Modist Supra Deluxe & also another beer....but not in that order.

Some facts: 1. I like Modist Brewing and the beers they make. 2. I'm not as much a fan of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, and it's products, such as Bud Light. 3. Not really into their advertising, especially when it denigrates craft beer. 4. And this is tangential, but related: I'm rather rigid in my use of the English language. I don't adopt new phrases, slang, or jargon very easily or quickly. Nothing is ever "on point", and certainly not "on fleek." I've never typed "dat (blank) do" in to a FaceBook comment. And I'm the only one in America upset that the verb "grab" has completely replaced take, have, get, procure, find, locate....practically ever other verb, really.

A few months ago, Bud Light debuted a new ad campaign using the catch-phrase "Dilly, Dilly!" and folks freaked out over it. The less said about that the better. I was confused how craft beer drinkers on- line (I didn't observe this overtly in real life) went wild using this silly advertising slogan. Even losing their shit over it's usage by a sports announcer during a football game. I scratched my noggin about why these supposed craft beer enthusiasts felt ownership of these words.

And then Modist got in on the act and named a hazy Mosaic hop double IPA after that popular slogan,  along with a logo aping that of Bud Light, perhaps aware that this would quickly catch A-B's attention. Only 200 crowlers were released, with a liberal allotment of six per person, as if they wanted it out and done, at open of day, noon on Friday, December 1. I'm never anywhere at that time unless I have to be, but if I had raced downtown to get my hands on some, I could have been there for the humorous proclamation read by a local actor gently delivering the cease & desist. Should have had a trumpeter announcing the arrival of the town crier, too, I think. And I'll admit it was amusing to see A-B do something clever that took a little work, rather than just the typical lawyer stuff. Offering up some Super Bowl tickets as a consolation prize was nice, too. If you don't know anything about this event, just Google it, Youtube it, it's out there.

I can't support any kind of celebration of "Dilly, Dilly!" because of this: the commercials, especially the first one, support conformity in a way that goes against my very core. Sir Jeremy approaches the throne and offers up a six pack of Bud Light. The king declares him a friend of the realm, because everyone loves Bud Light. A woman comes forward and gifts the royals with a 12-pack and Madame Barbara is declared a greater friend because, of course, she brought more. The only thing better than the beer everyone loves is more of it. Then some sniveling hipster steps up with a wax-topped brown bottle and his gift is met with an incredulous "what is this?" Sir Reginald or whatever calls it a "spiced honey mead wine {huh?} that I'm really into right now." That last part is important. It reveals him as a weird dude into strange shit that's all his own. The opposite of what this Bud Light loving kingdom enjoys, or even understands. Who is this creep to attempt to introduce us to something different that may challenge our current conceptions? We don't want to become part of a small culture who digs weird stuff, instead of locking step with sameness like we do.

This king does not muse upon this gift with wonder and thank Sir Reggie (or whatever his name was, I'm not watching the video again just to get his name right) for opening his eyes to possibilities beyond Bud Light. No, he's instantly sent to "the pit of misery." Fuck you for not giving me more Bud Light! And as A-B continues to buy craft breweries and make even more money from their products, they're mocking us, people. I just don't see what's so funny about Dilly Dilly.

Someone will read this and say "it's just a funny commercial." "Where's your sense of humor?" Oh, I've got one. I just prefer to present a differing viewpoint. But for the land of Bud Light people who throw someone in a dungeon for not drinking swill, I'll chuckle and move on. Laughing at it is like applauding a bully, something I just can't do. I don't want to give it much more attention than that,( even if I just did.)

Anyway, I hadn't been to Modist in way too long, was grieving that I skipped them for much of the summer for no reason, and finally found the time on Sunday, the 3rd of December. Crowlers had been sold out long ago of the Dilly, Dilly beer and the memory of the event was still exciting and intoxicating to all around. The King of Beers noticed us! Calloo, Callay! And I continue to grumble, because that's what I do.

It's a hazy one, cast in an dull, dirty off-yellow-ish tone. Not especially pretty. Tell you what, I'll just quote directly from my notebook, without any pretense of turning the notes into structured sentences: "clouded, juicy/fruity, moderate bitterness, increasing on the palate, ending dry. Yeasty mouthfeel, slightly sweet vs. bitter, powerful, and palatable. I like this. Smooth and oat-y."

Grondin wants to eat my beer!

