Ol’ George # 59: Bad Bunny

 

Ol’ George # 59: Bad Bunny.

Notes on #59:

1. Horatio is based on a painting by my friend Winona. He’s a lot cuter in her version. 

2. Why does Irma tease the rabbit? It’s not that they’re predators/prey, as is the case with cats vs. rodents. Maybe some of George’s smart- assery rubs off on her? 

3. It’s crazy how many carrot cake beers are out there. Imperial milk stout, pastry sour, brown ale, kölsch, cream ale, barley wine, and, yes, imperial pastry stout. I can’t find any cabbage beers, though. A bunch of beers called “Jazz Cabbage”, where’s that come from? 

4. Was there enough time between panels two and three for Irma to mix that martini, or was it always waiting there beneath the bar, like on every tv show or comedy sketch? 

5. Gavin, two weeks in a row? Hey, why not. He won’t take over. He’s no Fonzie. Might be a bit of an Urkek, though. 

Brasserie Au Baron Cuvée de Jonquilles French Farmhouse Ale

 

Brasserie Au Baron Cuvée de Jonquilles French Farmhouse Ale. Bottle conditioned, unfiltered. 

7 % ABV, 30 IBU, Brasserie du Baron, FRANCE. 

Clear, straw color, frothy, lace-leaving ivory head. 

In the nose: garden fresh! Ever so slightly sour, overall funky. Somewhat citric. Enticing and inviting. 

In the mouth: horse blanket meets the garden grove. All dandeliony up in here and all over the palate. Several layers of funky fresh. Pretty damned delicious. Lovely texture. It’s that special kind of yum a dum dum. Lemony and floral, just a touch of bitter, and all kinds of enjoyable. 

La plus connue de nos bières. La cuvée des jonquilles c'est tout le bocage de l'Avesnois dans une bouteille! Dorée comme le blé! Parfumée comme le foin! C'est elle qu'il vous faut avoir toujours au frais lorsque les copains débarquent à la maison

 La blonde Cuvée des Jonquilles arbore une robe dorée pâle légèrement trouble. Un palais très rafraichissant et digeste, des arômes portés à la fois sur l'agrume et le floral. l'amertume est à la fois subtile et sophistiquée, soutenue par la levure.

levure: Au Baron

malt: Pilsen

houblons: strisselspaltz, hallertau, brewersgold

Castle Danger Fresh Hop ‘25

 Castle Danger Fresh Hop ‘25 Fresh Hop India Pale Ale. 6.5 % ABV, Castle Danger Brewing, Two Harbors, Minnesota. 

Clear (with slight chill haze), bright golden hue, fine ivory froth atop.

In the nose: berries, berries, berries! Straw-, blue-, even a little bit rasp-. Faint citrus on the side. 

In the mouth: all those berries are having a party on the palate. Refreshingly fresh and tasty, with no exaggerated bitterness. Some, but not a ton. Not anything like what I anticipate from a fresh hop IPA. But I like it for what it is. Got to applaud a brew that breaks away from the norm. 

The 2025 Fresh Hop IPA is brewed with farm fresh PINK (ID-158) hops from the fine folks at Jackson Hop Farms in Wilder, Idaho. Fresh hopped beers use hops in their purest form; never processed, never kilned.

PINK hops showcase notes of citrus, strawberry, honey, and peach. Enjoy this true seasonal beer just weeks after the fall hop harvest!

Arbeiter Quatre Benriach Peated Scotch Barrel-aged Belgian Quad

 Arbeiter Quatre Benriach Peated Scotch Barrel-aged Belgian Quad. 

10.4 % ABV, Arbeiter Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Dark mahogany hued, opaque, tight ring of beige foam above. 

In the nose: dizzyingly complex. We get the rich, malty aromatics of a Belgian quadrupel at the core, but do much more enters the mix. Getting the whisky and the pear, but the quad character stands in command. 

In the mouth: thick, full, rich and fulfilling. Quite a mouthfeel. Sweet and strong, notes of cherries, berries, fig, date, a beautiful blend. Where does the barrel end its magic and the original beer emerge triumphant? There’s plenty of Scotch barrel work here, but the Quad is clearly king. 

This is the perfect nightcap for the evening. A cold, hard week of coming to terms with the fact that winter is not taking it easy on us this year. You can easily lose yourself in this, relax and indulge. I will not let it bother me tonight. 

Hammerheart Tugtvann Dark Lager (Bayerøl)

 Hammerheart Tugtvann Dark Lager (Bayerøl).

8.3% ABV, Hammerheart Brewing, Ely, MN. 

Clear, light brown/copper color, slim off-white head. 

In the nose: sweet, smoky, malty. Caramel & smoke.

