Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator Review

No no, your eyes do not deceive you. I'm back to posting articles! I've reviewed a movie and now it's time to review a video game!

A few weeks back, I was on the Xbox Marketplace  trying to find of favorite movie of mine on sale from my college years: Beerfest. when the result for Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator popped up instead. Sure, there is a simulator game for virtually everything under the sun; They have a Power Wash Simulation game after all so it was bound to happen sooner or later. So after a couple of minutes of deliberation, I decided to make the purchase and here we are.

Developed by UK-based Auroch Digital, Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator puts you into the shoes of an unnamed individual on their quest to become the ultimate home brewmaster. The game itself is set in your own home. During the main mode of this game, Brewmaster Mode, you undertake missions to brew beers for events, contests and other breweries via a Homebrew magazine and build your reputation as a brewer. As you progress through this mode, you unlock more equipment by fulfilling certain objectives such as brewing with All-Grain, utilizing a cooling coil, using a pump and so forth and is really established as a way to learn not only the game’s mechanics but is also supposed to teach you the fundamental basics of homebrewing.

This all sounds great on paper but I did have my doubts. As someone with extensive knowledge about craft beer and brewing techniques, the burning questions I had were as follows: 

• Does the game accurately depict the process, reward and even frustration that comes with homebrewing? 
• Does the game get technical with the brewing process and breaks down the purpose of every piece of equipment and details what each ingredient is supposed to do? 
• Lastly, do the results you get accurately reflect everything you did right along with everything you got wrong?

The answer, I’m happy to say for all of these, is a resounding yes.

When you undertake a job, you will order ingredients based on what the recipe you take using the magazine (should you not already have them readily available) and can make these purchases by redeeming tokens, which you receive by completing jobs that you can undertake, which are also accessed via the magazine. You can pin the recipe to your HUD and must utilize the equipment in your kitchen to have a desirable outcome.

There is a real sense of progression as you go further into Brewmaster Mode and the rewards you get can be in the form of new hop & malt variants, equipment and even cosmetic items like magnets & tin tacker signs.

Occasionally, you'll see entries for homebrewing contests that will sometimes have very specific requirements as far as style, ABV, flavors, etc. This is where I feel the game is at its best because it forces you to get creative with your execution and you have to fully embrace the mechanics of the game itself.

Much like actual homebrewing, everything single thing you do will have an outcome has an impact on your final product. This can be something as minor adding too much hops to a wort boil or having the temperature a little too high in a mash tun, to something major like uncleaned equipment, wrong ingredients or not placing a lid on a conditioning tank or brewing pot.

The game is presented in a First Person View and depending on how complex the brewing process is, you will be tasked with following instructions on how to properly make a recipe you have been given. This can be as simple as monitoring temperatures in your wort, to as complex as integrating heating and cooling equipment while simultaneously making sure that everything is covered or clean in order to prevent contamination of said beer. You must manage all these factors and be mindful of what you are doing.

The game does a great job holding your hand at first in order to familiarize yourself with the brewing processes and it does so long enough to where you grasp the basic concepts before taking off the training wheels to tackle more advanced styles of brewing and the styles of beer that require some extra TLC, along with managing your equipment

Since brewing beer is a VERY lengthy process, often times taking anywhere from 4-8 weeks on average, you have the option to skip time using either your watch or a calendar. Be careful with how you use it because this game is very technical with its execution and if you wait too long on anything or forget a key step in the brewing process, just like in real life, it could possibly completely change and/or and utterly ruin your beer.

When you are done making your batch of beer, your results will be judged on how accurately you created the style along with other factors such as ABV, Contamination, Standard Reference Method or SRM (How light or Dark the beer is), Original Gravity or OG and most importantly, flavor. These parameters come into play during the missions you undertake so attention to detail is paramount here!

It wouldn’t be the complete experience if you didn’t have a feeling of accomplishment and/or defeat. The game does a great job of building that anticipation of finding out how your beer turned out and when you find out it turned out great, you breathe a sigh of relief. When it turns out to be a bad batch (not fermented enough, too contaminated, off flavors) the disappointment hits you like a train. All of that hard work you put ends up being all for nothing. This might seem like a turn off to some but it is something that I personally dealt with during my homebrewing days. There’s nothing worse than putting in literally weeks of hard work into a batch of your own beer, only to end up tasting something that is infected (think vinegar mixed with butter) or something that might as well have come from a can of LaCroix.

While the main campaign gives you somewhat limited freedom at first as to what you can brew, in Free Play Mode you have access to basically all of the equipment & ingredients at your disposal. Here you can really experiment with different ingredients and brewing styles to come up with whichever style you see fit. I’m not afraid to admit that I have spent hours upon hours experimenting with all the equipment and ingredients coming up with all sorts of beers that I wish I had readily available in my fridge.

