Tin Whiskers/ Oliphant Melon, She Wrote

Tin Whiskers/ Oliphant Melon, She Wrote. A collaboration fruit ale with watermelon, lime, prickly pear, avocado blossom honey, & pink Himalayan sea salt. 

4.8 % ABV, 11 IBU, Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN, in collaboration with Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI. 

Clear, bright golden color, large and lasting, lace-leaving ivory head. 

In the nose: First hits the sour, then the honey, the lime, then the salt, and all the while we think, oh, yeah...melon! Just enough sweet for the tart. 

In the mouth: Tartness at the start, with lime following suit. Light bodied, crisp, refreshing, fresh, zesty, and sour. Watermelon, lime and salt come together as one. Refreshingly fruity and sour. Okay, I like this. 

Brewed with Oliphant Brewing. Fruit Ale with Watermelon, Lime, Prickly Pear, Avocado Blossom Honey, & Pink Himalayan Sea Salt. 

Yeah, I already said that...

Tin Whiskers Bot of Prey Double IPA

Tin Whiskers Bot of Prey Double IPA.

A9.7% ABV, Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 

Crystal clear, bright golden hue, brief ivory head. 

In the nose: Citrus, stone fruit, and a whiff of the tropical. Sweetness to stand with bitter. Piney, floral.

In the mouth: Dry, brittle bitterness on the palate from the start, with a dash of juicy on the side. High happiness, extra bitter, with citrus notes, grapefruit, tangerine, a splash of pineapple. And then a taste akin to candied apricots, orange slices drenched in honey, and a whole lot of hoppy goodness. High alcohol starts to take command and we are a good, groovy place. 

Brewed with Falconer's Flight, Centennial, and Ella hops. Our first non-humanoid entry into the Bot Army, Bot of Prey means business, with notes of freshly squeezed OJ, candied lemon zest, and pineapple 

Tin Whiskers Skate Bot IPA

Tin Whiskers Skate Bot IPA. With Citra and Calypso hops. 

6 % ABV, 37 IBU. Tin Whiskers Brewing,  St. Paul, MN. 

All clouded up (because of course), slight white head. 

In the nose: Citrus and pine, pinch of pineapple, and a good whiff of the yeasty fuzz.

In the mouth: Brief blast of bitterness, then all is mellow. Smooth stuff, and juicy, too. Lemon, lime, grapefruit. Light body. Fruity for a spell, then ending on a dry note, cleansing the palate for the next sip. Nothing too special about this one, but they don't all have to be. I'm enjoying it just fine, all the same. 

Brewed with Citra and Calypso hops for notes of grapefruit, pear, and lime, it's perfect for sipping between long grinds in the schoolyard and racking up big combos through the warehouse.

Tin Whiskers Fresh Bot Fresh Hop Ale

Tin Whiskers Fresh Bot Fresh Hop Ale. With Fresh Strata and Fresh Comet hops. 

6.6 % ABV. 45 IBU. Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 

Lightly hazy, bright golden hue, lush ivory head. 

In the nose: Hoppiness spills out all over. Vibrant rush of citrus, pine and floral notes. 

In the mouth: Juicy. Dank. Delicious. Moderate bitterness, big hop flavor. Citrus and tropical notes abound. Orange, grapefruit, pineapple, lemon. Terribly tasty. Drinks down like a dream.

 I could go with a few of these. 

A Hazy IPA brewed with fresh Strata from Crosby Hops farms with a dry hop of Comet and Simcoe. We used over 6lbs of hops per barrel to create bright aromas of candied pineapple, lemon and grapefruit zest met with flavors of a sweet cake maltiness and tropical fruit.

Tin Whiskers Meme Lord Double Dry-hopped IPA

Tin Whiskers Meme Lord Double Dry-hopped IPA.

7% ABV, 36 IBU. Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 

Why out of all the crowlers available at Tin Whiskers last week, on my first visit in four years, did I pick a beer called Meme Lord? I have no real love for memes, nor their lords. At least it wasn't Tropical Fluff Meme Lord. I don't care for my IPAs when they're stuffed with vanilla, marshmallows, and tropical fruits. No vanilla and marshmallows in my IPAs, please. It's not much to ask. 

