Dangerous Man Velour Hen Belgian Tripel Ale

 Dangerous Man Velour Hen Belgian Tripel Ale.

8.5% ABV, 21 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, Minnesota. 

Wonder what on earth a “velour hen” is? It helps if you can remember way back thirteen years ago when Tallgrass had a tripel called Velvet Rooster.

Clear, bright golden hue, ivory head. 

In the nose: bubblegum pops first, slightly fruity, yeasty…earmarks of s tripel.

In the mouth: sweet continues on the palate, with small bitterness, and encroaching high alcohol beating on the brain. Candi sugar and brash bubblegum, splashes of stone fruit and glimmers of citrus. 

Not too shabby of an attempt there at this slippery style

A velour golden masterpiece. This Belgian tripel wraps you in its smooth warmth, while leaving you refreshed and craving more. It dazzles like the bbq elusive Velour Hen: a little candy-like sweetness, a little fruity and just a smidge spicy!. 

Dangerous Man Rye IPA

 

Dangerous Man Rye IPA.

6.5 % ABV, 55 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, Minnesota. 

Clear and copper-y colored, under a large , lusivory head. 

In the nose: hoppy, malty, spicy, an intriguing mix. Rye dominates, but I dig it. Earthy, slightly sweet.

In the mouth: bright hoppiness, small bitterness, quickly swallowed up by rye malt sweet and spice. Bready, earthy, hearty. Loads of character and flavor in this, a style rarely attempted. Not my favorite style of IPA, but I can appreciate it and I’m glad someone trots one out once in a while. 

Dangerous Man New Zealand Pilsner

 Dangerous Man New Zealand Pilsner.

5.4% ABV, 30 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, Minnesota.

Clear, golden hued, large ivory head. 

In the nose: nicely hopped, floral notes, slight fruitiness. 

In the mouth: brief blast of bitterness, then comes the grapes. New Zealand hops always give off a white wine character and this beer has it aplenty. Light bodied, crisp and clean, with unflagging hop flavors. Easy drinking, highly enjoyable. 

This New Zealand Pilsner is a light-medium body and smooth lager brewed featuring unique New Zealand hops.  A crackery malt base provides support for this very drinkable, refreshing and hop-forward pilsner, really letting the New Zealand hops shine with bright notes of citrus, melon, tropical fruits, grass, and white grape.

Dangerous Man Oktoberfest

Dangerous Man Oktoberfest.

5.9 % ABV, 20 IBU, Danger Man Brewing, Maple Lake, MN. 

Clear, copper colored, slim white head.

In the nose: herbal, malty, sweet, earthy.

In the mouth: caramel tones, sweetness abounds, but nicely balanced. Minor hops, easy drinking, especially delicious. My kind of Märzen. 

Celebrate with our Oktoberfest Märzen beer! It’s a German classic with a toasty and bready backbone, enriched with malt sweetness and hints of caramel, all culminating in a crisp and clean finish! Prost!

Dangerous Man Nelly Stratado Double IPA

Dangerous Man Nelly Stratado Double IPA.

9% ABV, Dangerous Man Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: Big time citrus and pine. Orange, grapefruit, berries, melon. Nice. 

In the mouth: Mild at first, smooth, mellow. High hops riding the palate, citric, piney, but very cool and balanced. Citrus and tropical fruits both board the palate. Big, fresh, bursting with juicy, fruity associations. Big bitterness, lush malt, and terrific tastiness. Yum a dum dum. 

STYLE:Hazy IPA, Hoppy, Smooth and Fruity

IBU:23

ABV:9.0%

AVAILABILITY:Crowlers$12

MALTS:* Local MN Pale Malt -- Maltwerks* Local MN White Wheat -- Maltwerks

* Maris Otter* Flaked Wheat* Flaked Barley* Dextrin

HOPS:* Nelson Sauvin* Strata* Mosaic Cryo

YEAST* Dry English Ale

Dangerous Man Hot Ron Double Pale Ale

Dangerous Man Hot Ron Double Pale Ale.

6 % ABV, 15 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

This is the 18th appearance of DMBC in a little over eight years, and it seems a small amount. I dusted off and carefully scrubbed this 20-ounce glass, neglected for so long, just for this post. It seems ('cause I checked) that I've used it three times before in the Nib. And after that, I forgot I had it, and every DMBC beer went into my DMBC snifter/tulip. I think I bought this as a gift for a friend that I never gave. I certainly have enough pint glasses. And tulips. But it's good to have when you need it. This is actually the first DMBC growler I've enjoyed at home in over 3 years, a slight I shall strive to correct. (Not counting the one I had a few days ago, of course.)

But, on to the beer: 

All hazy-like, golden hued, slim white head. 

In the nose: Fruity, slightly tart, zesty. Citrus upon citrus. 

In the mouth: Big ol' grapefruit bomb, juicy, slightly tart. Citrus, melon, apricot. Medium bodied, delightfully drinkable. When you say "double pale ale", I'm expecting more than 6% ABV. How many pale ales are 3%, anyway? 6% is totally normal pale ale levels. Oh, well, never mind. But I must have read it incorrectly and thought I was picking up a "double IPA". A 6% DIPA would have me kicking over some potted plants. 

It's a tasty ol' pale ale and you can surely drink it. 

FLAVOR NOTES* Freshly Peeled Grapefruit* Lemon Zest/Pith

* Ripe Melons* Undertone Of Stone Fruit* Tiny Bit O' Fruit Punch

MALTS* Pale Malt* Chit Malt* White Wheat* Flaked Wheat* Flaked Barley

HOPS* Mackinac* Calypso* Hull Melon* Exp. #09326

YEAST* Norwegian Kveik 

Dangerous Man Papaya IPA

 Dangerous Man Papaya IPA. 