Yeah, I dug Dilly, Dilly, but the hazy double IPA has not unseated the not-hazy DIPA as beverage of choice. I turned next to a glass of Ritual Night, the Mexican dark chocolate stout, which I did not take notes on, as I hope to find some cans, somewhere, some day. I chased that with a Deviation 09, which is one of my favorites, and I'd thought to suspend my stay, until I saw some friends and had to join them. Naturally, I got one more beer and made it a second D, D!, so that we could all Dilly, Dilly together, because that's what we do now, and no one lived in fear of the pit of misery and enjoyed their Mosaic hop double IPA happily ever after.

and then what did I do? I took home a crowler of the one Modist beer that is anything close to Bud Light and I wrote these notes about it:


Modist Supra Deluxe. "American Japanese lager." 5% ABV. Modist Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Crystal clear, bright golden hue, slight white head that drifts down to a tight ring.

In the nose: clean, dry, elegant. Cereal notes, delicate, small sweetness.

In the mouth: Faintest taste of hops up front, then all is clean and smooth. Light-bodied, crisp, dry, moderate fruity sweetness, exceptionally drinkable. This is a lovely lager, one that I can drink happily. But I will not "dilly, dilly"....

An dry, crisp American Japanese style lager brewed with over 40% rice and Premium Extra Pale Pilsner malt and hopped with Japanese Soriachi Ace hops.

Schell's Snowstorm 2017 Rye Ale / Minnesota Breweries One by One #54

Schell's Snowstorm 2017. Rye Ale. 6.1% ABV. August Schell Brewing, New Ulm, MN.

Clear, bright  auburn color, ample cream-toned froth atop. Looking nice.

In the nose: spicy, biscuity-y, rye malt. Just sweet enough.

In the mouth: Nice! Rye malt spices up the malt, body is smooth, on the light side. It's a good drinker, easy going, tasty. Not too much complexity to this, but the flavor is fine and plentiful. Good one.

Reddish brown ale with hints of spicy rye and bread crust. Ideally suited for brisk Northern nights.

Hey, while we're at it, let's take a moment and look back at my visit to August Schell Brewing Company last year. It's a lovely day, and the Bier Garten is open on a Sunday, so Jason and I drove (well, he drove, I sat in the passenger seat) 93 miles, for 1 hour and 45 minutes to New Ulm, MN, and the 54th brewery that I visited last year. We couldn't go inside, mind you, and there was no taproom. A window was open and we could purchase our beers there and drink them in the Garten, stroll through the grounds, soak up all the history and beauty.

This was only my second time at Schell's, the first being six years prior, on the occasion of their 150th Anniversary. I couldn't live with myself having not been to Minnesota's oldest brewery, and the second oldest family-owned brewing operation in the nation, and in that case it was Jason and Angie who helped me get there, too. What excellent friends they are. That time there was a tour, and we could go inside, and get a guided history lesson, and a much wider variety of beers to try. On the other hand, there were no deer to be seen, and only a pea-hen, and some pea-chicks, but not a single peacock. Were they all hiding from the crowds? August Schell routinely finds itself on every list you can find of the most essential, most beautiful breweries to visit, but without the deer and peacocks, I felt cheated.

Look, way in the back, it's a Schell's deer!

Not this time, there were plenty of deer resting in a fenced off area, and peacocks roamed at will. As far as beers, I had two, the Hefe Weizen, and it was an appropriate choice for the day's weather, and the new Fort Road Helles lager, which is now available in cans. It was perfectly fine as a Helles lager, but I'm not much of a lager fan, so I've never bought a six-pack of it. (And this was certainly not an occasion for jotting down notes in the ol' notebook. And don't go telling me to use my phone.) I'll definitely review it if someone from Schell's gives me a sample, hint, hint. It went down nice and easy in the July heat.

It was a beautiful Sunday, and the beer was right, the grounds were stunning and gorgeous. All you have to do is walk around and enjoy the pretty. A perfect way to while away an afternoon. After two beers, Jason and I had to get on the road in order to click a few more breweries off the checklist in our quest to see them all in 2016. Our next stop was a brewery in Blue Earth, 66 miles due south and over an hour away, and we had to get there, then off to stop number three before it got late and dark. I'll tell you about those visits, too, soon. Meanwhile, a few more pictures:

Jason at the fountain. 

