Mob Craft Solid Non Fail Stout Imperial Stout

 Mob Craft Solid Non Fail Stout Imperial Stout.  

12% ABV, MobCraft Beer, Milwaukee, WI.

Solid blackness, thoroughly opaque, slim brown ring of foam.

In the nose: cinnamon and coffee cover up chocolate and caramel. Bittersweet and dry. Maple syrup.

In the mouth: rich, strong, deep, delicious. Maple syrup stands on top, met with cinnamon and cocoa. Lot of coffee going on, too.  Full-bodied, but not quite thick, while still rich and terribly tasty. 12%? What? 

Time to luxuriate and languor with this treat. Who says you can’t enjoy Imperial Stouts in July? Cowards and quitters, that’s who! 

Imperial Stout with hints of coffee and maple syrup

Belching Beaver Ride the Pine West Coast IPA India Pale Ale

 Belching Beaver Ride the Pine West Coast IPA India Pale Ale.

7.5% ABV. Belching Beaver Brewing, San Leandro, CA. 

Almost clear, golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: citrusy, with a pinch of pine. 

In the mouth: grapefruit starts it off, with orange, lemon, lime in the blend, pine on the side. Not as intense, bitter or dry as I’d hoped. A little too juicy. Like a hazy straining to become a WCIPA, but unable to cross the finish line. It’s a good IPA, but it misses the mark for a West Coast. They’ve done better. As it is, I enjoy it well enough. 

Hop harvest marks a unique occasion for brewers to use an ingredient available only once a year: wet hops. During normal processing, hops are dried, sacrificing many volatile aromas and flavors. Wet hops are expedited to the brewery so we can use them within hours of coming off the bine, thus preserving all of their hoppy wonder for you to enjoy.

BlackStack FarmersOnly.Com Funky Foeder Aged Farmhouse Adjacent Ale

 

BlackStack FarmersOnly.Com Funky Foeder Aged Farmhouse Adjacent Ale.

5% ABV, BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

And here we have a BlackStack beer that I bought with my own money. Why? Because it wasn’t $17 a 4-pack and it isn’t a DDH TIPA. I pick on them enough for making the same beer over and over with a new name that I feel that I ought to show some love when they do something different, as long as it isn’t $17 a 4-pack.

I don’t have a rule against all the IP theft, but it’s getting annoying. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white layer of froth.

In the nose: big citrus and spice. A lemon bomb! Loads of funk. Laden with oak. Quite promising.

In the mouth: tart and lemony from the start. Light bodied and supple. Tart and funky throughout. Citrus forward flavor fades just a bit. 

It tastes like a saison, saison enough. But wasn’t that always my problem with Farm Girl, that it wasn’t saison enough. What the darned heck does farmhouse adjacent mean? More BlackStack cheek?

All in all, I enjoyed it. Don’t stop making beers like this, BlackStack. Don’t forget about Belgium. 

City Folks Just Don't Get It. We got together with our buds at Lift Bridge Brewing Company to brew a riff on their OG Minnesota Tapline Staple, FARM GIRL, & sent it out to pasture with our House Culture in one of our American Oak Foeders

Junkyard Hasta Barista Coffee Blonde

 Junkyard Hasta Barista Coffee Blonde.

4.2% ABV, Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN.

Clear, amber hue, slim white head.

In the nose: earthy and sweetish coffee notes right up front, with a trace of cocoa behind. Hops wave from the background.

In the mouth: a kiss of the hops and a brisk taste of the coffee kicks it off. Body is mild and light. Drinkability is high. Coffee flavor, though somewhat slight, sticks around. 

I get what they are going for, and I like it, but I wish it were a little more substantial.

In the year 2022, a smoking crater appeared in our parking lot....

Crouched in the smoking crater was a naked cyborg from the future...

The cyborg was holding a bag of coffee beans..

Coffee from the future...

The cyborg was on a mission to save the future from a world without coffee-beers...

Revolution Double Dry-Hopped West Coast IPA

 Revolution Double Dry-Hopped West Coast IPA.

8% ABV, 65 IBU. Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clear, bright golden hue, large, lush ivory head. 

In the nose: blasts of dank citrus and pine, with a splash of tropical. Grapefruit and lime blended with a bit of pineapple.

