Unibroue Ephemere Poire (Pear)

Unibroue Ephemere Pear. Ale Brewed with pear juice, coriander, orange peel, and with natural flavors added. 5.5% ABV. Unibroue, Chambly, Quebec, Canada.

Slightly hazy, bright golden color, slim white head.

In the nose: soft, spicy, fruity, delightful. Pear all up in there.

In the mouth: More of that and smooth as can be. Wheat malt texture dominates, pear stays quiet for a bit, but rises in prominence. Lightly spiced, coriander, orange peel and more. Lovely stuff, and easy drinking. A refreshing fruit wit, indeed.

From the website: L’Éphémère Poire présente un doux parfum de poire Bartlett combiné à des flaveurs subtiles d’agrumes et d’épices et vous procurera une expérience sensorielle mémorable et rafraîchissante. Ce pur délice est offert pour une durée éphémère, tâchez d’en profiter.

Um, I forgot to hit "translate from the French", I guess. Well ...pear presents a perfume of Bartlett pears and combines with subtle flavors and ....spices...and a memorable sensory experience and refreshment. And stuff. See, my two years of high school French paid off.

Ommegang Rosetta

Here's one I had for the first time when I tapped at Acadia a couple of years ago. I didn't need a sample because I had full faith in the powers of Brewery Ommegang. At last, I got a sample from a rep who may have forgotten that I'd already ordered another keg. But the Sample Man's generosity means that Rosetta gets it's place in the Nib. (Truly, there should be many more Ommegang beers on here. I'm so behind and they're one of my favorite breweries.)

Ommegang Rosetta. Flanders Oud Bruin-style Ale. Ale aged on cherries with other natural flavors.
5.6% ABV. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY.


Rich, burgundy coloring, nearly red and highly hazed, with a pinkish cap of foam atop.

In the nose: there's our cherry, there's our sour, with plenty of wood, as well. Tart and sweet, together. Very nice.

In the mouth: Tart from the start, with cherry flavor rising up to match it. A beautiful tango of sweet and tart. Complexity and richness abounds, while remaining easy-drinking, not-too-sour sipper. Long-lasting fruity flavors. Just the right amount of vinegar. Nice approximation of a Belgian Flanders Red from one of my favorite American Belgian breweries.

From the website: Ale aged on cherries. Traditional Belgian Kriek, pleasingly tart with a touch of sweetness. Brewed exclusively for Brewery Ommegang by Liefmans, a sister brewery, in Belgium.

It's called a traditional kriek here, but Oud Bruin in others places. Can they both be right?

Surly Rising North Pale Ale

Surly Rising North Pale Ale. 5.4% Alc./by Vol. Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center & Minneapolis, MN. Official Partner, Minnesota United FC.

Clear, pale golden coloring, lasting, if small, ivory head.

In the nose: bold, bright citrus, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine. Highly likable.

In the mouth: Clean. Crisp. Lightish bodied, long bitter, citric finish. Smooth and enjoyable. Easy drinking as you please. Right on the money, citrus-y American pale ale. Nothing too interesting, or troublesome, or worrying or challenging, and that's exactly what you want when you're just drinking with your mates and cheering on your team. It's very tasty, if I haven't made that clear. Good, uncomplicated, tasty beer.

Good damn it, it's a good beer, and guess what? You. Can. Drink it!

From the can: "WE COME FROM THE NORTH. The winter months take their toll. It can make a person....well, Surly. Still, we rise.
And when the North rises, the North gets thirsty. This American Pale Ale was brewed to satisfy that thirst. Featuring bright, citrusy hops and a warming malt base, this is the official beer of Minnesota United. On match day, or any other....Forever United, together we rise."

Harpoon Camp Wannamango

Harpoon Camp Wannamango Crisp Tropical Refreshing Pale Ale with Mango. Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA & Windsor, VT. Beer with natural flavors, please do not litter. Crisp, tropical, refreshing, so says the label. Also, 5% ABV, 22 IBU, and let's not forget: "Mango-infused pale ale with a tropical aroma, malty sweetness, and subtly hopped. Sunblock, bonfires, music, some friends, this beer...Bring On Summer."

Clear, bright golden/amber hue, , slim white head.

In the nose: sweet fruit from the start, a little touch of tart, some citrus. Lime, grapefruit, mango.

