Insight Fathom Double Oat Stout

 Insight Fathom Double Oat Stout.

8.2 % ABV. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Another Insight beer with a label by my old friend, Mark Rivard, and this one is especially impressive. Can't wait to see what's next. 

Absolute ebony appearance, fully opaque, rich brown head. 

In the nose: Malty, rich, and semi-sweet. 

In the mouth: More rich, more sweet, but well-balanced. Smooth and nearly creamy. Full-bodied, but compellingly drinkable. Flavors of chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, and cream. Increasingly delightful. 

Winter Limited Double Oat Stout brewed with loads of flaked and malted oats, nine different malts, and a touch of vanilla. This malty-chocolate double oat stout has a beautifully layered, dark, rich, creamy flavor.

Insight Rhythm Session Gold

Insight Rhythm Session Gold. 

4 % ABV, 15 IBU. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

I'm just a little confused by the name of this beer. The name is Rhythm, so the style is "session gold?" Aren't all golden ales session beers? Oh, well, let's just drink and see what we will see. 

Crystal clear, bright golden color, large and lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: Clean, lightly floral, minor hops. 

In the mouth: Malt forward, small hop presence, no bitterness. Cereal notes. Exceptionally smooth and drinkable. Practically a note-perfect golden ale. Good golden ale, and you can surely drink it. (But, as for me, I'm gonna need some hops up next.)

Approachable and easy-drinking, our session golden ale fits the rhythm of your everyday life. We designed this ale to be a lightly hopped, full-bodied beer with a touch of golden malt sweetness and flavor. At 4% ABV it's the perfect go-to beer for anyone's rhythm. 

Insight Avant Dry-hopped Pilsner

 Insight Avant Dry-hopped Pilsner. Dry hopped with Czech, German, and New Zealand hops. 

5 % ABV. 35 IBU. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Full disclosure time. This is can #3 from a 4-pack of the new Insight beers which I received at the opening of Mark Rivard's gallery show at the Chambers Hotel on Hennepin Avenue, downtown Minneapolis(Across from McKenzie's pub.), back in September.  They actually gave me two 4-packs, and I instantly gave one to a friend who has always been generous to me with his beers. The first can, Drift West Coast IPA, had already appeared here, courtesy of an early sample, so I drank that one without notes, of course. The second one, Vibe New England IPA, was consumed and the notes are in Limbo now, because I am a bad procrastinator. Soon. I promise, very soon. I have one left after this, and it's all long overdue. Let's just drink a pilsner already, okay? 

Maybe you guessed already, but the thought comes up quite often: I don't feel like a pilsner. Sorry, it's just me. 

Original art on display at the Gallery.

Clear, bright golden, slim white head. 

In the nose: Classic pilsner aroma, lightly hopped, floral, malty, crisp and clean. 

In the mouth: more of the same. More crisp and clean, light, but flavorful. Just a bit of citrus. Slightly spicy. Low bitterness, of course, smooth and lovely. Just a good drinking, tasty pils. Delightful. I have to remember to recommend this to the pilsner seekers. It's got the goods. 

We’ve put a creative spin on craft pilsners by dry-hopping this one with New Zealand Wakatu hops. Aromas of lime and citrus transition to traditional pilsner notes from German and Czech noble hops, creating a sessionable, crisp lager packed with flavor. 

Insight Drift West Coast IPA

Insight Drift West Coast IPA. Featuring Simcoe, El Dorado, Mosaic, Citra Hops. 

WORK IN PROGRESS-NOT FINAL. (This refers to the label, not the beer.)

6.6 % ABV, Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

The can pictured is an unfinished preview of what will probably be a much more attractive label, designed by my old friend Mark Rivard. It is not the first label he's done for them, but you haven't seen the first here yet because I can't get too excited about raspberry pineapple wheat ales. I've been on the fence about it since it came out....show support for Mark, or endure a style I'm not wild about? The debate rages on. If only someone would just come out and give me one, right? But this sample was gifted to me, and I never need hesitate to drink down a West Coast IPA. 

