Minnesota Breweries One by One #11: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, Minneapolis, with Snownami

When I started this up, I said that I would do one brewery a week. Well, that's not enough if I intend to get to all Minnesota breweries in the year 2016. So, I claimed that I would try to do 2 per week, or 8 in a month. 8 X 12 = 96, still not the full number of breweries in the state. But if that's the low end of my bar, well, I'm getting there, right? So, how's it worked out so far?

We will begin counting with the first full week of January, from sun.1/3 to sat, 1/9. Thursday, 1/7 was #1, my visit,( not the first, not the last) to Sisyphus Brewing. Week#2, Sunday, 1/10, and brewery #2 is Harriet Brewing Company. Week #3, Sunday, 1/17, LynLake Brewery, plus Surly, #4, on Wednesday, 1/20. Week #4, on Monday the 25 of January, #5, Fair State. And on Wednesday the 27th, #6, Day Block, still on week 4. We began week #5 on the 31st of January with #s 7-10.

So, 10 breweries in the first 5 weeks of the year. Still hitting 2 per week. The rest of the week, nothing. And I finally hit #11 on February 10th, on week 6, with a stop at Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, in south Minneapolis.

There are sixteen entries in the this blog tagged for Northbound, four of them from before I was employed there. Careful readers of this blog may remember that I spent 3 months and two weeks of my life, much less than I intended, working for this brewpub. It was the move I made to get out of my job of 15 and 1/2 years, Blue Nile Restaurant & Lounge. If I had the gift of foresight, and knew how things were to work out there, maybe I would have looked for some other job better suited to me, where the GM wasn't so insane. (She's gone now.) After that unpleasantness, this brewery was low on my radar for awhile.

Because of that, I haven't been hip to the new releases. Only recently, I heard that the third in the "snow series", after Snowpocalypse, and Snowmaggedon, the raspberry Imperial Stout called Snownami, had been released. Why not stop by and get some, then cross them off the list? So I took a bus to the transit station, got on a light rail from Lake and Hiawatha to the 38th St. Station and hoofed it down the road to 28th Avenue. Looked around a bit, and finally found a seat. Same regulars that I remember filling the stools. Exactly the same awesome bartenders working. Mostly the same incredible servers working the floor. The thing that made this place work had been the staff, and I am glad they are still happily at their tasks and providing great service.

I was informed by Krissy that there was not just Snownami, but also Espresso Snownami, and I got one just in time. The keg emptied just after I got mine. It was lovely stuff, rich coffee flavor, dark cherry and chocolate tones all over the raspberry imperial stout flavors just bursting out of the glass. Full-bodied, full-flavored, rich, roast-y, plump with coffee and utterly delicious. I didn't take notes, this is just popping out of my memory. I might have taken notes if I knew that I couldn't take home a 750 ml growleretterino of the regular Snownami, ...but I could, so I did.

Now, for those notes....Snownami, Double Chocolate Raspberry Stout, 8.2% ABV, 37 IBUs.

This is a 2018 edition Snownami on display.
I've omitted the inferior 2016 photograph.

Utter blackness. Cocoa-tinged head, starts huge, drifts down, leaving lace.

Raspberries pop out of the nose. A little sweet, a little tart. Nice and fruity. Chocolate flavors hang just below.

In the mouth: bigger, raspberry-er, sweet-er. Some tannin-y textures coming through on the palate. Rich and full-bodied, but not quite as complex as I'd like.
I find this listed as a milk/sweet stout on BeerAdvocate. The 8.5% had me pegging it as an Imperial Stout, but none of the depth of flavors we'd expect from one of those is here. Of course not, but it's what I keep wanting.
Here's what the website says: Our most anticipated beer. This won a silver medal in the World Beer Cup 2014 for a reason. A Double Chocolate Raspberry Stout that uses cocoa nibs, Belgian Chocolate, and raspberries to create a rich and robust stout with enough sweetness to make you savor every sip.

My thoughts on Northbound?
They're making good beers that the neighborhood loves. Getting some awards, and beer geek attention, too. Under the new regime, the menu looks better, (though I didn't eat this time), and I like the new website, too. (No more Amy lying about having been manager at Stub & Herb's.)
As long as the locals love it in the numbers that they do, this place will be a good spot for good beer for quite a while.  Every neighborhood bar / brewpub should have it so good.

Tallgrass Explorer Series The Grizz Imperial India Pale Ale

Tall grass The Grizz Imperial IPA. Alc. 9.5% by Volume.

Clear, bright golden, with a slim white head. 

Aroma: pungent, piney, resinous. Vibrant citric hop notes. Not bad, not bad. 

In the mouth: bold and brash. Fierce. Big impression on the palate. Impressive bitterness. Alcohol rising. Getting boozier and boozier. Maybe too boozy?

Medium-bodied. Long lasting bitterness, nearly harsh. Something short of elegant. I drank it down, and dug it, but it's for from a favorite. 

Sisyphus Bottlecap Mosaic

Sisyphus Bottlecap Mosaic. 6.9% ABV. 61 IBU. Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Crystal clear, pale gold coloring, slim, but staying ivory head.

Aroma pops out of the glass and goes screaming down the nose. Pineapple, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, a dazzling cornucopia of hoppiness. Love it. Flat out gorgeous.