7 % ABV, 20 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

I'll admit something to you very handily, and that is that DMBC has not appeared here in the Nib enough overview these past Eight years. . One very good reason is that I don't cross the river all that often. I stay on this side, you people on that other side, I hope you're happy and everything, but I've got what I need here. It has been nearly two years since my last visit to their taproom, on the occasion of my 51st birthday, when they were the fourth of five brewery visits by bike with many of my friends. Good times were had by all. But I did not purchase any crowlers to go because there was so much more travel ahead. And after that, I kept meaning to go back, always meaning to...you know what is said about good intentions.

And then the COVID happened. After the initial shutdown, DMBC continued to keep the taproom closed, not sure of how to operate under new restrictions, although the crowler shop kept doing great business. That finally changed last week, and was invited by a friend in the know to a sort of "soft" re-open. There were some excellent beers on tap. I enjoyed the Brett Saison with Pear & Pineapple, the Barrel-aged Grand Cru, an Oak-aged Wee Heavy, and a double IPA. Nothing disappointed, they all hit the spot. Good times, etcetera. And I took three crowlers home, and they were all IPAs. And I promise that I will keep trying to check them out more often. And I will now drink one of those crowlers, and tell you about it...

It's heavily clouded, pinkish/ruby grapefruit-hued, slim to no head at all. 

In the nose: Tropical fruit, and....tropical fruit. 

In the mouth: Sharp, fruity, funky. Papaya-y. Low hop bitterness, you can barely detect an IPA behind the fruit. Maybe just a little. It's all fruit but well-balanced, not too sweet, everything kept in check. Ends on a dry note. I'm liking this one, but not exactly loving it. Not bad, but not great. 

STYLE: Hazy IPA, Smooth and Fruity

FLAVOR NOTES* Juicy Papaya* Freshly Zested Citrus* Wisp O' Funk* Undertone Of Passionfruit* Crisp & Fairly Dry

MALTS* Pilsner* Chit Malt* Flaked Oats

HOPS* Cashmere * Idaho 7

YEAST: * Dry English Ale

ADJUNCTS: * Papaya Puree* Passionfruit Puree

ONE / Dangerous Man Bobby Digital

ONE / Dangerous Man Bobby Digital. IPA.
7.5 % ABV.
ONE Fermentary & Taproom, Minneapolis, MN.

Lightly hazed, golden/amber hued, slim white head.

In the nose: Lightly citric, slightly fruity, ...

In the mouth: Slight bitterness at first, soft and smooth, medium bodied, nice and easy. A little bit of berries in the bouquet. Goes down nice and smooth. Juicy, juicy stuff, indeed. End on a satisfying dry note.

I didn't go into this with a lot of knowledge beforehand. Just that it's collaboration
between ONE and Dangerous Man, where ONE brewer and co-owner Ramsey Louder cut his teeth. And that it's named after an album by a member of the Wu Tang Clan.

Also, distracting me from taking more in-depth notes was that I was drinking it during another Zoom session with friends on Friday night. They don't have a setting for muting everyone else, that I know of, so I muted trying to contemplate on the beer while ignoring my pals, but still hearing them talk. Doesn't really work. I try to avoid this by drinking beers I don't need to take notes on, but there weren't many of them around.

In any case, I enjoyed it, and I'd go back for more.

Introducing... Bobby Digital, our concrete-fermented Gewürztraminer IPA brewed in collaboration with our Dangerous Man fam. 

Bobby Digi (aka The RZA) is an experimental IPA brewed with Pils malt, Cara Hell, spelt, and flaked wheat. Fermented in our concrete fermenter and generously dosed with Citra, Galaxy, Strata, Sultana, Hallertau Blanc, and Huell Melon hops, this beer presents aromas of fresh flowers, citrus, and tropical fruit. A creamy, highly carbonated mouthfeel holds a slightly sweet, spicy, and somewhat mineral-y flavor with low-to-moderate hop bitterness. Finishes dry, tannic.

Wait, Gewurtztraminer IPA? Okay, whatever....Seems like I say that a lot, these days.

Venn / Dangerous Man Collab Milkshake IPA

Venn / Dangerous Man Milkshake IPA. with Toasted Coconut, Mango, & Pink Guava.
6.5 % ABV. Venn Brewing (in Collaboration with Dangerous Man), Minneapolis, MN.

Three Facts:

Fact #1: In it's over 7 years of existence, Dangerous Man Brewing Company has appeared here in the Bitter Nib a mere 14 times. It's not because I don't feel that they are making quality beers, quite the contrary. It is a matter of proximity, or lack thereof. Remember that their beers can only be had at their taproom or the growler/crowler shop next door. When push comes to shove, I tend to stay on this side of the river. I have not actually crossed the Mississippi to visit North East Minneapolis and it's 10 or so breweries to purchase crowlers or growlers to take home and review for over 2 years. With one exception: on my birthday last June, our caravan of bikes traversed the Plymouth Avenue bridge to have some Dangerous Man beers, where I did not slow down the celebration to visit the crowler sales shop. If the bike trip from home in Uptown to 1300 2nd St. NE weren't an hour long, maybe I'd go more often. As it is, I tend to stay in my neighborhood for beers more often, and "my neighborhood" includes all of South Minneapolis. (Also, breweries of downtown Minneapolis belong to this area, and let's throw in Surly, while we're at it.)

Fact #2: Evidence of my prejudice towards breweries more local to my own home is that in it's less than three years of existence, Venn Brewing of South Minneapolis has appeared here in the Nib 50 times. The last such occasion was in February, when I brought home 3 crowlers to review. A few weeks back, Venn was one of  the first to my knowledge to respond to our current crisis with home delivery. Before I had a chance to take advantage of this, they reversed this decision and decided that it was best not to, after all, for the good of everyone. We're all reacting differently to this pandemic because we've never dealt with it before, and we're responding with different degrees of caution and/or panic. They didn't stop brewing, though, and encouraged customers to purchase their crowlers at local stores.