Anyway, on with the beer: 

It's hazy, alright, bright orange hued, large, lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: Citrus and smooth, slightly sweet. Orange, mango, guava.

In the mouth: Juicy, fruity, a bite of the bitter. Citrus and juice, with a slice of pine to the side. Medium-bodied, light upon the palate, nice and easily drinkable. Very delightful, this. I'd even call it a yum-a-dum-dum. 

A double dry-hopped IPA brewed with Simcoe, Citra, Medusa, and Ella hops for notes of ripe pineapple, orange juice, tangerine, and mango.

Tin Whiskers The Pulps DDH Blood Orange IPA

Tin Whiskers The Pulps DDH Blood Orange IPA.
7 % ABV.
Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Hazed-out, pinkish, grapefruit-y coloration, slim white head.

In the nose: tart and fruity, blood orange and grapefruit, hardly any hops.

In the mouth: Bits of bitterness, mixed with the tart and the fruit, overwhelming blood orange flavor covering all else. Full-bodied, long lasting taste.

Some hops here, but overshadowed by the fruit. Tangy, and tasty, though.

Blood orange infused, double dry-hopped IPA brewed with Simcoe, Citra, Medusa, and Ella hops

Tin Whiskers Thunder Bot and Lightning IPA

Tin Whiskers Thunder Bot and Lightning IPA.
7.4 % ABV. 36 IBU.
Tin Whisker Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Hazy (of course), bright golden hue, small white head.

In the nose: Bold citrus aromatics, orange, guava, lemon, et al.

In the mouth: Juicy and bitter at once. Nice hoppy bite on the palate. Medium bodied, with a long bitter finish. Citrus and grassy pine abounds in the flavor, which I am digging in a major way.

Once more, this is the final can from a 4-pack. I'm wishing I had a few more, again. What's wrong with 6-packs, exactly?

Brewed with Amarillo, Southern Passion, and African Queen hops, Thunder Bot and Lightning is the 11th installment of the Bot Series of IPA’s. This golden IPA features notes of guava, coconut, gooseberries, lemongrass and tangerine.

Tin Whiskers Spring IPA

Tin Whiskers Spring IPA. Spark Series.
Artfully Engineered. 7.5 % ABV. 33 IBU.
Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Lightly hazed, amber color, lush ivory head, looking good.

In the nose: Burst of bright citrus notes, slight spice, and that peculiar Belgian yeast note we tag as "bubblegum"...huh. Is this a "white IPA", or an IPA/Witbier hybrid?

In the mouth: Big bitterness, floral flavors, rich malt, nice and drinkable. And interesting. I'm not getting as much fruit as expected. It's a little confusing. There's a lot going on here, and I'm not sure it hangs together well. Lacks cohesion. I'm confused why these flavors are together. And I'm gonna pass on it, yet I still finish the can.

A spring-centric IPA with notes of tangerine, melon, bubblegum, and spice.

Tin Whiskers Nebula Hazy Citrus IPA

Tin Whiskers Spark Series Nebula Hazy Citrus IPA. 5.9 % ABV.  33 IBU. Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Thoroughly hazed, dull golden, amble ivory head, leaving lace.

In the nose: Bright, vibrant citrus and pine notes aplenty.

In the mouth: More of that, nicely playing on the palate. Smooth, creamy, pillowy mouthfeel. Very much juicy. Quite pleasant. Practically no bitterness, which is what people are going for these days, it seems. If you ask me, (and if you're reading this, then you did) losing the bitter bite makes an IPA not an IPA. Call it something else if you must. It seems so many people have been incorrectly drinking IPAs for so long.

If that's the kind if "IPA" you want, this is the one for you.

A hazy, citrusy IPA, bursting with notes of tangerine and orange peel, brewed with Mandarina Bavaria, Citra, and Ekuanot hops.
We're pretty sure this beer's going to make a pretty Big Bang.
This aggressively hopped IPA, the latest in our limited-run Spark Series, starts with notes of tangerine and citrus zest before finishing with a clean, bright bitterness. In space, no one can hear you order another round. Good thing we brought this beer back to Earth.

