Back Channel Sky Crasher West Coast IPA

 Back Channel Sky Crasher West Coast IPA .

7.5 % ABV, Back Channel Brewing, Spring Park, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: bold and booming with citrus notes and stone fruit. Apricot and peach mingle pineapple and orange. Highly aromatic. 

In the mouth: hop assault on the palate, but too lean in the bitterness to truly make a mark as a West Coast. Medium bodied, mostly crisp and clean. but needs a bit more in the dry department. Not a truly successful attempt, I’m afraid. 

Citrusy // Piney // Resin

West Coast IPA

Ol’ George #25: How to Draw Ol’ George

 

Pizza Port Endless Shoreline India Pale Ale

 Pizza Port Endless Shoreline India Pale Ale.

7 % ABV, 65 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA. 

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

In the nose: bold citrus with a pinch of pine. 

In the mouth: fresh, fruity, and dry. Moderate bitterness, but plentiful hops. Medium bodied, long hop forward finish. Citrus tones meet with stone fruit. Easy drinking as she goes. 

I like this one fine, but it won’t replace Swami’s. 

Endless Shoreline IPA captures the essence of sun-soaked days with a refreshing burst of earthy tangelo and bright Meyer lemon. Brewed with Riwaka, Waimea, NZ Cascade, Crystal, & Columbus hops - the mid-palate reveals a tropical blend of sweet citrus, lush mango, and juicy papaya, transporting you to a beachside paradise. The finish is dry and crisp, leaving behind subtle hints of peppery lemongrass and a touch of slightly sticky resin. Just like the shoreline that stretches beyond the horizon, this IPA offers an experience that feels endless with every sip.

Bad Weather Sweater Weather Winter Warmer

 Bad Weather Sweater Weather Winter Warmer.

8.1% ABV, 35 IBU, Bad Weather Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

So much weather in that name. 

Winter is gone, but it ain’t spring yet. Birds are here, but they ain’t chirping. Grass is here, but it ain’t green. No flowers, no leaves on the trees, and we’re still wearing sweaters. Perfect time for the last can of this. 

Clear, dusky brown, voluptuous head, cream toned. 

In the nose: vanilla hits first, followed by cinnamon. Whither coconut? We’re getting hints.

In the mouth: again, vanilla is largest, the rest follow. Big malt, but maybe not robust enough. This is delicious, but I beg for more body. Not hating’, just saying. 

This comforting ale is made with toasted coconut, Saigon cinnamon, and vanilla bean. Also a dash of malted Kernza that aids in the cinnamon flavor of the beer. Kernza is a perennial grain that has been gaining popularity amongst brewers due to its sustainability.  Flavors and aromas of coconut, caramel, cinnamon, vanilla and toast. Medium bodied with a sweet/warming finish. Pours a clear reddish amber with a brown head. Enjoy by the fire or while watching the snow fall outside.

Dual Citizen WaveRacer West Coast IPA

 Dual Citizen WaveRacer West Coast IPA. 

7.1 % ABV, Dual Citizen Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Clear, bright golden hue, large and lasting milky white head.

In the nose: citrusy, sliver of pine, tiny tropical tones. 

In the mouth: big blast of bitterness plays on the palate, tantalized the tongue. Nice and dry. Slightest sweetness, but bitter wins out. Light bodied, easy drinking, with never-ending hoppiness. 

I think I like this one. 

Citrus Zest • Floral • Berries

A sunny West Coast style American IPA. 

Surly Niiice Beer

 Surly Niiice Beer. Tastes. Like. Beer. 

Available on tap or 16 ounce 12-packs. 

(Or is it “Surly This Beer is Niiice” as on the label and some tap menus?)

4.5 % ABV. Surly Brewing, Twin Cities, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: grainy, corny, beer-y. 

In the mouth: exceptionally simplistic, light. The light end of a golden ale, the say, which is very in-Surly. Quaffable, for sure, with real flavor to be found. Surly Furious, that made sense. Gotta put one out to please the plebians, I guess. 

Well, that makes two new Surly beers in a row that were clearly not made for me. 

C’est La vie. 

Balanced and approachable, not too hoppy, not too bland, this refreshing ale isn't just nice, it's NIIICE! If you want to call it a beer-flavored beer, go right ahead.