In the mouth: impeccably smooth and delicious. Plenty malty, light bodied and expertly drinkable. Now, the high ABV rings in, so I ought to slow ‘er down a bit. 

Tasty little Norwegian Dunkel. 

With this Bayerøl, the Norwegian take on German Dunkel, we raise a toast to the Norwegian resistance who stood up against fascism. May their spirit live on in us. SKÅL!

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

 Victory Storm King Imperial Stout.

Here’s one I go way back with, way, way back. I haven’t seen it in a very long time, and never in cans. I probably took my first notes on it well over 20 years ago but I’m not going to dig those up, instead I’ll write fresh ones from fresh cans. I bought 2 6-packs and saved can #12 for just this purpose. 

9.1 % ABV, Victory Brewing, Downington, PA. 

Thoroughly black appearance, absolutely opaque, tan head, leaving lace. 

In the nose: chocolate, caramel, toffee. Anise and ash. Rich Corinthian leather. Mahogany bound hardcover books. Basically, Ricardo Montanan’s study. 

In the mouth: Full, thick, viscous. Bitter, malty, hoppy and flush with flavor. Malt bomb, da bomb, boom goes the dynamite. Tobacco and smoke. Fudge and ash. Touch of dark fruit. Figs and cherries, all this and more. Some of these in a minor key, some in a high-blown tone, but it all comes together as one of the OG Big Bad Daddies. 

A thundering hop presence collides with massive espresso and dark chocolate flavors in our dense and full-bodied imperial.

HeadFlyer Vanilla Bean Porter

 HeadFlyer Vanilla Bean Porter.

5.8 % ABV, 28 IBU, HeadFlyer Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Mostly opaque, dark brown color, slim tan head. 

In the nose: roasted malt, coffee and cocoa, plus the onset of sweet vanilla. 

In the mouth: starts dry, roasty/toasty, and bittersweet. Coffee flavors dominate, more dry and bittersweet character takes command. Full bodied, robust, with a long-lasting, chocolatey finish. Vanilla flavor is here, but subtle, not dominant in the slightest. 

And I man enjoying this quite a bit. Good old regular porter with a touch of vanilla. 

This is a dark porter that has a complex body of roasted malts and has a creamy finish with a hint of vanilla.

Ol’ George #58: The Sign Part 4 (Nuts to You #2)

Ol’ George #58: The Sign Part 4 (Nuts to You #2).

Notes on #58:

1. When Gavin appeared for the first time a couple months ago in #47, I said that I liked him, mainly for the outfit I created for him. But, he doesn’t really seem like a great drinking buddy, does he? At least, not for George. Irma sure is sick of his shit. George has the same expression as in that initial encounter, poor guy, just wants to be friends with a squirrel. What’s so wrong about that? There will be more about this. 

2. I also said that The Saga of the Sign would be a 4-parter. I estimate at least seven, maybe eight.?

Moose Lake Oktoberfest

 Moose Lake Oktoberfest. 

6% ABV, 29 IBU, Moose Lake Brewing, Moose Lake, Minnesota. 

Clear, copper-colored, slim off-white head.

In the nose: toasty malt, noble hops, slightly sweet. 

In the mouth: sweetness hits the palate first, but well in balance, caramel notes abound. Medium bodied, long, sweet, malty finish. Full of a kind of character you don’t get in a drier märzens.

And I kind of like it. 

Wandering Leaf Oh Australia! I Was Way Off! Vienna Lager

 Wandering Leaf Oh Australia! I Was Way Off! Vienna Lager. 

6% ABV, Wandering Leaf Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Clear, amber-hued, large & creamy head.

In the nose: soft and floral, mostly malty, minor hops. 

In the mouth: crisp, clean, caramel-y. Medium bodied, smooth and malty, just enough hops for balance. Moderate bitterness keeping it all in check. 

There should be more Vienna lagers out there, don’t you agree? 

Pen Name Fresh Bier

 Pen Name Fresh Bier. Foeder aged Lager Wet hopped w/ wild Minnesotan hops Malty Hoppy Crispy.

Here we have the first Pen Name beer here at Ye Olde Nib, from former Wild Mind brewer/owner Matt Waddell, brewed at Haggard Barrel in St. Louis Park. I had a few of their others at the taproom in summer (a full serve of Field and a taste of someone’s Cellar) but our store missed out on the first few offerings. This one sold out a while back, and I’ve been my usual procrastinator self. 

5 % ABV, 25 IBU, Pen Name Fermentation Project, St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Clear, bright yellow hue, slim ivory head

In the nose: fresh and zesty, hops aplenty. Who knew? Tropical tones with a bit of the ol’ dank, quite citrusy. Arrestingly interesting.