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

In the nose: Burst with citrus notes, right out of the gate. Pow! Orange, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine explosion. It fairly pulsates the dank. 

In the mouth: Crisp, clean, bold and shiny. More powerful citrus notes, with a trickle of pine on the side, advance on the palate. A trifle of sweetness, turning swiftly dry, but overly so, and not too brittle or bitter. Hop bitterness is a good sized component of this tasty ale, but it's all well-balanced, smooth and delicious. I look forward to drinking more of this. 

Drift, a mysterious combination of booming multi-dimensional flavor that finishes with an unmistakable finality. Enjoy a bouquet of Pacific Northwest hops. Citrus forward with background of pine, earthiness, and resin. Bitter with a deep and bold flavor profile. 

Original artwork provided by local artist Mark Rivard of Minneapolis. 

Insight Hop Spin Rotating Series West Coast Double IPA

Insight Hop Spin Rotating Series West Coast Double IPA. Galaxy, El Dorado, Citra, Simcoe hops. 

8.2 % ABV. Brewed and canned by Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

There's one guaranteed, sure-fire way to lure me into a beer, and it is a West Coast Double IPA. That style, done right, will always get me. Let's see if this one has the goods. 

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

In the nose: Absolutely popping with citrus and pine. Grapefruit, orange, and deep woods/new-mown grass. Down Dank Alley. 

In the mouth: Fresh, zesty, and brimming with happiness. Bright, dark, and beautiful. The goods are indeed got. Powerfully dank, delicious, and bitter. Although, to be honest, I could use even more bitterness. But, these days, I take what I can get. 

A heavy-duty version of the our brewery's favorite style of IPA. Galaxy-forward dry hops add an intense citrus and peach aroma which sits comfortably on a classic West Coast hop lineup of El Dorado, Simcoe, and Citra. A light and delicately layered grain bill finishes just dry enough to balance out the leaky 8.2 % ABV. Big, bold, hoppy, clear IPAs like this are why we think West Coast is the best coast. 

Excuse me folks, I ... I think I have something in my eye.....

Insight Hop Spin Double Dry Hopped Double Hazy IPA

Insight Brewing Hop Spin Double Dry Hopped Double Hazy IPA. Citra and Sabro Hops. Limited Rotating Series. 

8.3 % ABV, Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Quite clouded. Dull orange color. Large and lasting white head. 

In the nose: Citrusy, pinch of pine, twist of tropical. 

In the mouth: Juice bomb at first sip, then the sting of alcohol. Smooth and creamy. Low bitterness. Citrus, tropical fruit, and a bit of stone fruit, too. Passionfruit, papaya, guava, peach. Quite distinctive, if a bit on the sweet side. And the ABV whacks the brain another time. 

This is a uniquely delicious take on this style, and I can't help but like it. 

This is the first in out super-limited, ever-rotating series of tasty IPAs. Loads if Sabro hops are featured in this hazy double IPA and are blended with juicy Citra hops. The result is a big, bold tropical fruit flavor. A perfect escape from our MN winter wonderland.

Insight Mango Trollway IPA

Insight Mango Trollway IPA
Insight Mango Trollway IPA. 7 % ABV. 72 IBU.
Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright orange/amber color, slimmish white head.

In the nose: Nicely hoppy, with the addition of plump, round fruit. You can feel the fuzz.

In the mouth: Great big bitterness greets the palate, bumping with mango. Light bodied, easy drinking, Just enough bitter, just enough sweet. Sweet, sweet mango, sitting on top of a nice IPA. At turns juicy and dry. Quite enjoyable. Tasty stuff. Good mango IPA and you can drink it.
It's got it going on.

A Mango bomb West Coast style IPA. Brilliant bouquet of mango and grapefruit on the nose with hints of peach and lemon zest.

This is what we listen to when we think of mangoes:

Insight Catfished By A Collosal Catfish Double Dry Hopped Hazy India Pale Ale

Insight Catfished By A Collosal Catfish Double Dry Hopped Hazy India Pale Ale.

Hazy, all right. Bright golden, slim ivory ring of foam atop.

In the nose: Burst of citrus fruit: orange, grapefruit, lime. Slight sweetness.

