Giesenbrau Bier Co. Spaceballs the Milk Stout (& more)

Giesenbrau Bier Co. Spaceballs the Milk Stout. 5 % ABV.

Just about black coloring, rich & creamy brown head above. Looking nice.

In the nose: roasted malt, slightly sweet & gentle. Right on the nose for the milk stout style.

In the mouth: Semi-sweet, lightly bitter, mellow roasted malt. Medium-bodied, and fully flavored. Smooth and silky. Chocolate notes dominate the malt profile. Creamy mouthfeel. Tasty stuff, and I don't mind saying it: Good beer, and you can drink it.

If Planet Spaceball had run out of bier and not air, this is the bier they would have stolen from Planet Druidia. This is a dark, malty, roasty, chocolaty ale brewed with lactose, oats, and flaked barley to give it a nice body and smooth drinkability. At only 5% this is a very sessionable and approachable stout even for those of you who aren't sure about dark biers. May the Schwarz be with you!

So there's my review of the third crowler I purchased at Giesenbrau (pronounced Gee-sehn-broy, for reasons I don't totally comprehend) Brewery in New Praque, MN, back in September of last year. It was the second brewery visit of the day with Jason, after Roet's in Jordan, and before Imminent in Northfield, both of which we'd seen before.

I took in 3 beers on my visit, this one above, named for the Mel Brooks "Star Wars" spoof, a German-style IPA that I enjoyed called "Take Off, You Hoser" (Hmmm, there's a Rick Moranis trend, now.), and a double IPA that didn't quite thrill me called "Frickin Ugly"....and, wait, according to my Untappd check-in, I had another, called 31 Hour Pale Ale that met my palate more satisfactorily.

I took in the atmosphere and took down my beers, without taking notes, while my companions were engrossed in a football game. The German decor was an endearing touch. There was a special kids corner, with toys and games, as the local brewery taproom is becoming a family destination, and alternative to bars and pubs. As you'd guess from the name, New Prague, a town of 7,000 in South Central, MN, was founded by Czech immigrants, although eventually they started letting in some Germans. The mission
statement of the brewery tells us that they are intent on emphasizing this heritage: Giesenbräu Bier Co. (pronounced "GHEE-sen-broy") is a family owned and operated brewery whose goal is to serve the local community with fresh, locally crafted lagers and ales with an emphasis on German and Czech tradition.

As I told you above, I eschewed taking notes on the pints had on premise and took three crowlers home. I like the Bavarian Gangsta IPA, but wasn't especially keen on the Hefe Weizen. As reported above, the English-style milk stout was as fine as when enjoyed on tap. I was let down that the

German-style hefe weizen wasn't as accomplished as I'd hoped. Now, I haven't had everything from them, so trying out six beers, and being pleased with four of them isn't such a bad record. I'm just a bit disappointed that the one true German style among them (German IPA isn't really a true German style) wasn't quite on point. I would not hesitate, however, to return and try them out again.