Fact #3: Long ago, I swore that I would stop purchasing "milkshake IPAs" in order to stop myself from complaining about them. Without checking, I would wager that it was a Dangerous Man beer that urged this on. And yet, when visiting a local(-ish) liquor store and seeing the varieties of Venn available, this is what I chose. Despite it all. I keep picking them and hoping against hope that my opinion has changed. What hasn't changed is that the breweries still love to make them, and plenty of other people still love to drink them. I paid $10 for a crowler I may or may not like, just to have another Venn (/Dangerous Man) beer to write about, at a time when I don't know where my money's coming from, or when. I hope it's worth it.

Quite haze. Golden hued, Bright ivory head, settling in.

In the nose: Mango greets the senses first, coconut follows, then traces of the pink guava. If there's hops here, they're keeping it quiet.

In the mouth: Holy Crap! Big time sweetness on first sip, mango and coconut blended together, guava in the back. Brief traces of bitterness, slight glimpse of hops on the palate.

One more time for those who didn't hear it the first 10 or 20 times I've written it: If you're trying to remove or cover up or greatly reduce hop bitterness, you no longer have an India Pale Ale. "Milkshake IPAs" are not IPAs.

Okay, back to it: Medium bodied. Long, sweet, fruity finish. Merest glimmer of hop bitterness. Practically none. Sweet and fruity, and not an IPA. Milkshake...Feh!

Dangerous Man Dry-hopped Mango Sour

Dangerous Man Mango Sour. Dry-hopped. 6% ABV. Dangerous Man Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN. Canned on Jan. 24/18.

Hazy, light golden hue, slim ivory head, slowly dissipating.

In the nose: kinda fruity, kinda funky. Mango flavor grows and grows.

In the mouth: Boom, the sour! Pow, the funk! Nice bitterness. Good 'n' juicy. Light bodied, fully flavored. Good mango sour (dry-hopped) and I could drink it.

Dangerous Man Joyless Villain Triple IPA

On the 29th day of June, a Thursday, I stopped into Dangerous Man Brewing for the release of a new beer, a "triple IPA" called Joyless Villain. The name comes from a City Pages article about a vandal who's destroying the work of an anonymous street artist. It seems this unknown creator is installing tiny doors and windows at the bottoms of buildings, as if to allow gnomes or mice inside. Some Joyless Villain, say the CP scribes, began desecrating them. And here was a big, hoppy beer and I was overdue for a visit. Had one at the taproom while hanging with friends, opened a crowler with friends at my birthday party the next day, and held on to a growler until last night, when I wrote the following.

Dangerous Man Joyless Villain IPA. 113 IBU. 11.3% ABV.


Clear-ish, crimson colored, slim, soon-gone head.

In the nose: sweet & fruity from the malt hits first, all the berries, apple, melon, more. Low bitterness, though some hop flavor.

In the mouth: Bam! Big, bold malt flavors, bristling bitterness, creeping alcohol at the onset. Loud, boisterous, almost overbearing. Hot, hot, hot. Plenty malt, tons of hops, but not especially coherent. It's all over the place. Big and boozy becomes the predominant theme.

I like it. I like anything as flavorful as this, but I can't love it. It's too much of a mess.

Their website only says this, on the event page: We're releasing an IIIPA ... this one is so bitter, it'll steal your joy and turn you towards evil. Much like Minneapolis' own Joyless Villain. 

It's still on tap, apparently, but when you look up the beer, you only get the stats.

Dangerous Man Watermelon Sour

Dangerous Man  Watermelon Sour. 5.4% ABV. Canned on 6/27.

Clear and yellow, slim head.

In the nose: BAM! There's your watermelon, all fruity and sweet and yum. A little bubble-gummy.

In the mouth: There it is, again, but....it makes me wonder where the flavor came from. Is it from real watermelon, or some kind of extract, or??? Tastes like watermelon bubblegum more than anything else. There's a sourness, and a watermelonness, and not much else. Huh. Uh....yeah.

This will not go down among my favorite Dangerous Man beers. Unless this is how a "watermelon sour" is supposed to taste like? Like a Jolly Rancher? Eh. I'll finish it. But, I won't enjoy it.

Now, I've slagged two DMBC beers in a row. I feel just a little bad about it, enough that I should go back and find one that I like.

Dangerous Man Blueberry Milkshake IPA

Dangerous Man Blueberry Milkshake IPA. 7.3% ABV. Canned on 6.20. Purchase 6.29. Notes taken 7.6. And published on 7.13, because.

If you read this post about Oliphant I'm A Righty Pooster, then you know about my first encounter with a "milkshake IPA." Well, the first I wrote about. I'd gotten a taste of Modist's version just before the final keg kicked. That Oliphant post was the first time I struggled with understanding this style.

A few weeks back, I stopped at Dangerous Man to get some crowlers for my birthday celebration the next day. I was hoping to get a taste of this beer, but it was off tap. In the crowler store, though, I was glad to see a few left in the cooler. I opened one and shared with  a gathering friends, but didn't think too hard about it. It wasn't that kind of birthday party. No notes, no swirling, no sniffing. Just drinking beers with good friends.

Almost a week later, I sat down at took notes, and that's when I put my thinking cap on. A week later, I finally share them with you:

Thoroughly hazed, oddly crimson coloring, nearly purple....blue-ish red? with a pinkish head above. Right from the gate, weird.

In the nose: Soft and sweet. Fruity. Yeah, blueberries. Creamy. Milky. Huh. Just as advertised. But...but....it's totally like a smoothie, or yogurt, for christ's sake. What?

In the mouth: Smooth and easy, creamy and fruity. Smoothy-y, yogurt-y, milkshake-y, but where's the IPA, and why???

