Portage Hills And Horizons West Coast IPA

 

Portage Hills And Horizons West Coast IPA. Strata/Citra/Mosaic.

6.6 % ABV, 67 IBU. Portage Brewing, Walker, MNo

Clear, bright golden hue, slim, lace leaving ivory head. 

In the nose: bright, bold, floral, citrus & pine. So far, all is in alignment.

In the mouth: crisp, brisk, bitter, breezy. Plenty of bitterness popping on the palate. The tongue and back of the throat are ablaze with bitterness. This West Coast IPA is not holding back. I demand more like this. Demand, I tells ya! Make it again, Portage, and I’ll be back for it. Promise.

Three of our top hops used in 2022 have made their way into a beer. Riding that thin line between tradition and innovation, we layered the Strata CGX hop from Crosby Hops, along with our hand selected Citra and Mosaic. Aromatics of strawberry taffy, orange peel, and berry tea. Assertive bitterness with a classic West Coast IPA finish.

Surly Seventeen

 Surly Seventeen. Strong Ale aged in bitter orange liqueur barrels and & bourbon barrels.

11% ABV, Surly Brewing, Mpls./BC, MN. 

Dark, impenetrable, slim head of foam. 

In the nose: cocoa, caramel, cream, mostly malty,…some bright spots, floral, sweet, intriguing…

In the mouth: rich, lush, malty, strong. Whiskey leads the way. Cocoa and caramel behind. Barrel aged. Bitter orange liquor. Some sweetness. Rich and pretty much delicious. Ever so delightful. Combination of dark malt and citrus. 

This was crafted to reproduce the flavors of the Boulevardier, a cocktail I’ve neither consumed nor made. A man once sashayed into Acadia Cafe (that’s what he did, sashay) and asked me for one to which I replied, “You can’t fool me, Boulevard doe’s make a beer called ‘E-yay’!”

So, I can’t say how successful they were in that endeavor.

As the story goes, a Prohibition-era secret society of cocktail enthusiasts known only as the International Bar Flies formed at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, the alleged birthplace of The Boulevardier and the inspiration for Seventeen. 

Our 2023 anniversary beer blends a strong red ale and a wee heavy, aged in Tattersall Bitter Orange Liqueur barrels and 10-Year Henry McKenna Bourbon barrels, echoing The Boulevardier’s timeless flavor profile. Keep it a secret or share it with your fellow bar flies.

Oh, that explains the flies on the label. Now I get it. 

Oliphant Pickle Beer

 Oliphant Pickle Beer.

4% ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, Wisconsin.

Here’s the thing about me and pickles. I’ll enjoy the eating of one once in a while, but don’t actually care for drinking the brine. No, thanks. And here I am about drink some disguised as beer. Only for the love of Oliphant and only because it was free.

Clear and yellow, quickly dissipated white head. 

In the nose: yeah, that’s pickle. Briney, salty, pickle-y.

In the mouth: there it is again, and it’s all over my tongue and down my throat. Light bodied, easy drinking, possessing no flavors beyond pickle. Tartness trickles and tickles. This is not what I want in a beer, alas. 

I’m going to finish this because that’s what I do. I don’t love it, but neither do I hate it. It simple is what it sets out to be. And that is not something I want to drink. 

“Pickle beer”…now I have heard everything. 

That's right, no foolin' on what this is. Liquid pickle juice for your guzzlement!

Southern Tier 2X Juice Jolt Extra Juicy Double IPA

 Southern Tier 2X Juice Jolt Extra Juicy Double IPA.

9.5 % ABV, 20 IBU. Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood, NY. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: big time citrus, poignantly pungent, grapefruit and tangerine. Traced of tropical. 

In the mouth: slightly bitter up front, hoppy on the palate, then comes the juicy. Yep, they got the juicy, as well as the strong. Lacking in the bitter, too heavy on the sweet. Medium bodied, juicy finish. (Did I say that? What did I mean?)