In the mouth: crisp, snappy, citrusy, light bodied, easy-drinking. A touch of the oak comes through. Moderate bitterness. Maybe a bit more lemony than I like. 

Altogether enjoyable and I look forward to more from Matt. 

A hyper-local wet-hopped lager brewed with MN-grown Pilsner + spelt malt and St. Paul beer caves yeast. Wild hops went from farm to beer in just one hour, bringing noble character and bright tropical melon over a crisp, crushable backbone. Brewed to be enjoyed fresh—drink it now!

Ol’ George #57

 

Ol’ George #57.

Notes on #57:

1. If you haven’t figured it out yet, George is not a beer geek. He might actually enjoy the beers Balonious mentions, but he’ll never fuss about them. Deciphering the jargon in itself is a task he would never undertake. 

2. When I started this, I called it a “warts and all” endeavor. By this I meant nothing was meant to be “perfect”, some efforts would be better than others, and I would ask forgiveness for minor flaws. No drawing would be guaranteed to be always “on-model.”

Take this one, for example. I like Balonious in panel three better than two, which is infinitely better than one. But, it’s good enough and it’s better than the first version. This is the first time I scrapped a fouled-up effort and started over. You can see it in the other side of the original , but you’ll have to peek when I’m not looking. 

And then, I posed the page for a pic, as I do, forgetting that my forearm was wet from dishwashing. I’m a forgetter. Not having any liquid paper on hand (note: buy liquid paper), I fixed the lettering and colored over the other stains. Maybe later, I can fix it digitally. I’m not drawing it a third time.

Just asking you to forgive my flaws and enjoy this for what it is. And I’ll keep trying harder. (Note to self: keep your hands dry.)

Une Année Quad Abbey Ale

 Une Année Quad Abbey Ale. 

11% ABV, 33 IBU, Une Année Brewery, Niles, Illinois. 

Clear, ruby/mahogany toned, slim off-white layer of foam. 

In the nose: caramel notes, and toffee hit first. Belgian dark malt looms largest. Terrifically complex flavor profile in the aromatics. Utterly lovely.

In the mouth: much sweetness greets the tongue, but well tempered. Rich and malty, more caramel and toffee appearing on the palate. Excellent balance without a bit of bitterness and high alcohol well hidden. Except when it comes to…yeah, there it is…

Magical malt here, tasting every bit like a classic quadruple. Neither too this, nor too that, and never not enough. And every bit delicious. Belgian Special B all the way. Ever so delightful in every little way. There’s not enough good Belgian quads out there. I’m glad this exists. 

Wooden Ship Boating Enthusiast Schwarzbier

 Wooden Ship Boating Enthusiast Schwarzbier.

4.7 % ABV, Wooden Ship Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Thoroughly ebon, purely opaque, slight head, 

In the nose: roasty, malty, chocolatey. 

In the mouth: slightly bitter, cocoa, coffee, malty. Smooth and creamy. Medium bodied, clean and drinkable. 

Not too shabby of a schwarzbier.

Smoked pistachios, cayenne- collab with 320 Brewing.

Ol’ George #56: The Sign, Part Three, the bear refreshing

 Ol’ George #56: The Sign, Part Three, the bear refreshing.

Notes on 56:

1. Why pick on Keokuk, Iowa? No reason. It’s a fun word to say, like Cucamonga, Walla Walla, Seattle. 

2. Balonious’ dialogue in panel two was not written by me, merely transcribed. I was minding my own business at the Black Forest Inn when I overheard a man say those actual words to a woman he had just met. Way to go, slugger, you’re going to score with a line like that! That’s when it hit me that if I ever run low on ideas, I can just sidle up to the bar and listen in. 

That line was in my idea bin for a year and I finally found a use for it. 

3. Also, I’d always wanted to do one with the Hamm’s bear, but couldn’t come up with a good use or a gag. Glad it all came together in this third installment of The Saga of the Sign. 

Dangerous Man Heaven Hill Bourbon Russian Imperial Stout

 Dangerous Man Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrel Sged Russian Imperial Stout. 

10.8 % ABV, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, Minnesota. 

Back in March, there was much shock and grief when Dangerous Man Brewing called it quits after 12 years. Who could believe that such a beloved brand couldn’t make it in the market? 

Well, then a funny thing happened. Six months later, having not gotten around to liquidating their assets, a white knight arrived! New owner, with the old owner, good Ol’ Rob Miller, manning the tanks. And they’re returning to stores and bars this week, with plans for a Twin Cities taproom soon. 

So, I will celebrate tonight with something from the cellar (but not really that old, actually).

Solidly Stygian, slim tan head. Complete opacity.

