Samuel Smith's Organic Perry Cider

Samuel Smith's Organic Perry Sparkling Pear Cider.
5 % ABV. Samuel Smith's Brewery, Yorkshire, England.

Clear, light golden hue, no head.

In the nose: Popping with pear. Bright, sweet, delightful.

In the nose: Brisk, crisp, and pear-y-licious. Light-bodied, smooth, and delicious. Nice. Not really much else to say about it. (I freely admit that I am not at all a cider expert, and still lack technical expertise required.)
Highly likable, in every way.

Dry, sparkling pear cider with glowing pale straw colour,smooth body, crisp but rich flavor and the gentle aroma of a summer pear orchard. Serving suggestions: Blue cheese or gorgonzola; arugula or Waldorf salad; sweet potatoes; pancetta or prosciutto; pear tart. Very nice with dishes featuring ginger. Best served at about 44°F (7°C)

Central Waters Crew Drive Brut Pils

Central Waters Crew Drive Brut Pils.
5.5 % ABV. 25 IBU.
Central Waters Brewing Company, Amherst, WI.

Clear, bright golden, slim white head.

In the nose: Lightly hoppy, slightly floral, right in tune for a pilsner.

In the mouth: Nicely hopped, just a touch of bitter, laying long on the palate. Light-bodied, easy drinker. Lingering hop bitterness, the way I like it, ending very dry. Quite nice. I'd have another.

What the heck is a "Crew Drive"? We are glad you asked! It is a standing tradition for brewery employees to clear the benches and crowd a market to represent their brewery for a day. It's a team effort that ends over a beer or four and a toast to victories won! Dry, effervescent, and dangerously drinkable, this beer is brewed for celebration. Join our crew for a cold one!

Venn Chronicopia DIPA

Venn Chronicopia DIPA.
8.2 % ABV. 75 IBU.
Venn Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Powerfully "dank", no denying. Big citrus and pine. Vibrant, intensely likable.

In the mouth: Pow! Delivers a punch to the palate. Blast of bitterness, increasingly potent hoppiness, an all-around assault on the senses. Just the way I like it. A bit of tropical fruit, some pineapple and passionfruit butt into the proceedings, making for a merry melange. (Okay, shoot me, I love to alliterate.)

Medium bodied, long, bitter finish. This one isn't such an easy drinker, but it's an enjoyable experience, for sure.



Some may call it "hot", but it suits me just fine for a nightcap.

There stands the glass. It's my last one today.


A West Coast style Double IPA featuring Eureka, Mosaic, and Columbus hops.

Malts: Domestic Pale, Red Wheat.
Hops: Warrior, Eureka, Mosaic, Columbus.
Yeast: American Ale.
Other: Dextrose.

Town Hall Golden Grounds

Town Hall Golden Grounds. American Pale Ale, with Coffee.
5.2 % ABV. Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright crimson color, slim white head.

In the nose: sweet and slightly fruity, lightly bitter, and bursting with coffee flavors. Nice.

In the mouth: It's an interesting collision. We don't normally get coffee infusions in pale ales. It was originally the domain of porters and stouts, though in recent years it's been done to lighter beers, like lagers and golden ales. When they do it to IPAs, I'm really skeptical. How does a hoppy beer work with coffee?

It's a bit of a clash, but I like it. Hops are here, and they're mingling with the coffee flavors effectively. They're sharing space next to one another and getting along fine. Medium bodied and highly drinkable. A little bit of bitter meets a touch of sweet, fruity, herbal & nutty. And it's going down fine.

I wouldn't normally choose this over a regular pale ale or IPA, but it's nice to visit once in a while.

Toasty, smooth honey pale ale with custom blended cold-press from Peace Coffee. Rich nougat and coffee character.

Surly Grapefruit Supreme Tart Ale

Surly Grapefruit Supreme Tart Ale with Grapefruit Added.
4.5 % ABV. Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center & Minneapolis, MN.

Hazy. Pale yellow color. Slim white head.

In the nose: Grapefruit. Tart. That's about it.

In the mouth: Starting tart and getting juicy in a quickness. Stays slightly sour on the palate before finishing dry. Minor hop bitterness. High on the refreshment factor. Not bad, not bad at all. I'd have another, sure, why not.

Braced by bright grapefruit flavor and gentle tartness, this beer reigns supreme. Finishing crisp and citrusy, it sets a new standard for crushable.

