Castle Danger Danger Ale Review

Name: Castle Danger Danger Ale
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Time to look at another beer from Castle Danger Brewing, based out of Two Harbors, MN. Today I have their Danger Ale, which is the brewery's flagship beer. The name comes back in the days when Minnesota's North Shore was only accessible by boat. As boats travelled up the shore, there were cliffs that resembled old castles and between them were rocks reefs, which were dangerous to travelling ships and hence the name Castle Danger. And you thought the drive up the North Shore was bad.

I've also been sitting on this review for the better part of a month. Why, you ask? I originally thought that I had taken a photo of this beer but upon going through my folders, it had mysteriously vanished. So I'll have to make due with a picture I took this past weekend, but it sadly doesn't have the can with it (I had gotten it on tap.)

Photo courtesy of The Growler Magazine

The reason why I care so much about the can is that not only I find it eye-catching but it was done by a local artist by the name of Andy Saur, who is responsible for all of Castle Danger's can designs so far.

Appearance - A mildly hazy amber color with some very mild visible carbonation. The head takes on a foamy khaki colored appearance and the lacing is on the spottier side.

Aroma - Very malt forward as I'm picking up on some strong caramel maltiness, a bit of toffee sweetness & oak. In the back I'm picking up on some dark fruitiness, some yeasts and some mild citrus hoppiness.

Taste -  Like the nose, the flavor is quite malty. Right away the caramel & toffee sweetness make themselves known before giving away to some dark fruits that are reminiscent of blackberries, light oakiness, moderate citrus hops and some mild yeastiness. There is also a bit of an encompassing roastiness and some light alcohol warmth.

It's very easy to see why Danger Ale is Castle Danger's flagship. The maltiness makes a great first impression but the other complex elements of the flavor come together nicely to make a really tasty beer; So much so that I consider this a textbook example for how to do a strong ale the right way! Should you ever have the chance to check this out, I would highly recommend you do so.

Castle Danger Danger Ale - 9.5/10