Medium-bodied, long, fruity finish, low bitterness. How is it an IPA? Not sure. Label of the crowler reads: "Blue Milk IPA", and I think they're just trying to make a Star Wars reference. (Visit the crowler shop for nice view of Star Wars stuff.) It is tasty, but I just want to reject the concept outright, as being anti-beer. This is not what I signed up for when I joined the craft beer crusade. I want bitter, I want strong, I want roasty and deep and dark and impressive, and not a soft drink or a yogurt or a smoothie in a glass. My soul dies a little if I consider actually enjoying this. I can drink it, and it tastes good, but it doesn't feel like beer. Is anyone thinking: "We made beer better, by adding lactose and fruit!" I suddenly find myself in the shoes of those who rejected or questioned beers that I've enjoyed in the past, like lambics or barrel-aged brews, over-proof beers, crazy stuff like that. Through it all, bourbon barrel barley-wines, hot as hell Belgian crazies, thick as heck Imperial Stouts, I said, YES!, this is beer, what's your problem?!?!

This stuff, though? I'm thinking, Are you improving beer, or just, you know, warping it? There's not enough bitterness to call it an IPA, and the smoothie/creaminess is great, but very not beer. (What about cream ales, you demand of me, do you hate those, too? Well, yeah, I'm not that big of a fan, but they don't have milk in them, either.)

Am I a hater? Am I not on the bandwagon? Am I old and in the way? This is the second "milkshake IPA" from DMBC, after the boysenberry version, which I missed out on, and I remember a recent exchange on Facebook where one friend mentioned having this beer, and another friend who is very active in brewing asked "Do they still make beer there?" I got a good laugh out of it, but when the place has to keep up pace with the chocolate milk stout, the coconut milk stout, and the peanut butter porter, it seems pretty true.

Stop the gimmicks, before it gets way out of hand. Or is it too late?

 I'm a little worried that DMBC is pleasing the wrong people with beers like this. We shouldn't, they shouldn't be promoting and propagating weird not-quite-beers like this to a gullible, not-quite-craft-beer drinking public.  If this was all the rage at a brewpub populated by hard-core, heavily bearded beer geeks, and it got no further, that would be one thing. But DMBC draws a larger crowd and they have different demands. It echoes further, and I worry that people will soon think that all beers should have peanut butter and blueberries and milk and what have you. That you're nothing without your apricot and bacon beer. That you'd better have your year-round caramel apple kolsch or you're nothing.

These are the things that keep me up at night. It could be worse.

So, I sat on that for a week, and wondered if I should publish my late night ramblings as is, or edit them, or reconsider them. Answer: yes, no, no. I will not agonize over this stuff any longer. The next time I encounter a "milkshake IPA", I'll either skip it or keep my mouth shut.

Edit: I did edit it. A little. I'll add one thing: This is a well-made beer, it's just not for me.

Minnesota Breweries One by One #39: Dangerous Man Brewing, Minneapolis, with House IPA

Let's go back in time, shall we? Let's forget that it's only 3 degrees above zero and totally dark outside, and remember last spring. On the 4th of May in 2016, I made my first visit of the year to Dangerous Man Brewing Company in NorthEast Minneapolis, by bicycle. My friend Ashley was tending the bar, and I took notes and pics in anticipation of writing the report. Before I could do that, though, the pics got lost, and the notes, too. But not the notes on the House IPA, they rested in a "draft" state here on this blog's dashboard. And I visited the brewery twice since then, the latest a few days ago, this past Wednesday (note: this part was written several weeks ago). I brought home 2 crowlers, and one was, again, the house IPA. As well as a sour strawberry ale, but that will be a different post, here on the Nib.

(Editor's note: some of those pics from 5/4 have been found on Untappd. Wait, no, only one. The peanut butter porter, which I'd already reviewed. I did not check in to the CentenniAle golden rye ale or the kolsch, so those pics remain missing. And I found the notes, but without the pics, eh, let's move on. For what's worth, I enjoyed them both very much, especially the kolsch.)

They make a peanut butter porter here. You might have
heard of it. It seems to be quite popular.

So, what's the deal with Dangerous Man Brewing Company, known hereafter as DMBC? They opened up at 1300 2nd St. NE in Minneapolis in early 2013, owned by the husband and wife team of Rob Miller and Sarah Bonvallet. I had been aware of their progress through my regular customer Jeremiah Shapiro, who was an investor, and would give me insight when he'd stop at the Blue Nile. Their intention from the start was to brew only enough to serve on premise, not have a kitchen, not distribute their wares. Nearly four years later, they've kept to that, with only a few kegs making it out of their doors.

I dug up this old pic of Cal and me planning
our Chicago trip in May of 2013 at DMBC.

I made it out to DMBC on opening night, January 25, 2013. There was a line outside to get in, but the man in charge of said line was former Harriet Brewing volunteer Ramsey Louder, now a brewer at DMBC, and he let me and Harriet Brewing owner Jason Sowards in without making us freeze in line. The place was packed and it would always be a busy spot from there on out. And their beers received great acclaim throughout the land. But, if they're so dad-blamed awesome, why have they only appeared here in the Bitter Nib a mere eight times so far, in three years (going on four)? Well, first you may all remember that you can only get the beer there, not in cans or bottles elsewhere. That first night, I took home 2 64 ounce growlers, of the IPA and the Chocolate Milk Stout, which became a huge hit for them. A few months later, I stopped in without the empties in hand, and brought home the Belgian Strong Golden Ale. That make for 3 empties. So, the next time I went there I wanted to bring those back, and get more, right? When I returned again, I found that a new policy was in place, allowed only 20 growlers to be sold per day. So, I needed to make arrangements to get there in those first few hours of operations before those 20 were gone, or my efforts to bring those growlers across the river would be entirely in vain. I wouldn't have minded if those 20 were the only 20 they had on hand, and were filled each day, but I'm standing there on Wednesday and looking at the coolers filled with growlers marked Thursday, Friday, Saturday....and I was perplexed. Why can't I buy one of those? Because they're for tomorrow. So, I can't get one when I'm customer #21 at say, 7pm, because you need to save one for hypothetical 20 people tomorrow?

Here's Mr. Jackson Greer serving me up a
Red X Ale in October of last year. 