In the mouth: big hops on the palate, lean malt body. Some slight sweetness at the bottom, topped off with hop bitterness. Smooth stuff, exquisite drinking-ness. (I got tired of the word: "Drinkability.") Right on IPA. Pale ale? Nah, IPA. Big time bitterness, clean and crisp and damned delicious.

 Another good beer, And you can drink it. Over and over again.

Insight "In The Halls of the Sunken City" Saison

In the Halls of the Sunken City Saison, with Sauv Blanc grapes, Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 7.8% ABV.

Clear, bright golden coloring, small white head, soon gone.

Sweetness in the nose, little spice and bigger fruit, classic saison aroma. Very nice.

Taste: boards the palate dry and stays there. Light bodied, with fruit from the yeast and light Belgian funk from the yeast. Easy drinking. Juicy fruity. Just enough of what you want from an entry-level saison. Pretty good beer, and you can drink it.

This one has one of my favorite tales accompanying it on the website: “… Somewhere between Le Parade de Beaucoup Mimes and the unpleasant business with the barnacled barmaiden, the hearty partying of the mystical city of Ys had pricked me with the pointy tines of homesickness. I cursed silently. My were-walrus valet was nowhere to be seen…”

They also say this: The fruity and light spiciness of the beer blends delicately with the grassy herbal characters of the sauvignon blanc grapes, leading to a wonderfully complex and exuberant beer.

Boom Island Django

Boom Island Django Hop Bier. Alcohol 6% by Volume.

Clear, bright golden color, ivory head, long-lasting.

Classic hop aromas, some citrus and tropical notes, fairly clean and even. Fruity, with low bitterness.

In the mouth: goes down smooth, hoppy, and ultimately dry. With each new sip, the fruit, the bitter hop, the juicy malt, then dry again. I like it.

I'm getting the feeling that this is the replacement for Silvius Pale Ale, which has been retired. It's a good beer, and you can drink it, but I'm not picking up on what's particularly special about it. I was hoping that it would be even hoppier and even drier than it is. Can't alway get what you want.

"Inspired by the legendary guitarist, Django is the gypsy jazz of beers. Handcrafted in Minneapolis with Wapiti hops from New Zealand, pilsner and wheat malt, and a hint of citrus peel, this hoppy blond beer moves to it's own rhythm. Just like gypsy swing."

Minnesota Breweries One by One, #10: Lupine Brewing Company, Delano, with Uncayndness Oatmeal Stout-Wine Barrel-aged

Continuing from the last stop in Delano, MN, to the next, Lupine Brewing,  #4 on our tour of the breweries of Wright County, was just a few blocks away, from 2nd St. North to  N. River Street, and the one that Jason had visited before. Their logo combines an image of wolf's paw print (Lupine means anything relating to wolves) with the hop plant, whose Latin name, humulus lupulus,  is derived from an association with wolves. I've tried to find the exact connection, and have discovered many theories. The "bite" of the hop's bitterness was one, and the resemblance of the leaves to a wolf's teeth was another. We have to go back to the man who gave it the name, Pliny the Elder and the original phrase he used "wolf of the willows", referring to how the plants grew wild in the forest, much like the wildness of the wolf.

And we love our wolves. Much as we love our hops. They all come together at Lupine. As I said, J. had been there before, so he didn't need to investigate the selection, and could repair himself for the drive home. So, it was up to me to take in as much as I could of this brewery and taproom, taste the beers, and take the notes. And herein lies a problem with our approach. The last brewery of the day might just be the best brewery of the day, and after a number of beers, my focus starts to slip. It's inevitable. The notes aren't as good, the pictures are crappy, I forget to ask for a clean coaster for my collection. Maybe I forget to ask a few questions. I get fast and loose with my growler purchases. I ain't saying I was drunk, I was just drinking.

I liked the bar, enjoyed the atmosphere, got into the vibe of the place. Past the restrooms, another bar waits for when they need to expand the room. On the other side of the taps sits the brewing equipment, and the manufacturing side of the operation. We were there late-ish on a Sunday, but there was still a feeling in the air that this was where the beer loving crowd of Delano comes to celebrate life.

I couldn't tell for sure, but...

...there seemed to be....

....a disco in the brewery.

Three Bandits Coffee Porter.

There were eight beers on, and I started with the 3 Bandits Coffee Porter. 5.5% ABV. Medium-bodied, full dark malt flavor, with a rich coffee taste. Intense earthy, roast-y character,with notes of cherries and other dark fruits. I liked this. I could have kept on drinking it, long after the glass was emptied.

Next up, the IPA, (5.8% ABV, 60 IBU), floral, fruity and fresh. Medium-bodied, refreshing, bursting with hoppy flavor. Flat-out delicious. This one, too, I could drink and drink. Mmmm.

India Pale Ale. 

Nitro Oatmeal Stout

A third? Why not? This time, the Oatmeal Stout, on Nitro. Smooth. 5.5 % ABV. 35 IBU. Malty. Roasty. Creamy. That's all it says in my notes. That's all that needed to be said. Good ol' beer.

I enjoyed my time at Lupine, and would definitely like to return. There were a few beers I didn't try, but if these were right on the money, they probably did a good job with the Brown Ale and the Wheat.

Now, I mentioned that I'd never been to the brewery, but I have had the beers, some months ago, a surprise sales call. I recalled this in the review of the Murder of Cranberries review, just a few days ago.  The samples did no good, but word kept coming that this was a fine operation. Many raved about Murder of Cranberries, so I was glad to see it available and instead of ordering a pint, I took home a mini-growleretterino. They were so reasonably priced that I took home two. Here are my notes on the second.