For all that this game does right, there were a couple of minor issues that I ran into that were by no means deal-breakers or game breaking-caliber but enough to take issue with. For starters, you have limited design options for your labels and I think it’s kind of a bummer since craft brewing artwork has become a really powerful medium these past few years. I would’ve loved to have an option to create your own labels from scratch, much like you see with the decal options in games like Forza. The other issue is that, very occasionally, the game will freeze for a split second without any warning before the action can resume. Thankfully, this freeze didn’t interfere with the overall flow of brewing but it happened more than a couple of times. Aside from those, there’s nothing else that I have.

Final Thoughts: I’ll admit I was concerned that Auroch Digital simply slapped together a game in which you brew beer and threw it out on the marketplace to capitalize on both Sim Games and Craft Beer Aficionados with no knowledge about how homebrewing works. This assumption, thankfully, turned out the be wildly incorrect. This game is incredibly technical with its gameplay, execution & presentation. This game is a love letter to brewers and beer geeks alike, while at the same time providing an excellent gateway for those who are unfamiliar with brewing.

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator - 9/10

A Visit to Tanzenwald Brewing

Back when I was still running my travel blog. The Sheltered Gallivant, in the summer of 2018, I decided to focus my efforts mainly towards covering the various craft breweries and distilleries that I found myself at. That should’ve been a sign that I should’ve returned to the world of craft brewing but that’s another story altogether; One that I actually talked about at great length about a year ago.

Anyways, one of the breweries I visited was a place called Tanzenwald Brewing in Northfield, MN. My first time there, I found myself enjoying the atmosphere, beer, food and various homages to Northfield. In fact, when I did my initial piece on it, I talked about at great length as to how much I enjoyed the brewery. Well the travel blog is no more and it’s been 3 years since I last visited Tanzenwald, so I figured it was time to go back and check them out; This time as a beer blogger.

Located along Water Street and nestled in between an auto body shop and a Holiday Gas Station, Tanzenwald is the brain child of Jenaveve and Steve Pittman, a former brewer of Lagunitas Brewing. Having first opened their doors in 2017, they’ve been providing libations for the thirsty patrons of Northfield as well as those who happen to be passing through ever since. They also offer a full menu and a kitchen for those who wish to grab a bit to eat while sipping on beer.

Housed in what used to be an old creamery, the brewery itself oozes with rustic charm and it’s evidenced by the décor as well as the overall atmosphere. In other words, pretty much the same place I first visited the first time around. It was mid-afternoon and it wasn’t terribly busy, so my wife and I came at the right time.

Anyways, let’s talk about beer. While some of their selection were definitely ones that I saw before, they’ve added quite the variety to their lineup. Amongst this: Sours! So I decided to try out a variety of styles just to get an overall feel for what Tanzenwald has been up to since I last visited them 3 years ago.

Rio de Oro – A pineapple atole sour made with corn, cinnamon & lactose. This is an easy drinking sour with nice pineapple and vanilla notes with a hint of cinnamon spiciness and a nice tart finish. An overall delectable sour that paired wonderfully with the nice and sunny day.

Life on Mars? – A sour made with berries and aged on oak. Having been impressed with Rio de Oro, I decided to try out their other sour offering: Life on Mars? This has a nice raspberry flavor with a pronounced oakiness to it, with a nice tart finish and a slight funk. Tanzenwald definitely has their sour game where it should be based on their offerings.

Captain Amore – A Salted Grapefruit IPA. This one honestly surprised me for a couple reasons. One, it’s got a very light body for a beer that is 6.1% ABV. Two, the grapefruit flavor here is quite profound. Most grapefruit IPAs I’ve had are grapefruit plus citrus/piney hops but this isn’t the case here. It’s all grapefruit throughout the palate with a slightly bitter hop and pale malt finish. There are beers out there that some refer to as “Dangerously Crushable” and I think that this beer is a textbook example of that. That said, I enjoyed this beer a lot!

Gottlieb – A Bavarian Style Pilsner. This has a nice and light body with a solid pilsner malt base with a touch of floral hops and lemongrass. Another overall drinkable beer that I could see myself drinking on any given occasion.

A much deserved award!

All and all, the beers from Tanzenwald have definitely improved over the past 3 years and that’s evidenced by both their quality and styles in which they offer. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more offerings from them in the future and you should be too, if you do happen to find yourself in the area! 

