Wabasha Green Avenger IPA

Wabasha Green Avenger IPA. 

6.8 % ABV, 75 IBU, Wabasha Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 

And here we have the second appearance here in the Nib of the Wabasha Brewing Company, and yet again, it is a sample I got for free. I nearly bought an IPA called Space Monkey, because who can resist that name, but it sold too fast. For some reason, though, folks are not as attracted to female green aliens with space boobies. I don't know what's up with that, it works for me. 

Anyway, on to the beer...

Clear, amber hued, large, lush creamy-white head. Looking nice. 

In the nose: soft, floral, and...huh. A trickle of pine. Caramel malt? "Do I detect a note of juniper?"

In the mouth: Some citrus and spice starts it off. Lands with a dull thud. Doesn't sparkle on the palate in any way shape or form. Flavor lasts long, but doesn't engage. For 75 IBU, the bitterness makes little impact. Veeers too close into sweetness. This is the kind that would make certain people say, "they've crafted the perfect IPA--no bitterness!" 

One of the weakest IPAs I've had in recent memory. Glad I didn't pay for it. And I am no closer to wanting to buy anything from them again. 

"Blasting through time and space, to make contact with your smiling face"

And that is the information that the label wants to give us. 

Wabasha Son of Eric Cream Ale

 Wabasha Son of Eric Cream Ale.

6.2%  ABV, Wabasha Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

And here, dear readers, we find the very first appearance in the Nib of the Wabasha Brewing Company of St. Paul, MN. I know, I am as surprised as you are. 

I made one appearance at their old taproom, over five years ago. I never wrote about that visit, unfortunately. And I took a growler of their Red Desert IPA home with me, and took notes, but never published those, for reasons unexplainable. Their cans appeared in local stores, but I was never inspired to purchase them. For a brief time, a sales representative courted me in my capacity as beer buyer for Acadia Cafe, but he never provided me with samples that I could take home and review here. Also, I was taken with some of the samples we did try together, but he never followed through to check back and finish the order. Since working at a retail establishment that carries their beer, I have not yet been moved enough to spend my own money on their product, although I have come close. And so, my first notes on the works of this brewery come from a sample can of a style I mostly avoid because the beer buyer passed it on to me, and when I have a beer, I must review it.

(Editor's note: If I have an old beer, that I receive because it is old, I do not review it. It's just not fair to the beer.)

Clouded, opaque, amber color, short white head.

In the nose: malt-forward, slightly sweet, yeasty. Is there rye malt here? It’s just a bit unusual. Makes me think of earthy Belgian amber ales, not cream ales.

In the mouth: fruity and spicy. Again, a rye bread feeling in the mouth. Some citrus appears, a light hop presence, low to no bitterness. Much more interesting and complex than I’d expect from a cream ale. I’m not sure what to make of this, but I am enjoying it. It's perfectly fine for what it is. Whatever that is. Decent beer and you can drink it. Who knows, Maybe I'll like more from these guys, we'll see. 

Nordic Cream Ale, full bodied and smooth. A great anytime beer. Light blonde in color with a pure white head. 

Wait a minute. "Light blonde"? The beer I had wasn't light blonde, and all the photos on Untappd are. What was in this can? Was I drinking the wrong beer? Did they mislabel it? What the hell did I drink? This was a sample from the brewery, and couldn't have been too old.