Barrel-aged Uncayndness Oatmeal Stout. 6.3% ABV. 32 IBU. The odd spelling of this beer refers to cayenne peppers tossed into the mix.
Solid blackness, slim brown head gone in a second.
Aroma is a blend of red wine, dark malt, cocoa, and light spice.
 In the mouth, the wine barrel comes in and grows and grows, with the pepper heat following fast. Growing fast. Taking over...no, keeping time. Strong dark malt foundation. Low hops. Minor bitterness. Nice blend of sweet, tart, rich, ....yum. Undying peppery heat.
This is a nice little experiment, a fun diversion, but I can't see doing it twice.

I like this brewery, and I'm damn glad I checked it out at last. I'll be checking them out again and again. If not at the brewery, from time on tap elsewhere, such as ....the bar I order beer for....? Yeah, probably.

What's next, in installment 11? I have some ideas. You, though, will have to wait and see.

Tallgrass Top Rope IPA

Tallgrass Top Rope India Pale Ale, brewed and canned by Tallgrass Brewing Company, Manhattan, Kansas. 16 ounce can. 6.0% ABV.

Clear, bright gold/orange hue, lush white head.

Fresh floral nose. Citrus and pine have their place in the bouquet, too, and it's a beautifully bitter blend.

In the mouth, it's as pithy and piney as you want. Lean bodied, light mouthfeel, and long lasting hop bitterness. Citrus-y and tropical fruit notes also abound in the flavor, with lingering hop buzz playing on the palate. Expertly drinkable and refreshing.

I like this IPA. You should go drink one.

Tallgrass Songbird Saison

A visit from the Sample Man again, and I'm glad that he lets me take these home. If I drank them at work, they wouldn't appear here and I couldn't tell you about them. The world would be a sadder place.
Truthfully, I'm a bit ashamed that I haven't had the last one he brought, it sits in the fridge begging to be consumed and reviewed, and I keep telling it "no, not tonight, later for you." And time drags on. The Sample Men, and Women, they appreciate that I'm going to drink these beers and give them some thought. Pressure. It's big, man. I feel like a hypocrite, in a way. Have to drink some beers to maintain my integrity.
So, there are now 5, no 4 after this, Tallgrass beers in the fridge. I'll take down at least a few of them tonight.

Tallgrass Songbird Saison. Alc. 4.8% by Vol.

Clear, pure gold coloring, bright ivory head, slim, but staying.

Gorgeous nose. Spicy (peppers, coriander), citric, perfectly in the Belgian saison tradition.

Tasting it: Light on the palate, easy on the tongue, soft and supple, crisp and easy-drinking. Waves of fruit crashes over the tongue, stone fruit like apricot, with traces of lemon and lime, Belgian yeast, the hints of bubblegum, cracked pepper. A delicate, delicious dance. Refreshing and delicious. Spicy, fruity, and dry all at once.

What's the can say? "A refreshingly tart ale with citrus notes and a light, dry finish." That's all you need to say.

Sisyphus Piney But Younger Double IPA

Sisyphus Piney But Younger. 8.7% ABV. 92 IBU.

If you read my last Sisyphus post, you may remember that I urged Sam Harriman to embrace his inner Weird Al and keep the parody beer names coming. He read that loud and clear. I arrived at the taproom the other day to try out Canadian Brunch (there's one) maple bourbon stout, which you won't see here as I couldn't take it home, and here was Piney But Younger. (there's another.) Keep 'em coming, Weird Sam.

Clear, bright golden color, lovely white head, lasting long.

Gorgeous aromatics. Prickly pine, fragrant and floral, juicy citrus notes. Yeah, this is the stuff. Vibrant and beautiful, loud and lively. Sublime.

Taste: Big hop bitterness blasts the palate right off, fierce, pungent and pithy, resinous and very piney. Lemon and grapefruit. Medium bodied, huge bitterness, long lasting on the palate. Slightly astringent. Never-ending hop-maliciousness. Yeah, that's what it is.

This one put me in a very happy place. Good beers keep happening here.

Minnesota Breweries One by One #9: South Fork Brewing, Delano

Look at the beers! 

And now on to episode nine of Minnesota Breweries One by One, where I must praise my associate in this venture, Jason. I get by with a lot of help from my friends. When I suggested he join me in this enterprise, he had many suggestions, showing that he'd done his research. He knew where the breweries were, how to lump some of them together logically for a single journey, which ones were open when, which were open at all. One important thing he knew was which breweries existed. I did not know that this next one existed at all. I'd heard of the other one in Delano, MN, and it was high on my list, but this one? Never heard of it. But we're doing them all, and do them we shall.

On our way into South Fork in Delano.

On January 31, those Christmas decorations should
really be put away.

So we went from Buffalo to downtown Delano, population 5,000-some, only slightly less white than Annandale. We approach the building and get a load of the situation. My read on the room is that it used to be a pizza parlor. There is no bar, but a counter, with no stools or chairs, behind which stands the server, who pours your beers, which you then take to your table.  There's no bellying up to a bar, which creates a distance, I feel. And the decor is non-existent, the ambience fairly nothing. Some
Christmas lights and decorations not taken down. A small merchandise nook. A bathroom smaller than a broom closet. Nothing that gave the space any personality.