You know what? Forget it. It's not worth the bother, And I did forget it. I skipped them for the next year or so, while their popularity never waned and the legend ever grew. I did visit them from time to time, but never brought their beer home to review here.
Eventually, DMBC expanded into the next building, upping capacity and added a separate retail store to handle growler/crowler sales when it got too busy in the taproom. (I can say from experience how frustrating it is to fill growlers when you have a line of people who want their pints filled, and pronto.) And that policy went away. And they started doing crowlers, so I turned in my 3 64 ouncers and now I enjoy popping in when I can, getting what's there. taking home the crowler, recycling it, taking my notes and enjoying the wonderful DMBC beers.

Warning: This place hires Canadians. Watch
out! Just kidding, of course, Rick is more than
happy to serve you, when he's not making
maple syrup and apologizing for everything.

The first of these I enjoyed from a mini-growler was their latest huge hit, the Peanut Butter Porter, which has become overwhelming popular, and threatens to eliminate our local supply of Skippy for some time to come. There seems to be another full year until my next review, which was after that May visit, where I took the notes and lost the pics. Visit #2 in October saw Imperial Pumpkin Ale and Coconut Milk Stout, because Chocolate Milk Stout wasn't good enough anymore. (How many more waves of gimmick beer trends must we endure? ) Visit #3 of 2016 was Wednesday, December 16, and I decided that I would take notes, and everything, until I saw my friend Sam, and when she came over to hang out with me, wouldn't you know it, there was Rick S. and Grondin. And my pal Rick D. was working behind the bar. You know what I love about Dangerous Man Brewing being so popular? It's not the crowds, no sire.  It's that I can usually see some of my friends there.

I can almost always meet up with friends at DMBC.
All smiles now, Brian, Rick and Sam!

Sam has a peanut butter porter, and
I have a chocolate milk stout. What if
we combined them? What?
Mind=
blown!!!

Dangerous Man Pale Ale. 

What I don't like about them being so popular? It makes them very over-rated. They simply aren't that much better than everyone else, no matter how many people say so. And while I stayed away (though I'm trying to keep on coming), I continue to have friends who work there, and many more who remain dogged, devoted fans. That's fine, that's cool, everyone's got their faves. I have mine. But, you know what? These days everyone is over-rated. Check out any ol' brewery and their taproom on Untappd or Yelp or Facebook, and see the reviews, and see how everyone loves everybody and everything they do. All beers are amazing now. Every brewery is incredible, and everything they make is awesome.


(I do find that this is one of those breweries that simply must be praised to the skies, or it's fans will plot to silence you, somehow. At least, that's how they behave on the internets.)

Simply not true, of course. But DMBC is brewing good beers, that's a fact. They've made a lot of great beers in nearly four years. I enjoy myself whenever I go, but I'm not usually there on a Friday or Saturday night, when things get a little crazy, and you can't find an inch of free space to move around in. I have been a few times, though, and I've seen it, and it's something. I'm glad for their success, and I'll keep coming back to try more and more of their beers. I've probably had my fill of Peanut Butter Porter, though.

We're all drinking sour strawberry beers.

(Actually, if I can offer some advice to them, I'd say drop that one, so it's not a tail wagging a dog, if you know what I mean. Tell people it was too expensive, not worth the effort, or whatever you want, and don't let the gimmick beer drive your identity. My two cents, take or leave.)

A Scottish Ale I enjoyed in 2014.

The notes are from May, the pic is from December. I found
that the words from spring matched the liquid of winter.

Notes from a crowler of ....Dangerous Man House IPA. 7.3% ABV.  Canned on 4/26.

Clear, bright golden coloring, large, lush snow-white head. Leaving lace, looking good.

Fresh, fruity, floral aromatics. Spicy and citric notes abound. Tropical, touch, if just a touch.
Pineapple and grapefruit. Gorgeous.

Let's drink it, already: big, brash hop attack leads first on the palate. Juicy, citrus notes float on the tongue. Medium-bodied, long bitter finish. Lively, and delicious. My kind of IPA. I can just drink it and drink it. And doggone it, so can you.

(One mystery I never solved: Is the House IPA
the same beer as the IPA they debuted in 2013?
Does that mean I reviewed a beer twice again?
Oh, no. I'm sure it all works out in the end.)

Dangerous Man Sour Delores Strawberry

Dangerous Man Sour Delores Strawberry. Dangerous Man Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN.  5% aBV.

Clear, pinkish hue, slim head, soon gone.

In the nose: there's some funk, some wild, some sour. Then comes the sweet, the berry of the straw. Nice.

In the mouth: Pow! Sour hits the palate first, tart and puckering. Never-ending pucker, sour stays on top of sweet. Nicely balanced. Tasty sour, for sure. This is alright. 25 ounces on this evening is plenty, though, and I have surely had my fill. Might've been a better choice for a dinner party or a tasting situation. Note to self: sour strawberry beers, don't drink 'em alone.

Here's what the website tells us: IBUS
6
ABV (%)
5
SRM
3
FLAVOR NOTES
Sweet strawberry and a moderate tartness. Light and refreshing!
FOOD PAIRINGS
Light salads. Nothing heavy.

Dangerous Man Coconut Milk Stout

Dangerous Man Coconut Milk Stout.  5.0% ABV. (Says 6.3 on the website, though.) Canned on 10/13. Dangerous Man Brewing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

These days, the kids are all coo-coo for coconut. Put coconut in a beer and they flip, man, they flip for real. Second only to vanilla bean and bourbon barrel-aging. So, Dangerous Man one-ups their chocolate milk stout with a coconut milk stout that's bound to get all the hipsters stoking their beards and sporting stout 'staches.

Solid blackness, slim brown head, ...

Aroma: sweet coconut, rich dark malts, nice balance, sweet coconut reigns supreme.