Ol’ George #24: Barley Whine

 Ol’ George #24: Barley Whine

Notes on #24:

1. I’ve been a fan of Bigfoot Barleywine-style Ale for probably 25 years, maybe more. They’ve been making it for 42. I will never forget the first time I tapped it, around 2008, at the Blue Nile. A man at the bar recognized the SN tap handle and said “oh, yeah, Sierra Nevada, I like them, I’ll take one.” Thinking it was the pale ale, I assumed. “This might not be what you think it is,” I told him.”No, no. Yeah, yeah, I’ll take it.” I poured his snifter and watched the confusion as he tried to make sense of this hoppy, nearly 10 % Barleywine. I tried! 

Amazingly, in those 42 years, they never changed the label illustration once. 

2. There is a disruption in continuity here. Normally, Chester drinks Grain Belt Premium, the friendly beer, as did his real life inspiration. But, after hearing of  the unexpected, untimely death of Falling Knife’s Tom Berg, I decided to pay him tribute by having Chester drinking a Tomm’s Lager, in his honor. I didn’t know him well, but he was always nice to me, although he took exception to my views on hazy IPAs, their stock in trade. Sorry, I just don’t dig them. I don’t think I have had a Tomm’s either, not being a lager lover. Maybe I’ll pick up a 4-pack to cheers the man, who left us too soon. 

3. Where did Chester go in the last panel? Out for a smoke, duh. Why didn’t he take his beer? I don’t know! Truthfully, I just wanted to draw Irma rolling her eyes at George’s smartassery.

4. Introducing a character so much taller than the others is difficult. That’s why I chose that age-old cartoon technique of having a character fall backwards out of the panel in response to a punchline, known as a “plop”! You never know when I will use it again!

Ol’ George #23: Everybody Plays the Fool

 

 

Ol’ George #23: Everybody Plays the Fool

Notes on #23:

1. George wants to play an April Fool’s Day joke on Irma and pretend that he’s given up beer for wine, and along the way make fun of the way wine people anthropomorphize wine with their descriptions. The style known as pèt nat, or petillant naturel (naturally petulant) is one example of this. In fact, I found that expanded on in this precocious piece I just found online. “ By nature, pét-nats are casual. They’re easygoing. They didn’t brush their hair when they got up, and they threw on yesterday’s jeans because, really, who cares?”

It’s also done a lot in descriptions. I recall someone (a friend? Someone from TV/ movies?) making fun of this by saying/quoting something like “it has an impudent nose” or some such. And I wondered where I had heard this and googled the phrase “impudent wine”. The first hits were for a French wine called L’Impudent.

It dawned on that we can mock such language, but it won’t change anything. I wrote this one and I chose not to check and see if there are any Insolent, Sassy, or Obsequious wineries out there. 

Does beer do this? A little, but maybe it’s more of a French thing. 

2. This is the second strip without any beer in it. The first was #2, for George hadn’t ordered yet. Balonious would be having a beer, if George wasn’t taking up Irma’s time with his smart assery.

Ol’ George #22: Head Like A Ball

Notes on #22:

1. I first heard of Gumballhead the Cat when I was ordering alternative comics for Shinders Readmore bookstore in downtown Minneapolis, back in the 90’s. He appeared in Skin Graft Comix and others publications, which no longer live in my collection. 

A decade or so later, Three Floyds Brewing released the titular Gumballhead beer, an American Wheat Ale. If they’d made it a pale ale or IPA, I’d pick it up more often. Wheat Ales are just not at the top of my list. 

Gumballhead was the last beer I tapped at Acadia. I can imagine how proud his creator must have felt when he first appeared on a tap handle. 

2. Rob Syers is the creator of Gumballhead the Cat and he’s still drawing his adventures, though you have to be a Patreon. I don’t think there’s ever been a collection. Syers’ Etsy store has plenty of awesome prints for sale. I still haven’t made up my mind between the Dark Lord Day poster where GBH has vanquished a foe, a la Frank Frazetta, with the spectral figures of Snoopy and Heathcliff behind him, or the one where GBH is inserted into a fictional cover of Jack Kirby’s Kamandi.  Better hurry, they’re both almost gone!