On tap, eight different beers available in 2 sizes, six of them offered in a flight. J. went with the flight, and I picked a single 10 ounce serving of the Frozen Crow bock. Another beer carried a crow-related name, the kolsch,  called "As the Crow Flies", and I noticed a crow figurine on top of the counter. What's with the crows? I just figured it out, at last. The South Fork of the Crow River, a tributary of the Mississippi, flows past Delano on it's way to join the North Fork and becomes the Crow River  until it merges with the mighty Mississippi. So, that explains the name, too. Well, now I know everything.

I was off my game. Didn't take the picture till the
beers were nearly done. Sorry!

Nerdy Girl Amber, with the remains of the flight
behind it.

The Frozen Crow Bock was fine. An exceptionally adequate bock, I'd drink it again. Classic malty bock nose, solid mahogany hue, smooth and malty mouthfeel. With J's flight, which we shared, we started to have problems. The kolsch and the session IPA both tasted off, slightly sour, and utterly un-enjoyable. Our server, who appeared to also be the proprietor, owner and the brewer, {Edit: It seems that he was the brewer, but not the owner.} stopped by our table to see what we thought, and we told him that those two were not working for us, noting the sour taste. "That's probably from the Amarillo hops we use (in the Session IPA)", he said. No....I don't think that's it. The Sunday Funday Red, the Pilgrim Pumpkin ale (in January?), the Black Cat Belgian-style stout, the Plunger IPA, they were all "okay" and certainly didn't impress. (and you'd think that a 95 IBU IPA would, wouldn't you?) We took our time with the flight, and I went back up to the counter for a 10 ouncer of another one missing from the flight, Nerdy Girl Amber, which I found entirely competent. (Tip of the cap to Joe, and his fondness for that word in the right circumstances.) Bright and fruity, malty, slightly sweet, a treat to drink and fairly sessionable, of course.

In the end, we were left unimpressed by South Fork, which suffers from not just lackluster beers, but an absence of identity. There's nothing tying it together, giving it a soul, a purpose, anything, really. I looked around the room, eager for something to pull my eye in and give me a sense of what this brewery was and why it existed. I was left with my questions unanswered, the empty feeling unfulfilled.

I don't like writing things like this. I want to celebrate every brewery and show off their uniqueness. I want it all to be sunshine and rainbows, unicorns and lollipops. But, there's nothing to really recommend here at all. Can't sugarcoat the experience to save someone's feelings. And it's truly up to the owner to want to give the beers and the space a little something to make it stand out, rather than four walls that have merely competent beers inside. We had only to walk a few blocks to find a different scenario altogether.

Minnesota Breweries One by One, #8: Hayes' Public House, Buffalo

The sun is shining in Buffalo, this Sunday.

(Note: I've been writing this all week, finally publishing today.)

We left Spilled Grain in Annandale, Jason and I, on the 31st of January,  and headed back south to Buffalo, MN, a city I find myself in at least twice maybe three times a year, if I'm feeling Easter-y. My eldest brother Jim and his wife Cindy live in Buffalo, and that's where our holiday gatherings happen, at the house they own next to their own house. (Don't ask. Long story.)

But, I've never spent much time in Buffalo, county seat of Wright county, population 15, 415, platted in 1856 and named after nearby Buffalo Lake, which must have been named for the well-known land mammal. Why not? Usually, we just go to Jim's, do our family thing, and get the heck out of there. Well, I don't know what one does in Buffalo, MN, but what you should do is toss back some pints at Hayes' Public House.

J. made a comment that I agree with, and that is that Hayes' Public House resembles Hammerheart in Lino Lakes in that it's a little isolated island of integrity and identity where you'd least expect it. The beers here are all in the styles originated in the United Kingdom, for the most part, and Gaelic names are used as often as they want, whether they can be pronounced or not. They're not going to be making any honey weisses or summer shandies to placate the masses. Beers like the Irish Cream Ale are probably as close as they'll get to that.
The Celtic phrase Caed Mile Failte (A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, the internet informs me) is written above the beer selection with no translation. All manner of Irish memorabilia fills the room, from flags and banners to framed Pogues posters and assorted knick-knacks, photos and ephemera. Comfortable tables and chairs abound, where happy drinkers play plentiful games, but oddly, there are no stools at the bar. Never understand that part, and frankly, I forgot to ask why. There's a little corner where the music happens, too.

The Dullahan Coffee Porter.

Self-portrait with beer, under the flags
and the very expansive growler
collection.

We perused the chalkboard and picked our pints (didn't feel like a flight, for whatever reason), my first being a pour of the Dullahan Coffee Porter, 38 IBUs, 6.5% ABV. Richly roasted, teeming with coffee notes in the pitch-perfect aroma, full-bodied, full-flavored, and just about everything I could want from a coffee porter. A satisfying ale, to be sure.

Next up, The Morrigan Black IPA, a heftier brew this time, with even more complexity. 80 IBU. 7.2% ABV, simply bursting with hoppiness. Rich dark malts, grassy hop notes. Just about perfect. We're on a winning streak here.

Am I always going to be taking photos of mens' room
decorations? Maybe. Sometimes.

Pugs allowed Jason and I to poke around in the
brewhouse. Behind us, across the street, is Buffalo Lake, where
men sat in simple shelters and whiled away
 the hours attempting to tease fish out of
the water through a hole in the ice. 

The Morrigan Black IPA.