In the mouth: Bright, bold, citrus-y flavors bombard the palate. Big juiciness. Moderate bitterness. Ending on a dry note. Medium bodied, easy drinker. Right on target for an IPA lover, like me.

Insight Bourbon Barrel-aged Gravity Well Imperial Stout 2018

Insight Bourbon Barrel-aged Gravity Well Imperial Stout.
11% ABV. 82 IBU.

Crafted and bottled by Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Utter blackness. Deep ebon. Slim brown/ash head. Complete opacity. Dark and dangerous.

In the nose: Thick. Vast. Cavernous. Bourbon. Char. Ash. Molasses. Dark rums. Evil elixirs. Tobacco. Leather. And, yeah, a bit of chocolate & a trace of coffee.

In the mouth: Thickness, again. Vastness, once more. Big, big, big. Giant bourbon barrel meets Brobdingnagian Imperial Stout. Richness upon richness. All the cocoa and the vanilla, compounded over and over. Roasted, toasted, ashy, burnt. Sweetness, darkness, and booze-ness. Rich in every regard. So, so, so. So everything.

Chapter XX: No Light Escapes The Gravity Well Imperial Stout. Galactic Sector XX Plural Z Alpha. "....I turned my telescope to a small patch of sky that had eluded my view: A null space, devoid of stars or light, beckoning me. The aperture yawned as I looked beyond our dimension, into a cosmic knot dripping with a thick, chocolatey stout. I needed this delicious-looking star treat. And resting against a fermentation vat, an idea alighted upon my expanding brain. What I really needed was a rocket ship...."

Insight Seven Curses of the Llewd Llama Milkshake IPA with Peruvian Golden Berries

Insight Seven Curses of the Llewd Llama Milkshake IPA with Peruvian Golden Berries. 6.1 % ABV. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Hazy as she goes, dull orange color, thick milky white head.

In the nose: Sweet, fruity...yeasty...not much else.

In the mouth: Berries, sweetness, a little bit tart, then dry. Some hoppiness, but it's drowned out all the yeast and such on the palate. Smooth, creamy, then brittle and dry. A little bit juicy. It's the sum of the parts that I'm not jiving with.

I'm absolutely at a loss as to why this exists and who it aims to please. I guess I'm out of touch. Again.

Also, what's the deal with this name? I can't imagine asking a bartender for a round of lewd llamas.

This Milkshake IPA is loaded with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, which deliver tropical notes of pineapple, grapefruit, and melon on the nose. Deliciously sweet and sour Peruvian Golden Berries work together with the hops and creamy texture from lactose to create an intensely satisfying and complex brew that finishes dry and keeps you coming back for more, sip after sip.

MILKSHAKE IPA
notes:
CITRUS
GOLDENBERRIES
CREAMY
availability:
LIMITED
abv:
6.1%
ibu:
22

Insight Picnic by the Wicked Thicket Dry-hopped Witbier

Insight Picnic by the Wicked Thicket Dry-hopped Witbier. 5.3 % ABV. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Cloudy, golden-toned, bright ivory head.

In the nose: Citrus notes. Nice and hoppy, Coriander and orange zest lurk just below. Sweetness and spice.

In the mouth: Enters the palate smoothly and sweetly, with a side order of gentle hop bitterness. Soft and mellow. Yeast and wheat flavors intermingle with fruit and spice. Citrusy hop flavors stay on top of the scene, mingling nicely with the witbier taste. Damned delicious. Best of both worlds in this one.

A delicious balance of orange peel and lemon-zest blend well with the richness from the wheat. The malt and wheat backbone provides a velvet mouthfeel while layers of Citra hops deliver orange blossom and lemon on the nose while the yeast hints at pepper and coriander. Crisp and refreshing with citrus finish.

Insight My Free 30 Day Trial of Mega Dankbot Double Dry Hopped Extra Dank Double IPA

Insight My Free 30 Day Trial of Mega Dankbot Double Dry Hopped Extra Dank Double IPA. 8.6 % ABV. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, amber/bronze color, large and long-lasting off-whitish head.