They can be found at:

103 Hwy 3 North

Northfield, MN 55057

 

A visit to Pryes Brewing

I recall about 5 years ago when I was at The Nook in St. Paul, I had miraculum from pryes brewing on tap.  By that point I had seen this beer on tap at many watering holes but I had never seen anything else from the brewery itself aside from this one beer. Me being the inquisitive individual i am, I made a remark on Untappd/Twitter asking if this was indeed the only beer that pryes brewing had made.  Much to my surprise, they replied that indeed it was and that they were working on perfecting Miraculum before moving onto the next one.

Fair enough!

Well almost five years later, they have opened up a swanky taproom in Minneapolis on West River Road overlooking the Mississippi River and the number of beers they make instead of just one has increased to.....a lot. From their flagship Miraculum IPA, to more varied styles like Sours & Pastry Imperial Stouts.

Coming off of my recent vaccination and having been stuck at home for the past year, I figured now is a perfect time to start visiting tap rooms again and to commerate this, I visited Pryes Brewing on Easter Sunday; Mask in hand of course!

Now when I was there, all of the seating was outdoors but from what I saw inside, it's a fairly large space with tables and such and the fixtures were a mix of rustic I'm not sure if this is due to city ordinance but it this is not one of those days where one sits inside. This was 70 degree patio weather, and at the start of April in Minnesota nonetheless. Usually at this time of the year, we're contending with 30-40 degree weather and the occasional blizzard that Old Man Winter likes to dump on us one last time as a reminder that it's an ever lingering presence in our fine state.

But enough about the weather, we’re here to talk beer! Followers of my Instagram account will know that I’ve taken quite a liking to Pryes’ offerings, in lieu of my regular beer reviews that I used to write extensively about before switching up the format. That said, I tried out a few of their offerings and here is what I have to say about them:

 

Outside The Grid – A Pastry Imperial Stout made with Stroopwafel. This delectable beer sports a nice and roasty dark chocolate malt flavor with a very nice caramel and brown sugar sweetness with just a hint of honey and a light hoppy finish. Overall, a delicious desert beer that I could see myself pairing with a stroopwafel or a slice of tiramisu. Haven’t seen this in cans yet but you bet I’d grab this if I saw this in stores!

Stratacaster – A New England/Hazy style IPA. In this day and age, most breweries have their own interpretation of a Hazy IPA and Pryes is no exception to this rule. Made with, what else, Strata Hops; This bundle of goodness comes loaded with citrus and melon flavors with just a touch of cantaloupe. It’s a fine beer and I can’t find anything wrong with it. Shame it’s a limited release because this would be a hit if it were in cans (assuming it already isn’t)!

Lost Moon (2021) – Rounding my visit off, I decided to once again embrace the darkness again with their annual Imperial Stout release. Nice & rich chocolate malt and toffee sweetness here, with an ever so slight coffee roastiness. According to what I read, it’s supposed to be inspired by Belgian Candy. I’m not sure what that means but I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t a tasty beer; Far from it. It’s not overly roasty and the toffee aspect here does the flavor justice.

Before visiting Pryes Brewing, my opinion of them was already quite high but it's even more-so now after paying a visit. The beer selection is great, the taproom and space itself are nice and the food served is also top notch; Like the Spicy BBQ Pizza pictured above. So if you find yourself in Minneapolis and are looking for good food and beer, Pryes Brewing is where you need to be at!

Where the Heck are the Beer Reviews?

Drinking at home with the rest of the world

Hello, everyone!  Well it has been certainly an interesting past few months for everybody but I'm here to give you all an update as far as what I have been up to, in particular to my regular beer reviews; Which is, of course, why I'm here today. 

Some of you who follow me on a regular basis know that while my beer blog has not been particularly active, I have been very active and other social media platforms, Instagram in particular.  What I have been doing as of late is posting my thoughts on each beer I have on there and leaving it at that. There's a reason for this this.

Since this whole pandemic started, I have had less free time overall on account of my job demands since I will often times be pulling longer hours, in spite the fact that I have been working from home for roughly five months at this point and don't have to make the 20 minute drive to-and-from work everyday. 

Often times when I write a review, depending on my thoughts as well as any related information, it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour to write an article.  Since my job involves writing on a daily basis, paired with my increased workload, writing an article about beer after finishing off what is sometimes a nine-to-ten hour workday is the last thing on my mind. Hence, why I have started migrating my reviews to Instagram only for the time being since those take way less time for me to put together and write. Depending on how the next few months go, I might make it a permanent fixture.

But fear not, this website is not going anywhere. Amidst the craziness that has been happening, I discovered last week that my domain for this website had expired and I renewed it just this past weekend.

Which brings me to the next thing I'd like to address: Beer Articles.