This is a trend that I am not overly fond of, but to each their own. 

This Double IPA is dialed to the max with its 9.5% ABV on top of its easy drinking flavor and massively juicy punch. Brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Idaho 7, Simcoe, HBC630, Amarillo and CTZ hops as well as 2-Row Pale malt and oats.

Oliphant Brewing’s Museum of Weird Stuff Amerston Spiral Bug Egg Mask Bourbon Barrel-aged Baltic Porter

 Oliphant Brewing’s Museum of Weird Stuff Amerston Spiral Bug Egg Mask Bourbon Barreleetd-aged Baltic Porter. 

9% ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Before this beer was released, Josh explained the meaning of the name to me. It made no sense then,so of course I forgot it. All you need to know is: nonsense. (And it had nothing to do with the nonsense on the label.)

Impenetrable darkness, utterly opaque, slim, cocoa-tinged head. 

In the nose: deep, sweet, rich, caramel and cocoa meets oak and ash. Big bourbon.

In the mouth: rich, massively malty, some vanilla and cherry. Big and boozy. Smooth and stuffed with deliciousness. Well balanced for such a big boned brawler. 

I love a barrel aged beer and a Baltic Porter, and I love Oliphant. Here they are, together at last. I’m digging it, for real. 

Stored away in 45th Parallel Bourbon barrels 'til peak flavor achievement, this aged lager has tall tales of taste to tell. Wait your turn in line to don the egg mask, then funky chicky peck the night away!

This is not the nonsense from the label, I just tore it off of Untappd. 

Luce Line Schnapsidee Märzen

 Luce Line Schnapsidee Märzen. 

5.7 % ABV, 25 IBU. Luce Line Brewing, Plymouth, MN. 

Clear, deep amber hued, large, lively, ivory head.

In the nose: malty, caramel-toned, toffee-ish. 

In the mouth: we’ll-balanced Märzen flavors, malty, but not too sweet. On the solid side of delicious. Exceptionally smooth and drinkable. Medium bodied, minor to no bitterness, long, malty finish. Crisp, clean, delightful. 

Schnapsidee is our annual ode to Oktoberfest. This German style Marzen is brewed with a blend of German malts and German hops before it is fermented low and slow with a unique German yeast strain that is ubiquitous with the style. 

Udofot Lager Beer

 Udofot Lager Beer.

5% ABV, 10 IBU, Udofot Enterprises, brewed by Minhas in Wisconsin. 

I am now going to drink and review the Udofot lager beer, brewed by Minhas in Wisconsin, for Udofot Enterprises, a company led by Michael Udofot, a resident of Richfield, MN and a Nigerian-American immigrant. The recipe was devised by Udofot’s father while in Nigeria, which explains the words “since 1975” on the label. This is why they can use the phrase “African recipe”, but it remains unclear what the “Nigerian flavors” are. I am unsure whether it was merely a homebrew or was ever commercially produced in Africa. I do know that Mr. Udofot had previously contracted the beer to be produced by a Minnesota brewery, then imported to Nigeria. 

And that is all I will say before the notes begin.  I urge you to visit their website and Google them. Watch the videos. Enjoy the harmonica of Emmy-winner Jethro Blue. 

Clear, bright golden/amber, slim white head. 

In the nose: cereal grains, mild hops, mostly malty. 

In the mouth: clean, sweet, more malt. Not quite crisp. Light bodied, sparse flavors in the finish. Perfectly inoffensive. Not especially interesting, but there’s worse crimes than that. An absolutely okay beer and you can drink it. 

Clear gold lager, brewed with Saskatchewan barley, hops grown in the Mid-west to the Pacific Northwest, and a proprietary yeast. Not as sweet as your typical lager, truest "bread in a can" beer around.

La Dona Naturally IPA

 La Dona Naturally IPA. 