In the nose: Big juicy malt character paired with powerful hop payload. Potent pine and citrus. Floral, pretty.

In the mouth: From first sip: bold, aggressive, delicious. Intense attack. Bitter barrage on the palate, just the way I like it. Tasty malt hangs out underneath the blazing hop advance. Medium bodied, and easy-drinking (for the hop-head, who craves the blast of bitter hops, like me).

If this is what you get when you double dry-hop an extra dank double IPA, I'm all for it.

Extra, extra, extra dank version of our extra dank IPA. Brewed with CTZ, Amarillo, Citra, and Cascade hops AND a heavy malt bill, this double dry hopped double IPA is dank AF and will leave a mark on your pallet!

DOUBLE IPA
notes:
DANK
RESINOUS
FRUITY
PINEY
availability:
WINTER
abv:
8.6%
ibu:
100+

Insight The Misadventures of My Rowdy Uncle Moscow Mule Style Ale

Insight The Misadventures of My Rowdy Uncle Moscow Mule Style Ale. 6% ABV. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, pale golden, big, effervescent head.

In the nose: ginger ale. And that's about it.

In the mouth: No, ginger beer. Hot and spicy. Slim bodied. Very crisp and clean. There's no beer here. There's no vodka, either. Just ginger beer, hidden in some kind of an ale. This is the second "Moscow mule" beer that has left me underwhelmed to say the least.

I want to drain pour, but it goes against my core beliefs.

Why?
Why, why, why?
Next time, I'll just pass. There's no point to this.
I'm not sure why they're making these fake cocktail beers, but it should really stop.

Brewed to taste just like a Moscow Mule, this beer shouts “GINGER” on the nose with a light, fresh citrus lime balancing out the ginger in the flavor. Poured straight into the pint or over ice, this beer tastes best in the sunshine and warm weather.

MOSCOW MULE STYLE ALE
notes:
BRIGHT
GINGER
MOSCOW MULE
availability:
SUMMER
abv:
6.0%
ibu:
N/A

Insight Gravity Well Rum Barrel Aged

Insight Gravity Well Imperil Stout. Rum barrel-aged. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 12 % ABV.  75 IBU.

Growlers of "SpeciaAL Juice" only goes to
Special Als.

Solid blackness, rich brown head that starts strong and ends as a tight ring.

In the nose: Ah, me oh, my. Big richness. Sweet, malty, Cocoa, espresso, anise. Getting the rum barrel action, too.

In the mouth: more big, more rich, more vast and huge. Increasing alcohol. Increasing yum-a-dum-dum. (Remember that one?  I'm still pushing it.) Thick, rich, intensely flavorful, but still deliciously drinkable. Full of everything. Yu-uh-um. In a big way.


With flavors as intense as fine port, Gravity Well boasts aromas of chocolate, toffee, and sherry that meld together with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit. Trinidadian rum barrels adds slight cane sugar character that balances the roast of this brew perfectly.

Insight Brewing I Shall Name Him Terror Bear NorthEast style India Pale Ale

Insight Terror Bear NE IPA. "drafted by Insight Brewing." "So delicious we can hardly bear it." Minneapolis, MN. 7.5% ABV, 21 IBU.

To the eye: Clear, bright golden, slimmed-down ivory head.

In the nose: Tropical fruit notes, with a twist of citrus. Pineapple, mango and a drop of tangerine and lemon. Nicely balanced, though more sweet than bitter, for certain.

In the mouth: Plenty of fruit on the palate, and a moderate amount of bitterness. Citrus pops, and there's a touch of blueberry. Sweet, biscuity/crackery malt character holds down the fort. Bitterness persists, though on the slight side, and malt maintains.

Here we have the low IBU, high tropical fruit note characteristic of the NE-style, but without the requisite lack of clarity that sets so many into a frenzy. Maybe that's what does it. I'm not sure what they're all freaking out about. As it is, this is a fine IPA, and you can drink it.

(Although, oddly the phrase "hazy" keeps coming up in their descriptions. Maybe a little, but not much.