In the mouth: bitterness boards the palate politely and invades the senses with gracious panache. Tangy, lightly resinous, long lingering bitterness. Nice and dry in the end. Beautifully integrated. The dry-hopping softens it some, which is a drawback for me. Nonetheless, this remains delicious and very nearly what I like best in an IPA. 

Catch good vibes and endless sunsets with a new crystal-clear DDH West Coast-style IPA. A camper van's worth of Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo, and Citra bring huge hop waves to a bright, refreshing pint.

Outstate Spray Tan Sour

 Outstate Spray Tan Sour.

5% ABV, 10 IBU.Proudly brewed and canned in Fergus Falls, MN. 

Clear, crimson tinted, small white head.

In the nose: tart and fruity from the start. Cherries coming through foremost, and something else. Hibiscus? It’s on the label, but I didn’t memorize it....or, did I? Nope, my second guess was correct.

In the mouth: tartness start it off on the palate, then fruity and dry. Finishes abruptly. Pomegranate pops up to blend with cherry.  Tasty, but lacks body. A trifle. Although most do not turn to sours for that. Brisk and refreshing. Sure to satisfy all but the most discerning sour ale lover. 

Clean, tart, fruity, and refreshing, this sour ale is infused with delicious cherry and pomegranate flavors. Perfectly balanced to keep it light and sessionable.

Sour, Pomegranate, Cherry, Refreshing, Malty

Broken Clock Minnesota Vixen Juicy IPA

 

Broken Clock Minnesota Vixen Juicy IPA .

6.7% ABV, 48 IBU. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, Minneapolis, MN. 

Hazy, bright golden hue, large and long-lasting ivory head.

In the nose: big citrus, bright and bold. Orange, grapefruit, lemon. Blissful barrage. 

In the mouth: juicy from the get-go. More bold hoppiness, with minor bitterness. It’s “not too hoppy”, as is appropriate for a beer made in collaboration (or just in honor of? ) a local women’s football team. You don’t want it to be too bitter and turn off many of the crowd that wants to enjoy it. Mild and easygoing, while flush with flavor. Not too shabby there.

This is not the freshest example of this that one can find. It is perhaps the oldest version ever. It was bequeathed to me, after having hung around for seven months for reasons too tedious to go into. But I feel that it hasn’t suffered over time. Probably better fresher, but not too bad right now. 

This double dry hopped NE IPA brewed in collaboration with Minnesota Vixen Football team features flavors and aromas of melon, tropical fruit, lemon, lime, tangerine, coconut, stone fruit, and mint.  The Minnesota Vixen strive to provide a unique opportunity for female and non-binary athletes to play full-contact football at a highly competitive level with other women’s teams from across the country. Established in 1999, the Vixen are the longest continuously operating women’s tackle football team in the nation. The team plays full contact, tackle football following NCAA rules. www.mnvixen.com. 

Bent Paddle Citra Bump Bent Hop India Pale Ale Remix

Bent Paddle Citra Bump Bent Hop India Pale Ale. Remix. 

6.2% ABV, 68 IBU. Bent Paddle Brewing, Duluth, MN. 

From the recently replaced sampler pack.

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: big citrus in the nose, grapefruit, lemon, orange peel. Pleasantly pungent.

In the mouth: hop bite up front, with long lingering bitterness. Juicy mouthfeel. Crisp, clean. Light bodied. Refreshing. Delicious. Delightful.

Regular Bent Hop is awfully delicious and delightful already. This bumps it up another notch.

"Citra Bump" Bent Hop was born in our cask program and is one of the go-to casks we make with our flagship IPA. The addition of Citra hops brings refreshingly bright citrus and floral aromas to the traditional dry-hop bill of Bent Hop.

This beer is only available in the Hop Remix Adventure Pack along with Slightly Angled Bent Hop, Double Dry Hop, and our traditional Bent Hop IPA. 

St. Feuillien Seven unfiltered Amber Ale

 St. Feuillien Seven unfiltered Amber Ale.

7% ABV. 28 IBU. Brasserie St. Feuillien, La Roeulx, Wallonia, Belgium.

Clouded, amber hue, small white head.

In the nose: spicy at the start, citrusy, too. Belgian yeast rises up and it’s own magic. Delightful.