Tin Whiskers Phase Shift 02/2017

Tin Whiskers Phase Shift 02. 7.5% ABV. Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Barrel Shifter Porter. St. Paul, MN.

Utter darkness, fully opaque, slim brown head.

In the nose: Cocoa, coffee, molasses, more. Vanilla, cherry, whiskey? Rich, luxurious, lovely. A feast for the senses.

In the mouth: Boom! Big whiskey notes on the palate right from the start. Outsized flavors, rich malt, big barrel tones, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, blackstrap, a touch of anise, more. Full bodied, full flavored, non-stop delicious. Starts out sweet, rounds out dry.

I took a peek at my previous report on this beer, it's earlier iteration, and I'm not disappointed. Whatever flaws I felt then are not apparent now. I like this much better than before. Perhaps abler hands are at the wheel, here? Or time bringing experience and wisdom?

Thanks again to the Running Tap for bringing it to me?

PHASE SHIFT 02 // ISANTI SPIRITS RYE WHISKEY BARREL AGED PORTER
Released November 19, 2016 // Local rye whiskey barrels from Isanti Spirits contribute rich, complex malt and wood characteristics to a porter previously aged on white oak and cherry wood. • 7.5% ABV

Tin Whiskers Lecky Scottish

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company Lecky Scottish Ale. Brewed and packaged by Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, St. Paul, MN. 5.5% ALC./VOL.

Dark brown color, ruby highlights, slim darkish head.

In the nose: sweet and malty and slightly smoky. Maybe more than slightly. Peaty.

In the mouth: malt-forward, hop absent, smooth and utterly drinkable. The smoky aspect lays on lightly. Tasty. Bit of a swift finish, though, gone before you know it. But that's fine for the style. Good beer, you can drink it.

What's the label want to tell us? "A dry, peated Scottish ale with a well-balanced peated smoke character to appeal to smoked ale and scotch lovers alike."

Tin Whiskers Barrel Shifter Porter

Tin Whiskers Barrel Shifter Porter, 1 pint, 8 fluid ounces, 7.5% alc. by vol.

Sometimes the sample man brings you stuff that you are too polite to say bad things about. That happened when a plain brown bottle of this was brought to me and I drank it with Sample Man and others. I couldn't say why it left me unmoved, and thought about going to the taproom for a growler. Glad I didn't. I did give it a second chance, picking up a bomber at a store (why didn't he bring this, instead of a bottle filled from the tap the day before?), putting eight dollars of my own money into the effort of giving this beer a fair shake.


Dark brown, opaque, small head turns to nothing in no time. Eh.

Aroma: Barrel tones, whisky, vanilla and such, plus dark malt, cocoa, coffee, sweet dark malts, molasses. Pleasant.

In the mouth: ah, I don't know about this one. Whisky-ish elements board the tongue, and little else. There's not much porter-y below. The barrel doesn't really embellish a fine beer beneath it, it seems to cover up not much of anything. My tongue is left wanting. In full truth, I am left very unhappy with this unpleasant flavor in this disappointing beer. There's nothing here, and I'm sad that they sent it out into the world. Each new sip confirms it: there's not enough of a good beer here to stand up with the barrel-aging (honeycomb spirals, I was told). It's weak in body, lacks real integrity, and feels limp and sad in the mouth. how else can I put this? It's bad covered in bad.

Some chocolate malt flavor comes through with confidence later in, but it's wasted bravado. Too limp, too weak, too sad, and lacking in what we want in either a porter or a barrel-aged beer.

Aaargh! I hate to hate a beer, but I hate this beer. I got a sample of this from the brewery, and it don't move me at all. So, I gave an $8 bomber a chance, and it's just as bad, if not worse. Argh! Don't sell this, Tin Whiskers! And don't buy it, people!

Ah, man, I don't know if I sold this one hard enough, but...drinking this is no joy. In fact, it makes me sad. I don't turn to beer to make me sad.

Sigh...The website says This: An oak-aged porter with strong vanilla notes and just a hint of cherry • 7.5% ABV.