In the mouth: There it is: crisp, tropical, refreshing, no doubt about it. Modicum of malt, lean body, easy drinking, tasty mango flavor, restrained bitterness. I'd have another, sure. Ain't nothing wrong with it. Tasty stuff. I like it.

I lied earlier when I said I was on a mango IPA binge. Mango pale ales, too. And I think there's a mango saison, too. They're coming! It's Mango-mania, people!

Destihl Amra Mango IPA

I went on a bit of a mango spree recently. Stay tuned, there's a bunch of them coming. If there's a mango IPA out there, I'm-a gonna drink it. To paraphrase a Louis Jordan song you've never heard but probably should, "I don't like mango IPAs, but I drink 'em every day, when they make mango IPAs, they just come my way." So, here's one from Destihl of Bloomington, Illinois. I've had this before on tap Acadia, but this is my first time with the can.

Destihl Amra (the sanskrit word of "mango) Mango IPA. 6.5% ABV.

Lightly hazed, brilliant golden hue, sizable layer of ivory foam.

In the nose: Sweet and fruity. Not too bold. Just nice. Getting pulpier and mango-ier as we go.

In the mouth: Here comes the bitterness, just the right amount. With splash of fruit on the side. Each dose of mango comes with a blast of bitter. Medium body, a good ol' drinking IPA. I'll be back for more.

Sisyphus Isaac the Waxman India Pale Ale

Sisyphus Isaac the Wax Man. 7.4% ABV. 80 IBU. Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Sure, you've heard of Isaac the Fax Man, but didn't you know about the Wax Man? I hadn't either, and when I saw it on the menu, I assumed it was a typo. Then, I heard about Sax Man, which I missed somehow. How many other Isaac the _-Axmans can there be?

There world may never know.  The
website only describes Wax Man thusly:
 "Multi-hopped wheat IPA." No, wait, there's more: "Extra wheat version of Fax Man." Is it also Citra/Mosaic like Fax Man? I heard it's a
completely different bunch, but I can't recall
which ones.

Lightly hazed, pale golden color, slim white head.

In the nose: Citrus-y, lemon-y, a trifle tropical. Very nice.

In the mouth: Bitterness hits first, pleasant and citric, then smooth and malty. Drinkable as they get, while still giving a hoppy kick. Medium bodied, smooth, light, crisp and delightful. Keep 'em coming, Ax Man.

Oliphant I'm A Crighty Pooster

Oliphant I'm A Crighty Pooster Milkshake IPA. 5.8% ABV "Milkshake" IPA, with lactose and vanilla.  Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Growler filled on my visit June 11, consumed and notes
taken June 20, published July 5...because I'm blazy.

So, I'd heard that Oliphant had a "milkshake IPA"...huh? ....and it was called "I'm A Crighty Pooster"...double huh. I'd heard of the milkshake IPA before, but didn't quite get it. Why would you call any beer a milkshake? There have been some versions put out by Dangerous Man, but I hadn't had a chance to try them yet. I knew they didn't invent this style, though.

Who did? Tired Hands Brewery in Pennsylvania and the gypsy Swedish brewer Omnipollo combined their talents to craft the first of many versions of this style that was named out of spite. BeerAdvocate.com co-founder Jason Alstom gave a poor review to one of their cloudy ales and spoke vehemently on Twitter about these "Milkshake" beers. "Bah!" he bellowed, and Jean Broillet IV raised his fist and cried out to the heavens that he would show him, and craft the milkiest milkshakes ale of them all. And now it's all the rage from coast to coast. (Maybe.)There's an in-depth article here.

So, here's what I believe is Oliphant's first stab at the style, but probably not the last.

Highly hazed...."milky"?...bright orange coloring, beautiful, slim white head, looking good.

My first taste of I'm A Crighty Pooster, while
watching Bugs and Elmer in "The Rabbit of Seville"

In the nose: nicely hopped, plenty of citrus and pine, lots of fruit, but moderate bitterness. All is pleasant. Utterly delightful.

In the mouth: the shock of the bitter comes, as it inevitably does, then the creamy, smooth mouthfeel, then more bitter, then more deliciousness. Creamy, yes. A little sweet, fairly yummy. And bitter, and fruity. It does the trick, but...I'm not so sure this is what I want to drink. Is this the ultimate evolution of IPA? Do we want the creamy with the bitter? Is that best? I'm not sure if I'd say yes.