In the mouth: rich and smooth at once, hoppy and fruity, too. Bright and beautiful. Apricot and peach join orange and lemon in the flavor, with a smattering of spice, good and malty for the win. A tasty treat that can’t be beat. 

Unfiltered amber beer.

Bad Weather Duel City Belgian Double IPA

 Bad Weather Duel City Belgian Double IPA. The Belgian Battle. 2022. St. Paul / Minneapolis. Arbeiter v. Bad Weather. 

10.3% ABV. 75 IBU. Bad Weather Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 

Clear, bright golden tone, small ivory head, leaving lace. 

In the nose: sweetness, funk, & fruit right out of the gate. Stone fruit with some citrus. Apricot and lemon. And plenty of Belgian twist. 

In the mouth: starts off highly hoppy, with a Belgian kick, reminiscent of a tripel. Lean bodied, deceptively drinkable. Bright, candified, bold, with the high ABV shining through. Clean, crisp, fruity, just sweet enough and bitter enough. It’s got all the goods.

Duel City - Belgian Double IPA

Collaboration w/Arbeiter Brewing Company

Menu Descriptors - White Grape, Clove, Citrus

4.0 SRM

10.3% ABV

75 IBU

Malt - Belgian Pilsner

Hops - New Zealand Waimea, German Hallertau Blanc

Yeast - Belgian Ale

Adjunct - Belgian Candi Syrup

Aroma’s of white grape, pine,clove, bubblegum, pineapple, and a hint of sweetness. Cracker malt flavor along with a white grape/citrus hop note. Medium bodied with a medium bitterness that finishes dry and slightly warming. Pours a hazy straw color with a rocky white head. 

Alesmith / Revision Split Aces IPA West Coast-style India Pale Ale

 Alesmith / Revision Split Aces IPA West Coast-style India Pale Ale.

6.5% ABV, 65 IBU. Alesmith Brewing, San Diego, CA. 

A West Coast IPA with Alesmith attached? I’m down.

Crystal clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: pine and citrus, lemon and grapefruit. Strong and vibrant. 

In the mouth: big blast of bitterness grabs the palate from the start, then softly fades back. Medium bodied, long, hoppy finish. Refreshing and expertly consumable. A bit leaner than I like. I yearn for more intensity in the bitterness, cause that’s what I want in an IPA, but I’m happy enough. 

For this collab, you’ve been dealt two ace breweries split by the distance between San Diego and Reno. We partnered with our friends at Revision Brewing to make a West Coast-style IPA. This beer features notes of tropical fruit, pine, and berries from Idaho 7, Chinook, and Mosaic hops. 

Miller High Life

 Miller high Life. 

4.6% ABV, 7 IBU, Miller Brewing, Milwaukee, WI.

I decided that it was time for another phone post and I would do it while doing my regular Saturday night thing, karaoke at Morrissey’s Pub, with Joel Stitzel and his Infernal Singalong Machine. I glanced over at the tap handles and tried to glean which of them has been unrepresented here. Miller High Life it is. Had I ever had it? Not sure. And no way to tell. Must have at some point in my life, right?

The representation of the beer for this post would have to be different. Could I squeeze up to the bar and pose the pint with the tap handle behind? It wouldn’t be the strangest thing you can do in Uptown on a Saturday night, but it would be up there. Could I request to my waitress that I’d like my High Life in a High Life branded pint glass? I know they have them, I’ve received many IPAs served in such. That would also be absurd behavior, at a busy bar, while random groups keep pouring in and making the bartenders busy. In my professional bartending life, I always strove to match beer with glass, but I would never expect anyone else to.

I held the glass up to the light, with Zilla and Bridget posing behind, and I drank and took these notes, while waiting to sing some Hank Williams.

Clear, yellow, small head.

In the nose: cereal, grain, nil, null, blah.

In the mouth: empty, vacant, absent. Nothing plus nothing means nothing. It’s wet, though. Vaguely alcoholic. Fairly inoffensive. Moist. Some flavor. Mostly sweet.

Notes end there. I have no more to say. Held no particular appeal.