Blanche de Namur Witbier

Blanche de Namur Witbier. Brasserie du Bocq.
4.5 % ABV. 11 IBU. Purnode, Namur, Belgium.
"The World's Best Wheat Beer", says the label.

Clouded, golden, slim white head.

In the nose: citrus and spice. Orange and coriander. Usual suspects.

In the mouth. Wheat and smooth. Light bodied, easy-drinking. Big citrus flavor, minor hops, tasty wheat malt basis. Delicious stuff. A rewarding and refreshing glass of ale.

This is my first beer from this brewery. I'd love to get my hands on more.

"Cloudy, smooth and mellow, the Blanche de Namur is a very high-quality wheatbeer. From the first sip, you will feel all its roundness and its delicacy that make it an outstanding wheatbeer. 

I've been assured that the Namur of this
beer has nothing whatsoever to do
with this Namor.

Its qualities and the brewery’s know-how earned it the honour of being named the best wheatbeer in the world (2009)."

Description

Appearance : Blond, cloudy and milky colour (colloidal turbidity when cold): the cloudiness is created when the beer is cold but can disappear when the beer warms up or is kept in the cold for too long a time.
Aroma : Fine fruity, revealing the spices used: coriander and bitter orange.
Taste : Mellow beer, thirst-quenching but smooth, slightly acid flavour, powdery consistency on the tongue, not bitter.
Remark : Best when drunk between 2° and 4°C.
Packaging : 25 cl, 33cl, 75 cl, 1.5 l, keg

Serving suggestions
Game, red meats, highly-seasoned white meat

Wild Mind Windom Paradise IPA

Wild Mind Windom Paradise IPA.
6.3 % ABV. 35 IBU.
Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

Hazed to the gills, thick as thieves, with a bright golden hue, and an ample offering of ivory froth atop.

In the nose: soft and citric, tropical tones, too.

In the mouth: Creamy-smooth, slightly sweet, light on the bitter. Medium-bodied, easy drinking. So very easy, so very drinking. Ever-so smooth. Very good, but ...eh. The NE IPA style still doesn't deliver what I want. Blah.

Citra, Mosaic, and Eukanot hops were added to the whirlpool and then again at dry-hopping to provide this hazy IPA with a dank nose and tropical fruit notes ranging from guava to soft peach. This full-bodied NEIPA combines the lightly sweet with a touch of hop bitterness to pair with the malt bill of 2-row, malted white wheat, and flaked white wheat from Maltwerks.

Bent Paddle Trampled American Golden Ale

Bent Paddle Trampled American Golden Ale.
4.6 % ABV. 20 IBU.
Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Duluth, MN.

There are two kinds of collaboration beers, it seems. When two breweries collaborate with one another you might get something new and interesting, innovative and inventive. If it's a collaboration between a brewery and a band, or a venue/organization, the result will most likely be bit on the mild side. Something you can drink at the concert without being troubled by too many flavors. A going-down easy in the park kind of beer. Case in point, this cream ale made in collaboration with the Duluth bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles:

Clear, bright golden hue, slim ivory head. Looking good.

In the nose: Vacant. Vacuous. Not much going on. Let's wait a minute....la de da, la de doo....doo de dum....okay, now: sweet, malty, grainy? How's that?

In the mouth: Lightish malty mouthfeel, little toast on the palate, little bits of light grain. Smooth, easy-drinking, taste enough. Good beer and you can drink it. I don't not like this, that's for sure. It's exactly what it should be. And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Another rule of collaborations with bands: your beer description has to be liberally peppered with puns and references to their songs. Case in point:

Calling all Wild Animals & Winners. This Hometown Collaboration takes us Right Back Where We Started and is a spotlight on the creativity that emanates from our beloved city on the hill. Nothing pairs better with listening to music than a beer in your hand - especially a beer that harmonizes in tune with the band. Trampled American Golden Ale plays forth with a soft malt flavor and a resonant hop tone, creating a balanced volume of flavor. This beer might have you Drinkin' In the Mornin', but don’t worry, you won’t have to Wait So Long to enjoy another one!

Sisyphus Replay IPA #4

Sisyphus Replay IPA #4.
8.1 % ABV. 38 IBU.
Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Lightly hazed, bright golden hued, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweetness. Fruit. Citrus. Pulpy. Tangy. Nice.