It's interesting. It's different. But, this milkshake IPA thing....what's the point? Is it supposed to be better than a regular IPA? Am I becoming a grumpy old man? I liked the old IPAs the ones that were bitter, and unpleasant, and hard to drink, and you liked it!

Tippie-tay-onna-cappa-town!

Say-da-tay!

Oddly, I didn't get a good picture at the taproom of the chalkboard illustration of this beer, whichis my normal fashion, but I was in awe of the chalkboard for the St. Paul Beer Fest, which was hanging in the lounge.  As you can see, Pooster has been erased, but look at the rest, aspects of the other beersenter into the Star Wars spoof: David Cross/Gobias as Han Solo, Xuul from Ghost-busters as Yoda, Josh Miller of Oliphant as Ant Ray Cow Pants, and Mothra as him
(her?) self. I don't know who the other guy is, but it doesn't look like Pootie Tang.
In any case, I've never seen a more elaborate or artistically accomplished
illustration on a beer fest chalkboard.

Oh, yeah, the mystery of the name. At the taproom, Jeremy #2, not chalk artist Jeremy Hughes, told me they had the beer at the St. Paul Beer Fest the day before and public reaction was so negative they may consider changing the name. (It was not negative towards the beer itself, or course.)Why, was it offensive? Was it because it was so strange and hard to remember? Is it a worse name than dg2c2mf?

So, it got to Googling and found that the phrase is from a scene in the film "Pootie Tang" (original title: "Pootie Tang in: Sine Your Pitty On the Runny Kine") from 2001, and a song performed by the title character and one played by Missy Elliot. The meaning? None. Offensive? In your imagination, perhaps. I'm glad they gave it this title, though, for it finally got me to see that film, written and directed by Louis C.K., who took his name off after studio tinkering. It is silly and slightly childish, much like making an IPA into a milkshake. Ah, well, beer is in new hands now, young ones, fresh and imaginative ones. And that's a camma camma leepa chai, my damies, you dig?

Broken Clock 2Brew Coffee Kolsch

I've reviewed a couple of American versions of the German light ale style from Koln called kolsch recently, and now here's one from a new Minneapolis brewery with a home brewing theme. It's also the second Minneapolis brewery working on a collective model. I still haven't been to this brewery which took over the space that 56 Brewing was in, haven't visited the taproom, but I do have samples from the brewery, and now I'll share the notes on the second bottle I opened.

Broken Clock Coffee Kolsch. AKA 2 : Brew. 5% ABV. 28 IBU. Bottled on 5/31.

Clear, lightish amber coloring, small white head.

In the nose: Hey, there's coffee in there. And some fruity esters beneath.

In the mouth: Coffee tastes dominate the flavor profile here. Gritty, earthy, yet smooth. Little touch of hops. Light-bodied, long malty finish. None of the qualities of a kolsch really show themselves, outside of light body and high drinkability.

Here's the thing. There are some styles I think shouldn't be messed, tinkered, and toyed around with. Make it pure, don't screw it up. Kolsch is one of those for me, also hefe weizens and pilsners. But now we this trend of adding coffee flavors to lighter bodied beer style, like lagers, golden ales, lagers and the like. I'm a little torn by this, but I'd really want to know how they'd make a true kolsch, that's what I'd like to judge them against. I can't say I'm against the coffee-ing of a kolsch if I like it being done to others styles, but when you say "kolsch", I don't want different flavors, I want the light, delicate subtle fruit and hops.

That said, not a bad beer in the slightest. Got two more in the sample selection, stayed tuned Bitter Ones.

Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative Lavender Uprising IPA

The new local breweries won't stop, it seems. Two grand openings (or is it three?) and a soft one this weekend, and not long ago another new one in NorthEast Minneapolis. This one, Broken Clock Cooperative, has taken over the space formerly used by 56 Brewing, and will not be able to have a taproom, without certain changes to the building. My opportunities to visit and have a pint or three will be just as limited as they were for 56. Like 56, they will be open for samples and growler sales, and maybe some day soon I'll make it out there on a day off of work. But, I don't have to wait to try the beer, thanks to the Sample Man, who hooked me up with four sample bottles. Let's get to the first one right off, a lavender IPA.

Broken Clock Lavender Uprising. 7.5% ABV. 89 IBU.

