Lift Bridge Berry Blonde Ale

Lift Bridge Berry Blonde Ale.

4 % ABV, Lift Bridge Brewing, Stillwater, MN. 

Once again, I find myself with a beer I would not normally choose to review, but, as it goes, this can fell into my possession, so I must review it. If you missed the memo, the rules of this blog are as follows:  If a beer appears in my fridge, by whatever means necessary, it shall appear on this blog. Ever so rarely, I break that rule, but you'll never know. Here's one example: I will not review the cans of Gluek Pilsener that are in the fridge because they are a year old and it wouldn't be fair. (How did they get there? I got them free from work.) This can is not a year old. (I also got it free from work, but for a different reason.)

So, on we go. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: A little sweet, a little tart, but full of berries.

In the mouth: Minor hop bitterness, smooth malt structure. Easy drinking, light bodied. Refreshing fruity flavors. Perfectly acceptable, and probably a perfect beer for some. Not me, I need more. But there ain't nothing wrong with it. I definitely like the Mango Blonde better than this one, but you know me, a fool for mangoes. 

Go ahead and drink this, I don't care. 

Berry Blonde has aroma and flavor subtly sparked with ripe boysenberry and blackberry juice that integrates beautifully with the light golden malt. Coming in at 4% ABV, Berry Blonde is a pleasant taste of the northland without being too heavy.

Venn Cosmosis: Tripleberry

Venn Cosmosis: Tripleberry. 7.8 % ABV. Fruited Sour Ale.
Venn Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, deep, dark crimson, slim, soon-gone head.

In the nose: bursting with tart and berries. Delightful.

In the mouth: Powerful puckering, fresh fruity flavors. Blackberry, raspberry, blue....? (Nope. boysen.) Bright, juicy, tart, tasty. I can't help liking this one. Lean, easy drinking, delicious.

Cosmosis: A series of sophisticated sours that'll make you pucker. 

A Venn-style kettle sour, infused with actual blackberry, raspberry, & boysenberry. Previously called "Triple Berry Sour".

Malts: Domestic Pale, White Wheat, Unmalted White Wheat

Hops: none

Yeast: Champagne, Lactobacillus

And: Blackberries, Raspberries, Boysenberries

Oliphant Brewing's A Risk of Cats

Oliphant Brewing's A Risk of Cats. Bourbon barrel-aged Super Squishy. Berry Sour with coconut, lactose, and sea salt. 5 % ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Collaboration with 1010 Washington Wine and Spirits, which were I buy most of my Oliphant here in town, mostly due to convenience. All the other stores that carry them are just a little out of the way.

"Fruit Sour" is all the can will tell us. Except for this: "In the heist of the decade, Whiskers Pinkstar stars as Meowcifer Hairballin an intrepid yarn thief with little cares. After a chance meeting in Stray Cat Alley, Hairballin is forced to steal for the evil genius BRAIN STEM, played by Pinkus Putterus in his tour de force return to cinema." I have no idea what that means. Is it a spoof or something? What is Jeremy referencing on this label? Or is it a completely original creation? Will I ever find out?

But for now, let's drink a beer.

Dark crimson coloring, thoroughly opaque, slim to no head.

In the nose: Big time berries, slowly but surely smothered with bourbon barrel. Sweet berry flavor hovers just above the whiskey, vanilla, oak, et al.

In the mouth:

WAIT! Stop everything! I get it: The Aristocats! A Disney movie I've never seen because I've never really been into Disney movies, but now, I guess, I technically am, because of my love of Star Wars and Marvel. (And the Muppets.) (And The Simpsons.) (...sigh...)
Aristocats...A Risk of Cats. Duh.

But, back to the beer:
In the mouth: Tartness and sweetness, swallowed slightly by the barrel. Takes some time to get there, got to let it grow. Berries are bright, coconut lays low, salt and sugar keep all in line. Medium bodied, easy-drinking and scrumptious. Barrel character continues to grow and wrap itself around the berries.

Now maybe, just maybe, this could have spent a bit more time in the barrels, or maybe, just maybe, this is enough. I haven't had a lot of bourbon barrel-aged fruit sours, so I'm not even sure if they're a good thing.

This, though, is a very fine thing. A very fine thing, indeed.

And there's one song to pair it with. Excuse the occasional racism (sheesh, you'd think by 1970, they'd get it):

Lift Bridge So Jelly Barrel Dessert Series

Lift Bridge So Jelly Barrel Dessert Series Ale Brewed with natural blackberry puree.
8 % ABV, 30 IBU. Lift Bridge Brewing, Stillwater, MN.

Dark brown body, slim reddish brown head on top.

In the nose: bursting with berry, dark malt just beneath. Slight sweetness, plenty of fruit.