I started this year with a promise to myself that I would focus more on doing taproom write-ups all across Minnesota and the greater Midwest, but as we all know, the coronavirus has pretty much wiped away any chance of the having that happen. I am aware that taprooms are open again for patrons to visit, but I am putting that on hold; Not so much for my own health but rather the health of my family because they have pre-existing conditions that could compromise their well being and I don't want to be responsible for any of my family getting sick. This comes especially after we had a scare in our house, which thankfully we all tested negative. 

It is going to stay this way for the foreseeable future until this country can somehow figure out how get their hands around this pandemic, which is anyone's guess at this point. I'm really hoping it's sooner than later so we will see what will happen.  When this does happen at some point, I'll be hitting the road again once more.

Until that time comes, you can follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/nick.drinks.mn

As always, thank you for your continued support and remember to drink good beer.

- Nick

Taxman Mezcal Barrel Exemption Review

Name: Taxman Mezcal Barrel Exemption
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%
IBUs: 30

Time to look at a new Tripel that I got from my Tavour beer mail and that would be Mezcal Barrel Exemption from Taxman Brewing, based out of Bargersville, IN. It’s a their regular Exemption tripel aged in Mezcal barrels. Doing some research I found that mezcal is very similar to tequila with the exception that tequila is made with solely blue agave while mezcal can be made with any type of agave. Also while the agave pits in tequila is steamed/cooked in industrial ovens, the agave pits in mezcal is cooked over hit rocks in a pit and covered in agave fiber. There’s probably more to it but that’s the big sticking points, for myself anyways.

Appearance – Cloudy orange color with a good amount of visible carbonation. The head is quite thing with some light retention and no lacing left behind.

Aroma – Belgian yeasts and cloves with some candied caramel malts along with light hints of oak and vanilla.

Taste – Caramel malts upfront with some potent Belgian yeast and cloves upfront. On the back end, I’m picking up on some vanilla and oak notes with just a touch of nutmeg. In the aftertaste, I’m getting some mild floral hops with a touch of smokiness and light clove kick.

I’m always down for a good tripel and this one does the trick. The flavor is nice and layered, not to mention just outright tasty! As such, this is a very easy beer for me to recommend, especially if you’re looking for a good Belgian-style ale!

Greater Good DDH Pulp Daddy Review

Name: Greater Good DDH Pulp Daddy
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8%
IBUs: N/A

Well, I've got a beer to look at called DDH Pulp Daddy from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, based out of Worcester, MA. As you might've guessed from the name of the brewery, they specialize in making imperialized styles of beer, although according to Untappd, they do make lighter styles of beer as well.

The beer we're looking at is their DDH Pulp Daddy, which is a double dry chopped version of their original Pulp Daddy. Let's take a look, shall we?

Appearance - Hazy orange color with no visible carbonation. There's a thin foamy head that actually gains volume as you let it sit and the lacing left behind is rather abundant.

Aroma - Rich citrus, grapefruit & pineapple fruitiness paired with a light pale malts. Simply put, it smells like orange juice.

Taste - Vibrant citrus and grapefruit with a solid pale maltiness upfront. On the back end of the palate, I'm getting some light orange peel and pineapple notes. In the aftertaste, it's mostly citrus and very light hop bitterness with a touch of booziness.

Normally boozy flavors are a detriment but here, paired with the vibrant flavor profile, it works. If I had to compare this to anything, it would be a hoppy mimosa. For me, this one is excellent!

Blacklist Golden Review

Name: Blacklist Golden
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4%
IBUs: 15

Blacklist might be known mostly for their Belgian/Euro-style ales but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t willing to branch out into something more mainstream. Which brings us to Golden: A session blonde ale meant for those who aren’t necessarily ready to jump into the proverbial deep end as far as craft beer is concerned. Let’s take a look shall we?

Appearance – Hazy bright yellow color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head is nice and foamy and the lacing left behind is abundant.

Aroma – Pale malts and biscuits paired with a light touch of floral hops and earthiness.

Taste – Pretty similar to the nose with nice biscuit/yeast notes followed by some light earthiness. On the back end of the palate, I’m picking up on some pale malts and a light floral/herbal hops with a dry finish.

If you’re looking for a way to support local breweries, yet don’t want to be punched in the face with hops, this is the beer for you! With its simple yet delightful flavor, this one is definitely a crowd pleaser in my book and you owe it to yourself to try this one out.

Humble Forager Gypsy Outpost Review

Name: Humble Forager Gypsy Outpost
Style: Imperial Porter
ABV: 12%
IBUs: N/A

I managed to score another offering from Humble Forager in the form of their Gypsy Outpost Imperial Porter. Described as a Samoa Cookie Pastry Porter, this beer is made with vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, toasted coconut and cinnamon. I’ve had a couple of pastry beers before and while they were good, they’ve always struck me as being a bit on the sweet side, even by my standards, so let’s see how this one is.