"Pugs" Hayes himself, owner, proprietor, and brewer, was behind the bar, and we got to talking. The brewery, which had escaped my notice for many years, had been on my radar more recently due to Facebook posts by everyone's favorite local beer enthusiast who you can't lose in a crowd, Scott "Red Dread" Dorn, who had been filling my feed with pictures of his efforts in the brewhouse at Hayes. (The out-of-date website promised a beer he created, an 8.5% aBV, 100 IBU "IRA" called Dreadful Red, but it was gone from the taps.) Red had reached out and offered to bring me samples, to interest me in adding Hayes' beers on tap at Acadia, but I couldn't wait around for his visit, had to check out the place myself. (Have to check out every place, really, for the purposes of this vast project.) We did discuss the possibilities of the occasional keg, so there's something to look forward to.

Foreground, my hand holding Hayes' Irish Stout.
Back: Hayes himself.

Two beers in, and I was pretty much sold on this brewery. Solid stuff here. I got a sample of the Apple Ale, which was just as apple as you'd want, and opted for a nitro stout, simply called Hayes' Irish Stout.

Once again, it was right on the money. I don't drink a lot of nitro stouts, but this one filled the bill and then some. Dark, yet bright and brisk, with a long-lingering bitterness and lush black malt flavors, with a slight fruity tint, an impressively complex mix. A pint I could repeat over and over.

There were still three beers that I left untasted, (The Wee Heavy, Irish Cream Ale, Irish Red) but that's fine, it just leaves more to try next time, and there will be a next time.
I had a twinge of regret for not getting a growler later on, thinking that I really didn't spend too much that day after
all, and I wouldn't mind having that extra glass, for I do
intend to return some day. Fine beers, excellent atmosphere. Good place to hang when you find yourself in Buffalo.

Alpine Pure Hoppiness Double India Pale Ale

Here's a beer I was excited to get a keg of (less than a dozen available to the state), jumped at the chance, and finally hooked it up a few days ago. Looking back, it seems that I'd had it for the first time over 11 years ago. Holy ---! It was November of 2004 that I first got my hands on this beer. I took a picture of the glass that I enjoyed on tap today, and now I share those original notes:

This beer's reputation and the exhuberant exultation of the label description have me greatly anticipating this bottle...hell, I'm glad the hunt is over and it's in my mitts at last, now all that's left is the experience..let it begin...

hey, I just cracked the crown and the happiness, and hoppiness has begun already....now, it's freed from the bottle and into the glass...pure honey gold, fine head of pure white froth bobbing on top...

the nose, that's the treasure! Piney and sprucey, sweet tropical/citric fruits...gorgeous!...hop oils aplenty, raw and delicious, this is a heavenly thing, a halo fit for a hophead...I don't want to disrupt this lovely thing by drinking it, but I have no choice...the beer beckons..will it be as savory once past the lips?

A blast of bitterness, a phalanx of fruit, creamy and juicy, with an enhanced hop profile. Some what lightish in body, but the flavor is so high to render that moot, too huge in hoppiness, buzzing every inch of the mouth with the tasty hops..which ones? Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial? How'd I do?* Maybe more, maybe less, but whatever they are, they're there in plentitude.

this is an experience in a bottle, a very happy thing to have in the mouth, I'm an instant admirer, and have a new favorite to add to my must-drink column, ...although that reputation had already put it there..now that it's been in my lucky stomach, it's assumed a rightful place among the greatest IPAs I've ever known. A real humdinger,...which means, literally, as far as humming and dinging goes, it's the real deal!

*I know know it's Cascade, Columbus, and H-something--whoops, I lost...

Lupine Murder of Cranberries Oatmeal Stout

A story: I had a tasting with a rep from this brewery months ago. The samples were all from a rec-closable swing-top bottle. None of them did anything for me. There was talk of other beers, but how could I trust their quality, if the samples sucked? Well, maybe sucked is a strong term, but they weren't impressive. Then, I heard good things from friends who visited the taproom, or who had tried beers like this one at other bars. I simply had to try them again, right, give them the benefit of the doubt.

So, I'm drinking this growleretterino of Murder of Cranberries before I write up Lupine for Breweries One by One, because I can't wait, and I want to drink it. One thing that confused me was the name. There are cranberries in it, but Murder of...? Well, that's what a gathering of crows is called, and why? Because of the Crow River. Of course.


Full and complete blackness, lovely brown ring of foam on top, slowly drifting down to nil.

Aroma is right on for an oatmeal stout, perfectly roasty and toasty, loaded with chocolate, coffee, caramel malt, beautifully burnt. Bitterness balances with malt sweetness. Nice.

Taste: Sweet caramel-y malt starts if off, rich roastiness keeps it rolling. Lush and luscious, great bitterness, excellent stoutiness. Fruity flavors enter the palate, cranberries adding a subtle tartness to the mix. Excellent play on the palate, keeping it tart, dry, complex and terribly tangible. Coffee and chocolate malt flavors keep tantalizing the tongue, richly rewarding, lasting long.

This is just about perfect, and downright likable, too. I'm going to try to drink as much of this as I can, just you watch me. It's perfectly delicious. One of the best locally brewed oatmeal stouts I've ever had.


From the website: Our Stout can be enjoyed by many more than just dark beer drinkers. Subtle coffee notes balance nicely with the cranberries, which give it a slightly tart finish. The deep, rich flavors, body front to back, and smooth tastes linger making you want more. The coffee and chocolate roasted malts give this beer its rich color and never-ending flavors.