I got a deer to pose with me,
but he didn't have much to say.

drunken gnome!

peacock on the rooftop!

peacock in the parking lot!

contented gnomes.

One further note before I forget. We were trying to coordinate our visit to Schell's with an appearance at the Starkeller taproom, which had yet to open, elsewhere in New Ulm. That didn't happen in 2016, so I was glad we got a stop at Schell's in of some kind. StarKeller, the home for their barrel-aging program finally opened earlier this year, and is high on my list of new beer place to see, and drink at.

Broken Clock Nordic Night Winter Porter / MN Breweries One by One #120

Broken Clock Nordic Night Winter Porter. 6.3% ABV, 46 IBU. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, Minneapolis, MN.

To the eye: Dark brown color, with ruby highlight, under a solid cocoa-tinged slice of foam.

In the nose: Some sweetness, a little fruit, a touch of spice, but altogether a malty affair. There's an interesting blend of spices here, mingling with the cocoa, caramel, & coffee underneath.

In the mouth: Warm and flavorful from the first sip. Medium bodied, long malty finish. Nice integration of flavors, well balanced. Great iteration of a spiced wintry porter. I haven't had one of those in a while, and they can be a refreshing change of pace.

Official word from the brewery: Chocolate and spice aroma with strong dark chocolate and toffee flavors intermingled with spices, including nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cinnamon. 

This will be the seventh beer I've tried from this brewery, thanks to samples. And I've decided to make this post also Minnesota Breweries One by One # 120, because I paid them a visit back on Saturday, September 16, in between my first taste of Head Flyer and my first time at the new 56 brewing facility.

Broken Clock is at 3134 California Street in NE Minneapolis, occupying the same space as 56 before them, and NorthGate before that. Their operations are hindered in the same way as those others due to their lack of proper rest room facilities, which prohibits them from running a taproom on premises. Occasionally they are allowed certain "pint nights" when they may serve sixteen ounces to customers, as long as they've rented out a Biffy, or any other brand of portable water closet.

I'd first heard of Broken Clock through the promotions of my friend Dale Thomas, one of the directors of this collective. At the time, there was some confusion between this upcoming brewery and another with a similar-sounding name, Clockwerks. In hindsight, we can surely have two "Clock" breweries, just as we have three that start with "In-" and two that start with "North", despite occasional lawsuits.

As stated above, I got to try their beers through samples and have had two of their beers on tap at Acadia, where I'm in charge of ordering. I like supporting the plucky upstarts and these guys are as plucky as any of them. It helps, also, if the beer is quality stuff, and it is.

This was stop number three for me on the 16th of September, after a fight and some at Headflyer and a pint at Bauhaus to stop and figure out how to get there. It wasn't hard at all, since I'd been there before last October, when I stopped in at 56 Brewing at that location. You do have to look for it, though. This was not one of those aforementioned pint nights, just a regular tastings and growlers/crowler sales. They would let you drink your crowler on premise, if you wished, using

Clocks are not only in the logo at Broken Clock.

plastic cups that they provide. There wasn't anything on at the time that I hadn't had yet, or hadn't reviewed here before, so I sampled them again while talking to the brewers who were manning the taps. Took home a Sundial IPA in a crowler, but chose to save it for later, rather than consuming all 750 milliliters there at the picnic table. I would have needed a friend to help me out with that.

I was up-to-date with Broken Clock at that time, but when I check Untappd, it seems that I've missed out on an Imperial Stout called RISe', and a Spruce ESB. I like what they're doing here, and it seems like they're using a home-brewer's sense of experimentation and achieving professional results.

So, it looks like I need to get out there again and keep with their new products. I can't always expect to stay on top of the scene by waiting for breweries to bring me samples. I mean, that would be great, of course. And is it that much to ask, really? (Dear readers: this is one of those statements that I make from time to time that is meant to be read tongue in cheek.)

Never mind, I'll check in on Broken Clock very soon.  Nice beers, all around. Keep 'em coming guys.

Toppling Goliath Fire, Skulls, & Money India Pale Ale

Toppling Goliath Fire, Skulls & Money IPA. Toppling Goliath Brewing, Decorah, Iowa. 7% ABV.

To the eye: Highly hazed, bright orange, tight ring of ivory foam atop. Glass of O.J. or "hazy IPA"?