Appearance – Pitch Black with no visible carbonation rising up from the bottom. The head itself is quite thin with a dark brown appearance to it and it fades after a couple moments and there’s no lacing to speak of left behind.

Aroma – Strong roasted barley upfront followed by chocolate malts with a light touch of vanilla & cinnamon.

Taste – On the flipside, the flavor is fairly chocolate malt forward with some moderate roasted barley notes following thereafter. On the back of the palate, I’m getting a nice mesh of vanilla & light coconut paired with the roastiness of the flavor. In the aftertaste, I’m getting more of that chocolate maltiness with a light hint of bitter hops and a touch of cinnamon spiciness.

This beer is a nice mixture of sweet, bitter and roastiness and, in my opinion, keeps things in check without one aspect overpowering than the other, so this one is a keeper for me. If you see this, I highly recommend you check it out!

Indeed Pistachio Cream Ale Review

Name: Indeed Pistachio Cream Ale
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 15

It’s been a fairly long time since I looked at anything from Indeed Brewing, so what better way to get back into it than with a beer from them that has caught my attention. I give to you Indeed’s Pistachio Cream Ale, a name which needs absolutely no explanation as far as what the ingredients are in the said beer. I had seen this beer making the rounds on Facebook and Instagram and decided that I needed to check this out since I’m a big fan of pistachios in general.

Appearance -  A clear golden color with a high amount of visible carbonation. The head itself is moderate in size and has excellent retention but the lacing itself is on the spottier side.

Aroma – I’m getting some potent biscuit and pistachio notes on the notes, followed by light floral hops and pale malts.

Taste – Well they aren’t playing around then they called it a Pistachio Cream Ale because they absolutely dominate the front of the palate. Behind that I’m getting some pale malt sweetness and potent bready biscuit notes. In the aftertaste, I’m getting more of that biscuit flavor along with some light floral hops.

Indeed took one of my favorite snack foods and incorporated it into their beer and the end result is a love letter to fans of Pistachios and I love it. If you’re looking for a great cream ale with a twist, then I whole heartedly recommend checking this one out!

Westbrook It's Tiki Time Review

Name: Westbrook It's Tiki Time
Style: Sour Ale
ABV: 5%
IBUs: 5

Time to take a look at a brewery that I’ve seen quite a bit about online but have never had the chance to check out until just very recently, and that brewery is Westbrook Brewing Company. The beer we’re looking at is named “It’s Tiki Time!” As you might’ve guessed, it’s a tropical-themed sour beer made with a laundry list of ingredients, which are: allspice, cinnamon, guava, key lime, lactose, passionfruit, pineapple & vanilla.

This is a brand new beer from them and they certainly sound excited about it because on their website, they proudly proclaim that “IT IS TIME TO TIKI.”

But is it though?

Appearance - Dark orange with lots of visible carbonation. The head has a thin foamy look to it with some spotty lacing.

Aroma – I'm picking up on some pineapple and guava notes with some light allspice and cinnamon notes.

Taste – Right away I'm getting some vibrant pineapple and guava notes in the front of the palate with passionfruit and lactose notes on the back. In the aftertaste, those Cinnamon & Allspice notes are prevalent without being too overpowering along with a mild lime tartness.

With all the flavors going down in this beer, it’s honestly very easy to see why Westbrook just can’t contain themselves because this beer is astounding. This might rank up there with Church Giggles as being one of my favorite sours that I’ve had thus far.

Westbrook It’s Tiki Time – 9.5/10

Iron Horse Quilter's Irish Death Review

Name: Iron Horse Quilter’s Irish Death
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 7.8%
IBUs: 12

Up next in my monthly Tavour package is a beer from Iron Horse Brewery, based out of Ellensburg, WA and it’s called Quilter’s Irish Death. Now doing some research about this beer, I found out two things. First is that they really don’t have a classification for what kind of beer this is, though Beer Advocate and Untappd both classify this as an American Strong Ale. Secondly, this beer is named after Jim Quilter, who was one of the founders of Iron Horse who passed in 2009. If my research is correct, this beer is also one of the flagship offerings.

That being said, I’m excited to try this out, so let’s take a look!

Appearance – A clear dark brown/crimson color with a mild amount of visible carbonation when held up to a light. The head itself has a thin, tan-colored look to it and the lacing left behind is on the spotty side.

Aroma – Strong chocolate and toffee malts permeate throughout the nose with some potent rum raisin and floral hops.