Lightly hazed, bright golden, solid snow-white head atop.

In the nose: soft, floral, slightly sweet. Light bitterness.

In the mouth: More bitterness jumps on board the palate, matched swiftly by the lavender flavor. What? Yeah. Okay. Huh. And the bitterness grows, and we know it's an IPA, and that lavender never leaves. Interesting. Intriguing, even. Not really what I want to drink, but not bad in the slightest.

Huh. It's a curiosity, but does not deliver the sort of satisfaction I desire. I can't see this being a "regular IPA", and every brewery needs it's regular IPA.

Editor's note: I originally wrote these notes a few weeks ago, hence the untimely comments about brewery openings. I think I was going to do all of the Broken Clock beers in one post, but I've changed my mind about that.

Left Hand Travelin' Light Kolsch

Another Kolsch? Yeah, another kolsch! As long as they're good and kolsch-y, bring them on!

Left Hand Travelin' Light Kolsch-style Ale. Brewed / Canned by Left Hand Brewing, Brewed on the banks of the mighty St. Vrain, Est. 1993. Longmont, CO, USA. 4.8% ABV, 22 IBU. Ingredients Rocky Mountain Water, Malted Barley, Malted Wheat, Hops, Yeast.

Lightly hazed, bright golden-hued, pure white head, leaving a little lace.

In the nose: light fruity notes, lemon, pear, apple. Delicate and delightful. Slight spice.

In the mouth: Crisp and dry up at the front, then lightly fruity, stone fruit, some citrus, apple and pear. Then, turning dry at the end. Slight bitterness. Good and drinkable. Light bodied. Easy-breezy.

Insight Dankbot IPA

Ignore the Ommegang bottle cap. Sometimes at the Bitter
Nib we don't clean up as well as we'd like.

Insight Dankbot IPA. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 6.5% ABV. 91 IBU.

Chapter CDXX, The Autonomous Nature of Dankbot.

I reviewed this before, when it was known as merely Dank IPA, from a sample bottle. You can read that here. Now that it's a seasonal in a can, I thought I'd review it again.

Clear, bright golden color, nice, lasting, lace-leaving white head.

In the nose: citrus and pine and everything fine. Lovely.

In the mouth: Big bitterness, Some astringency, and yeah, lots o' that dank, sure. Fresh, fierce, and lively. Medium body, long, bitter finish. Bitterness turns to sweet for a spot, and it's ridiculously delicious. I like it.

Boulevard American Kolsch

Boulevard American Kolsch. Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City, Missouri. 4.6% ABV. 18 IBU.

Clear, golden-hued, big white head.

In the nose: delicate, light fruity notes, apple & pear. Lightly hoppy. Very nice.

In the mouth: nice little hoppiness at the front, lean and clean, light bodied. Impeccable drinkability. Very subtle, and twice as tasty.

I like a good, refreshing kolsch and this is one of them.

Sisyphus Big Wet Baby Double IPA

Sisyphus Big Wet Baby. 9% ABV. 120 IBU.

Hazy, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: soft and fuzzy. Plenty of pine and citrus, but gently. Whiffs of tropical. Nice.

In the mouth: It's a malt monster with a barrage of hop bitterness at first sip. Huge attack on the palate, wave after wave of juicy citrus and pine and dank. Yeah, I said "dank" and I meant it. It's a sticky one, and it's just the way I like 'em. A ton of bitter with a dash of sweet. Massive. Alcohol creeps in quick. And HopHead Me digs this all the way.

It's a great big hoppy IPA and I can sure as heck drink it. Don't know what the name means. Maybe I don't want to know?

Golden Road Wolf Pup Session IPA

Golden Road Wolf Pup Session IPA. Golden Road Brewing, Los Angeles, CA. 4.5% ABV. 50 IBU.

"Refreshingly Hoppy with a wildly aromatic citric character." they said. And the name, I get it. The hop plant is known as "the wolf among the weeds," and here's a junior version.

Lightly hazed, bright golden he, slim-ish white head.

In the nose: Big, bold citrus, lemon, grapefruit, pithy peels, just shy of astringent.

In the mouth: Brash hoppiness meets the palate first, but pleasantly. Very nice bitter buzz. More lemon and grapefruit, persistent bitter buzz. Light bodied, minimal malt, easy drinker. Very nice session IPA, West Coast-style. Go ahead and drink it.