In the nose: soft and citrus-y. Pineapple, orange, and lemon. Mango. A splash of grapefruit. A li'l splash. Big fruit, low bitterness.

In the mouth: All the above, dropped on the palate. Very smooth, but with greater bitterness than the nose ever knew. Long, lingering hoppy flavors. Very meek and mild malt. Big time citrus attack. Smooth and creamy.

You know, this is all right. It's not my favorite style of India Pale Ale, but I don't hate it.

Inspired by a trip to the west coast, designed to capture the wild spirit of adventure and brewed to be enjoyed with friends. This rich IPA is for those with wanderlust in their heart and fire in their eyes. Join our Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Nelson Hops on a journey to the bottom of your glass.

Well, maybe I just need more wanderlust in my heart and fire in my eyes to like this better. I guess.

Indeed Mango Helio

Indeed Wooden Soul Mango Helio Brett Saison. Wood barrel aged beer brewed with mango. Bottle Conditioned. 8% Alc. by Vol. Brewed and bottled by Indeed Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN.

Highly hazed, bright orange, short-lived ivory head.

In the nose: sweet mango notes butt heads with the sour. Wild funk emerges from the fruit.

In the mouth: More sour than sweet now, but not as puckering as some would wish. Me, I'm fine with it. Quite fine. We don't need our palates attacked with fierce acidity all the time, do we? Medium bodied, quite consumable.



Whenever some folks hear "mango" they ask: "it's not too sweet, is it?" No one wants "too sweet", but they forget that brewers know what they're doing, and will rarely produced that "too sweet" that they're so afraid of, and in this case, have got it quite right. Not too sour, not too sweet, not too fruity, neither.

I like it. One thoroughly complex and intriguing barrel-aged fruit sour saison. A lot going on there, and a lot to like.

Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo Pale Ale

Dogfish and Woolwich present Pennsylvania Tuxedo. A pale ale brewed with Pennsylvania spruce tips. 8.5% all. by vol. Brewed and bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE.

Lightly hazed, amber/golden hue, small off-white head.

In the nose: floral, citrus hop notes, bread-y malt background. Nice enough.

In the mouth: Those spruce tips come on strong at the front. Big pine and citrus attack on the palate. Spicy and spruce. Nice. Medium bodied, easy-drinking, just enough hops, adequate malt, everything works on all levels.

Good spruce, hoppy, sweet and malty pale ale and you can drink it.

A spruce-infused pale ale, Pennsylvania Tuxedo pays homage to the flannel-suited hunters and gatherers who dwell deep in the backcountry of north-central PA.

Brewed in collaboration with family-run outdoor clothing company Woolrich, Pennsylvania Tuxedo is a sessionable concoction with a grassy citrus kick complemented by the resinous conifer notes of fresh green spruce tips. We went into the forests of north-central Pennsylvania and Georgetown, Del., to pick these fresh tips ourselves.

A dry yet doughy malt backbone lets the hops and spruce shine while still balancing out the bitterness, making this one an easy sipper.

Pryes Imperial Pumpkin

Pryes Imperial Pumpkin, a hand-crafted limited batch made with fresh pumpkins and natural spices. Bottle #129/250. 10% alc./vol. Pryes Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

I'm done with pumpkin beers. Never choose them for myself, and the heat is so off that I've skipped ordering kegs for the bar. But I heard good things about this very limited bottle (the first for Pryes) and though I missed it at the taproom, somehow a bottle found it's way into my hands. (Thanks, Alex!)

Clear, bronze/amber color, lasting, if small, white head atop.

In the nose: sweet pumpkin-y flavor, and some spices, creamy, and inherently likable.

In the mouth: fruit and vegetable rich and plump in the mouth. No hops, much malt, and sweetness int the flavor. Read that as: delicious. Just the right taste, going on here.

Alcohol rears it's head: 10%? Really? I guess so. Warm, rich, and wonderful. Well done. I liked this all the way through.

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

Lakefront Shop 2 Centennial IPA

Lakefront Shop (Single Hop) Series #2 Centennial India Pale Ale. Ale made exclusively with Centennial hops. Brewed and bottled by Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI. 7% ABV, 50 IBU.

Lightly hazed, amber hued, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweet malt starts the show, with Centennial hot on it's heels. Piney, leafy, citrus-y, green.

In the mouth: Big bitterness from the start. Grapefruit, orange, lemon. Medium-bodied, long hoppy finish. Nice, tasty session IPA. I like this more and more as we go.