Miller High Life, also known as the Champagne of Beers, is a quintessentially classic, American-style lager. To this day, Miller High Life continues to be faithfully brewed as a golden pilsner, utilizing light-stable galena hops from the Pacific Northwest and a select combination of malted barley.

21st Amendment Blah Blah Blah IPA Double IPA 0528 Wetness Factor

 

21st Amendment Blah Blah Blah IPA Double IPA 0528 Wetness Factor. (Not sure what that last part means.) 8% ABV, 65 IBU. 21st Amendment Brewing, San Leandro, CA.

Lightly clouded, bright golden tone, large, lush ivory head. 

In the nose: big dank. Citrus and stone. Candied orange and peach. 

In the mouth: large and in charge bitterness, with a side of sweet. Boards the palate brash and confident. Medium bodied, long bitter/hoppy finish. Classic Double IPA dankness. A bit on the funky side, but I’m liking that. 

Here at the 21st Amendment Brewery we are huge fans of IPA and love our hops like anyone else, but we also like to have fun. Our Blah Blah Blah IPA is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the popularity of

this style and all the sub-styles that have become part of craft beer conversations and offerings.  At 8% ABV, our Blah Blah Blah IPA is a deep gold color, double IPA (of course) and is jammed packed with hop flavors and aromas. With nine different hop varietals including Equinox and a one, two, three, 2-pound per barrel dry hop punch of Mosaic, Citra and the latest Idaho 7 hops. On top of all that the late-kettle boil additions give this beer a juicy, hop chewy flavor. A firm grain bill of Pilsner, Golden Promise, honey, wheat and Vienna malts gives great structure and support backing the complex confluence of hops.

Dual Citizen Good Good Hazy Oat IPA

 Dual Citizen Good Good Hazy Oat IPA.

6% ABV. Dual Citizen Breweries, St. Paul, MN.

Clouded, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: sweet, fruity, hoppy. A brace of citrus, with a good dose of tropical. Orange and citrus swallowed up by pineapple and guava.

In the mouth: blasts of bitterness right up front that I was not expecting. Juicy, citrusy mouthfeel. Nice and smooth on the palate. Easy drinker. Just enough bitterness to keep me happy. Not too much that I hate from the hazy. I’ve been avoiding this IPA for months because of the h word, all for naught.

All in all, not too shabby there. Go get some. 

Modist Radiant Preserve Apricot Peach Saison

 Modist Radiant Preserve Apricot Peach Saison.

5.2% ABV. Modist Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Lot of haze going on in the hole/peachy-toned brew, under a thick, fruit-flecked head.

In the nose: fruit forward to say the least. Peach is on top, apricot right behind. Just short of sweet.

In the mouth: tears at the start, followed by sweetness. A sliver of bitter, then a lot of smooth. I can’t really detect any of the attributes of a Saison, it’s so smothered by the fruit. Medium body, long, fruity finish, constant dance between sweet and tart.

I want to like it, but it’s a bit over-fruited for my taste. 

Saison brewed with Barke pilsner malt, malted white wheat, flaked oats, flaked rye & spelt malt, then conditioned on apricot & peach.

Steel Toe Cold IPA

 Steel Toe Cold IPA.

6.7% ABV. Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN,

Phone Post #1. What is a Phone Post and why is this #1? I’ll tell you later.

Slightly cloudy, bright golden hue, small white head.

Big citrus in the nose, lemon and grapefruit, with a pinch of pineapple. 

In the mouth: startlingly smooth. Virtually no bitterness. Light body. Crisp and clean, with a hoppy undercurrent. Satisfies some of my requirements, ignores many others. 

Is Cold IPA the new hazy? Will it catch on or remain a fad? Personally, I couldn’t care any less, as long as Size 7 is still around. 

Fermented cold and hopped with a heavy hand. Steel Toe Cold IPA is a golden beauty that has a white foam stand with aromas of berry, dank pine, and candied pineapple. Finishes crisp and smooth with light bitterness, yet all the hop goodness. 