6.66% ABV. 80 IBU.La Dona Cerveveria, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Here I am drinking from a crowler. That hasn’t happened in a while. And why not? Well, I no longer have the disposable income I had when I was bartending. Crowlers and growlers are not necessarily good values, but they are sometimes the only ways to try some beers, though they are most assuredly fading away. They are a luxury and these days I buy for value, overall. I get a discount at work, and I drink at home. Times spent at the pub & taproom happen less and less. 

But I had a little extra on me for once and I was at this brewery for the first time in over a year (my last visit was my birthday last year), finally bumped into old friend Dicky Lopez, the head brewer, met up with some pals, and I was feeling groovy. Wish that they had crowlers of their fresh hop IPA, but it’s my fault for not not being there when it was . I should be at all the breweries all the time, right? If I were a Time Lord, I’d forget about Daleks and Cybermen and take the Tardis on taproom visits…through time!

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: blend of malt and hops, citrus notes with a touch of caramel. Pinch of pine. 

In the mouth: brief blast of bitterness, nice bite at the front. More citrusy goodness at play on the palate, with a bit of chewy maltiness just behind. Lightish bodied, easy drinking, fairly smooth and very likable. 

I could take it a bit drier and touch more bitter, but I can also enjoy it for what it is. Cheers! 

Columbus Cryo hops give this beer dank, citrus, and piney notes while the malt bill offers a soft mouthfeel to accentuate the greatness from the hop.

Montgomery Red Tree Classic IPA

 Montgomery Red Tree Classic IPA.

7% ABV, Montgomery Brewing, Montgomery, MN.

Clear, reddish hue, lasting ivory head atop, leaving lace. 

In the nose: slightly malty, softly sweet and floral, lightly fruity. 

In the mouth: spicy up front, judiciously bitter, but smooth and drinkable. Medium bodied, moderate bitterness, cool and calm and collected. Old School IPA all the way. 

I could enjoy a few of these band be quite satisfied.

From Untappd: Red Tree is a bold and flavorful double IPA that is crafted with a unique blend of five classic hops - Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Columbus. This combination creates a bold and complex hop profile that delivers a powerful punch of citrus, pine, and floral flavors that will leave you craving more.

From the label: we went back to our roots brewing this classic style IPA. Brewed with CTZ, Centennial, Cascade , Amarillo and Simcoe hops. This beer is designed to be bitter with balance. Enjoy the Craft TM. 

Montgomery Hop Junkies Alpha Dog Imperial Hop Stand IPA

 Montgomery Hop Junkies Alpha Dog Imperial Hop Stand IPA.

11% ABV, Montgomery Brewing, Montgomery, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim ivory head. 

In the nose: dankness supreme, mega malty meets pine and citrus aplenty. All the goodness that follows. 

In the mouth: slightly sweet and malty, mostly big and hoppy. Dripping juicy, dank and delicious. Subtle alcoholic sting builds and grows. Just bitter enough to please this palate. Medium bodied, long hoppy finish, overflowing flavors. And I can dig it. 

Three Floyds Slapasaurus Double IPA

 Three Floyds Slapasaurus Double IPA.

9.9% ABV, 74 IBU, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, Indiana.

I’ve got a very simple motto in this crazy, mixed world of ours: if it’s a Three Floyds Double IPA, then I must drink it. Often, multiple times. Words to live by.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: Dank & resinous, citrus and pine, with a jolt of sweet to match the high hoppiness. 

In the mouth: bold and brash, big and bitter, with nearly 10% ABV swimming up fast to crease the cranium. Huge hops and brazen bitterness gird the palate. This one’s on fire, glistening with citrusy goodness. Full bodied, powerful, uncompromising. Exactly my kind of double IPA. 

Keep on bringing ‘em, Floyds, keep on keeping on.

Terror of the Cretaceous period, Slapasaurus conquored Laramidia with nothing more than four strings, a little hat, and a song. 

Steel Toe Fresh Hop IPA

 Steel Toe Fresh Hop IPA. 