AND I SHALL NAME HIM
TERROR BEAR

A 7.5% ABV celebration of Citra and Mosaic juicy, hazy deliciousness. Mango, pineapple and passion fruit aromas spring out as the beer is poured. And the tropical fruit nose blends perfectly into delicately balanced flavors of orange, tangerine, and grapefruit zest.

NORTHEAST IPA
notes:
JUICY
MANGO
TROPICAL
availability:
LATE FALL
abv:
7.5%
ibu:
21

Insight Splendid Moose Northeast Style Pale Ale

Haze, haze, haze, haze is the craze, haze for days, the kids these days they all crave the haze, it's all the rage. Sigh.

So, this has been going on for a bit now, and I was tired of it long ago, but as the hype cranks up, I turn into even more of the Grumpy Old Man. Dangerous Man made them, Modist, Fulton, Lupulin, Disgruntled, Forager, I forget them all. I'm sure someone will pipe up and correct me. You'd think there'd be a database, with a list of all the local "NE-style" beers, sometimes referring to New England, sometimes "the Northeast", and sometimes playing with "Nordeast, Minneapolis." (This refers to the style's origins, which can be traced back to The Alchemist in Vermont and their Heady Topper Double IPA, reviewed here. Read more about the style here, if you like.) Barrel Theory is running with their versions, Blackstack and Headflyer have admirable additions to the ranks, and a couple of new ones have popped up that are making the local beer geeks forget about Dreamyard and HopStar. They are over. Over, I say! Now, it's the new one from Fair State (Spirit Foul, which I've yet to try...I haven't gone searching for a can, because when you have 2 -3 dozen cans, bottles, growlers and crawlers awaiting review, you have to stop going out and buying more beer) and this one from Insight that they're flipping out over. Brewers are feeling the pressure to put out their own to join in on the fervor. And I still don't get it.

I like unfiltered ales, I always have. Give me that yeast, baby. But this new excitement over a lack of clarity and a resemblance to a glass of O.J. is baffling to me. I get that some prefer a lower bitterness, a higher juiciness, but the extent to which they flip over that look, which is sometimes unappealing, I just can't fathom it. It feels like a fad which will soon run it's course, and then they'll all soon marvel over the clarity of some new-spun take. "Whoa, this IPA you can totally see through! And it has no hops! And it lacks any flavor! Best IPA yet!" Just you wait and see.....

Insight Don't Feed the Splendid Moose Northeast Style Pale Ale. 6.5% ABV. 22 IBU.

To they eye: Need I say it? Hazy orange coloration, slim, but lasting layer of ivory froth atop.

In then nose: Perfectly pleasant, pungent and pretty. Cool, calm and collected, busting with tropical and citric fruit notes, but low on the bitter scale. All the beauty with none of the bold.

In the mouth: Bright, fresh, full citrus flavors load the palate. Tasty grapefruit and orange notes, with a dose of pineapple. Moderate bitterness, lightish/medium-y bodied, lingering bitter finish. A pleasant pale to while away the day. Good beer, you can drink it, haze, juice, etc.

This isn't labeled an "IPA" and it isn't. Low bitterness but all the haze that the kids crave.

DON’T FEED THE SPLENDID MOOSE

Our Northeast Pale Ale is brewed with Pale and Pilsner malt, along with a copious amount of Citra hops that give a super hazy and juicy color to the beer. Bright oranges fall on the nose with a smooth, citrus flavor on the palate. If you close your eyes, you just might think this beer was juiced rather than brewed.

NE PALE ALE notes: JUICY ORANGES SMOOTH
abv:
6.5%
ibu:
22

Insight Dankbot IPA

Ignore the Ommegang bottle cap. Sometimes at the Bitter
Nib we don't clean up as well as we'd like.

Insight Dankbot IPA. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 6.5% ABV. 91 IBU.

Chapter CDXX, The Autonomous Nature of Dankbot.

I reviewed this before, when it was known as merely Dank IPA, from a sample bottle. You can read that here. Now that it's a seasonal in a can, I thought I'd review it again.

Clear, bright golden color, nice, lasting, lace-leaving white head.