From the iPad: It was nearly 20 years ago that I first took notes on beer. It was Lion Stout from Sri Lanka, which a friend brought back from Chicago and gave to me. (Years later, at last, it was distributed here and I tapped it many times at the Blue Nile.) For months, I took notes with pen on paper, until I could get to a coffee shop with WI-FI, to log into BeerAdvocate and share my beer thoughts with the world. In 2003, I finally got a laptop and internet connection, and from there on nearly all of my reviews were written at home. If I had a beer only on tap at a brewpub, bar or brewery taproom, it did not find it’s way here. I would have to buy a crowler, growler, can or bottle and take it home to review. Why? Those are the rules. Part of it has to do with the distractions of that environment and some has to with not looking like a weirdo in public.

And that rule continued though the nearly 12 years of this blog. A few months ago, I lost my laptop. Unable to buy a new one, I started using my iPad for blog writing. Unfortunately, there were problems with this. Eventually, I tried the thing I didn’t want to do: writing and publishing on the iPhone and you know what? It’s not that bad. The iPad problems are gone and I don’t hate typing on the tiny keyboard that much. 

So, I thought, why not occasionally take notes at the bar on the beers I can’t or needn’t take home? Why not? Will the writing be that different? Maybe, but you know what?  So what. I’ve had so many beers that never appear here because of my stupid rules. It’s time to change some rules. 

This is Phone Post #1. There may be many more. 

Lift Bridge Maibock

 

Lift Bridge Maibock.

7.7% ABV, 21 IBU. Lift Bridge Brewing, Stillwater, MN.

It’s July, and you’re finally getting around to the maibock, you ask of me, the great procrastinator? Yeah, well, better late than never?

Clear, bright amber hue, slim white head.

In the nose: slightly sweet, malty, a touch grainy. Minor hops.

In the mouth: crisp, clean, delicious. Mostly malty, slightly sharp, higher alcohol peeking through. Medium bodied, soft, richly rewarding. I like a good maibock and this is surely one. 

Hoppier than traditional german, maris munich pilsner malts

Junkyard Garden Grove Pale Ale

 Junkyard Garden Grove Pale Ale. Feat. Sultana and Bru-1hops.

5.8% ABV. Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN.

Clouded (of course), bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: bold citrus, plus tropical. Orange, tangerine, pineapple. A side of stone fruit, as well. 

In the mouth: small bitterness at the front, then a wave of hoppy flavors. Exceptionally smooth, with high hoppiness. Medium bodied, great drinkability. A citrus bonanza. I put aside my inevitable disappointment that, again, it’s an unadvertised hazy, and just enjoy. 

Hops: El Dorado, Sultana

Tasting Notes: Tropical, Citrus, Drinkable

“Hop in the van! We’re going to a funky reggae party! Here, lemme move that microwave and VCR out of your way. Yeah, that’s my dog Louie, but be careful around him, he bites sometimes. Alright, let’s crank up some music from Jamaica and hit the road!”

Three Floyds Legendary Shader Weisse Beer

 Three Floyds Legendary Shader Weisse Beer.

5.5% ABV. Three Floyds Brewery, Munster, IN. 

Clouded, pale orange/ amber hue, small white head.

In the nose: there’s banana and bubblegum. Small doses of spice. Lingering citrus below it all, in true Bavarian style.

In the mouth: sweetness at the front, minor hops or bitterness, slightly fruity. Remarkably smooth and easy. Refreshing. Medium bodied, full of yeasty Weizen goodness. 

In this instance, the 3 Floyds motto rings false. It is normal. It’s a normal, balanced, true-to -style Hefe Weizen and I like it because of that. Here’s to occasional normality.

A traditional Bavarian-style Hefe Wiesse from space, with notes of banana, clove, and bubblegum.

56 Brewing Lake Hopper West Coast Style IPA

 

56 Brewing Lake Hopper West Coast Style IPA

6.5% ABV, 70 IBU. 56 Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clouded. Very un-West Coast. Pale golden. Large and lasting ivory head.

In the nose: bold and citrusy. Bright and grassy.

In the mouth: brisk expression of hop flavors, brief bitterness, fuzzy and fleshy. This bears scant resemblance to a West Coast IPA. Why bother labeling it as such. This is a citrus forward hazy. Doesn’t deliver any of what I want, expect, nay, demand from anything claiming the style.

I’m just going to take this over to the couch and finish it while forgetting how mad it makes me. 

West coast IPA made using El Dorado and Eureka! Tropical and dank @ 6.5 % ABV and 70 IBUs.