Destihl Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour Ale Flanders Oud Bruin

I've been putting this off for way too long. Bought at the Normal, IL brewpub in early October, 2015. Sour Belgian-style ale aged in oak barrels. Alec. 7.2% ABV. Brewed and bottled by Destihl Brewery, Bloomington, IL. Batch year 2013. Barrel #s 25-27, 35, 36.

Dark burgundy coloring, slim light brownish head.

Rich, dark fruit pops out of the nose, plums, raisins, figs, etc. Cherries, date. And along comes the funk, the funk, the funkitty-funk-funk. Down deep and oaky as heck.

In the mouth, intense puckeration, fierce sour, mouth-gripping tart. Lush fruit, Sweet and sour mouthfeel. Ends on a dry note, sends the thirst rushing back to the glass, quenching the palate anew. Beautiful rich, tasty malty dark body, long sourish finish. Refreshingly delicious.

Mmmm. Ahhh. Right on, man. This is doing it to it.

Town Hall '97 Masala Mama (Batch 2000)

Town Hall 1997 Masala Mama. Re-brewed from the original recipe by John Haggerty in honor of the 2000th batch at Town Hall Brewery.

Clear, pale copper appearance, slim head, drifts down quickly. Leaves a little lace.

Spicy/fruity hop aroma, citric blend, orange and grapefruit, nice, but restrained. Not as out loud as the current crop.

Tasting....Big hop attack right at the front, brisk and bitter. Again, nice mix of fruit and spicy notes, pouncing on the palate. Lean-bodied, light finish, but lingering hop bitterness. Hop flavor never goes away, just fades a bit, after every swallow. Cascade and Centennial, the classic West Coast hops, are the two in this, rather than the larger bouquet of the contemporary recipe (I've forgotten the other hops in the current incarnation....they've got to be around here somewhere...). A bit sweet on the way down.

Not the fierce hop assault of our modern mama, but it was probably good enough for '97. They kept the name of the original IPA, but it got quite a tweaking when Mike Hoops came in the door and got his hands on the mash paddle.

I sort of wish I'd brought home a growler of regular Mama, the one that I fell in love with back in '02 and set me on my long history with this brewery, just to try them side by side. But while it isn't as intense or full-bodied as this year's model, '97 Mama was not bad, not bad at all.

This information is lifted from the world wide web dot com: Darker, sweeter, and far less hoppy than the Masala Mama of today. The malts used in '97 Masala are similar to today's Masala Mama, however the ratios are very different. Hopped with Cascade and Centennial.

Tin Whiskers Barrel Shifter Porter

Tin Whiskers Barrel Shifter Porter, 1 pint, 8 fluid ounces, 7.5% alc. by vol.

Sometimes the sample man brings you stuff that you are too polite to say bad things about. That happened when a plain brown bottle of this was brought to me and I drank it with Sample Man and others. I couldn't say why it left me unmoved, and thought about going to the taproom for a growler. Glad I didn't. I did give it a second chance, picking up a bomber at a store (why didn't he bring this, instead of a bottle filled from the tap the day before?), putting eight dollars of my own money into the effort of giving this beer a fair shake.


Dark brown, opaque, small head turns to nothing in no time. Eh.

Aroma: Barrel tones, whisky, vanilla and such, plus dark malt, cocoa, coffee, sweet dark malts, molasses. Pleasant.

In the mouth: ah, I don't know about this one. Whisky-ish elements board the tongue, and little else. There's not much porter-y below. The barrel doesn't really embellish a fine beer beneath it, it seems to cover up not much of anything. My tongue is left wanting. In full truth, I am left very unhappy with this unpleasant flavor in this disappointing beer. There's nothing here, and I'm sad that they sent it out into the world. Each new sip confirms it: there's not enough of a good beer here to stand up with the barrel-aging (honeycomb spirals, I was told). It's weak in body, lacks real integrity, and feels limp and sad in the mouth. how else can I put this? It's bad covered in bad.

Some chocolate malt flavor comes through with confidence later in, but it's wasted bravado. Too limp, too weak, too sad, and lacking in what we want in either a porter or a barrel-aged beer.

Aaargh! I hate to hate a beer, but I hate this beer. I got a sample of this from the brewery, and it don't move me at all. So, I gave an $8 bomber a chance, and it's just as bad, if not worse. Argh! Don't sell this, Tin Whiskers! And don't buy it, people!

Ah, man, I don't know if I sold this one hard enough, but...drinking this is no joy. In fact, it makes me sad. I don't turn to beer to make me sad.

Sigh...The website says This: An oak-aged porter with strong vanilla notes and just a hint of cherry • 7.5% ABV.

The bottle says: Appearance: Deep brown with a light tan head. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a lower carbonation. Taste: Malty chocolate with notes of oak, vanilla, and cherry. Aroma: Strong vanilla and malt aromas with a hint of cherry.

Sisyphus Safe Lady Peanut Butter Stout

Went to Sisyphus last week in search of Isaac the Fax Man. But there was another new beer on, Safe Lady PB Stout. What the heck? Description on the board (Aka TV screen) read: "Making a peanut butter beer in this town can be Dangerous, Man...." Ah, ha. Dangerous Man, Safe Lady. Okay, Sam, you are now the "Weird Al" Yankovic of local brewing. Don't fight it, embrace it. Keep the puns and parodies coming.

Now, about the beer:

Dark coloring, rich brown head, leaving lace, looking great.