In the mouth: rich, sweet, smooth and coconut. Dark malts galore, full bodied, long malty finish. Never ending coconut flavor. yum. Lush, Delicious. Toasty.

Yeah, I like this. I'd drink it again and again. And if you need some further gobbledygook, check it out right here. 

Dangerous Man Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Dangerous Man Imperial Pumpkin Ale. 8.2% ABV. 20 IBU.

Dark brown color, slim brownish head.

Aroma: spices come first, all the suspects, the allspice and cinnamon and nutmeg, but not much beyond that.

In the mouth: big, rich malt. Some traces of the pumpkin flavor, and the trickles of the spice. Tasty, with looming alcohol. Pumpkin pie spices are mainly in the aromatics (I peeked at the full description, which I will leave below, no cinnamon, but clove and ginger are in here.)

I like this one, but I'm not in love with it. I'm getting the warmth of the spice and the alcohol now, and it's doing it's job as a nightcap. This'll turn me in, but good. I'm still not getting enough "pumpkin flavor", but it's not that big of a deal. It's an alright beer. Not great, ...alright.

Here's some gobbledygook from the website: Brewed with the mighty gourd, pumpkin, with additions of allspice, ginger, clove, and nutmeg, this Pumpkin ale a seasonal treat. Pumpkin pie is on the nose and the palate with a hint of alcohol on the finish. Notes of vanilla find its way in this beer, which drinks especially smooth with the lactose addition.
MALTS USED
Pale Malt, Pumpkin, Victory, Crystal, Lactose, Brown Candi Sugar
HOPS USED
Chinook, Motueka
YEAST USED
American.

Wait, that's not it, there's more: Well that’s a mighty fine pumpkin there Charlie Brown, a mighty find pumpkin indeed! How about we borrow that for a quick second and throw it in this here mash? No?! Well, I’ll be, Charlie Brown, you are the rudest boy this side of Minneapolis. Look! The Red Baron (quickly swipes pumpkin from the blundering CB and dumps in mash tun with a mischievous smile…)
Dangerous Man is happy to present it’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale.
The pumpkin ales we drink today are mostly a modern invention, though they do have some historical roots. Colonists in America were hard pressed to find enough barley, wheat, or rye to create a mash with enough sugars. Many vegetable and fruit adjuncts were used to bump up sugar content in their beer, this included pumpkin and apples. Due to pumpkins and apples seasonality, and their ease of growth on the coasts, they were added to the mash to create stronger, more robust beers that become embodiment of fall. The spiced pumpkin beers we consume — with vigor — are mostly a product of the 1980′s craft beer boom as barley and hops were plentiful.
Rob and Keigan cooked us up a mean treat. The Imperial Pumpkin Ale contains 2-Row, Victory, Crystal 75L malts, along with Brown Candi, Lactose, and Dextrose sugars, and includes over 100 lbs of pumpkin! This beer is beast! Perfect for the chill that’s been striking the air and the creepiness ambient at the end of October. Additions of Allspice, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg were added to the kettle to bring a very aromatic and pleasant spice note that blends in with rich malt and alcohol backbone. The New Zealand Motueka hop was added several times to bring about a very “noble” aroma that blends well with the spices.
Get your spook on with our ghoulish gourd!
Drink local, drink Dangerous!

Dangerous Man Brown Rye

Dangerous Man Brown Rye Ale. 5.4% ABV.

Dark brown coloring, lush, creamy head, looking good.

Sweet aromatics, toffee, brown sugar, with a little rye malt spice coming through. Nice.

In the mouth: starts off dry and a little bitter, leading to lush malt. Rich dark flavors go deep in this one. Spicy rye malt character adds to complexity. Nicely balanced. Sweetness never goes near cloying, rye malt keeps things interesting. I like it.

From the website:
FLAVOR NOTES
An American ale with plenty of toasted and brown malts. Fruity esters play on the nose and blend with the spiciness of the rye. The American Ale yeasts provides for a just over medium body for this apt fall delight.
MALTS USED
Pale, Rye, Chocolate Rye, Crystal, Special Roast, Black Prinz
HOPS USED
Herkules, Columbus, Glacier
YEAST USED
American

Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter

Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter.
This is one I've heard of for a while and was glad to find it on tap when I paid the taproom a visit last week. I'd been sitting on 3 64-ounce growlers that I hadn't used in two years. (there's a reason why I never went back to fill my growlers, but I won't go into it now.)I took two of them with me and turned them in for credit, $5 each, then purchased a 750 ml growler of the PB P. Next chance I get, I'll take the other 64  ounce and this one when it's empty, turn that into a 750 ml of another beer, then I'm down to eighteen! Only eighteen! That's almost a quarter of what I had a few months ago. Such marvelous progress. I can clean out my cupboards.

So, anyway. Once more, I'm opening this without any real knowledge of it. Real peanut butter? How much? How'd they get it in there? How'd they get it off the back of the spoon?  Creamy-style or chunky? So many questions. I'll look for answers in a bit. For now, let's crack it open and drink it up.

Appearance: deep black, under a rich, toasty brown head, looking good.

Aroma: sweetness and nuts starts it off. Earthy, and malty, and doggone it, peanut-buttery. Scarcely a note of hop bitterness to be found anywhere. Dark malts and peanut butter.

Taste: All of that and more, on the palate. Medium-bodied, with a semi-sweet finish. The full flowering of the peanut-buttery-ness seems to wane a bit after the start. Let's give it another chance,….well, it's sweet, nutty, pleasant, drinkable, and I don't think I would ever have two in a row. Or finish off a growler by myself again. It is what it is, and what it is, is okay. Beer, and I can drink it.

Oh, I can answer one question. Creamy-style. I haven't encountered any peanut chunks yet.

P.S. I've looked it up on their website. Here's all the information I can get out of them. IBUS
29
ABV (%)
5.3
FLAVOR NOTES
Peanut butter, chocolate, hints of coffee and toast.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Desserts fo sho. Get creative with other peanut dishes. Pair with caramelized meats, curry dishes, and Thai food.