Oliphant 1000% Guapo

Oliphant 1000% Guapo Dessert Stout with Cinnamon and Lactose.  7.5% acl. by vol. Canned on
5/31/17. Purchased 6/11, consumed 6/23. Oliphant Brewery, Somerset, WI.

Guapo is Spanish for handsome. 1000% Guapo? Knowing Oliphant, there has to be more behind this....and a little Googling leads us to a wrestler named Jose Luis Jair Soria, aka Shocker, aka 1000% Guapo. Sure, that makes sense. Not sure what Jeremy's chalkboard art has to do with that, though. They need annotations for that thing, man, or it's just mind-bending. What is? Who? Why? Huh---??? (I now recognize it as a scene from Tim & Eric Awesome Show Good Job, and Tim Heidecker's Spaghetti character.)

Deepest blackness, fine ring of tan head atop, looking very nice.

In the nose: Sweet, but balanced: vanilla, cocoa, caramel. Little bit of roast. Small amount of bitterness. Slight cinnamon popping up.

Now, to drink! In the mouth: Sweetness is bigger on the tongue, lactose plays a big part. Creamy, milky, vanilla-y, chocolate-y, ...pretty much yum. Not getting much cinnamon on the palate, yet, but it's still early.

I've never heard of a beer called a "dessert stout" by the brewery as it's designated style. But, why the heck not? It's what it is. And it is nice. It's wonderfully warm and comforting. Should be a bigger hit in winter, especially around the holidays. It's at least 100% Guapo, but, hey, why not go all the way?

Ommegang Fruition

Ommegang Fruition, Dry-hopped Wit Bier brewed with Passion Fruit, Mango, and Kiwi. 5.3% Alc. by Vol. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY.

Clouded, straw yellow/gold appearance, lush white head above, looking good.

In the nose: Deeply funky and tart, wildly fruity. Sweetness rises up, but funk is in command. Fresh and zesty.

In the mouth: Sweet, fresh, smooth. Delicious. Little bit of fruity funk is still there, but the witbier base is in command. Not quite a sour ale, but plenty of tart at play here. Can't really pick out the mango, the kiwi, the passion fruit, but it's a complex mix. The sweet fruity stuff pops in from time to time and mixes up the rest of it. Tart continues. Sour and satisfying.

Victory Summer Love Ale

Victory Summer Love Golden Ale . 5.2% ABV. Victory Brewing, Downington, PA.

Crystal clear, bright golden color, lovely ivory head above.

In the nose: slightly tart and citrus-y, interesting blend of fruit and funk and floral.

In the mouth: jumps on the palate sweet and succulent. Light, but definitely discernible bitterness. Nice fruity notes to match the bitter hops. Good texture. Playful mouthfeel. Light bodied, extra drinkable, certainly suitable for summer. Yeah, I could toss back a ton of these in the heat.

From the can label: "Earthy flavors of noble European hops, and fresh, clean German malts settle in a burst of lemony refreshment from fistfuls of American whole flower hops."

Lupulin Hooey IPA

The first few tastes of Lupulin's beers I ever had were from growlers brought to gatherings of friends or family, and I liked what I drank. I didn't get a chance to visit their taproom and try more until last July, and I wrote about that here. Since then, bottles and cans have appeared in local stores, and I have had the privilege to host a showcase of six of their beers at Acadia, last Friday. It's just the beginning of a relationship that should go on and on. As long as they're brewing great beers, I'm with them.

When I was at the taproom in Big Lake, I gazed at the beautiful display of branded glasswares of all styles and had to tell myself no, no, I don't need more glasses. Throughout my year of visiting Minnesota's craft breweries and their taprooms, I did a commendable job of avoiding the allure of adding more glasses to my already unwieldy collection. I moved twice in the span of one year, and the mere process of packing them up, let alone finding space for them is exceedingly tiresome. (I did some moving by bicycle last year, and when arriving at the new home, found that some of the bumpiness had caused a few favorites to crack. "well," said my friend, "you said you had too many." Yeah, but Brother Thelonious! I need that one!)