In the mouth: Sweet hits first, right there with the fruity. Bitterness lays low. Just a little buzz. All the rest is clean, smooth, delicious. Gets so close to the way I like an IPA to be, and getting very near how every one else prefers them these days. Tons of citrus and tropical fruit tones, very easy on the palate, drinkable as she goes. Flat out delish.

I picked this one up at the brewery a week and a half ago. 6/19/19, as the label tells me. Wait, that's not right. Should be 6/17. Must be marker smudge. Anyway, it's fairly brand new, and only 19 other people on Untappd have had it. That's a strangely small number. Sisyphus is a popular enough place that their IPAs should get more samplings amongst the Untappd users. Whatever. No biggie.

But I thought I'd poll their opinions, as I sometimes do, whenever the mood strikes me.

Jonathan: "Eh."

Ric D: "Refreshing Non-bitter IPA."

Droo L: "Tastes like pickles at the end."

Danny Boy: "Adorable."

Man, I've got to get together a tasting panel with these four guys. Gonna be a baller night. And you know, Droo L may have something there. Maybe I'm getting some pickles, too. He may not be wrong.

Damn. Pickles. Why don't I talk about pickles more often?

Junkyard How Bizarre New England style ipa

Junkyard How Bizarre New England style ipa. (sic). India Pale Ale. Brewed with Triumph hops.
7.2 % ABV. PKGD 5/31/19. Sweet Zina. (?)
Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN.

All hazed up and orange, with a slim white head on top.

In the nose: Citrus tones & pine, turning tropical. Playing it light, rather nice.

In the mouth: Sweet and fruity from the start, with traces of bitter. Sweetness increases, getting juicier. Pineapple, guava, passionfruit. Sweet malt, light body, high drinkability. A tasty beverage, but...

This New Englander is hopped with Azacca and dry-hopped with Triumph for a fruit forward IPA with prominent peach and hints of pear, melon, & orange. A nice sweet maltiness, full body, and low bitterness make for a super balanced, amazingly refreshing beer with 0 IBUs. How bizarre! 

I've said it before and I have to say it again. If you're trying to make the 0 IBU, non-bitter IPA, stop calling it an IPA! (or "ipa", as the label artist has it). You tricked me into trying it by calling it an IPA, but I'm not getting what I want and expect. I demand a bitter bite. Taking the IBUs out is like, ...well, it just ain't right, gol' durn it.

(Despite all these quibbles...it's still pretty damned delicious.)

And one more thing: I always write my notes before reading the brewery's and while I enjoy seeing how many things they have in common, it's a little jarring when they differ so much. I say light body, they say full. Was that really a full body? Am I wrong, then? So confusing...

Lakes & Legends 5-Weight Cream Ale

Lakes & Legends 5-Weight Cream Ale.
5.6 % ABV. 20 IBU.
Lakes & Legends Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN.

Well, look at this. Lakes & Legends makes a cream ale, and it comes in a can. I've just opened that can, and now I'm going to drink it.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: slight, sweet, a little malty, clean. Eh.

In the mouth: A little grainy, clean malt-y flavors. Slightly sweet, creamy, bordering on buttery, but not quite. Light bodied, minimal hops. Got nothing really to say about it but: not bad. Not for me, but if you're a cream ale guy or gal, go for it.

A refreshingly light, crisp ale with a light and clean malt character.

Weihenstephaner Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage

Weihenstephaner Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage. Contains less than 0.5 % Alcohol.
Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Wihenstephan, Freising, Bayern, Deutschland.

Well, if I'm reviewing shandies and radlers and hard seltzers and ciders, why not an NA beer? It hasn't happened before in the Nib, so let's kick it off with this one from the makers of one of my favorite Bavarian Hefe Weizens.

Clouded, bright golden, large ivory head. Looking just like a true Bavarian wheat, so far.

In the nose: citrus and spice, notes of banana and wheat.

In the mouth: All of the flavors are here, and nearly none of the alcohol. Light-bodied, fruity, slight spice, malty. If I couldn't have any booze, I sure wouldn't pass this up. Not terrible at all.

