlightenment temple that sits on the cliffs above. This West Coast style IPA features a timeless American hop profile of citrus and pine with a crisp balanced finish. It’s a dream come true to be able to share so many pints over time as we all evolve together. Whatever your form of meditation is, we hope that each and every sip contributes to your own self-realization…Cheers!

Hops: Chinook, CTZ, Cascade, Centennial, Citra, & Simcoe

Nine Mile Hrbie’s Grand Slam Kolsch

 

9 Mile Hrbie’s Grand Slam Kolsch. 

5.2 % ABV, Nine Mile Brewing, Bloomington, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: minor hops, slightly sweet and malty, fragrant and fruity. 

In the mouth: small bitterness up front, then all is smooth and light bodied. Delicate fruitiness delights the palate throughout the drink. Slips ever so easily down the throat. 

Named for legendary ‘80’s/‘90’sTwins first baseman Kent Hrbek who once played in Bloomington in the old Met Stadium, and still lives there. And now apparently drinks there, probably ordering “my beer” whenever he stops in the brewery. I know I would. 

We've really hit it out of the park with this one, y'all. Brewed in collaboration with (and named for) Bloomington's own hometown hero, Hrbie's Grand Slam is an easy drinking kölsch perfect for sipping whether you're on the diamond or in our taproom.

A grist of pilsner, Vienna, and white wheat with a sprinkle of sour malt make up the body of this beer, creating a lightly grainy background, where a blend of Altus and Saphir hops provide balance and subtle noble floral aromas that allow the wonderfully fruity characteristics of the kölsch yeast strain to shine through. Crisp, clean, and utterly crushable, this collaboration (like its namesake) is one for the ages.

Coronado El Rollo India Pale Ale

Coronado El Rollo India Pale Ale. West-Coast style IPA. Collaboration with Pizza Port Brewing. 

7.2 % ABV, Coronado Brewing, Coronado, CA. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: fragrant, zestful, Citra-tasting. Utterly lovely. Lemon alights upon grapefruit to intermingle. 

In the mouth: pow! Hop bitterness hits from the first sip. Citrus notes meet the taste of the tropical. Fresh and vibrant, delivering shock after shock of hoppy delights with each new gulp. Lean bodied and delicious. Leaning dry, with a touch of sweetness. 

I like my West Coast IPAs bone-dry and brittle, but I can also enjoy variations such as this. West Coast is surely the best coast.