Biking the Beers of Minneapolis: Part Two. 1: Another Stab At It

I'd like to pretend that this is a collection of coasters saved in the course of my journey, but it's not entirely true. Herkimer and Harriet aren't using coasters currently, so I dug into my vast collection in order to represent them. All the others were picked off of the bar and plunked into my pocket.

A few  weeks ago, I told you about my ill-fated attempt to visit all of the breweries in the city of Minneapolis on one day, by bicycle. This past Friday, June 6, I had plenty of money in the bank, and set out to attempt this journey once more. Did I succeed? Not exactly. But now I know that it can be done. And here is how it happened.

I closed the bar the night before, and didn't get home until around 2:30 am, when I had a few more beers before turning in. This led me to awake at around noon, shower, breakfast, and ready to go, if a bit later than I would have liked. 12:46pm:leave home. 12:54: visit local bank to check on my statement and procure appropriate funds. Then, return home for my forgotten water bottle, but forget to change into shorts. It's a hot one today. Leave home and get on the greenway at approximately 1:04, an hour later than last time.

The Greenway is Minneapolis' pastoral bike path which took the place of an abandoned railroad line under neath 28th St. I followed it from 13th Avenue all the way to Bryant, in order to get to The Herkimer, but I had not need for it afterward.

Brewery #1,  The Herkimer Pub & Brewery, 2922 Lyndale Avenue,

A view of the Herkimer Pub from the street on Lyndale Avenue, wherein I am attempting to get a view of the brewing equipment, and instead get a reflection of the opposite side of the street, and my own self.

arriving around 1:18. I remember reading an early review from around 2000 or so, when owner Blake Richardson announced that this brewpub would not be brewing beers to suit the tastes of the beer geek set, instead designing them for the tastes of regular folks. Or some thing like that. That effectively dropped them from my must-check-out list. After actually trying the beers, I remained unenthusiastic. But things are changing. They had 2 IPAs, a Biere de Garde, and a Baltic Porter on this visit, in addition to the German-style stuff. I chose the Gose, called Speziell Weizen, my first time with this one. Cloudy, golden-toned, yeasty, with spicy notes and banana flavors. Slightly sour, salty and citric at once. Smoothness and complexity together.

Gose Speziell Weizen at the Herkimer.

The Official description: "Gose is a cross between a Belgian Wit and a Berliner Weisse. It's brewed with half wheat malt and spiced with coriander. Gose Special Weizen has a definite tartness and is balanced with a nice roundness. ABV-4%, IBU 40, OG-18.7, decoctions-2." This is one of their longtime offerings, and I chose it for two reasons, to try as many different styles of beer as I can today (the opposite of what I considered last time, when I pondered having all IPAs), and the lower ABV is a plus whe considering this journey. I'd thought about trying the Biere de Garde, being brand new, and a style they wouldn't have done years ago, but the 7.7% ABV made me pause. This is only the second beer I've had here since giving up on this place over 7 years ago, and I quite like this one. It's certainly going to be the only Gose I'm likely to find on today's trip.

The  view from the bar of the brewing equipment at The Herkimer .

Brewery #2: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, 2716 38th Avenue South. 

This time, I got it right. A view of the brewery at Northbound from the street.

1:46, leave, head up Lyndale to 38th St., then all the way to 28th Avenue. Almost 4.3 miles, a good 25 minutes.  If you use Google maps to plot your course, it has you taking the Greenway, but I opted again that, in order to enjoy scenic 38th Street. Arrive around 2:18. Having lunch at Northbound, a turkey club sandwich with cole slaw. Drinking a Hefe Weizen. Will this be the day of wheat beers, instead of IPAs? Possibly…but probably not. This one, too, was chosen for it's low ABV, somewhere between 4 and 5 percent alcohol. A half hour of travel, a half hour of eating and drinking and chatting with my co-workers while they work, and I don't.

A "selfie" on the patio, enjoying the smooth, and lightly fruity Hefe Weizen. 

Brewery #3: Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, 1430 Washington Avenue South

A view of the brewery at Town Hall, with the original sign from  17 years ago serving as decoration.

Now, the next trek will be quicker, a straight shot down Hiawatha Avenue to Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery...but not quite. I traveled behind one of those brave ones, who darts in and around traffic, zipping hither and yon, without a care. I have a care. I wait at traffic lights, and never jay-bike. It's just me. It's what happens when an accident with a car leaves you with twenty-five stitches on your face. You get cautious. (This happened sixteen years ago. I still have a small scar which glows bright red when I've had a few.) Another 3.7 miles, almost 25 minutes. arrive 3:17, a quick SS Cascade Pale Ale, only $3 during happy hour, and out the door at 3:33.

An all-Cascade pale ale, SS Cascade, is as hoppy, citrus-y and refreshing as you'd expect. Records show that this is a new one, un-reviewed by me. I'll return for a growler soon. That gallery on the wall displaying past beers is a new addition from their recent renovation, and it just makes me nostalgic for the old chalkboards and paintings that used to be there. Sigh...

Brewery #4: Day Block Brewing Company, 1105 Washington Avenue.

Tasty pale ale from Day Block, the Lot 56, 100% locally grown Cascades,  45 IBUs, 5% ABV. Was this to be a Cascade kind of day? No, just a minor trend, soon to be bucked. I did continue to keep it lower alcohol. For a while. 

I mentioned to brewer Paul Johnston that I intended to take photos of the brewing equipment when I could and he lead me downstairs to the cellar. In my fingers is a preview of an upcoming Belgian Pale Ale which won my seal of approval.

The shortest distance between breweries, over a bridge and down the road, approximately three blocks away. Arriving approximately 3:43 pm. A sign on the Eastern side of the street leads us towards the beer...

...on the opposite side of this chalkboard, however, we are guided towards "bacon." Although they are a pizzeria, Day Block has become renowned for their bacon flights.