In 1974, amid the Watergate scandal, Queen’s follow-up album, and The Brady Bunch getting nixed, hop growers at Washington State University discovered a special breed in their fields. Descended from five different hop strains, with one helluva citrus aroma, they dubbed the young cones “CFJ90”. Maybe the WSU team took 26 years to refine CFJ90? Maybe they waited for Ice Cube’s solo debut? Either way, in 1990, they unleashed the new hop, renamed “Centennial”, to eagerly-awaiting brewers. Often used alongside similar hops, we thought Centennial deserved its own solo in our Single HOP IPA series. 
SHOP–Centennial pours deep gold with a rocky white head. A generous Centennial dry hopping gives it a punchy grapefruit and orange blossom aroma, while late boil hop additions add plenty of floral and citrus zest flavors up front with biscuity Munich malt in tow. Medium bodied, SHOP–Centennial finishes with lingering orange peel.

Oliphant Big Jilm Northern English-style Brown Ale .

Oliphant Brewing Big Jilm Northern English-style Brown Ale. 5.1% ABV. Canned on 08/22/2017. Somerset, WI.

Clear, reddish brown color, slim white head, drifting down in a quickness.

In the nose: sweet and malty, bright and fruity. Highly likable.

In the mouth: lean and clean. Low bitterness, mostly malty. Nicely balanced. Beautifully drinkable.

This is another one that I've either missed or passed up over time, because the style isn't one of my favorites. I'll take an IPA over a brown ale every time. I will drink them, though, and appreciate a good one. This one is one of those. Very nice. (I am disappointed upon looking at my Untappd activity that I've never even tried it. 189 check-ins for the brewery, and not once for this one, though it's been on when I've been there. Silly me.)

conan wrecks savage havoc on the world, by crom! big jilm leathers up for the cabaret. 

If you know what that means, you know more than me.

"Big Jilm" is a song on Ween's "Pure Guava" album that I haven't been able to get out of my head once it gets in, for twenty-five years now. Click on the video, and it'll get you, too. Or not. It's an acquired taste.

Milwaukee Citrus Happy Grapefruit IPA

Milwaukee Citrus Happy Grapefruit IPA. 6% ABV, 55 IBU, Milwaukee Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI.

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: All grapefruit. Big grapefruit. You want grapefruit? Here it is. And, not much else.

In the mouth: Moderate bitterness, and huge grapefruit. Lean bodied, clean malt flavor, cool and easy drinking. And all-out grapefruit. It's a good IPA, and you can drink it.

Single hopped with Centennial hops provides rich, piney, earthy and fruity hop backdrop to the incredible citrus bouquet and flavor from the use of real grapefruit juice.

Bright, juicy and loaded with refreshing citrus flavor. The Citrus Happy Series is a new line of citrus inspired flavored IPA?s that will tickle your taste buds and quench your thirst.
All the IPA?s in this series are based on a compliment to our year round Hop Happy IPA. The recipe is aggressive citrus and hop aromas up front with a light golden malt
backbone to really bring the citrus flavors forward.

Surly Darkness Russian Imperial Stout 2010, Seven Years Along

Six weeks ago, I sat down with a Drkness 2012. Three weeks ago, it was time for a 2011. And now, it's time for Surly Darkness 2010. Russian Imperial Stout. Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN. 10.3% ABV.

Complete and thorough blackness, rich roasted head, long lasting, looking amazing..

In the nose: campfire, molasses, anise, dark rum, all kinds of cocoa.

In the mouth: bigness, richness, so much sweet, with plenty of bitter, non-stop richness. So nice, so good. Seven years in, I didn't think I'd find a flawless Imperial Stout. It's not missing a damn thing. The 2011 I had 3 weeks ago felt a little oxidized. This one? Not at all. More, give me more!

Still drinking, still enjoying, still slayed by the richness and the maltiness and the hops that keep it just in check. So sweet, so tasty. Everything is as should be. Nice, nice, and very nice.

So very nice that I can't believe that this one has lasted 7 years without losing anything in the flavor department, or body, or texture, or richness. You just never know.

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.

Summit Union Series Imperial Russian Stout

Summit Union Series Imperial Russian Stout. 19th Century Style Export-style Stout. 10.5% Alc. byVol. Summit Brewing Company, St. Paul, MN.

