Great Lakes Return of the Lake Erie Monster Double India Pale Ale

 Great Lakes Return of the Lake Erie Monster Double India Pale Ale.

9.5 % ABV, 65 IBU, Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, Ohio. 

I’ve been enjoying Lake Erie Monster for many years, at least a dozen. It always returns, year after year. So, why the name change? What’s different? What’s new? 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: deeply dank and citrusy, candied fruit, grapefruit galore. Tropically. Mango crush.

In the mouth: starts out big and bombastic, high alcohol reigns supreme. Fierce bitterness meets abundant hoppiness. Full body, full flavor, mega everything. Just a little juicy, but mostly dry.

What is the main difference between the the two? The original had 80 IBUs, this one shaved off 15 points. To which I say: Come on!

But, I still like it. It’s got the goods. 

Now playing: an epic remake of a cult classic Double IPA, remastered and deviously drinkable.

903 Brewers May the Stout Be With You Episode II Almond and Buttercream Flavored Stout

 903 Brewers May the Stout Be With You Episode II Almond and Buttercream Flavored Stout.

11.5% ABV, 903 Brewers, Texas. 

Deep ebony appearance, fully opaque, small brownish head. 

On the nose: sweet, creamy, dark, deep,, malty, nutty. Ever so pastry-like. Very inviting. 

In the mouth: full. Rich. Thick. Sweet and chocolatey. Decadent, dessert-like. Too much frosting. Or, maybe you like that? 

I don’t normally drink beers like this. Too sweet. But it’s Star Wars themed and was a mere $5 per the single can. I bought before 5/4 and was going to review on that day, but didn’t, and now time has marched on. Remember mere weeks ago, when we celebrated all things Star Wars? Gonk droids and Wuher (look him up!), Jedi masters and Wookiees, Jawas and Imperial bulk Star cruisers. 

And beers like this, which need more hop bitterness and much less from sweet adjuncts. Buttercream? No thanks. Frosting? What? No…

Okay, if we use beers like this to pay tribute to Star Wars, I want to see Jaxxon, the tall green rabbit from Marvel Comics issues #7-10 to be canon and no one gets to complain.

And, if you really want to taste frosting in a beer, here it is, everybody, enjoy!

In a galaxy of amazing brews, our latest imperial stout stands out with sumptuous buttercream frosting and almond flavors.  Delve into its inky abyss to unravel a decadent cosmos of dark chocolate, nutty almond, buttercream frosting and roasted malt flavors.  The aroma entices with a rich blend of vanilla and almond, echoing the whispers of distant planets that beckon adventure.  With a body this thick and chewy, this imperial stout resists the dull side and will be your chosen one.

Bhavana Vase West Coast IPA

 Bhavana Vase West Coast IPA.

6.2% ABV, Brewery Bhavana, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: citrus and pine. 

In the mouth: crisp and clean, lean bodied, vibrantly hoppy. Citrus notes buzz the palate. Nice and dry, easy drinking, and not too bitter. Delightfully dry. I dig this one. 

Pine-forward, dank, and transparent IPA. A simple malt bill with a touch of crystal malt, clean and clear straw golden color while traditional West Coast hops -- Amarillo, Simcoe, and Cascade -- lend resinous, citrusy flavors, with a distinctly dry finish.

Surly Outlook Good Non-Alcoholic Hoppy Pale

 Surly Outlook Good Non-Alcoholic Hoppy Pale.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: softly citrusy, lemon and pine. 

In the mouth: light bodied, solid citru flavors, lightly spicy. Slow finish. Not too shabby there. You’d almost think it was a real beer. 

Giesenbrau Doppel the Hutt Doppelbock

 Giesenbrau Doppel the Hutt Doppelbock.

7.8% ABV, Giesenbräu Bier Co., New Prague, MN. 

Clear, copper/bronze colored, short cream toned head.

In the nose: sweetness at first, caramel and toffee, mostly malty. 

In the mouth: bright, sweet, malty, delicious . Medium bodied, long malty finish. Bavarian complexities abound. Nicely balanced. Wonderfully warming. Quite satisfactory. 

Our doppelbock, brewed yearly on the winter solstice, is a celebration of the dark, cold winter months. Expect big maltiness, with notes of stone fruit and dark caramel.

Surly Raging Furious Imperial IPA

 Surly Raging Furious Imperial IPA.

11 % ABV, Surly Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota.?

Cleanish, deep ruby tint, large, lush creamy toned head. 