Peanut butter pops right out of the nose. Bam! there it is. Sweet, nutty, creamy, yeah. I like it.

Taste: PB is big in the mouth, too. Chocolate and coffee notes lurk just below. Full body, full, rich mouthfeel. Moderate hop bitterness on the palate. Peanut butter flavor stays on the palate, and never quite leaves. Bitterness adds excellent ballast and balance. Tasty stuff. I can drink this and drink it.

I overheard some commentary and read some online that said "not as good as Dangerous Man's Peanut Butter Porter." I beg to differ. This is superior to that.

Schell's Snowstorm 2015: Wallonian Brown Ale

And now, another case of tardiness on my part. Snowstorm 2015 has been out for quite some time, and I went through a half-barrel keg of it at Acadia well over a month ago, and I never took notes. So, I bought a 12-pack, went through 11 bottles and kept the last one for this occasion. Our first really big  snowfall of the season. Winter Storm Kayla, they call her, and she dumped nearly a foot of snow on us. Blustery winds, too. It wouldn't have felt right to drink it the other day when it was in the 40's, or when it was sub-zero, but without much snow on the ground. Now we have snow, and it's time to break out the 'storm. This one is called a Wallonian Brown Ale, whatever the heck that is.

6.2% ABV.

Clear, reddish brown coloring, small dark head, soon disappearing.

Sweet, fruity aroma, laden with Belgian yeast character. Malt-forward, traces of bubblegum and banana, plus cocoa and caramel.

In the mouth, sweet malty flavor is on top, some hop bitterness, but it's low and aids the balance. Cocoa and caramel meet Belgian yeast yumminess. More of that banana and bubblegum mixing with the toffee and molasses. Medium-bodied, easy-drinking. I like it.

Now, this Wallonian Brown Ale thing. I know that Wallonia is a region of Belgium, but I didn't not know that was a stylistic designation. So, I googled it. The first thing that comes up is this beer. Next, we get a reference to Rochefort 8. The, Caracole Nostradamus. These are significantly stronger "brown ales" that I would actually call a quad, or at least a Belgian strong dark ale, though not quite a dubbel. And this version is significantly weaker than those. I wouldn't mind seeing Schell's go the distance on something like that, but that's not what the Snowstorm series is for. It seems as if they made and intentionally weaker version of what is supposed to be a deep, rich, complex and strong brown ale. Just for fun, do a Google image search on "Wallonian brown ale", and you'll see that it's mostly about this beer, with some McChouffe and Nostradamus tossed in, along with other non-Wallonian "brown ales."

Here's what Schell's says on their website: The Snowstorm of 2015 draws inspiration from the artisinal and experimental traditions of the Wallonian brewers to create a malt-focused brown ale with hints of nut, biscuit and stone fruit.

That sounds about right. In any case, it's a good beer and I could drink it. I'm glad Schell's made it.

Minnesota Breweries One by One #7, Spilled Grain Brewhouse, Annandale

Spilled Grain Brewhouse, 300 Elm Street, in beautiful
downtown Annandale, where, a highway sign informs us,
Jesus is the Lord of. 

There have been six installments of this series so far in January, and I spent the final day of the month collecting data on breweries 7, 8, 9, and 10. That will make ten for January, getting slightly ahead of the stated goal of eight per month. And when Jason and I went north-west of Minneapolis this past Sunday, it marked the first time the project ventured outside of the City of Lakes. Sunday, January 31, 2016 was our day to review the breweries of Wright County, Minnesota.

So, we left my home in Minneapolis, and went about 50 miles, a trip of roughly an hour and some, to the sleepy little town of Annandale, population 3, 228, to visit the Spilled Grain Brewhouse. I don't think about the town of Annandale much, but I'm pretty sure they don't think

A lovely mosaic of vintage plates
in the men's room.

about me, either. The farther we get away from the big cities, the more likely I feel like I may stick out as "city folk." And the taproom at Spilled Grain has the feeling of "small town pride" all over it.

Every sign is hand-painted, even the tap handles. Country music fills the room. Pictures of old trucks and license plates on the wall, along with every kind of Annandale ephemera and memorabilia.  And it's a friendly feeling, for sure, although we interacted with no one but our server. Groups had brought their own pizzas, but Spilled Grain provided chili on Sunday afternoons, and we gratefully obliged. ("Complimentary while you watch football on the biggest screen in town!")

Did you know that Annandale has 26 lakes? And has been dubbed "the Heart of the Lakes" because it has so many lakes within a 10 miles radius? Did you know it was incorporated in 1888? Or that it's population is 96.3% white, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population? I love Wikipedia.

My flight of four, kolsch and IPA in back, oatmeal
chocolate stout and SMaSH in front.

There are six beers available on tap, a nice range going from an easy-drinking light kolsch up to the current release, 9.8% Imperial Brown Ale made in collaboration with Big Lake's Lupulin Brewing. This one, the beer that sounded most interesting to me, was not available in growlers and I had to

This is not what Bobby McFerrin sang,
but it's what he meant to sing.

come to a new decision about this project. I previously said that each entry would include a review of a single beer from each brewery, most likely in a growler I bring back home. If I was to do this at each stop Sunday, that would easily cost me $75-$100. Growlers at SGB were $20, including the glass. At our next stop, that price would be $25. Nope. I'm not funded for that, nor do I want to build up my growler collection to the crazy size it was a year ago (over 50 if you remember). I didn't bother to call ahead and ask if they fill other people's growlers. I'd be forced to take notes or just give the general gist. Maybe that's enough.