6.3 % ABV, 50 IBU. Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

A week and a half ago, this beer appeared at the store where I work, five cases of it. I bought a 6-pack immediately. I asked the driver if this was their first one, since I’d never heard of a fresh hop from Steel Toe. He said they made one three years ago, but I can’t find it on Untappd.

I drank one a night every night, hoping there’d be some left so I could buy more when I got back after my two days off. Nope, all gone. The beer buyer ordered extra Size 7 to last until he got back from vacation. Fifteen cases was enough for Size 7, but 5 was not enough for Fresh Hop. Maybe I need to hit up the brewery?

I saved #6 for when I felt like taking notes, which turns out to be tonight.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim, lasting layer of ivory head.

In the nose: deep dankness. Lively and pungent pine and citrus notes. 

In the mouth: hop assault on the palate, bursting with bitterness. Lean-bodied and luscious. Ridiculously drinkable. Ever so delicious. Hoppy goodness lays long through the finish. I can’t say enough good things. A thorough delight. 

To celebrate this year's hop harvest, we teamed up with Waterford Hops out of Monticello, MN to bring you Fresh Hop IPA. Featuring Centennial Hope which were picked at their peak then added into the beer in less than 12 hours, creating a beer bursting with orange blossom and citrus notes. Finishes crisp to maximize your enjoyment of the fresh! 

Revolution Arcade Hero IPA

 Revolution Arcade Hero IPA.

8.8% ABV. “A pixilated punch of hops.” Revolution Brewing, Chicago, Illinois. 

Clear, bright golden color, moderate layer of ivory froth atop.

In the nose: slightly floral, mostly pine and citrus, touch of tropical. 

In the mouth: bitter dry, bursting with hoppy goodness at play on the palate. Medium bodied and packed with citrusy delights.  Refreshingly quenchable, while unrepentantly bitter. IPA the way it was meant to be. 

This was found in the current League of Heroes 12-pack, which also included Anti Hero, a new “cold IPA” and a new hazy IPA. I wrote about Anti Hero many years ago and consider it one of my favorite IPAs. I no longer find that I have anything to say about the hazies or the colds. 

Hit the start button and speedrun a sparkling-clear Hero that leaves the high scores filled with REV in every spot. An unstoppable dry hop combo spawns all the berry, orange, tangerine, and pear sprites you can handle.

Kloster Andechs Festbier

 Kloster Andechs Festbier.

Brewed and bottled by the Andechs Monastery Brewery, Andechs, Bayern, Deutschland. Switch 1455. Super Premium Bavarian Lager Beer. 5.9% ABV.

Clear, bright golden hue, ivory ring of foam that starts big, then slips down to size. 

In the nose: clean, mildly hopped, mostly malty.

In the mouth: crisp and bright, rich and malty, but the caramely kind associated with Märzen. Smooth and delicious. Light bodied, easy drinking. Slight sweetness, well rounded, excellent balance. The merest bitterness lingers  on the palate. 

I enjoy drinking this lager. Märzen is still my preferred Oktoberfest style, but I can’t deny the brilliant flavors here. 

Prost!

Pipeworks Oktoberfest

 Pipeworks Oktoberfest. 

5.3% ABV. Pipeworks Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clear, deep amber hued, slim white head atop. 

In the nose: classic Märzen aromatics, caramel malts and noble hops in combo. Delightful. 

In the mouth: rich, sweet, warm and clean. Well balanced, crisp and highly satisfying. Medium bodied, smooth and pretty much delicious. I am enjoying this one. 

Prost! 

Lakes & Legends Board Shorts

 Lakes & Legends Board Shorts.

6.3 % ABV, Lakes & Legends Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. Brewed with Centennial, Hercules & Comet hops. 

I’ve been to Lakes & Legends a bit more than usual lately, after moving just a few blocks away from the brewery three months ago. On every visit, I enjoyed this beer, sometimes twice. And on the occasion of the purchase of this can, I was told, “it’s can only now, is that okay?” They had another West Coast IPA on tap to replace it, and I tried that one out. 