Solid blackness, dark brown head, settles down to a tight ring.

In the nose: richly malty, intensely chocolate-y. Anise, molasses, dark rum, espresso. Big malt sweetness, with a hefty dose of hop bitterness, too.

In the mouth: Thick. Viscous. Deep, dark, and really rich. Starts bitterness, smooths into sweet malty notes. All the typical associations of imperial stout pop up. All those hints noted from the nose are at play on the palate. Bitterness increases and blends well with the massive malt, as the alcohol rears it's head. Still plenty of bitter-sweetness, but it's well attenuated and ends dryly.

Quite nice. I'm drinking from a sample bottle, but when I see some 6-packs, I'll be stocking up.

I'm just a little curious why they're calling this "Imperial Russian Stout" instead of the usual "Russian Imperial." Stone also calls theirs that, but I don't remember why. I'm not fond of it because it suggests that it's an imperial version of a Russian stout. Russian Imperial stouts aren't Russian. They were named that because they found favor with the Russian Empire. Well, knowing Damo, there's got to be a good reason.

Inspired by the union of new, modern ingredients with an authentic British recipe from the 1840s, our sixth Union Series beer combines massive malt character from brown, black, chocolate, and heritage pale malts with huge amounts of Olicana and Minstrel hops — two new British varieties. Aged for six months and featuring notes of licorice, bitter chocolate and dark fruit, this powerful export stout brings the intensity.

Ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown Ale

Sometimes, I get a beer that I've had before, but not for a long time. And I did write notes on it, but long ago. So, I look at those notes and say "they are good." And I make a new post, with a picture of the beer I'm drinking now, and the notes I took, say, in August of 2007. Only 10 years ago, that's all? From a bottle purchased in Wisconsin, probably after going to Great Taste of the Midwest with Cal. And I never had another since? Well, there are so many more beers to try! And when in Wisconsin....well, we don't need to go there to get Ale Asylum, it's available here in Minnesota, now.

Wait....Madison...Mad-town...Ale...Asylum....oh, now I get it! Only took me 10 years.

Ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown Ale, Madison, WI. 5.5% ABV. "A supremely diggable nut brown ale...." (is it an asylum or a cemetery?)

Caramel brown color, , slim head...

Sweetness in the nose, plenty caramel, with cocoa and nut tones...malt-alicious!

On the tongue, more of the same, but dry-ish....nutty and chocolatey.
Smoothness reigns here. And flavor is in abundance. Moderate carbonation, medium bodied, and the sweetness is tempered with light hops at each sip.

Junkyard King Size Imperial Peanut Stout / Minnesota Breweries One by One #58

I had a beer the other day that I want to tell you about. But first, let's go back in time, back to last July, when Jason and I both visited the Junkyard Brewery in Moorhead for the first time. I'll be doing a few of these 2-fers, the notes of a brewery I saw last year as part of my year-long tour of taprooms, with a review of a beer I've had from them recently. And I've been waiting too long for this one. Don't ask why it's taken so long, there really is no good reason. I live in eternal shame.

We had to go to 236 miles to Moorhead, college town, seat of Clay County, largest burg in NorthWest MN, population 42, 000. (Only 88% of them non-Hispanic whites.) We'd heard so many good things about the Junkyard Brewery, and they'd been around for about 3 years already. It was high time we checked them out for ourselves. If only they weren't so far away! A nearly 4-hour drive up highway 94, through typical Minnesota stretches of nothing. We left late in the morning in on Wednesday, July 27, in order to drive through all that endless expanse, get to our hotel room, unpack our bikes, and pedal a couple miles north to 1416 First Avenue N. shortly after the taproom had opened. Our plans included biking through the neighboring city of Fargo, North Dakota after leaving Junkyard and seeing three of it's four breweries. So, we had to soak up as much of Junkyard as we could in a limited time.

The atmosphere is cozy, warm, unpretentious. We found seats at the bar, and I took it all in. Immediately, I got a feeling like the late, lamented Harriet Brewing taproom: artsy, fun, a bit ramshackle, and utterly unpretentious. An artsy/hippie feel permeating what seemed like a converted garage. Replicas of the logo art of their various beers through the years decorated the walls, and the usual signs of a taproom had their place in the space: there's the little stage for the music, free popcorn over there, board games over here, merchandise and apparel over yonder. The room was already filled with locals populating the wooden benches, just after opening. I felt like we could really relax here.