3. George knows that there’s no gum balls in the beer. He’s just a smartass. 

Dangerous Man Virgin Island Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout

 

Dangerous Man Virgin Island Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout.

10.8% ABV, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, MN. 

Solid blackness, complete opacity, slim brown head. 

In the nose: caramel and ash, vanilla and smoke, molasses, brown sugar, and leather.

In the mouth: dark malt and mysterious sweetness. Rich and complex, compounded treats upon treats. Rum a dum dum. Decadent and powerful. 

I’m going to relax and luxuriate with the remainder as I contemplate the history, the legacy, and the incredible twelve years of DMBC. 

Inbound Exit Stage Less West Coast IPA

 Inbound Exit Stage Less West Coast IPA. 

6 % ABV, 60 IBU, Inbound BrewCo, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: slightly sweet and tropical tones, pineapple, guava, etc. passion fruit. Grapefruit. 

In the mouth: fruit takes center stage on the palate, backed by bitterness. Sweet takes a backseat, as hoppiness and bitterness roll in. Medium bodied, especially refreshing, just enough blend of juice and abrasion to keep the mouth humming. 

I like this one. Wish they made more of it. 

West Coast IPA, notes of white wine and darkness.

I think they mean “dankness”.

Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter

 Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter.

8% ABV, 40 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA.

 Clear, dark brown color, Cecil slim beige head.

In the nose: big roasted coffee, earthy, spicy, slight cinnamon. Dark malt below. 

In the mouth: coffee grit all over the palate, roasty malt, with slight sweetness. All the best parts of coffeeI and Porter, wrapped up c cImperial. High ABV slowly but shows it’s strength. And through it all, I think, this is a delightful beverage. Even though eggs are too expensive and bacon is bad for me,I find this highly diggable. 

An Imperial Coffee Porter collaborated with Bird Rock Coffee Roasters 

Junkyard Bleed Green Irish Style Stout

 Junkyard Bleed Green Irish Style Stout. 

4.1% ABV, Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN. 

Thoroughly dark and opaque, slim, tannish head. 

In the nose: malty, bittersweet, notes of coffee & berries. Dark chocolate. 

In the mouth: rich, while clean, lean and dry. Rolls effortlessly off the palate. Media bodied, with an abundant collection of harmonious flavors. Chocolate, coffee, & bright berries at play, with a touch of nuttiness in there. Delightful. 

Only $12 the 4-pack, and it isn’t a hazy IPA, fruited sour, or pastry stout. Have to pounce on these when you see them in the wild. 

Bleed Green is a Dry Irish Stout has become an annual St. Patrick's tradition for us. It has plenty of dry-roasted character and roasted malt aromas thanks to the use of roasted barley. Revealing more complexity with each sip, it is defined by notes of coffee & cocoa and its full, dry body.

Ol’ George # 21: The Wearin’ O’ the Grin

Ol’ George # 21: The Wesarin’ o’ the Grin

Notes on #21: 

1. Damn, I misspelled “Begorra”! No one would have noticed, I’m sure, but now the secret is out. Some day I’ll figure out how to fix it…

2. I stole the title from the 1951 Chuck Jones Looney Tune wherein Porky Pig visits Ireland and is bedeviled by a pair of leprechauns. There’s a great Dali-esque surrealist scene at the end. 

3. Where does George’s pint and pipe go in panel four? I think that, much like characters in Tex Avery cartoons, George makes use of a pocket universe in which he stores and retrieves objects for use whenever he needs them. That makes sense. This firmly establishes George as a cosmic trickster god. Glad we got that ball rolling. 

4. George is not human sized, so the bar provides him with his own chair.

5. Sometimes, I forget to draw Irma on the inside of the bar. This one makes it look like she’s on the outside, sitting next to Chester. She’s always behind the bar. Don’t worry, I’ll get it right eventually, 

Pipeworks Shark vs. Unicorn Double IPA with Cascade, Galaxy, Cryo Simcoe and Nectaron

 Pipeworks Shark vs. Unicorn Double IPA with Cascade, Galaxy, Cryo Simcoe and Nectaron.

8.4 % ABV, Pipeworks Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clear, golden hued, slim white head. 

In the nose: tropical fruity, citrus hoppy explosion. Slight candy-ish sweetness. Quite pleasant.