In the mouth: Dark berries grace the palate first, just a bit bitter and tannin-y, with dark malt flavors just behind. What kind of barrel is this? Whiskey, red wine? I'd guess the latter. No further information can be found. I'm not detecting whiskey barrel flavors, but I could be wrong.

Full-bodied, full flavored, long on the palate. Persistent tastes on the tongue. Forward fruit, barrel enriched. Tasty one, this. I recommend it.

So Jelly is a Barrel Aged Stout loaded with all natural Blackberry Puree.

2 Towns Made Marion Blackberry Hard Cider

2 Towns Made Marion Blackberry Hard Cider. Made with Marion Blackberries.
6 % Alc./Vol. 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, OR.

Clear, crimson, carbonated.

In the nose: Lightly tart, high fruit, touch of sweet. Ever so berry.

In the mouth: Tangy. Sweet'n' tart. Juicy and refreshing. Tasty stuff. I'm still not a cider guy, but there ain't nothing wrong with this. Except that it's not a beer. Ah, well. For now, it's working. A change of pace isn't bad.

Ripe and juicy, Made Marion unites Northwest apples with whole locally grown Marionberries. The crown jewel of all blackberry varieties, Marionberries are a true testament to the bounty of Oregon.

Made Marion unites two ingredients that were destined to be together—whole, Oregon-grown Marionberries and fresh-pressed Northwest apples. The Marion blackberry was originally bred for Marion County, Oregon farmers, right here in our backyard. Tangy and full of ripe, rich berry notes, the Marionberry quickly became the standard to which all blackberries would forever be compared, and elevates this cider to illustrious heights.

You know, this reminds me of something. Years ago, (and maybe still to this day) the local ice cream shop Sebastian Joe's had a flavor called Marion Berry, DC Nut, which was easily understand to be a reference to the crack-smoking mayor of the District of Columbia. It took a while until I understood "Marion berry" to be the actual name of the fruit.

56 Blackberry Berliner Weisse

56 Brewing Blackberry Berliner Weisse. 4.5 % ABV. 13 IBU. 56 Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Thick and clouded, dark crimson coloring, slim ring of pinkish foam.

In the nose: Tart. Fresh and Fruity. Very berry.

In the mouth: Fiercely sour and berry-vicious. Yup, that is the technical term. Sharp. tart, medium-bodied, easy-drinking. Good ol' fruited sour and you can drink it.

Oliphant Anutart Blackberry Sour

Oliphant Anutart Blackberry Sour. Berliner Weisse with Blackerries. 5 % ABV. Oliphant Brewery, Somerset, WI.

So, someone's got to solve this puzzle for me: Is it "ANN-you-tart", or "A-NEW-tart"? Got to find out. Also, this series' crowlers labels continue to look like demented teeth at play in some bloody gums. Okay, what the story, Jeremy Hughes?

Thoroughly hazed, rich and jammy, cast in a deep, Burgundy hue, with a fine layer of pink head atop.

In the nose: nice tartness starts it out, swiftly swallowed by fruit. Very berry in here. Just a touch of sweet.

In the mouth: Sweetness is charge at the forefront, and tart soon takes over. Bright and fruity and refreshing. Juicy. Only just a little bit on the thin & watery side, but I certainly don't mind, and it's not wrong for the style.

Good blackberry sour ale, and you can drink it.

Indeed Wooden Soul: Patch Work Sour Red Ale with Mixed Berries

Indeed Wooden Soul: Patch Work Sour Red Ale with Mixed Berries. Wood barrel aged Ale brewed with Blackberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries. Bottled by Indeed Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN. 7.5 % ABV.

Deep, plummy/reddish-brown color, slim, soon-gone head.

In the nose: Fruity and tart. Jammy. All the berries are up in the nose.

In the mouth: Intense puckering from the start. Blackberries are in the lead. Raspberries peek out. Blueberries, I see you, too. Bursting with fruit and sour. Oak barrel complexities fill it out. Sticks around for a stretch on the palate.

Tasty, tasty stuff. Another fine one in the Wooden Soul line. Keep 'em comin'.

Follow your nose! A melange of fruity perfumes wafts your way, intoxicating with the aromas of blackberry, raspberry leaf, and dusty lemon. Deep red and slightly hazy, with a purple hue, Patchwork plucks you up with perky tartness and handfuls of berry flavor. With this mixed berry sour red ale, the pickings easy. 

I get it. "Patch" is where you pick your berries. Good pun. Yeah....

Town Hall Blackbarrel Gold

Town Hall Blackbarrel Gold. 9.1% ABV. Belgian Quad. Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, dark crimson coloring, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweetness at first. Fruit, spice, malt, and everything nice. Then the bourbon pops up, the vanilla and cherry, oak and char. So nice. Beautiful blend.