In the nose: sweet and malty, plus hoppy and dank. It’s a bomb bomb. Almost incredible. Everything you like in Furious, turned up several notches.

In the mouth: rich and powerful. Thick, even. Highly concentrated. Citrus and grassy notes, covered in caramel and toffee. Flavors spark a flame with every new sip. Palate is ravaged.  Pure decadence. Hop attack continues unabated, We have reached Barleywine status, people. 

I’ve got one left from the four pack and I’m going to sock it away and see what time does to it. I’ll bet it would last awhile

Our flagship IPA roars to imperial life. Doubling up on aggressive hops and malt sweetness, Raging Furious amplifies the citrus character and caramel backbone of the original, giving it a barleywine-like complexity. Rage on.

Sisyphus Three Beer Problem Triple IPA

 Sisyphus Three Beer Problem Triple IPA.

9.2 % ABV, 120 IBU, Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

This is my third beer of the night. Is that a problem?

Clear, golden/amber hue, slim white head.

In the nose: big citrus, plenty of pine. Reaching levels of Dank. 

In the mouth: flashes of fruit, blasts of bitterness, surprising smooth. Blood orange, mango, grapefruit. Malt mixes in. Hops command control. Alcohol roars. Various ratios of sticky icky enter into the stew. Morass of complexity. This will prove an appropriate nightcap this evening. 

No more for me, thanks, I’m driving. 

You've heard of the three body problem?  Well this presents you with the three beer problem - you want to have three of these Triple IPAs but you know you shouldn't.  

Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet Magnum Edition Imperial IPA

 Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet Magnum Edition Imperial IPA.

9.5 % ABV, 48 IBU, Sierra Nevada Brewing, CA & NC. 

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

In the nose: floral and fruity, citrus and tropical, grapefruit and tangerine. Whiff of mango.

In the mouth: big bitterness and high alcoholic gets the party going right from the start. Light bodied, fairly smooth and palatable. Bitterness fades off a touch, but big hoppy flavors never leave. Delicious ode to hops. 

You can always count on Sierra Nevada. 

The mighty Magnum hop packs this edition of Hop Bullet with behemoth favors of grapefruit, orange rind, and pine resin. This thing’s a force, but it’s also fleeting. Stock up or miss out.

HeadFlyer / Wandering Leaf Dr. Green Thumb West Coast IPA

 HeadFlyer / Wandering Leaf Dr. Green Thumb West Coast IPA. 

7% ABV, 77 IBU, HeadFlyer Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Clear, copper colored (strike one! Wrong tone for a West Coast IPA,), slim white head.any

In the nose: do I detect caramel malt? Strike two. Anything else? Some citrus, deep down. 

In the mouth: Not clean and crisp by any means. Bitterness on the palate, but mostly murky and malty. Doesn’t taste a whit likes West Coast IPA. Not dank or resinous, missing the forefront classic West Coast hops

I skimmed Untapped reviews and I appear to be in the minority. Folks are noting the pine, but that hoppy character is swallowed up and covered by the malt. There’s more chocolate here than citrus. West Coast IPAs need to golden hued with bold, brash, highly aromatic hoppiness. This is all wrong. 

There’s copy on the back of the label that I won’t be copying, but let’s just say that this is not “the dankest of IPAs.”  I’m glad I got this for free. I’d be pissed if I’d paid for it. 

Lagunitas The Beast of Both Worlds Bi-Coastal IPA

 Lagunitas The Beast of Both Worlds Bi-Coastal IPA. East Coast Flavor! West Coast Clarity! 

8% ABV, Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA. 

Mostly clear, vaguely opaque, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: big, bold, citrusy sensation. Orange, mango, grapefruit and tangerine. 

In the mouth: bitterness begins. Pierces the palate with aplomb. Juicy, hoppy and bitter, all up and down, with rising alcohol to match. Lightish bodied, yet fully flavored. A hazeless hazy? A juicy Westy? Maybe, maybe….and I’m digging it at only $10 a 6-pack!

Actually, this is suiting me quite well. I may have to pick up more while it’s still around. 

Hazy flavors without haze? West Coast hopping without mega bitterness? This double IPA w/ Mosaic, Citra, Strata & Sabro is quite the contrary kaiju.

Spiral The Bottoms Porter

 Spiral The Bottoms Porter.

5.5% ABV, Spiral Brewing, Hastings, Minnesota.