In the nose: smoke, whiskey, ash, leather, oak. 

In the mouth: cherries, vanilla, barrel. Deep and caramelly. Richness abounds, thick and viscous. Malt driven, if it has to be said.  A treat for the tongue, pleasure for the palate. Chocolate creeps around this melange. Big time bourbon, no kidding around, Jack. 

I’m looking forward to more like this in the future. Welcome back, Dangerous Man. 

Russian imperial stout, aged in Heaven Hill, bourbon barrels for eight months.

DAB Dortmunder Ur-Bock

 DAB Dortmunder Ur-Bock.

8% ABV, Dortmunder Actien Brauerei, Dortmund, Deutschland. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim ivory head. 

In the nose: classically clean German lager aroma. Slightly malty / bready notes. 

In the mouth: tastes darker than it looks. Still bolder and brighter than the average lager, though I prefer bocks that are darker and richer. The high ABV isn’t hiding itself at all. It’s ringing loud and clear. Medium bodied, but drinkable enough. 

I don’t love this, but I am enjoying it. Though I wonder. It’s labeled as a maibock, but its strength is that of a doppelbock. What is it? Just an extra-strength maibock? 

Ol’ George #55: The Sign Part Two

 Ol’ George #55: The Sign Part Two

Notes on #55: 

1.You may be reading this from outside the MidWestern region of the United States. You may not know the history of Grain Belt and Minneapolis Brewing, which started way back in the late 1800’s. Grain Belt continued being produced in Minneapolis until the early 2000’s when August Schell took over the brand and moved production to its New Ulm facility. Is the Grain Belt that my Dad drank in the ‘70’s (0r 60’s, or ‘50’s..) the same as the beer they produce now? Probably not. We’ll never know. All I know is that he always had a case in the fridge and apparently the Anoka VFW (or was it the American Legion?) ordered it just for him. 

In 1977, my family went on a 3-week tour of the Western half of the United States, visited family in Washington and California and stopping at all the tourists spots along the way. My older brothers encouraged Dad to try the regional beers wherever we went, just to grow their beer can collection, when Grain Belt was not available. He did his best, but gave up eventually and switched to Budweiser because he could count on it tasting the same wherever we went. 

2. The oldest lore in this strip’s history is Chester’s love of The Big Friendly, from the very first strip last year, when most of the strips were 2-tier, 2-panel, drawn on 12x12 paper. It was the real Chester’s beer of choice, at least at Acadia Cafe: Maybe there were bars that didn’t stock it and he had to settling for Hamm’s or PBR.

3. We haven’t since a plop panel since Rasputin in #32, five months ago. I didn’t plan on it originally, was going to make tier three just like one and two. But I need a panel of George thinking, then couldn’t imagine how to fit them both in the last panel with dialogue. Plop-out was the perfect solution. 

4. A guest star enters the scene in this one. Can you tell who it is? An unnamed ladybug from Walt Kelly’s Pogo! I thought I would have gotten to Albert, Porkypine, Pogo himself, or even Walt himself before this little guy (or girl? Can’t be sure it’s not a girl bug, because it’s not wearing a bonnet) , but here we have it. I’ll get to those guys eventually, I plan on drawing this forever.

Modist Doomed Moon Oak-aged Red Lager

Modist Doomed Moon Oak-aged Red Lager. 

5.5% ABV, Modist Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Clear, crimson hued, slim layer of off-white foam. 

In the nose: malty, slightly sweet, kiss of the hops. 

In the mouth: crisp and clean, light on the palate, lightly toasted . Just enough malty flavors to keep it interesting. Just enough hops to keep sweetness at bay.

I quite like this particular lager. 

Red rice lager w/ Red X barley malt, brown rice, hopped w/ Simcoe, aged in American oak foeders 

Inbound Samuin Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Inbound Samuin Harvest Pumpkin Ale.

6.6 % ABV, 15 IBU, Inbound BrewCo, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I can’t remember the last time I actually bought a pumpkin beer. I had a few Dogfish Head Punkin Ales from the variety pack, but that’s not why I bought it. And now, more than a week after Halloween, I will review this one. 

Clear, auburn hued, large, looming head. 

In the nose: pumpkin spice-y! Clove and nutmeg. Floating over a pumpkinny amber ale. 

In the mouth: warming and rich, malty and not too sweet. Brown sugar and spices over an amber ale. Plus actual pumpkin, it seems. Not too shabby here. Fulfilling mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Quite tasty. Hey, I’d drink another. 

And this endeth my pumpkin beer consumption of 2025. 

Savor this Autumnal treat. An amber ale with a rich orange hue, bone white head, and a blend of pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices. Perfect for crisp evenings and fall rituals