In the mouth: bursting with bitterness at the start, like any good standing member of this category. Then, in rushes the juicy sweetness. Terrifically drinkable, despite the oncoming booze. Uh oh, here it comes.

Medium bodied, highly hopped, but not quite as bitter and dry as I really like. 

Ol’ George #20: India Pale Fail

Ol’ George #20: India Pale Fail

 Notes on #20: 

1. I realized after I wrote this that Balonious begins his litany of Wilting Turnip’s great IPAs by copying “Patrick Swayze Christmas “ from MST3K. 

And much later it dawned on me that they were riffing on an old Nat King Cole hit.

2. The punchline comes from Looney Tunes, but where did they get it? No one knows. Some say Vaudeville. They’re just guessing. 

3. George will never go to Wilting Turnip. He’s got everything he needs at Kelly’s.

Surly Mr. Surly’s Orange Whip Cream Ale

 Surly Mr. Surly’s Orange Whip Cream Ale. 

5.5 % ABV,  Surly Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Hey, look, everyone, Surly is making flavored cream ales! Ice Cream themed! Yaaaay! 

Available only in 12 packs for some reason. Luckily (?), I got a sample can. 

Clear and yellow, big white head that folds quickly. 

In the nose: sweet and fruity. Danged if it doesn’t smell like a dreamsicle. It’s got that going for it. 

In the mouth: okay, orange, we got that, little from malt or hops, but that shouldn’t be expected, as this is not a “beer-beer.” Not much else going on here. It’s a suggestion, somehow, of ice cream, and the flavor sparks no joy. Not terrible, but a far cry from anything I’d ever want to drink again. 

Mister Surly's Orange Whip Cream Ale is coming to your neighborhood. A dreamy concoction of vanilla, blood orange, hops, and malt, Mister Surly's Orange Whip is sweet, citrusy, and balanced. Treat yourself.

Ol’ George #19: Tick It To Ride

 Ol’ George #19: Tick It To Ride

Notes on # 19:

1: This strip needed a beer geek character and I decided it should be me. Balonious Funk is a play on my BeerAdvocate.com username FeloniousMonk. When I came up with it in 2002, I thought I was so very clever, unaware that the joke had been made many times before. 

2.  And now we have our very first continuity. The beer called Ferval’s Finest in #18 is the same that Irma served George in #11, 2 months ago. It’s been on tap all this time and hasn’t gotten any better.

Maybe Balonious heard how awful it is. He doesn’t care. 

Obolon Extra Kyivske Lager Beer

 Obolon Extra Kyivske Lager Beer.

12% ABV, Obolon Brewery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Drinking a Ukrainian beer, for obvious reasons. Not expecting it to be good, but that’s not the point. 

Clear and lightly clouded, bright golden hue, fine, lace leaving, ivory head. 

In the nose: smells like malt liquor! Grainy, corny, overly sweet. Vegetal. I’m anticipating a ton of booze. 

In the mouth: interesting. I’m gonna say “interesting.” The opposite of crisp. Not at all clean. A sweet, mushy mix of malt, some hops and a buttload of booze. 

But, if you just want a buzz, maybe it’s enough. I’m just drinking this to cheers Zelenskyy and Ukraine.

«Obolon Extra Strong» is a lager beer with a mild malt flavor combined with moderate hop bitterness and light wine tones. The peculiarity of the recipe is that the high alcohol content is achieved through the fermentation of high-gravity wort.

Half Acre Drip Castles West Coast Style India Pale Ale

 Half Acre Drip Castles West Coast Style Double India Pale Ale.

8% ABV, Half Acre Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim ivory head.

In the nose: citrus and pine, with a pinch of the tropical.

In the mouth: nice bit of bitterness up front, clean and dry. Medium bodied, with a mild, hoppy finish. Bitterness increases as alcohol strength rises. This doesn’t quite go the distance the way I’d like it to, but it does the trick. 

Drip Castle features Krush, a newly developed hop, paired with classic Chinook to claim fresh territory within the West Coast DIPA realm. Ultra clear on the pour, Drip Castle has a warm boozy note balanced by assertive bitterness and an extremely dry finish. Krush provides raspberry pie blended with the resin and pine from Chinook that hits under-appreciated flavor receptors. This holiday season, spend some time in the Castle.