Bad Weather Windvane Review

Name: Bad Weather Windvane
Style: Red Ale
ABV: 6%
IBUs: 65

Another beer from Bad Weather Brewing! Today I have Windvane, which is their Red Ale. One thing I've noticed is that the labels from Bad Weather remind me of the watercolor paintings that my grandmother used to have growing up. Seeing these as beer labels makes me think of the days when I was just a wee pup visiting grandma's house.

So far every beer I've had from Bad Weather has been excellent, to say the very least. When I had their Migration last year, I didn't exactly have high expectations but I ended up drinking one of the best Blonde Ales I've had to date. Since then they've continued to impress me so here's hoping that the trend continues.

Appearance - Clear dark red color with some mild carbonation. The head is nice, foamy and takes on a tan appearance while the lacing is fairly good.

Aroma - I'm picking up on some surprisingly strong citrus hop and grapefruit notes. I'm also getting some solid caramel maltiness and light rye spiciness tucked away in the back. It smells more like a Red IPA than a Red Ale right now.

Taste - Well the citrus hoppiness is here & quite vibrant but the caramel maltiness is a lot stronger in the flavor. It's to a point where it overtakes the citrus hop and grapefruit aspect of the flavor. As for the rye-like spiciness, it's here but it isn't obvious at first because this is a very malty beer. However in the aftertaste, you do get a nice light rye and citrus hop sweetness.

With some breweries, every once in a while I'll see a change (for better or worse) in terms of the overall quality of their different beer styles. With that said, Bad Weather has managed to make another great beer without changing that quality which I've come to expect from them. Be sure to check this out if you get the chance!

Bad Weather Windvane - 9/10

Bad Weather Ominous Review

Name: Bad Weather Ominous
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 7.5%

It's been a few months since I've reviewed anything from Bad Weather Brewing, one of the newer breweries to open their doors in Minnesota. In anticipation of the upcoming cold snap, I'll be looking at Ominous, which is called a Midwest Warmer by the brewery....and boy are we going to need one.

Appearance - A very hazy and dark brown color that borderlines on black, with the exception of a brown tinge that shows up on the bottom of the glass. The head is khaki-colored and the lacing is pretty good.

Smell - Strong caramelized malts with some potent licorice notes. I'm also getting some mild roasty notes and some blackcurrant notes that reminds me of blackberries and plums; Along with a bit of light citrus hoppiness.

Taste - Strong Roasty and Caramelized Malt notes upfront followed by some blackberry and licorice notes. The aftertaste is a mix of blackberries, mild bitter hops and a lingering roastiness. In other words, it's pretty similar to the nose.

I may have had only 2 beers from Bad Weather, but they have impressed me yet again. It's been a while since I've had a good Strong Ale and this is quite good....even excellent as a matter of fact. If you find yourself in Minnesota during the winter, this is worthy of your attention.

Bad Weather Ominous - 9/10

Bad Weather Migration Review

Name: Bad Weather Migration Review
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 5%

Today I'm reviewing a beer from a fairly new Minnesota-based brewery called Bad Weather Brewing, which opened it's doors during the second half of 2013. As you may have guessed from the name, most of their beers have a weather-theme to it; After all, we Midwesterners love to talk about the weather! Heck, they were even featured on the Weather Channel this past winter, which you can view on the brewery's website.

For this review, I'm looking at their Migration Ale or Migration Fair Weather Ale if you want to be technical. It's a Blonde Ale brewed with rose hips which, according to Wikipedia, is the fruit of a rose plant. I had no idea that roses could produce fruit, let alone have nutritional value unless you so happen to be a rabbit.

Migration pours a hazy golden color with some moderate visible carbonation. The head is ghostly white and thin and the lacing is quite soapy with no retention.

The nose starts off with a pretty yeast-forward scent with some fairly pungent floral hoppiness, some fruity sweetness which must be from the rose hips and a nice pale maltiness. Even though I have never tasted rose hips before, I can already tell that this isn't your typical Blonde Ale.

Sure enough, the flavor starts out with a fairly strong yeast and floral hop profile, but the fruitiness brought on by the rosehips is unlike anything I've ever seen in a Blonde Ale....and it works out very well! The aftertaste is primarily yeasts, some mild hoppiness and pale malt sweetness.

The palate is considerably light body and heavy in the carbonation department. Though I would've preferred the carbonation to be milder to help one enjoy the flavors, it does provide a nice crisp feel.

I don't consider the Blonde Ale to be a beer style that is most likely to break the mold, but I found this to be very good! The rose hips in particular make this beer stand out amongst others of the same beer classification. If you're ever in Minnesota and so happen to come upon this, then I would highly recommend you try this out!

Bad Weather Migration - 9/10