In the mouth: A mellifluous mix. Bourbon flavors spank the palate first, then on comes the blackberry. Bright, ripe berry flavors, with a lemon-y finish. Medium bodied, long-lasting flavors. Spicy, fruity, deep, dankalicious. Yum, a dum-dum!


This is a thoroughly unique creation from Town Hall. Blackberry bourbon barrel Belgian Blonde? Somehow it works.

Bourbon Barrel-aged strong Belgian blonde w/blackberry

Oliphant Super Squishy Blackberry and Raspberry Sour

Oliphant Super Squishy Blackberry and Raspberry Sour. Berry Sour Ale. With lactose, vanilla, coconut, and sea salt. 5% ABV. Brewed and crowlered by Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

You know what I said a little bit back about how I can only do sour ales in small doses? And remember the thing I've also said before about how my fascination with the Oliphant Brewing Company is akin to comic book collecting in that I can't help myself from trying them all, in a maniacal desire to complete a collection?  It's as if I had to buy that issue of Marvel Team Up where Spider-Man and the Thing battle the Basilsk because I have to have every appearance of Benjamin J. Grimm, even though I don't collect Marvel Team-Up, and am not as obsessed with Spider-Man as I am of the Thing...but I still like Spider-Man, too, I mean, who doesn't. I just don't need every appearance. I like him, just not in every single comic book.

And that's why it's time for another sour, this time from Oliphant. Yeah! Let's drink it...

Opaque, dark berry-colored, thick pink, lace-leaving  head. Good God, it's beautiful.

In the nose: Sweet meets tart. Berry upon berry. Creamy, salty, and, by Crom, coconut. It's all there. The legends are true. It's wacky, it's weird, and it just might work.

In the mouth: Whoa, that's good squishy. Big punch of berries and tartness, and this coconut comes right on in. Whoa, that wasn't expected, vanilla and cream pops up next. This is something else. Salt stays right in time with the rest. This one is really the sum of all it's parts, and then some.

I think it's pretty damned delicious. I wouldn't drink it on the regular, but it's a nice tasty treat for now and once in a while and then again.

I like the contrast between the salt, the sweet and the sour. I like that it uses that vanilla & lactose but isn't trying to muck it up by also making it an IPA, for the love of Benji.

Therefore, I heartily recommend that you check it out, and then go crazy, Broadway-style.

super squishy 
we called this super squishy because we are not very creative. if you have ever met any of us, you have probably said to yourself, “ wow, these guys are rectangular as a money bill; meaning they don’t have fun and wouldn’t know what to do with fun if it flew toward them like a speeding projectile”. so what can i say on behalf of all of us? nothing. we expect that you will enjoy this on an adequate level, at most, but also you might not like it, and that is fine too. back to my saltines!

raspberry & blackberry sour ale w/ coconut, lactose, & sea salt . 5% abv

Oliphant IFeelcream Blackberry

First Confession: I am an Oliphant Junkie. I need to add all of their beers to this blog. One by One, as best as I can, I'll do it. So this beer has to be reviewed. (Addendum: I'll never do it, there's plenty I 've missed and will never, ever see. But I'm not going to pack up and move to Somerset, just to continue this obsession to it's fruition.)

Second Confesson: is not a confession. I've said it over and over, I'm not into the milkshake beers, the lactose fruit beers, other variations on this. But, see #1.

Also, I tried it on tap at the brewery last week, and I liked it. So, here we go:

Also, I was drawn in my this parody of Frog & Todd, with these new characters Morg (Matt, I presume), and Joash (Josh, of course), and damn, it's wonderfully weird.

Oliphant IFeelCream, Blackberry, Fruit Ale, 8% all./vol. Brewed by Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Mildly hazy, very blackerry-y appearance, slim creamy/pinkish head.

In the nose: sweet, tart, fruity, berry-ish, lovely.

In the mouth: more fruit, more juice, more tart. Hardly any hops, lactose adds some creaminess, but not too much. I'm not encountering a beer smoothie, this time. There's enough bitterness here, and enough beer-y beerness, that I like it.

I like it quite a lot. All blackberry lactose ales should be this good.


ifeelcream
back from the depths of giant trevor's tiny black brew book: this beer. 

ale brewed with lactose and snuggled atop blackberries. 8% abv

Ballast Point Sour Wench Blackberry Ale

Ballast Point Sour Wench Blackberry Ale. Ballast Point Brewery, San Diego, CA. 7% ABV. 10 IBU.

Bright, bold crimson coloring, slimmed, creamy head above, looking good.

In the nose: tart, fruity, very blackberry.