Taste – Right off the bat, I’m getting some strong chocolate malt and rum raisin notes while the back of the palate opens up to that toffee maltiness and mild floral hoppiness. As for the aftertaste, it’s a mix of floral hops and dark chocolate, both of which linger for a couple of moments.

It’s not too often you see a Strong Ale as part of a flagship offering but I have to say that I can see why Iron Horse does that with this beer, plus it’s a nice break from all the IPAs and juice bombs I’ve been having as of late. If I were you, I’d pick this up or put this on your list at the very least!

Iron Horse Quilter’s Irish Death – 9/10

Jester King Unfiltered Pilsner Review

Name: Jester King Unfiltered Pilsner
Style: Pilsner
ABV: 5.1%
IBUs: N/A

As much as I love supporting the local craft beer scene here in Minnesota, I yearn for beers from other parts of the country. Were this 2015/2016, I'd opt for using r/beertrade on Reddit. However Reddit decided to shut that down back in 2018 which doesn't surprise me since Reddit had been, in my opinion, declining steadily into lameness for a few years at that point

In any case, I discovered Tavour one evening while using Untappd a month back and well....I haven't looked back since. I got a good variety of beers that I personally selected from them and I'll be taking a look at all of them.

One of these beers is from none other than Jester King Brewing, based out of Austin, TX. Today, I have their Unfiltered Pilsner, which is described as Jester King's first Pale Lager. This might not seem like such a big deal but when you consider that pretty much all of their beers are wild ales & sours, it's kind of a big deal.

Alright, enough talk, let's take a look at this beer.

Appearance - Cloudy golden color with lots of visible carbonation. The head itself is thin but with good retention and the lacing left behind is on the lighter side.

Aroma - Pilsner malts and floral hops mixed with some bready biscuit notes that comes off almost like fresh bread!

Taste - Upfront, you've got some potent Pilsner malts and floral hops while the back opens up to some vibrant lemon grass and biscuity notes. The aftertaste is a mixture floral and light bitter hoppiness.

Maybe it's because of how fresh it is or the ingredients used in this beer but I'm seriously digging this Pilsner! Everything is balanced perfectly but that biscuit flavor, for me, seals the deal. I already knew Jester King was a phenomenal brewery but this beer proves that they can make an excellent Pale Lager-style beer!

Jester King Unfiltered Pilsner - 9/10

Humble Forager Elevated Perspective Review

Name: Humble Forager Elevated Perspective
Style: Imperial IPA (Hazy/NE Style)
ABV: 8%
IBUs: N/A

So there’s a fairly popular brewpub based in Rochester, MN called Forager Brewing and they have a massive following, with people traveling far and wide just to grab their beers. Well, Forager wanted to distribute their beer but current Minnesota State Laws prohibit brewpubs from distributing (for now.) So the people at Forager decided to contract brew their beer at Octopi Brewing in Waunakee, WI to help circumvent this strange law that we have in place here in Minnesota.

Now at some point, once things like diseases and murder hornets give up their vendetta against the human race, I intend to visit the original Forager brewpub in Rochester because has been on my to-do list since before this whole fiasco started. With all that said, I managed to snag something from Humble Forager at one of my local haunts. I give to you their Elevated Perspective, an Imperial Hazy IPA made with Vic Secret, Sultana & Galaxy hops. I’m eager to see what this beer is like, given the hype surrounding Forager, so let’s take a look at this.

Appearance – Hazy orange color with a mild amount of visible carbonation rising from the bottom. The head starts foamy but manages to maintain a thin retention throughout and the lacing left behind is on the spottier side.

Aroma – The nose starts off with a nice orange peel and kiwi sweetness with just a touch of mango that follows afterwards, all of which is encompassed by a solid pale maltiness.

Taste – Upfront, I’m picking up on some vibrant mango and kiwi notes, while the back gives way to a nice pineapple fruitiness and pale malt backbone. In the aftertaste, it’s a mixture of light orange peel and mild bitter hoppiness.

I can definitely see why people are fans of Forager. While I still can’t yet compare the flavor to that of the original Rochester location, if this beer is any indication, then I can’t wait to visit the source once the world stops trying to kill us all. Until then, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more offerings from Humble Forager!

Humble Forager Elevated Perspective – 9/10

Summit Cabin Crusher Review

Name: Summit Cabin Crusher
Style: Kolsch
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: 30

As the temperatures continue to crawl their ways upwards, I figure I’d do my best to get feature some lighter beers and as luck would have it, I have just the one for this spring weather. I give to you Summit’s Cabin Crusher, a Kolsch-style ale made with lime peel and puree along with Lemon Drop & Loral hops. First released in 2019 as part of their variety packs, it’s since gained a large enough following to where it’s now available for people to purchase in standalone 4-packs, 6-packs and 12-packs

Appearance – Hazy yellow color with a good amount of visible carbonation. The head itself is fairly foamy and there’s a good amount of lacing left behind along the sides of the glass.

