Three Floyds Chain Sword Extra Pale Ale

 Three Floyds Chain Sword Extra Pale Ale.

5% ABV, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, Indiana.

From the latest variety pack. 

Clear, golden hued, short white head. 

In the nose: slightly citrusy, brisk and lively. 

In the nose: lemon and lime lead the charge on the palate. Crisp and clean, light bodied and refreshing, with an incessant bitterness that pleases the tongue. Goes down nice and smooth. Highly likable.

Not as clumsy or random as other extra pale ales, Chain Sword was brewed with Golden Promise Malt and El Dorado hops - an elegant beer for a more civilized age

Inbound Fruit of the Double Loop West Coast Double IPA

 Inbound Fruit of the Double Loop West Coast Double IPA.

9% ABV, 90 IBU, Inbound BrewCo., Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Clear, bright golden hue, small white head. 

In the nose: floral, fruity, hoppy, citrusy with a drop of the tropical.

In the mouth: bitterness and dank fruity flavors set the palate ablaze. Slightly sticky icky. It’s got the hops. Tantalizing. Full-bodied, generously flavored, a true hophead’s delight. 

So, congrats, Inbound, on nine years, though I can’t condone the spelling error on the label. (“Fruit Loop-esk”? Oh, brother!)

This is one I will probably return to before it disappears. 

9th Anniversary double West Coast IPA. We took our Fruit of the Loop recipe and jacked it up to 9%. We then applied the same quantity of hops we’d add to a 30bbl batch and crammed them in to a 15bbl tank. The result is absurdly hoppy and dangerously easy drinking.

Oliphant Snail Pale Pale Ale

 Oliphant Snail Pale Pale Ale.

5% ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, Wisconsin. 

Collaboration with Sea Salt Eatery, Minnehaha Falls on the shell limns the connection.

Clear, bright golden / orange hue, fine white froth rests atop. 

In the nose: bright citrus zest, bold orange and grapefruit. Perfect.

In the mouth: bitterness greets the palate, kisses the lips and coats the tongue. Fiercely hoppy, fresh and expertly drinkable. Medium to light bodied. Long, bittersweet finish. Infinitely enjoyable.

I’ll tell you this, people: I don’t know how pale ales fell out of favor, but it’s got to stop. There ain’t nothing like a good one, and this one is that. 

In Collaboration with those saltwater sweeties over at Sea Salt Eatery in MPLS, this pale ale drinks like it would've over a decade ago. A little malty, a little bitter and hoppy; most of all, delish! Snail on chums!

Ol’ George #28: Baby

 

Notes on #28:

1. I’d just like to point out that this is week 25 of finishing a strip by Monday night, six months running. I’m really proud of that. (The first three don’t count. #1 was done in early October of last year and not deemed finished until a month later. #’s 2 & 3 were both done in a rush and I’m not terribly proud of them. So, I count from #4, 11/11. 

2. I put George and Baby at opposite ends of each panel then had to figure what to put between them. Answer: Balonious! But, wouldn’t that alter the flow of their conversation, by having him speak (or think) between them? Yes, but, that’s why I used a different pen point for him, a lighter weight to his lettering, and I liked to play off that awkwardness that happens when two people at a bar are talking and ones in the middle, does he try to join in or start talking to someone else? Or just stare at his beer? 

Wooden Ship Ofstead Norwegian Farmhouse Ale

 Wooden Ship Ofstead Norwegian Farmhouse Ale.

5.6 % ABV, Wooden Ship Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Lightly clouded, golden toned, large and lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: Smokey, peppery…is this a Hammerheart beer? Everything else is minor.

In the mouth: citrus zest, hops, but low bitterness, and unrelenting, lingering Smokey, peppery sensations, though not as strong as in aromatics. Light and refreshing as a farmhouse ale should be, but loaded with character. Goin’ down nice and easy. 

A Norwegian Farmhouse Ale that is slightly funky and smokey with mild citrus notes.

Ol’ George # 27: Zip a Tone

 

Notes on #27:

1. If this one reads like a non-sequitor, then I have done my job. I first encountered Zippy in a B. Dalton Bookseller in 1985 when I bought a copy of “Are we Having Fun Yet? Zippy the Pinhead’s 29 Day Guide To Random Activities and Arbitrary Donuts.” I’ve spent the past 40 years keeping up and catching up. He’s been around since 1971, and still going!