In the mouth: Big sour from the start, big blast of blackberry. A little bit of lactic sour. Bright, bold, fierce. Puckering. Refreshing. Lightish bodied and easy drinking. Tasty.

If you're into fruity kettle sours, why, by all means.

This pretty lady will make you pucker.
Our Sour Wench Blackberry Ale is a fruity Berliner Weisse-style beer bursting with Oregon blackberry flavor and aroma. The fruit addition adds a beautiful violet hue, and the taste has an approachable soft tartness from kettle souring. This artful gypsy will surely lure you into the world of sour beers.

And here's more, less marketing-ese:
Sour Wench was a Home Brew Mart recipe that we made every year for the Southern California Home brewers Fest in Temecula. This Blackberry Ale was originally developed by Ballast Point’s original Master Brewer Peter A’Hearn and Colby Chandler. While interning in Germany, Peter fell in love with the Berliner Weiss style of beer. A beer made with a procedure in which the mash was soured. The tartness of the Oregon State Marion Blackberries, at one pound per gallon, was a perfect addition for this sour style. Sour Wench is not aged in oak barrels. In the end, it’s a great bridge beer into the sour styles.

Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Blackbarrel Gold

Town Hall Blackbarrel Gold. Barrel-aged Belgian blonde infused with blackberries. What barrel? I can't find the information anywhere. Wait, found something. I'll post it later. 9.1% ABV.

Clear, bright burgundy color, slim head that drifts to nothing in no time.

In the nose: dark fruit, berries, bright, sweet, ...oaky. Lemony.

In the mouth: Lemon bursts first, followed by the berries, and only later do the aspects of the barrel eke out. As a blonde ale is the base, it is entirely smothered by the extra effects. But, sometimes, that doesn't matter and we take full delight in the after-effects. Oddly enough, I don't get quite as much of the bourbon flavors as I'd like, for the fruit seems to have smothered that. It seems. Maybe if I drink more, I'll get it. Maybe.

It is tasty, though. Strong, beautiful, delicious. Far from sublime, but full of slippery pleasures.

A strong Belgian blond ale infused with fresh blackberries, aged in bourbon barrels, and finished with a touch of fresh lemon. Bright tart fruit balanced by Belgian yeast esters, round malt, and lingering oak and bourbon.

Blackberry Farm Native Series Blackberry Rye Farmhouse Ale

Blackberry Farm Blackberry Rye Farmhouse Ale, brewed and bottled by Blackberry Farm Brewery, Walland, Tennessee. 6.3% ABV. 15 IBU.

Poured into a Saison d'Erpe-Mere glass. Just because. Why not?

Clear, light amber hue, lace-leaving ivory froth.

In the nose: Very berry. Fruity, yet dry. Bursting with Belgian yeast. Love it. Just beautiful.

In the mouth: a little bit of spicy rye malt, the sweet blueberry fruit, and the result is clean and dry. Smooth and delicious, likable, and drinkable. So tasty.

thanks, Stan and Heidi!

Surly Heathen Temple Blackened Hefe Weizen

Back in June, way back when, I did another special event at Acadia involving Surly. There were two special beers involved. Yes, the other beers in the six for the showcase (don't call it a tap takeover!) weren't all that "special", in fact, we would have had them on tap anyway. Perhaps that's why it wasn't as well attended as we wished. The event just wasn't special enough. You've got to be legit, man.

So, one of those was this, called Heathen Temple after the song of the same name by that popular grindcore combo, Pig Destroyer. We got one small 5 gallon keg that was gone with a quickness. Before the emptying of the keg transpired, I did some jottings. Here they are:

3.9% ABV. 25 IBU.

Solid blackness, creamy, soft tannish brown head on top.

Smooth, sweet nose, light & lovely.

In the mouth: sweet 'n' fruity at first, lightly bitter, little taste of juniper & blackberry pops up. Smooth & creamy, medium bodied. Bitterness rises just a tad. Long, bittersweet finish, ending on the smooth side.

Damned interesting beer. And I can dig it.

Here's what the website says:

BLACKENED HEFE-WEIZEN
Inspired by Pig Destroyer, an American grindcore band whose music can often be heard blasting out of our breweries on brew days, this isn’t your ordinary Hefe-Weizen. Brewed with Midnight Wheat Malt from Briess Malting, tart blackberries, and dry-hopped with Chinook, Aurora and El Dorado hops, this hazy black beer is dry and roasty, yet offers aromatic fruity notes.

We brewed this beer to celebrate the first ever Minnesota performance by Pig Destroyer in April 2016. The name, Heathen Temple, is the title of a song from the band’s 2007 album, Phantom Limb. Scott Hull, one of Pig Destroyer’s founding members, is a craft beer fan and lists Surly’s beers as some of his favorite brews.