Our golden-yellow, alcohol-free wheat beer tastes like a premium wheat beer: tangy, fresh and full-bodied, with hints of cloves and honey as well as a fine yeasty spirit. The unique wheat beer taste is achieved by a method developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan: the top fermentation is not interrupted and the beer has time to mature, only after the maturation the alcohol is carefully withdrawn. It is a first-class thirst quencher after sports or a good companion to light summer dishes, sweet and sour dishes, or fruit sorbets. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

Oliphant Hobocop Gose Style Ale with Orange, Lime and Sea Salt

Oliphant Hobocop Gose Style Ale with Orange, Lime and Sea Salt.
5 % ABV. IBU: ?
Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, Wisconsin.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: salty, slightly sour, citric, wheaten.

In the mouth: Bracingly sour from the start. A touch fruity, but all about the sour, ending on a dry note. Citrus reigns supreme, with salt on the side. Refreshingly delicious. Wow. I can dig this, big time. Go out and get some, now. Enjoy with a side of summer.

Quite an excellent gose. I'm enjoying this all the way down.

From the website: i had a great description for this one, but josh just stepped in wet cement. again. excuse me as i pull him out, he is slowly sinking because he panicked and gave up.

gose-style ale w/ sea salt, orange, and lime. 5% abv. 

Eastlake Sour Haze

Eastlake Sour Haze. Juicy Fruitless Sour Ale Dry-hopped with Mosaic.
4.8 % ABV.
Eastlake Craft Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Highly hazed, dull orange color, slim white head.

In the nose: Big sour, fruity, hoppy, all at once. Funky stuff, for sure.

In the mouth: Intense sour at the start, Mosaic hops popping on the palate. Juicy, fruity, ending dry. Stone fruit, citrus, bits o' berries. Tropical tones, too. Clean, yet funky, and fairly easy-drinking. Not bad at all.

Our souring regimen joined the cool pool party hopping we use for our juicy IPAs. It’s a full-frontal fruit onslaught of passionfruit, pineapples, and nearly ripe raspberry, fruitless, yet fruitful.

Bent Paddle Wilderness Tuxedo American Sour Ale with Mango & Guava

Bent Paddle Wilderness Tuxedo American Sour Ale with Mango & Guava.
4.4 % ABV. 10 IBU.
Bent Paddle Brewing, Duluth, MN.

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Tart from the start, tropical fruit coming in from behind.

In the mouth: Sour and refreshing once on board the palate. Goes down mighty easy. Guava/mango flavor could be stronger in my humble opinion. Low hops, light malt, just sour, fruity, and extra-drinkable.

I like this one. I'd have another.

We love to dress to impress... Mother Nature - and a button up flannel is about as fancy as the wilderness needs us to be! We brewed an American kettle sour, in the Berliner Weisse style, to pair with the fresh tropical flavors of Mango and Guava. Low in alcohol with a refreshing yet buttoned-up tartness, our Mango/Guava American Sour will take you along on its own adventure!

Wild Mind Weekday Warrior

Wild Mind Weekday Warrior. American Pale Ale.
5.5 % ABV. 35 IBU.
Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

Hazy, pale orange, slim white head.

In the nose: nicely hoppy, citrus-y.

In the mouth: Fresh, zesty, delicious. Traces of tartness, touch of spice, but mostly citrus-y hop flavors. Light-bodied, refreshing, supremely drinkable. This crowler is going down in no time flat.

Brewed on Monday. On tap Friday. Weekday Warrior is an experimental beer that was fermented using Voss Kveik yeast, which is known for quick fermentation and a citrus flavor profile. The beer was dry-hopped with Amarillo, Cascade, and Centennial just 24 hours after the yeast was pitched to bring out more of the yeast's citrus notes.

Sisyphus Blueberry Belgian Blonde

Sisyphus Blueberry Belgian Blonde.
5.1 % ABV. 20 IBU.
Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Lightly hazed, berry-ish crimson hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweet and fruity, with a whiff of Belgian funk.

In the mouth: More sweet, more fruity, with moderate hops and nothing but refreshment. Light, slightly malty, a treat to drink down. Good blueberry Belgian blonde and you can drink it.

Light and clean, slightly malty - with blueberries.

Town Hall Boreal Hills IPA

Town Hall Boreal Hills IPA.
6.6 % ABV. Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, beautiful amber hue, large, creamy, long-lasting head.

In the nose: Spruce pops right out at you, with citrus-y hops just behind.