Dark brown color, nearly opaque, slim layer of cocoa-toned foam.

In the nose: roasted malt, slight sweetness. Minor hops. Hint of chocolate.

In the mouth: full body, big flavor.  Roast malt flavors, long, dry finish. Moderate bitterness. Grows in richness as we go along. 

A tasty and satisfying porter, and I’ll definitely recommend it. 

Pipeworks Pondering Pale Ale

 

Pipeworks Pondering Pale Ale.Dry hopped with Cryo Mosaic, Cryo Simcoe, Cryo Amarillo and Riwaka hops.

4% ABV, Pipeworks Brewing, Chicago, Illinois.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: citrus explosion, orange and grapefruit with a pinch of berry. 

In the mouth: fresh, zesty, and delicious. Light bodied, exceptionally quaffable. Brief hoppy finish. Pale ale as pale ale should be. I’m thoroughly digging this. 

Junkyard Simcoe West Coast Style Double IPA

 Junkyard Simcoe West Coast Style Double IPA.

8.5 % ABV, 100 IBU, Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, Minnesota. 

Wait, what have we here? A West Coast Double I PA from Junkyard? Not a hazy, or New England, or Vermont-style? The kind of IPA I like? No shit. Let’s drink it! 

Crystal clear, bright golden hue, snow white layer of foam.

In the nose: citrus and tropical, passion fruit and mango, orange and melon. I’m loving it.

In the mouth: hoppy blast bounces on the palate, with restrained bitterness and a jolt of the juicy. Light bodied and easy drinking, for the style. Alcohol hasn’t rung in too loudly…yet…nope, here it is. All in all, a noteworthy expression of my favorite style. I’ll happily enjoy this one again and again.

I’m not sure that I enjoy Simcoe all solo, but I’m not complaining, either. 

Simcoe...yup!

Padraig’s Red Chimney Red Ale

 Padraig’s Red Chimney Red Ale.

Padraig’s Brewing (pronounced Patrick’s) is the newest brewery in town, having taken over from 612 Brew in NordEast. This was the first original beer they’ve released in cans, while keeping a few of the old styles. 

Clear, dark reddish color, fine creamy froth atop.

In the nose: sweet and malty, moderately hopped.

In the mouth: coppery twang of bright hops meeting rich malt hits the palate first.   Medium bodied, smooth and flavorful. Bitterness remains throughout, though it’s well balanced by the malt. Nice to have another Irish Red option made locally:

The Irish theme is strong in this brewery, and I hope that works out for them. I was able to try more of their offerings at an event at work (South Lyndale Liquors) and was quite take by their porter. I’ll have to take a trip out to the taproom to taste it fresh off the and see what else they’re pouring.

Hand crafted in the tradition of the red ales brewed by monks at the St. Francis Abbey in Kilkenny, Ireland. Medium bodied, hints of roasted caramel and a floral hop flavor with a clean bitter finish.

Three Floyds Age of Otters India Pale Ale

 Three Floyds Age of Otters India Pale Ale.

7% ABV, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: bright and beautiful, popping with citrus and pine. 

In the mouth: fresh, brash, buzzing with bitterness. Citrus notes of orange and lime and grapefruit blast the palate. Crisp and refreshing. Quite delicious. Just a little bit on the sweet/juicy side.

A pity it only comes in the variety pack. On the other hand, I like ‘em all. 

A graceful and harmonious balance of rich malt sweetness and piney hops await. Swift, agile, captivating . . . the age of otters is nigh.

Arbeiter Pale Ale

 Arbeiter Pale Ale. 

5.2 % ABV, Arbeiter Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

You know I love a good ol’ American Pale Ale. I like them better with India in front, but plain pale suits me fine just as well. 

Clear, bright golden hue, lush, lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: bright and lovely. Slightly sweet and tropical toned, plenty of citrus on hand.

In the mouth: soft, yet bitter, but balanced. Light to medium bodied. Citrus glides along the palate, dripping grapefruit and orange, with a spicy touch. 

Quite an easy drink, fraught with delicious delights. I’d happily have another, every time I see it.

Surly Mosh Pit Imperial IPA

 Surly Mosh Pit Imperial IPA. 

9% ABV, Surly Brewing, Twin Cities, Minnesota.