2. George’s beer, Old Crab is a nod to a barleywine of long ago, Rogue Old Crustacean. And that George is a big Ol’ Crabbypants. 

3. I won’t explain Zippy’s dialogue. If you know him, you get it. Laundry is the 5th dimension! Zombies rule Belgium! Frivolity is a stern taskmaster! Legalize Loni Anderson’s hair! 

Ol’ George #26: Brew Monk

 

Notes on #26:

1. I have a long history as a fan of American jazz composer & pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982).  I put a lot of back story in my review of North Coast Brother Thelonious in my blog post back in 2012. Go check it out. 

2. I once had a Brother Thelonious glass sent to me by the brewery (along with a tap handle, coasters, t-shirts, and an CD of a band they put together, the Brother Thelonious Quintet!) and it did indeed say Straight No Chaser on it.  When it broke during a move nine years ago, I paused in sentimental contemplation, whereupon my friend remarking that he heard me say that I have too many glasses as it is. Yeah, but that’s one I wanted to keep. I can’t find a replacement anywhere, but I’ll keep looking. 

3. Flatted Fifths aren’t really the main thing to think of when it comes to Monk’s music, but it sounds funnier than dissonance, angularity or atonality.

4. The “you’ll flip” quote appeared in the documentary “Straight No Chaser”, but I haven’t seen it in a while. Can’t find it on YouTube. So, I got it partially wrong, so what. He actually said “I Mean, for real!” I bet he said it a lot of ways. 

5. Is George a jazz lover?  Of course he is, he’s a hep cat! (My first cat was named Hepzibah so I could call her “hep cat.” Hepzibah is the name of the French skunk who dwells in the Okeefenokee swamp in Walt Kelly’s “Pogo”. And the bar George drinks at is named for him. Full circle!)

Back Channel Sky Crasher West Coast IPA

 Back Channel Sky Crasher West Coast IPA .

7.5 % ABV, Back Channel Brewing, Spring Park, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: bold and booming with citrus notes and stone fruit. Apricot and peach mingle pineapple and orange. Highly aromatic. 

In the mouth: hop assault on the palate, but too lean in the bitterness to truly make a mark as a West Coast. Medium bodied, mostly crisp and clean. but needs a bit more in the dry department. Not a truly successful attempt, I’m afraid. 

Citrusy // Piney // Resin

West Coast IPA

Ol’ George #25: How to Draw Ol’ George

 

Pizza Port Endless Shoreline India Pale Ale

 Pizza Port Endless Shoreline India Pale Ale.

7 % ABV, 65 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA. 

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

In the nose: bold citrus with a pinch of pine. 

In the mouth: fresh, fruity, and dry. Moderate bitterness, but plentiful hops. Medium bodied, long hop forward finish. Citrus tones meet with stone fruit. Easy drinking as she goes. 

I like this one fine, but it won’t replace Swami’s. 

Endless Shoreline IPA captures the essence of sun-soaked days with a refreshing burst of earthy tangelo and bright Meyer lemon. Brewed with Riwaka, Waimea, NZ Cascade, Crystal, & Columbus hops - the mid-palate reveals a tropical blend of sweet citrus, lush mango, and juicy papaya, transporting you to a beachside paradise. The finish is dry and crisp, leaving behind subtle hints of peppery lemongrass and a touch of slightly sticky resin. Just like the shoreline that stretches beyond the horizon, this IPA offers an experience that feels endless with every sip.

Bad Weather Sweater Weather Winter Warmer

 Bad Weather Sweater Weather Winter Warmer.

8.1% ABV, 35 IBU, Bad Weather Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

So much weather in that name. 

Winter is gone, but it ain’t spring yet. Birds are here, but they ain’t chirping. Grass is here, but it ain’t green. No flowers, no leaves on the trees, and we’re still wearing sweaters. Perfect time for the last can of this. 

Clear, dusky brown, voluptuous head, cream toned. 

In the nose: vanilla hits first, followed by cinnamon. Whither coconut? We’re getting hints.

In the mouth: again, vanilla is largest, the rest follow. Big malt, but maybe not robust enough. This is delicious, but I beg for more body. Not hating’, just saying. 