In the nose: citrus and pine and everything fine. Lovely.

In the mouth: Big bitterness, Some astringency, and yeah, lots o' that dank, sure. Fresh, fierce, and lively. Medium body, long, bitter finish. Bitterness turns to sweet for a spot, and it's ridiculously delicious. I like it.

Insight Crazy Aunt Gin & Tonic-Style Ale

Insight A visit to my Crazy Aunt Gin & Tonic Style Ale. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. “We craft legends.”

"Gin & tonic style ale”? What the heck could that be? There’s got to be some explanation somewhere, but I’m going to check that out later. For now, I’m going in blind.

Hazy, golden-hued, slim white head.

In the nose: interesting, can’t quite pin this one. Lightly hoppy, slightly sour, some fruity/tropical tones, too, Not like anything I’ve held to my nose before.

Time to taste: Grapefruit. Very dry. Refreshing and light. It resembles a g. & t., yeah, I get that, but how? And why?

(So, I looked at the website, and lo, and behold, found this:

A VISIT TO MY
CRAZY AUNT

Crazy Aunt is an ale brewed with juniper, coriander, lime juice, and tonic water. We’ve pushed the limits with this beer and brewed it to taste just like a gin & tonic, and we’re introducing it as the perfect seasonal to quench your thirst on a warm Minnesota summer day. RECIPE IDEAS HERE!

GIN & TONIC STYLE ALE. notes: CRISP, BRIGHT, COCKTAIL-ISH
availability: SUMMER
abc: 6.0%
ibu: N/A

I think this is a fun experiment, and it accomplishes what it sets out to, but “gin and tonic-style” is not what I look for in an ale. It’ll probably be a big hit with others, though.

Wait, there's more. Of course, there's more.

"...a distant relative, but not untouched by that strain of 'eccentricity' which affects us all, Grizelda Brewmaster had summoned me to the misty shores of Albion. She claimed to have invented a brew that mimicked the gin & tonic precisely. Juniper, spruce, quinine, all jostling about in bubbly bliss. On my way up to there precarious cottage, I mused on the warnings of the villagers below. 'Yowza, you're going to the witch's house?!' I was. Seldom does one get to choose their family, and neither did I..."

You know, the Monkees had a song called "Aunty Grizelda." Just thought I'd share that.

Insight Defending the West IPA

Insight Defending the West IPA. Alc 7.6 by vol. Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Utterly opaque, thoroughly crimson coloring, Slim, but lasting, creamy white head.

In the nose: pithy pine, citrus, grapefruit, orange. Bam!

In the mouth: Boom! Fruity, creamy, citrus-y, bitter, but mostly fruity. Medium bodied, long, bitter finish. Damned delicious. Bam, bam, bam, juicy, fruity, bitter, tasty. I love it.

I'll admit it, not the best notes I've ever composed while having a beer. Slightly better than merely saying "it's a good West Coast IPA and you can drink it." This was after a few, and the last beer of the night/morning. It's true, I sometimes wake up, look at my notes to see "what did I write last night?" And since this is the last can of the 4-pack, I'm stuck with it.

So, who won? They're both good IPAs, but I think East might have the edge here.

Insight East IPA

Insight Surging From the East New England Style India Pale Ale. Alcohol 6.4% by Vol.

This one came in a four pack, 2 cans of East, 2 cans of West. Kind of a fun idea, brew a West Coast IPA and one of these newfangled East Coast-style IPAs, set 'em off against each other. I don't care who wins, I like both styles.

Hazy, orange-y, slim white head on top.

In the nose: Big bitterness, huge citrus. Grapefruit bomb, as the kids say these days. Rather intense and highly enjoyable.

In the mouth: Boom, there it is. Fierce, fresh and in my face. All the pithy goodness is apparent. Very citrus-y. Medium-bodied, easily drinkable. Long, bitter, citrus-y finish.

Okay, I liked it. Now to find out about this thing they're calling West. Up next.

There's a lot of stuff on the back of the can, as usual. I can't read it. And I can't find it online. I'm sure it's clever, but I can't find my glasses.