By 4:15, I'm out the door, and heading West-ward on Washington, until I took a turn on 6th St., left toward Target Field, where I was slightly disoriented. A quick little swivel and lo, and behold, at 4:39, (2 miles from the last stop) there we are at....

Brewery #5: Fulton Brewery, 414 6th Avenue North. Where I did not take a single good picture of the outside of the building. And my beer of choice was MPLS Mild, another instance of keeping it simple and small. Firmly in the tradition of an English dark mild ale, only 4% ABV, described as "silky, yet surprisingly substantial." Sounds about right. I was looking forward to seeing my friend Laura Preston, who runs the taproom, but she was not on the floor at the time, and I had a schedule to keep. (Sort of).

Once more, here are my fingers holding a pint of MPLS Mild, posing before the brewing tanks at Fulton. Mmmm...mild-y.

Were I not in the market for mild ales, there were many choices at my disposal at Fulton.  Worthy Adversary? Not today, I'm afraid.

The visit to Fulton was quick, indeed. Twenty minutes after arrival, just about 5 pm, I'm back on my Schwinn Traveller and down 6th Street to .Washington Avenue, again, then one block down the road to...

Brewery #6, The Freehouse, 701 Washinton Avenue, the last brewery to open in 2013, a creation of the Blue Plate group of restaurants and bars, and the final brewpub of this journey (I decided to skip Rock Bottom this time). They're all brewery taprooms from here on out.
I feel that they have decided on a "Prohibition" theme for this conception and it results in an unfortunate uniform for the servers and bartenders. Bowties, blue denim shirts, suspenders and grey khakis. It's the 1930's newsboy look. I felt so sad for them. Also, a bottlecap portrait of Andrew Volstead adorns one wall, and it mystifies me why you would celebrate the author of the Anti-Saloon Act. Shouldn't we be ashamed of the Minnesota legislator who sponsored the bill that created Prohibition?

I kept with the low-alcohol beers in choosing #1 on their list, the kolsch, which was exactly as a kolsch should be: light, crisp, with delicate notes of green apple and pear. I'll return to the Freehouse to see if their other beers are as on the money as this one.

Coming back from the rest-room, a quick snap of some fermenters at The Freehouse. As the day went on, I sometimes forgot to take the brewery photo and sometimes found it impossible to do so.

Freehouse was the site for my largest meal of the day, the Korea-town riblets, which I enjoyed. I wasn't feeling quite adventurous enough to try out the Oxtail Croquettes, Bone Marrow or Grilled Chix Waangs. Also, I stopped at the rest-room twice. This is no frivolous mention of going No.1, rather a handy spot to reinforce an important point, one which beer scribe Michael Agnew wonderfully introduces in the beginning chapter of his landmark tome, A Perfect Pint's Beer Guide to the Heartland.
I will quote this cogent section now: "Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that beer travel is really all about managing urination. Beer is a diuretic. Copious sampling tests the limits of your bladder. Take the opportunity to relieve the situation whenever it presents itself. Even if you feel it isn't necessary, make one more stop before moving on to your next destination. You'll be glad you did."
As for me, I've come up with a helpful pneumonic device. When entering a brewpub or taproom, think about IBU. Not "international bittering unit", I'm talking about IMMEDIATELY BEGIN URINATION.

I should also note that this was the last time I took notes...no, wait, I just jumped ahead a few pages. Ah. Found them....But I didn't note when I left 7th and Washington, but I'm going to guess sometime around 5:55.
 From the Freehouse to our next destination, it's another straight shot, just about a miles and only ten minutes in between stops, 13 blocks north on Washington Avenue, Brewery #7: Boom Island Brewing Company, 2104 Washington Avenue N., #300. 

The only signal that we are near a brewery is this sign in a window on Washington Avenue, just south of 21st Street. We must turn the corner, pass a bar called Cliff n' Norm's, and enter through the back to get to the Boom Island taproom.

We are technically in North Minneapolis now, and will be in NorthEast, or Nordeast to some, once we cross the river. But we're definitely out of downtown.

 Noire Black IPA, the highest ABV yet of this trip, a whopping 6.8%. Fermented with Belgian Candy sugar. dry-hopped with citra and columbus hops. While I do like the products of the Boom Island Brewing Company, they are incorrect in claiming that they produce Belgian beers. The brewery is not in Belgium, the brewer is not a Belgian, the beers, therefore are, in truth, Belgian-style.

My final attempt to capture images of the brewing equipment. From here on out, it either slipped my mind, or was inaccessible to the eye. 

The taproom at Boom Island, called the Boom Room, is a charming little place, with about eight seats around the bar area, a few tables, and more space in the parking lot patio, where the food trucks sit. Signs are in English, French, and Dutch. There is a scrim hanging over the bar stools which displayed a slideshow of the owners' visits to Belgium on my last stop (2 weeks prior), and an old black & white Bette Davis movie this time. I enjoyed my Noire, bade farewell to the barman, and made off to the next destination. It was an easy one. One block south (or is it east?) back to Broadway Avenue, then across the Mighty Mississippi river.

Here's the view from the bridge, looking back at the Minneapolis skyline. Note the overcast sky. Rain is coming!

My first pint at Dangerous Man in over a year was the mega-malty, 6.8% Scottish Ale, the boldest version of this style I've ever had. I can't recall ever being disappointed by a beer from here, and I'm going to make more of an effort to visit them.

Once over the river, we continue on Broadway until 2nd Avenue and take a left on that until we hit 13th St. Another mile and about 10 minutes after Boom Island, we're at Brewery #8: Dangerous Man Brewing Company, 1300 2nd St. NE.

Who's afraid of the Dangerous Man? Clearly no one is, based on this brewery's popularity. DMBC operates on a very unique model. It is a brewery which does not sell it's products to other bars, restaurants or liquor stores, and it's taproom does not have food trucks on the street, but instead allows guests to bring in or order in their own food.


to be continued......here.