And then they deliver a whole case of Revival style glasses to your bar before the event, and there's no way you can't bring one home and use it every chance you can get. I'm kind of in love with this glass. I'm throwing out all my shaker pints, and will only drink from tekus, pokals, revivals, and such forth from now on.  And so I used one to drink one of my new favorite beers, Hooey from Lupulin. Hazy IPA. 6.2% ABV. 60 IBU. Brewed by Lupulin Brewing, Big Lake, MN.

Crazy, Juicy, Hazy, Hooey! (From the can label.)

Hazy, cloudy, amber/golden hued, with a long-lasting lather of snowy white foam atop.

In the nose: aw, yeah, it's going on here, all the goods are in plentiful supply. Piney, citrusy, pineapple, vibrant, fresh and beautiful. Everything a hophead wants in the aroma is all present and accounted for.

In the mouth: Hops aplenty on the palate, but not a trace of harsh or bitter. Smooth as can be. Juicy malts. Easy-drinker, and ever-delightful. Just flat out scrumptious. Hooray for Hooey. I can drink this one, and then again drink again.

Is this supposed to be in the New England-style IPA, with all it's juicy and hazy and not so bitter? I think maybe, and I think it succeeds very well.

More from the can: "This IPA is hopped with a ridiculous amount of the juiciest hops available. In order to bring you the most hop flavor possible, we intentionally leave yeast and hop oils in the beer by not filtering them out. Some say that's a lot of hooey! What the hell do they know, anyway..."

Dave's BrewFarm XJA/436 Single Hop Lager

Dave's BrewFarm XJA/436 Single Hop Lager, 6.4% ABV. Dave's BrewFarm, Wilson, Wisconsin.

Clear, bright golden color, lush white head atop, looking good.

In the nose: fresh, citrus-y, lively, maltiness in the aroma. Very clean and lean. Nicely hopped. Classic  pilsner-y nose.

In the mouth: Nothing but clean, and lean, and tasty. Nice, hoppy lager here. Good drinking, nice tasting, deeply satisfying. It's time to just drink a beer, and this does the trick. Lightly spicy hop profile, very dry, yet smooth, etcetera. Nice meets nice plus nice. Nothing but smooth. Light caramel malt taste, beautiful balance, wonderful blend, it just hangs together really well.

It was BrewFarm menu #200 when I went out to Wilson
and picked up this growler. Historic. 

This beer reminds me of a friend who invited to come along with me to visit the BrewFarm, and responded: "don't they do lots of saisons and lagers? I don't like those styles." Yeah, but he does them so well, and so differently, that you're missing out if you count them out because of your style prejudices. I don't drink a lot of lagers, either, but this is so much better than your average lager.

Here's the description from Farmer Dave: "Pils, Cara Red, and Caramel 20 malts, and hopped with three additions of experimental XJA/436 hops. Fermented with a lager yeast."

Damn, it's so good. I want this to be the lager I point out to lager haters and lovers alike.

These growlers are meant "to share", of course, but I can't take these notes in company, so drink by myself, and this is so good, I'm finishing it all in one setting. So good.

Steel Toe Almost Special Bitter

Dusting off some old notes. These were taken on May 29. Why did I hold on to them for weeks? Well, there's a story there, but it's boring, so I'll keep it to myself. So, here's a bit of an English bitter from Steel Toe Brewing of St. Louis Park, enjoyed from a growler in my home in Minneapolis, after having a pint at the taproom. 5% ABV, 24 IBU, more info after my notes.

Steel Toe ASB. Almost Special Bitter.

Clear, dark amber, nearly brown color, slim whitish head.

In the nose: malty, earthy, a little bit nutty. Slight sweetness, nicely balanced.

In the mouth: there it is, again. More malt, earth, nuts, just a touch of bitter, ending with the dry. A very cool, tasty, and specially drinkable British style ale.

This one is part of something I hadn't been aware of, the Brewer's Evolution Series, and here's what they say on the website:
Inspired by the seasonal shift; Fat Tuesday, Fasching, Spring, Solstice, whatever…it’s the time of year when we start to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel of winter. The sun is higher in the sky, its coming warmth apparent, even on cold days. This is that transitional beer; malty, slight nutty character balanced with a spicy bright English hop aroma and defined earthy bitterness. This beer occupies the space where malt and hops collide. It’s not an English Pale Ale, it’s not an E.S.B…but it’s almost there! Enjoy!

I did, don't you know. And I will be back more often, Steel Toe, now that I'm a 12 minute bike ride away.