The “brand family” trend has been getting more popular these days. Goose Island has Beer Hug, Sierra Nevada  has “Little Thing” and Boulevard keeps expanding the Space Camper IPA series. Revolution has spun off many “hero” IPAs from Anti-Hero, and New Belgium has put the Voodoo Ranger brand at the forefront, going beyond an umbrella for IPAs, tossing the name and skeleton based imagery on a line of boozy teas. It’s like they don’t want you to think of a brewery once known for Belgian styles.

Locally, this trend has taken off lately among the bigger breweries. Early last year, Summit decided that the Saga name belonged not merely to their popular West Coast IPA, but also to a hazy version, an Imperial, and in the Goddess Series variety pack, a tropical variant. Fulton followed suit by creating the Hop Kingdom umbrella, folding 300 inside, and adding a hazy, a juicy and an Imperial. I haven’t yet had the latter, so I can say so far my favorite part of this brand family is the illustrative efforts of Brent Schoonover.

Mere months ago, Surly got into the game. One Man Mosh Pit Hazy IPA changed it’s name to merely Most Pit, Logic Bomb Juicy Pale Ale traded its dripping brain for an electric guitar and this beer I am about to drink made it’s debut. One name for three completely different beers. Customers are confused. Not sure if this trend is the wisest one to follow. 

Let’s go ahead and drink one….

Mostly cloudy, bright golden hue, strong, but soon settling, ivory head.

In the nose: big citrus, slight tropical. Orang, tangerine, mango. Pinch of pine. 

In the mouth: splash of bitterness up front, then the harsh blast of alcohol clambers on the palate. Mushy malts. I shouldn’t be surprised if this is an “imperialized” version of the Mosh Pit Hazy. (Shouldn’t it be labeled Imperial Hazy IPA, or were we just supposed to guess?)

Bit too much fuzz on the tongue for me, but that’s what everyone is into these days, so who am I to complain? Some beers, it is clear, were not made with me in mind.  

This was released first as 12-packs and I picked one up before it was released as 6-packs, to save a couple of bucks. I drank down most of them without any critical thoughts, but the last cans got me thinking that I probably won’t return to this one.  I will have to wait until the next Abrasive Ale rolls around.

Lace up your Docs, put on your cleanest dirty flannel, and dive into the waiting arms of your fellow hopheads. No frills, no keyboard solos, no guy in a cape singing about unicorns or hobbits. Just a full-on facemelter, with Idaho 7™, Sultana, Amarillo, Citra, and Cascade hops leading the attack and heavy citrus notes of orange and lemon landing like a double kick drum.

Heller-Trum Aecht Schenkerla Erle Schwarzbier

 Heller-Trum Aecht Schenkerla Erle Schwarzbier. Mit Erlenrauchmalz. Schenkerla Alder Wood Smoke. 

Black, near-perfect opacity, small brownish head. 

In the nose: mild smoke meets dark malts. Uncured ham plus cocoa. 

In the mouth: exceptionally smooth and hearty. There’s nothing like this. I love a nice, malty schwarzbier, but this is another thing. Rich and delicious, with that unique smoked malt touch. I can’t tell you what makes alder wood distinctive, but it works. 

Oliphant Rusket Dark Wisconsin Dark Lager

 Oliphant Rusket Dark Wisconsin Dark Lager.

5% ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, Wisconsin,

You know, it’s been a while since I’ve had a Wisconsin dark lager. Let’s fix that. 

Deep, dark, nearly black, opaque, slim brown head. 

In the nose; sweet and creamy, cocoa and caramel, altogether pleasant and delightful.

In the mouth: mostly malty, minor hops, well balanced. Light to medium bodied. Mild cocoa flavor runs through. Solid in every way, except that it’s a liquid. Quite nice. 

A collaboration with St. Paul's finest beer emporium, The Ale Jail.

They have everything you could ever want, even ghosts. Enjoy!

Yours truly,

The Lager Blogger 

Modist Gifts of the Sacred Father Doppelbock

 Modist Gifts of the Sacred Father Doppelbock.

8.5 % ABV, Modist Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Clear, dark reddish brown, lush, creamy head on top, looking good.

In the nose: caramel and toffee notes, just slightly sweet. Hits the mark.

In the mouth: smooth and lovely, with the slightest hit of alcohol at the top.  Clean, rich, delicious, abundant with malty flavors. Caramel is king, of course, but it’s never too sweet. Nice balance. All in all, an exceptional doppelbock. Quite yum a dum dum.  

Doppelbock brewed with decoction mashed pilsner, Vienna and Munich malts. Kettle hopped with German Hersbrucker then fermented and lagered with German lager yeast.