The bottle says: Appearance: Deep brown with a light tan head. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a lower carbonation. Taste: Malty chocolate with notes of oak, vanilla, and cherry. Aroma: Strong vanilla and malt aromas with a hint of cherry.

Tin Whiskers Wheatstone Bridge

Tin Whiskers Wheat Stone Bridge. Well, that's how it reads. Is it Stone Bridge Wheat, actually? {No, it's Wheatstone Bridge. Read more here.)It's 1 pint, 6 fluid ounces. 5.4% alc./vol. This beer was bottled in 2015 on the month below: March. American Wheat Ale brewed with natural flavors. Brewed and bottled by Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Appearance: clouded, pale yellowish hue, slim ivory head.

Aroma:  soft, slightly sweet, and wheat. Orange and lemon, mmm, mmm.

Taste: starts out spicy, just a little, then comes the smooth malt, the sweetness and the wheat malt. Tasty stuff, and easy on the tongue. Spice jumps back in (cinnamon? really?), fruit rolls on up, and the smooth carries you out. Good. Not the greatest, but it is beer, and you can drink it.

What's the label want us to know? "A refreshing and relaxing brew that combines wheat, honey and chamomile in perfect harmony." Is that what it is? "Appearance: white head with a golden color. Mouthfeel: light body with a silky mouthfeel. Taste: earthy with hints of apple and floral sweetness. Aroma/Nose: strong smell of chamomile with some fruit and malt."

Odd. I didn't pick up on the chamomile, never would have guessed about it.  Or honey. Now that I bring it back up the lips and send it down the throat, oh, yeah, that's there., alright. That's what I was tasting as the "spice." Well, it's there, but who the hell would have expected it? Who puts tea and honey in a beer? Well, they did. And it's a beer and yeah, you can drink it.

Tin Whiskers Flip Switch IPA

Another bomber from Tin Whiskers of St. Paul, another beer I've had on tap previously, but am giving closer inspection with this bottle.


Tin Whiskers Flip Switch I.P.A. 6.2% Alc./Vol. Brewed and bottled by Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Appearance: clouded, crimson coloring, nice, if slim, white head.

Aroma: floral and citrus notes greet the nose, with a little bit of pine. Beautiful.

Taste: Full malt flavor in this IPA, outshining the hops so far. Earthy, rich, bittersweet. Hop bitterness grows and grows on the palate, but never outpaces the malt. Nice balance, good integration, an adequate India Pale Ale. Bright, green & citrus-y hop character stays on top.

I'm not really in love with this I.P.A., but neither am I out of like with it. Hey, what's the label say? "An American IPA with a citrus aroma and just the right amount of bitterness the balance the malty backbone." Here's the problem with that: a really good IPA has more hop bitterness than needed to balance the malty backbone. It should surpass that backbone, at the very least.

Tin Whiskers Short Circuit Stout

Tin Whiskers, the brewery formed by former electricians, with beers named for electrical terminology,  opened earlier this summer in the Mears Park neighborhood of St. Paul. I probably first tried them at Autumn Brew Review, and saw them and tasted them at various taverns about town. I finally made it to their taproom in late November, but that's not an appropriate occasion for note-taking. Well, looky here, now they've got bottles. And here's the first one…



Tin Whiskers Short Circuit Stout, Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, St. Paul, Minnesota. 5.8% Alc./Vol. This beer was brewed in 2014 on the month indicated below: Dec. There's a lot of helpful information on the back, which I will avoid perusing until I've reached my own conclusions.

Appearance: impenetrable darkness, under a full head of tanned foam. Dotted and lacy.

Aroma: Sweetness comes in first, there cola and nuts. Undertones of cocoa. Some roast.

Taste: It says Sweet Stout on the label, and that's what's coming out of the bottle. On the palate, minor roast, small hops, but full malt, and some amount of sweetness. Good balance, good drinking. A little milky, just a dose of sweet. An fine session stout. Nothin' wrong with that.

Let's look at that label now: "A full-bodied and roasty stout with a lingering sweet aftertaste and notes of chocolate." Appearance…well, you know, why just copy what I've already said?