This comforting ale is made with toasted coconut, Saigon cinnamon, and vanilla bean. Also a dash of malted Kernza that aids in the cinnamon flavor of the beer. Kernza is a perennial grain that has been gaining popularity amongst brewers due to its sustainability.  Flavors and aromas of coconut, caramel, cinnamon, vanilla and toast. Medium bodied with a sweet/warming finish. Pours a clear reddish amber with a brown head. Enjoy by the fire or while watching the snow fall outside.

Dual Citizen WaveRacer West Coast IPA

 Dual Citizen WaveRacer West Coast IPA. 

7.1 % ABV, Dual Citizen Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Clear, bright golden hue, large and lasting milky white head.

In the nose: citrusy, sliver of pine, tiny tropical tones. 

In the mouth: big blast of bitterness plays on the palate, tantalized the tongue. Nice and dry. Slightest sweetness, but bitter wins out. Light bodied, easy drinking, with never-ending hoppiness. 

I think I like this one. 

Citrus Zest • Floral • Berries

A sunny West Coast style American IPA. 

Surly Niiice Beer

 Surly Niiice Beer. Tastes. Like. Beer. 

Available on tap or 16 ounce 12-packs. 

(Or is it “Surly This Beer is Niiice” as on the label and some tap menus?)

4.5 % ABV. Surly Brewing, Twin Cities, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: grainy, corny, beer-y. 

In the mouth: exceptionally simplistic, light. The light end of a golden ale, the say, which is very in-Surly. Quaffable, for sure, with real flavor to be found. Surly Furious, that made sense. Gotta put one out to please the plebians, I guess. 

Well, that makes two new Surly beers in a row that were clearly not made for me. 

C’est La vie. 

Balanced and approachable, not too hoppy, not too bland, this refreshing ale isn't just nice, it's NIIICE! If you want to call it a beer-flavored beer, go right ahead.

Ol’ George #24: Barley Whine

 Ol’ George #24: Barley Whine

Notes on #24:

1. I’ve been a fan of Bigfoot Barleywine-style Ale for probably 25 years, maybe more. They’ve been making it for 42. I will never forget the first time I tapped it, around 2008, at the Blue Nile. A man at the bar recognized the SN tap handle and said “oh, yeah, Sierra Nevada, I like them, I’ll take one.” Thinking it was the pale ale, I assumed. “This might not be what you think it is,” I told him.”No, no. Yeah, yeah, I’ll take it.” I poured his snifter and watched the confusion as he tried to make sense of this hoppy, nearly 10 % Barleywine. I tried! 

Amazingly, in those 42 years, they never changed the label illustration once. 

2. There is a disruption in continuity here. Normally, Chester drinks Grain Belt Premium, the friendly beer, as did his real life inspiration. But, after hearing of  the unexpected, untimely death of Falling Knife’s Tom Berg, I decided to pay him tribute by having Chester drinking a Tomm’s Lager, in his honor. I didn’t know him well, but he was always nice to me, although he took exception to my views on hazy IPAs, their stock in trade. Sorry, I just don’t dig them. I don’t think I have had a Tomm’s either, not being a lager lover. Maybe I’ll pick up a 4-pack to cheers the man, who left us too soon. 

3. Where did Chester go in the last panel? Out for a smoke, duh. Why didn’t he take his beer? I don’t know! Truthfully, I just wanted to draw Irma rolling her eyes at George’s smartassery.

4. Introducing a character so much taller than the others is difficult. That’s why I chose that age-old cartoon technique of having a character fall backwards out of the panel in response to a punchline, known as a “plop”! You never know when I will use it again!

Ol’ George #23: Everybody Plays the Fool

 

Ol’ George #23: Everybody Plays the Fool

Notes on #23:

1. George wants to play an April Fool’s Day joke on Irma and pretend that he’s given up beer for wine, and along the way make fun of the way wine people anthropomorphize wine with their descriptions. The style known as pèt nat, or petillant naturel (naturally petulant) is one example of this. In fact, I found that expanded on in this precocious piece I just found online. “ By nature, pét-nats are casual. They’re easygoing. They didn’t brush their hair when they got up, and they threw on yesterday’s jeans because, really, who cares?”

It’s also done a lot in descriptions. I recall someone (a friend? Someone from TV/ movies?) making fun of this by saying/quoting something like “it has an impudent nose” or some such. And I wondered where I had heard this and googled the phrase “impudent wine”. The first hits were for a French wine called L’Impudent.