Aroma – Right away, I’m hit with a nice pale/pilsner maltiness and lime scent, along with just a touch of those citra-lemon hops and barley.

Taste – On the front of the palate, I’m getting some solid pale maltiness and those lemon-citra hops, while the back end of the palate opens up to that lime sweetness with a touch of biscuits. The aftertaste is, for the most part, fairly dry save for a light hop bitterness.

For a beer that is intended for drinking in “Cabin Country,” there’s quite a bit going on here if you really pay attention. Yet at the same time, you don’t necessarily need to turn your brain on to appreciate what this beer has to offer. Whether you’re sitting around a bonfire, fishing on your favorite lake, or having it in the comfort of your home in Suburbia like yours truly; I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy drinking this.

Summit Cabin Crusher – 8.5/10

Bent Paddle Wilderness Tuxedo P.O.G. Review

Name: Bent Paddle Wilderness Tuxedo P.O.G.
Style: Berliner Weisse
ABV: 4.4%
IBUs: 10

Bent Paddle has certainly come a long way since they first opened their doors in 2013. I recall a time where they had maybe 3-4 canned offerings available for purchase when they first opened and now they've got a much wider variety of options to choose from.

One of these options is their Wilderness Tuxedo series, a rotating series of Berliner Weisse beers which has gained a huge following amongst fans of Bent Paddle. The beer I'll be looking at today is their Wilderness Tuxedo P.O.G., which stands for Passion Fruit, Orange & Guava.

Appearance - Hazy yellow color with a light amount of visible carbonation. The head has a rather soapy look to it with no lacing retention.

Aroma - I'm picking up on some nice mango, melon and orange notes along with a light amount of floral hoppiness.

Tastes - Upfront I get some nice potent orange and passion fruit notes, which the back opens to more of a mango-like fruitness that is equally as potent before finishing with a tart aftertaste.

Wilderness Tuxedo P.O.G. shows to me just how versatile the brewery is at nailing different styles of beer. That goes without saying that this is an excellent beer and one that'll have me looking out for more offerings in the series going forward.

Bent Paddle Wilderness Tuxedo P.O.G. - 9/10

Blackstack Chop Chop Review

Name: Blackstack Chop Chop
Style: India Pale Ale (Hazy/NE Style)
ABV: 6.6%
IBUs: N/A

Venturing back into hazy territory, we’re taking a look at another offering from Blackstack Brewing. Today’s beer is Chop Chop, a hazy IPA that was done in collaboration with Falling Knife Brewing, which is based out of neighboring Minneapolis.

Appearance – Hazy bright yellow color with a light amount of visible carbonation. The head itself is quite soapy but manages to maintain a thin retention and the lacing is on the spotty side

Aroma – I’m getting some potent pineapple notes mixed in with some melon and orange slice. There’s also a moderate pale maltiness in here as well.

Taste – Strong melon & cantaloupe notes followed by some citrus hops and pineapple on the back end of the palate, along with a solid pale malt backbone. The aftertaste is a mix of bittersweet orange peel and a light melon flavor.

As far as hazy IPAs go, this is definitely one of the better ones I’ve had. The reason being that there’s a good amount of layering with the flavor yet at the same time, it’s super easy to drink; Dare I say almost dangerously crushable? In any case, this is one beer that should be on your docket to try out!

Blackstack Chop Chop – 9/10

Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Rye Barrel Stout Review

Name: Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Rye Barrel Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.9%
IBUs: 42

I’m taking a break from reviewing hazy beers to look at another entry into a beloved series of mine from Central Waters Brewing. Since reviewing their Cherry Stout, I’ve made it a goal of mine to try out all of the Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve beers since I’ve grown accustomed to the quality of the offerings in the series.

For my sixth look in the series, I’ve got my hands on their Rye Barrel Stout, which is of course, an Imperial Stout aged that was aged in rye whiskey barrels for a full year. There isn’t really much else for me to say, so let’s take a look at this!

Appearance – Opaque black color with a thin brown colored head & a spotty amount of lacing left behind along the sides of the glass

Aroma – Strong chocolate malt and roasted barley scent upfront with some vanilla and oak notes tucked away behind that. There’s also a light but encompassing rye spiciness there to let you know that this is very much a rye barrel-aged stout.