In the mouth: Bold and juicy on the palate. Bright hops keep a-bouncing. Well-balanced, medium-bodied, and easy drinking. Tasty, tasty stuff.

IPA featuring fresh Colorado Blue Spruce tips, Tropical, zesty hops and smooth layered malt flavors.

Surly Electric Sombrero of Death

Surly Electric Sombrero of Death. Double Dry-hopped Imperial Mexican-style Lager Aged In Tequila Barrels.
Well, that's a mouthful.
9 % ABV. Malty/Complex/Electrifying. Brewed and canned by Surly Brewing, Minneapolis & Brooklyn Center, MN. In collaboration with Sun King of Indianapolis, IN.

Dark brown, cocoa-tinged head.

In the nose: This is strange. What should I expect from a double dry-hopped imperial Mexican-style lager in tequila barrels? Lots of tequila? It's there somewhere, but it's slow in showing itself. And what does the double dry-hopping do?

In the mouth: Malty. Strong. Hoppy. Definitely getting some tequila flavor, but not especially distinct. It's kind of messy.

Here's what throws me off. When I hear "Mexican-style lager", I don't think of schwarzbiers. It's true that the German influence on Mexican breweries results in a number of dark lagers being brewed south of the border, but that doesn't mean we call them "Mexican-style lagers." They're still "German-style" beers. When you say, "Mexican-style", people are going to think of Corona, Bohemia, Modelo, etc.

Oh, wait, it's not a Schwarzbier, but a Vienna Lager, another popular German-style brew also made in Mexico? Okay. But, again, you don't just call it "Mexican-style" because it's popular in Mexico.

I don't think this works. It's not particularly tasty. Too many things going on that don't necessarily belong together. It's a whole mess of shit thrown together just to say that they did it. I'm not that crazy about these kinds of beers. But they suckered me in for paying for it, so they've got that going for them. And it's got high ABV, so that's clouding my judgement and turning the tides in their favor.
Although, I've always got bourbon for that.

Brewed in collaboration with our friends from Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, Electric Sombrero of Death is inspired by the dark, malty lagers brewed south of the border. This version dials up the wattage with an imperial malt backbone, a double dose of dry-hopping, and quality time spent in tequila barrels.

Here's more promotional info: Surly loves a good, dark Mexican-style lager–we’ve even gone so far as to collaborate with our friends at Cerveceria Transpeninsular on one. Sun King Brewing out of Indianapolis shares that affection, along with our interest in what would happen if you tweaked this very traditional beer with a smack of dry-hopping and letting the situation develop in some tequila barrels.

The product of that curiosity goes by the name Electric Sombrero of Death. It’s both our latest collab with a fellow independent craft brewer *and* our newest BC Small Batch beer.

Surly and Sun King brewers raising a toast at the 2019 Firestone Walker Invitational.
Electric Sombrero of Death amps up the already rich character of the style with an imperial malt backbone. To keep the beer from being a full-on tequila bomb, a third of the batch was aged in 5-year tequila barrels and the remainder dry-hopped on Citra, Sabro, and Bravo hops, then blended after the barreling process finished.

The result is a surprisingly subtle and remarkably easy-drinking imperial lager that checks in at 9% ABV with a ruby brown pour. Expect aromatic notes of caramel, brown sugar, chocolate, and (duh) tequila, with the hop bill balancing the inherent sweetness of the style.

Electric Sombrero of Death is available to all U.S. Surly markets. Indiana—Sun King will have some on draft, check with them on dates/times.

Smithwick's Irish Made Red Ale

Smithwick's Irish Made Red Ale.
4.5 % ABV. Guinness LTD, Dublin, Ireland.

I got some samples of Irish beers months back in an attempt to get me turn go all Erin Go Bragh in time for St. Patrick's Day. It didn't work. I reviewed the other two a long time back, but this one's just been sitting in the fridge giving me a puppy dog look every time I open the door. So, let's drink it up.

Clear, red, slim white head.

In the nose: Malty, herbal, slightly nutty, maybe a whiff of fruit. Little from hops.

In the mouth: Mainly malty, with an edge of roast and caramel. Hops only on hand for balance. Light bodied and drinkable, fits the Irish Red Ale style fairly well. But not well enough. I've never been much of a fan of that style, and this one isn't making me a convert.

A robust red brew with a gentle hop bitterness & a sweet malt finish.