And then and there, I was confronted with a fresh section of our new taproom terrain. Breweries can now sell cans of their beer to go, sure, but for on-premises, too? I hadn’t thought about that. I turned to my right and saw a man on the bar slurping from a can Marigold, their Belgian strong golden ale.  Was that sold out on tap, also, or did he just prefer it from a can? Was he offered a glass, or does he eschew such fanciful preparations? Some enjoy the simple comforts of sucking strong beer out of the top of a can, but should that really be done in public? Can’t that be left to one’s home or tenement stoop, or bus terminal?

All good craft beer should be enjoyed in a glass, whether poured from tap, or from can or bottle. I have spoken.

Clear, with slight chill haze, bright golden hue, large and lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: plenty of pine, stocked with citrus. Grapefruit, orange and a pinch of pineapple. 

In the mouth: brace of bitterness up front, laying hard on the palate for a bit, before laying low. Floods the mouth with hoppy goodness, finishing dry and bitter. Medium bodied, refreshingly drinkable for this hophead. Hop bitterness never quits. 

This is one of the best West Coast IPAs brewed locally that I’ve had in a long time. 

Clown Shoes Galactica SoCal Citra West Coast Style IPA

 Clown Shoes Galactica SoCal Citra West Coast Style IPA.

7.2% ABV, Clown Shoes Brewing, Boston, MA. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: a little dank, a whole lot of citrus and pine. Grapefruit and tangerine.

In the mouth: big bitterness, fresh citrusy flavors. Crisp and clean. Ending dry. 

So, this was a short one. Guess what, I liked it. Find it in the Ahopcalyse Meow variety pack. The one with the cat space rangers shooting lasers at some kind of hop monster. 

Modist Imperial Teal Label Imperial West Coast IPA

 Modist Imperial Teal Label Imperial West Coast IPA.

8.5% ABV, Modist Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

This sounds like all the things I like, doesn’t it? So, let’s drink some!

Partially clear, mostly hazy (points off), golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: citrus and pine, grapefruit and orange. Dank and hoppy. Great promise. 

In the mouth: bursts of citrusy flavors on the palate, some bitterness spreads around. Slight sweetness dallies with the dank. Alcohol creeps in. Just a little on the dry side, could be more. Booze gets more and more prominent. It’s more on the crisp and clean side, but I wish it were more so. Give it to me, don’t hold back, now. Medium bodied, and delightful to drink. 

I just want more dry, more bitter. This comes close enough. 

Imperial West Coast IPA brewed with Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, then hopped & dry hopped with our hand-selected Columbus Cryo, Simcoe, Strata & Citra

Spiral Foxtoberfest Oktoberfest Lager

 Spiral Foxtoberfest Oktoberfest Lager.

5.6 % ABV, Spiral BrewingHastings, MN. 

Clear, Amber hued, sizable ivory froth atop. 

In the nose: appropriately malty, classic aromatics.

In the mouth: smooth and slightly sweet, fills the mouth and rolls off the palate. Medium bodied and highly drinkable. Not a bad little Märzen. 

This smooth, clean beer has just enough hops bitter to balance it out, but the malt is what really comes through with each sip. This bready, malty beer is light to medium bodied and is meant to be consumed by the liter.

Badger Hill Double Traitor Double IPA

 Badger Hill Double Traitor Double IPA.

10% ABV, Badger Hill Brewing, Shakopee, MN.

Chill hazed, but clear, bright golden, with an amber tint, solid , rocky white head.

In the nose: bright, bold, dank, resins. Brash citrus and pine. Old school in the house.

In the mouth: clamorous to the point of cantankerous. Big, bustling, bitter, juicy, malty, chaotic. Has the booze, has the britches. Voluminous and violent. Yet still, surprisingly smooth. 

Bitterness rides all over the palate. Grapefruit rind, orange peel, pine sap. Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom. 

I surely dig of this.