Taste – Right away, I’m getting that strong chocolate maltiness and roasted barley flavor, which is immediately followed by that vibrant oak and rye spiciness. On the back end of the palate is where that vanilla sweetness starts to shine and help bring balance; Especially to the rye aspect of the flavor. In the aftertaste, I’m getting some light bitter hoppiness paired with those oak, vanilla and chocolate malt flavors; Along with a light boozy heat and it lingers for a few moments.

It goes without saying that this is a fantastic beer. I’d even go as far as to recommend that even those who aren’t fans of Rye Beers will enjoy this, it’s that good! Everything melds together wonderfully and it is a nice change of scenery from all the beers that I’ve had as of late. That said, this is very easy for me to recommend.

Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Rye Barrel Stout – 9.5/10

Toppling Goliath Supa Sumo Review

Name: Toppling Goliath Supa Sumo
Style: Imperial IPA (Hazy/NE style)
ABV: 7.8%
IBUs: 100

Time to look at a beer from Toppling Goliath, a brewery that I haven’t looked at in ages. The beer is question is Supa Sumo, an Imperial Hazy IPA. Why is it called Supa Sumo? I have no idea but what I do know is that it’s made with Citra & Mosaic hops. Let’s have a look!

Appearance – Murky orange-yellow color with a mold amount of visible carbonation. The head itself is quite thin and there's a light amount of lacing left behind.

Aroma – Citrus and orange peel notes are immediately apparent upfront along with a malty backbone. However hidden behind all that is a subtle yet noticable bitterness.

Taste – Starting out, I'm getting those nice citrus and orange peel notes that I got in the nose, both of which linger throughout the palate. Then on the back end of the palate, that bitterness that wasn't really apparent before seemingly drops out of nowhere and dominates the remainder of the palate. This is in conjunction with that citrus and orange peel notes along with that pale maltiness.

At first the flavor seems pretty upfront but once that bitterness kicks in, it becomes a pretty different beer. For me, it's a change of pace and it's what sets it apart from a lot of the hazy beers I've had recently. As far as I’m concerned, it’s another great offering from Toppling Goliath and one that you should absolutely check out.

Toppling Goliath Supa Sumo – 9/10

Blackstack Barely Street Legal Review

Name: Blackstack Barely Street Legal
Style: India Pale Ale (Hazy/NE style)
ABV: 7.3%
IBUs: N/A

Time to check out another brewery that people just can't seem to get enough of around here. Today we are looking at a beer from Blackstack Brewing, based out of Saint Paul, MN.

The beer is question is Barely Street Legal, a DDH Hazy IPA brewed in collaboration with 18th Street Brewing based out of Gary, IN. It's made with Citra, Strata and (admittedly cool sounding) Experimental #07270 hops.

Appearance - Hazy yellow color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head itself is pretty thin and there's a light amount of lacing left behind.

Aroma - I'm getting some nice citrus & apricot notes along with some good pale maltiness.

Taste - The flavor itself is fairly straightforward with those citrus and apricot flavors throughout most of the palate with just a hint of peach; All of which is backed by a nice pale malt backbone. As for the aftertaste, it's surprisingly dry save for a light hint of citrus.

As stated in the previous paragraph, the flavor on this is pretty upfront and there's nothing wrong with that. It's not the most complex hazy out there, but there's no excuse not to try this out.

Blackstack Barely Street Legal - 8.5/10

Surly Space Race Review

Name: Surly Space Race
Style: Imperial IPA (Hazy/NE Style)
ABV: 9.5%
IBUs: N/A (Low per Surly’s Website)

I’ve decided to take another dive into Surly’s BC Small Batch Series. This time around, we’re venturing into the Hazy IPA category with their Space Race, a hazy Double Dry Hopped (DDH) Imperial IPA. Why the name Space Race, you ask? Well, according to Surly, the mix of El Dorado, Citra, and Simcoe hops will “send you straight to the moon.” Sounds like fun, I guess?

Appearance – Hazy dark yellow with a fairly thin head along with some great lacing.

Aroma – Pineapple, kiwi, and orange peel dominate most of the nose along with a slight hint of pale maltiness. Fairly straightforward as far as Hazy IPAs are concerned.

Taste – The majority of the palate is made up of vibrant pineapple, kiwi and citrus notes with a light touch of the passionfruit, along with a nice pale malt backbone. In the aftertaste, I’m getting a nice orange slice sweetness that lingers for a couple of moments.

I’m enjoying this one and it’s another awesome entry for Surly’s BC Small Batch series. I recall a time where the only Imperial IPA that Surly offered was their Abrasive Ale, so seeing them putting their resources to good use to create even more offerings make me thankful to have a brewery like Surly around. Is it complex? No, but given how vibrant the flavor profile is, that more than makes up for it!

Surly Space Race – 9/10