It dawned on that we can mock such language, but it won’t change anything. I wrote this one and I chose not to check and see if there are any Insolent, Sassy, or Obsequious wineries out there. 

Does beer do this? A little, but maybe it’s more of a French thing. 

2. This is the second strip without any beer in it. The first was #2, for George hadn’t ordered yet. Balonious would be having a beer, if George wasn’t taking up Irma’s time with his smart assery.

Ol’ George #22: Head Like A Ball

 

Notes on #22:

1. I first heard of Gumballhead the Cat when I was ordering alternative comics for Shinders Readmore bookstore in downtown Minneapolis, back in the 90’s. He appeared in Skin Graft Comix and others publications, which no longer live in my collection. 

A decade or so later, Three Floyds Brewing released the titular Gumballhead beer, an American Wheat Ale. If they’d made it a pale ale or IPA, I’d pick it up more often. Wheat Ales are just not at the top of my list. 

Gumballhead was the last beer I tapped at Acadia. I can imagine how proud his creator must have felt when he first appeared on a tap handle. 

2. Rob Syers is the creator of Gumballhead the Cat and he’s still drawing his adventures, though you have to be a Patreon. I don’t think there’s ever been a collection. Syers’ Etsy store has plenty of awesome prints for sale. I still haven’t made up my mind between the Dark Lord Day poster where GBH has vanquished a foe, a la Frank Frazetta, with the spectral figures of Snoopy and Heathcliff behind him, or the one where GBH is inserted into a fictional cover of Jack Kirby’s Kamandi.  Better hurry, they’re both almost gone!

3. George knows that there’s no gum balls in the beer. He’s just a smartass. 

Dangerous Man Virgin Island Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout

 

Dangerous Man Virgin Island Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout.

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

Solid blackness, complete opacity, slim brown head. 

In the nose: caramel and ash, vanilla and smoke, molasses, brown sugar, and leather.

In the mouth: dark malt and mysterious sweetness. Rich and complex, compounded treats upon treats. Rum a dum dum. Decadent and powerful. 

I’m going to relax and luxuriate with the remainder as I contemplate the history, the legacy, and the incredible twelve years of DMBC. 

Inbound Exit Stage Less West Coast IPA

 Inbound Exit Stage Less West Coast IPA. 

6 % ABV, 60 IBU, Inbound BrewCo, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: slightly sweet and tropical tones, pineapple, guava, etc. passion fruit. Grapefruit. 

In the mouth: fruit takes center stage on the palate, backed by bitterness. Sweet takes a backseat, as hoppiness and bitterness roll in. Medium bodied, especially refreshing, just enough blend of juice and abrasion to keep the mouth humming. 

I like this one. Wish they made more of it. 

West Coast IPA, notes of white wine and darkness.

I think they mean “dankness”.

Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter

 Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter.

8% ABV, 40 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA.

 Clear, dark brown color, Cecil slim beige head.

In the nose: big roasted coffee, earthy, spicy, slight cinnamon. Dark malt below. 

In the mouth: coffee grit all over the palate, roasty malt, with slight sweetness. All the best parts of coffeeI and Porter, wrapped up c cImperial. High ABV slowly but shows it’s strength. And through it all, I think, this is a delightful beverage. Even though eggs are too expensive and bacon is bad for me,I find this highly diggable. 

An Imperial Coffee Porter collaborated with Bird Rock Coffee Roasters 

Junkyard Bleed Green Irish Style Stout

 Junkyard Bleed Green Irish Style Stout. 

4.1% ABV, Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN. 

Thoroughly dark and opaque, slim, tannish head. 

In the nose: malty, bittersweet, notes of coffee & berries. Dark chocolate. 

In the mouth: rich, while clean, lean and dry. Rolls effortlessly off the palate. Media bodied, with an abundant collection of harmonious flavors. Chocolate, coffee, & bright berries at play, with a touch of nuttiness in there. Delightful. 

Only $12 the 4-pack, and it isn’t a hazy IPA, fruited sour, or pastry stout. Have to pounce on these when you see them in the wild. 

Bleed Green is a Dry Irish Stout has become an annual St. Patrick's tradition for us. It has plenty of dry-roasted character and roasted malt aromas thanks to the use of roasted barley. Revealing more complexity with each sip, it is defined by notes of coffee & cocoa and its full, dry body.