Looking up at the chalkboard, we see a wide range of beers: cream ale, pale, session, coconut dark ale, peanut butter stout, imperial stout, and double

IPA. A lot to choose from, and we followed what is often a familiar pattern. Jason does a flight if he's at a brewery for the first time, and I just go with my gut, and pick full pours (or small ones, to stretch out the sampling.) We sample from each of ours, and usually get a chance to try everything that way. I had Hop Habit pale ale, and found it hop-forward, of course, with notes of tropical fruit and pine, smooth and delicious. Right up my alley. Next up, Peanut Butter Bandit, which I recently took further notes on, now that crowlers are available near us here in the Cities. I was impressed to say the least.

From there, I moved to a Green Ghost double IPA, bright, floral, fruity, piney and resinous. Another that hit me right where I lived. Next up, Big Kahuna coconut dark ale, and it delivered big, big flavors. I finished up with Coal Miner's Daughter Russian Imperial Stout, 10.2% ABV, roasty, chocolate-y, with plenty of hoppiness, ending dryly.

Jason enjoyed his flight of Scrounger Cream Ale, Loral Session Ale, Peanut Butter Bandit, and Coal Miner's Daughter. Or did he have Green Ghost? Hop Habit? It's not in my notes, and it's hard to remember after seventeen months. And my nephew Pat enjoyed his, whatever it was. No matter. In the end, we were highly impressed with Junkyard's output that day. The service was friendly and welcoming, the mood was convivial, it was a wonderful afternoon. All the beers were exceptional and exceeded expectations.




















There was one thing wrong with this visit to Junkyard and that's that I couldn't take any home with me. At this point in time, crowlers were only filled and sold on Fridays and Saturdays, which didn't help us out on a Wednesday afternoon. My brewery visits would have been much different if I weren't a weekend bartender and didn't try to see these places on my days off, Thursdays and Sundays (I took time off on a Wednesday just for this trip), so my bank balance doesn't take a hit. Thinking back, I wished I'd thought of writing to the owners and managers about my visit, perhaps asking if they could
fill a few for me for review. Going four hours out of your way to try some beers is no small thing.

My nephew Patrick Wagner, second son of my
sister Jean, matriculating at Moorhead, joined
us for a beer. He was the second of her three
children to meet me at a brewery last year, and
she joined us herself at the year's final brewery.

I wished that we could have returned the next day, but they didn't open until 4 pm, and our plan was to hit three breweries on our way back down. There was no way we could hang out in Moorhead until Junkyard opened, then see those three. Well, if we didn't mind coming home after midnight, but that wasn't going to work. All in all, seeing seven breweries in two days
wasn't a small accomplishment.


































Well, now the crowlers are available at local stores, and
the Junkyard beers are just a little trip away. Hallelujah.

Here's one of the best of them:

Junkyard King Size. Imperial Peanut Stout. 12.6 Percent Alc/Vol. Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN.
"The perfect combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and indescribable deliciousness."

One of my favorite resources these days is Untappd, for the information about beers, if not for the user reviews. Untapped tells me that Junkyard Brewery has made 209 beers, and that I've had, what, 12 of them? No, checked in 12 times, three times for Peanut Butter Bandit, once at the taproom last year, and two crowlers since. This would be my second time with King Size, having gotten a taste of it from someone else's crowler last December. My point is, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

To the eye: Absolute blackness, complete opacity, rich brown head, softly drifting down.

In the nose: This one bursts out it's flavors. Peanuts, peanut butter, and all the chocolate comes streaming out.

In the mouth: Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Big, thick, rich, intense. Incredible. Huge in the peanut butter flavor, immense in the chocolate quotient, and just flat out amazing in the scope of it's imperial stout-ness. Big load of bitterness matches the terrific torrent of sweet. It's a wonderful blend. Very over the top, and doing it's best to knock me out.

I found one crowler of this and when I see another I'm starting my collection. I don't normally give a care about peanut butter beers, and I think it's a trend that should fade soon just as pumpkin beers have. But, this! This....oh, this. Just the right earthy, just enough sweet, and plenty of dark, rich, and delicious. Bittersweet, fantastically full-flavored, and impressive in every way.

Wow, wow, wow what a beer.

Wait, did I use the word delicious yet. If I haven't, I should. Yep. It sure is. Wow, wow....wait, that I know I said.