I ordered a flight of four, and so did Jason, with our selections covering all the bases. First up, Crooked Rafter Kolsch (5.5%, 19 IBU), soft, lightly bitter, smooth and expertly down-able. Their best-seller, our friendly tap-tender told us, and it's no wonder. I've worked in a couple of taprooms, and I can say that when they're at their busiest, the second most-asked question, after "where are the restrooms?" is "what's the lightest beer on tap?" In a community such as this, it's probably even more frequent. And this is not a bad rendition of the style. Not perfect, but not bad.

Chalkboard full of choices.

I moved on to their first SMaSM (single hop/single malt), which they call Small Town. You don't say. Maris Otter malt, Citra hops, 5.9%, 39 IBU. Very clean, with tropical hop notes, a delicate bitterness. Jason liked this quite a bit, but it didn't move me more than normal. Just alright. Third, the Highest Point IPA ( 6.8% ABV, 57 IBU), called "American IPA at it's finest. I don't know about that, but it was a fine effort.  Chinook and Galaxy hops for that "Piney/dankness", so they say. They also say "we did not forget the malt, however, for it provides a strong backbone that does not allow the hops to overpower the drinker." Good thing they didn't forget the malt, or they wouldn't actually have any beer. Quibbles aside, it was an intensely bitter beer that hit this hophead where he lives. I would make this a staple of drinking if I were here with any amount of regularity.

To finish the flight, I picked up my sample glass of Short Temper Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, 5.9% ABV, 29 IBU, aged with fair trade cacao nibs for Ghana. Pronounced chocolate and caramel malt flavors in this one, but less full-bodied than I'd like from a stout. Overall, I liked it, and would have a pint.

Best of the bunch, Operation CoHopearation
release #1, Imperial India Brown Ale.

That ended my flight, but not the beers I wanted to drink. I took a sip of the Apiary Ale honey nut brown (5.7%, 30 IBU, "back by popular demand!")from J.'s sampling, and it was okay. Probably pretty popular, but nothing I would choose. And that left one more, the Operation CoHOPeration that was released the previous day, the collaboration with Lupulin. I ordered a 12 ounce serving of that one. 9.8% ABV, 70 IBU. Reading the beer list description, we are treated to tales of the friendship between Jacob of SGB and Matt and Jeff from LBC. Without such material at hand, you'll have to

This place loves exposed rafters as much as I
hate shaving or smiling.

just imagine what wild adventures and late night revelry these three have enjoyed. The beer, though? Rosy brown colored, fruity-malty nose, rich and sweet malt flavors, with enough hop bitterness to provide great balance. Fiercely hoppy, in fact, with a lot of depth and complexity and a long, malty finish. Dry-hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo. "Loads of malt and loads of hops come together to form a concoction of epic flavor." Me, I proclaimed it "delicious." The best beer there, from a beer geek perspective, and it only made me more excited to check out Lupulin in Big Lake.

So, we drank all the beers and we listened to all the country, and we soaked up all the down-home-ness, and it was time to move on down the road, in the other direction, heading back home and hitting every brewery we could on the way back. And we left charmed by the space and fairly impressed with the output at Spilled Grain, with hardly a concessionary beer in the bunch. You've got to make them fairly safe and drinkable for a crowd such as this, which may not have a lot of access to craft beer where they are, but none were "too safe." In fact, I learned from their website that if we'd been there the week before, the line-up would have included a 7.5% stout and an Imperial Black IPA, at 9.7%. More importantly, I got the feeling that the brewers really know what they're doing here.
Good beers, Spilled Grain, next time I'm in Annandale, I'm coming back for more!

Bent Brewstillery Dark Fatha Barrel-aged American Emperial Stout

Bent Brewstillery 2015 Barrel-aged Dark Fatha American Emperial Stout (whatever that is). Bent Brewstillery, Roseville, MN. Alc. 9.3 % by Vol. IBU: 57.

Solid blackness, thick and rich, large creamy, cocoa-tinged head.

Aroma: vanilla and cocoa are here. Nice oak-y tones, too. Huge aromatics. Very nice.

Taste:  In the mouth, it's ....barrel-y. Vanilla-y, oak-ish....and, just like the non-Barrel-aged version, on the thin side. Blah. I don't go to stout for "lightness". Somebody on the internet told me that I didn't get the Darth Vader reference resonates (not his word) because the lightness of the body and the darkness of the color suggests the balance of the Force, requiring both light and dark sides. Yeah, and I'm a Wookie's grandpa. 

Once the special treats of the barrel diminish and wear off, we're left with what we had originally, a weak and watery "Emperial" stout, that doesn't taste much like anything but a mistake. There's the promise of something rich and full-bodied, but the rug is pulled from the palate. It's just not...that...good. Eh..........

After this experience with the "non-BA" version, I wanted to give them another chance. Maybe this one was better? No, it's just bourbon barrel-aging covering up a very disappointing, mediocre stout. Eight dollars down the drain, lesson learned.

They say this on the website (and it's similar to what's on the label, but I'm not getting out my reading glasses): This distinctive hybrid beer style combines the crisp, clean feel of a light ale with the dark, cocoa, roasted smoothness of a stout. Big and booming with a delicately light soul.

Nope, I still ain't buying. What on earth would ever be what they describe above, and who would want it?