Brewery Ommegang Hennepin Review

Name: Brewery Ommegang Hennepin
Style: Saison
ABV: 7.7%

It's been a while since I've reviewed a Brewery Ommegang beer, as in over a year ago, so I've decided to make up for that with a review of their Hennepin Saison Ale. I had this beer a few years ago but they have changed the label since I've last had it.

The beer is named after Father Louis Hennepin, a Catholic Missionary from Belgium who was one of the first explorers of the interior of the United States. On a side note, the city of Minneapolis, which is where I'm originally from, is located in Hennepin County which was also named after Louis Hennepin. In fact the area in which Minneapolis is located was one of the areas that Louis Hennepin charted out.

Hennepin pours a hazy yellow color with a very foamy head typically found in most Ommegang beers. The lacing is rather soapy and the visible carbonation is fairly moderate.

The aroma starts out with some healthy Belgian yeasts, along with spices, grassiness, pale & pils malts.

The flavor is fairly identical to the nose but there is less of a focus on the grassiness and more on the Belgian yeasty aspect.

The palate is fairly moderate in terms of body with some moderate carbonation. It's fairly easy to bring with the carbonation bringing out some of the flavor.

Overall, I found Hennepin to be a very good representation of the Saison style. Definitely worth picking up if you get the chance.

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin - 8.5/10

Minnesota Craft Beer Week 2014 - Day 1 (A personal account)

A couple of months ago, I requested this week off as a means for a little vacation. So yesterday I headed out from Duluth to make my journey down to the Twin Cities. Since I moved up to Duluth last July, I feel like a lot has changed in terms of the craft beer down in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area just based on what I have been reading and sure enough, there has been quite a bit of growth and selection expansion since I was last here.

On my way in to town, I swung by Elevated Beer, Wine & Spirits to stop by to say "Hi" to some of the people who worked there and to grab a couple of bombers from Bent Brewstillery. Prior to me moving to Duluth, this would be the place I'd go to grab my beer mainly because of the selection, service and atmosphere. Also, they have a pretty good radio show on the local ESPN affiliate that is worth listening to if you get the chance. It was also very nice to see both Blacklist Brewing and Bent Paddle Brewing represented quite well on the shelves, which to me is a testament to the rapidly expanding craft beer scene right up I-35 in the Duluth-Superior-North Shore Area.

After picking up my fiance and having some lunch over at Parkway Pizza, we headed over to Dangerous Man Brewing Company. I had been hearing quite a bit about Dangerous Man, namely with everyone giving very high praises to their Chocolate Milk Stout. Alas, we do not get them in Duluth because the only way to get Dangerous Man is by going to the actual taproom.

We arrived about 10 minutes after they opened up and it was already pretty busy but we managed to grab a couple of seats at the bar. I will say one thing about the atmosphere: it perfectly captures the spirit of Northeast Minneapolis; From the music playlist featuring local music artists to the overall artwork/architecture of the room. Since I didn't happen to have my laptop with me, I just have tasting notes. So be prepared, these aren't going to be full on reviews but you get the general idea.

Dangerous Man Chocolate Milk Stout - I wanted to get right to the beer which Dangerous Man is most well known for which is their Chocolate Milk Stout. I'm glad to say that this is one of those beers that live up to the hype which I have been seeing. It's got a very creamy and smooth palate with some strong chocolate & lactose notes followed by roasted barley and coffee. The aftertaste is also pretty sweet & chocolatey with only some minor roastiness. I can definitely see why people flock back to the taproom time and time again to have this beer.

Dangerous Man Cara Cara Wit - I decided to switch it up a bit afterwards and go for something a bit lighter. Witbiers are typically hit and miss for me but I found this beer to be quite very enjoyable. It's a fairly light bodied beer but it's got that distinct berry and lemon zest tart-sweetness that blended quite well with the malted wheat profile.

Dangerous Man Session Hefe - For my last beer, I went with something a bit more sessionable so I decided why not get into the spirit of spring with a Hefeweizen. Like the Cara Cara, it had a fairly prominent but not quite as strong malted wheat profile. It also had a distinct grape-like fruitness to the overall flavor. Still, I thought it was pretty good, even by session-ale standards

After finishing up at Dangerous Man, I met up with a couple of friends over at Northbound Smokehouse over in South Minneapolis, where we watched the Minnesota Wild bring the pain to the Blackhawks. While I was there I helped myself to the Light Rail Pale Ale, which I've already done a review on. However that night they were releasing their Buckwheat Honey Porter as part of Minnesota Craft Beer Week. Intrigued I decided to give it a go...

Northbound Smokehouse Buckwheat Honey Porter - Fairly typical roasted barley/chocolate profile which can be found in a porter. With that said, the honey used in making this beer helps offset that roastiness to give it a sweeter and approachable flavor. My fiance, who is not typically into dark beers, actually enjoyed this quite a bit which is saying something right there.

All and all, it was a great first day to try out good local beer. I'll have more posts coming this way so sta tuned.

Cheers!

- Nick

Lagunitas Sucks Review

Name: Lagunitas Sucks
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 7.85%

It's time to review another beer from Lagunitas Brewing and this time it's their Sucks ale. If my memory serves me correctly, this beer used to strictly be a winter seasonal but has since become a year-round offering. The name comes from the year where they couldn't make their winter seasonal: Brown Shugga. This beer was put in as a replacement and has since become a hit with beer drinkers everywhere.

Sucks pours a mildly hazy orange color with a thin foamy head. The visible carbonation is fairly moderate and the lacing is rather abundant.

The nose starts things off with caramel malt and brown sugar sweetness followed by some fairly strong citrus hops and a slight rye scent at the tail end.

The flavor is very caramel malt forward with notes of citrus hops, mangoes, brown sugar, and an aftertaste of slight rye spiciness and citrus hops.

The palate as a whole is pretty lightweight and the carbonation is moderately leveled. The carbonation does help bring out more of the flavor which thankfully works out pretty well.

Lagunitas Sucks is a very good Imperial IPA. The mixture of flavors, particularly with the slight rye spiciness, work together quite nicely. It's safe to say that this beer.......doesn't suck.

Lagunitas Sucks - 8.5/10

The Duluth Experience Presents The North Shore Craft Beer Roundtable Part 3 - Riding a Wave of Beer

On May 18th The Duluth Experience will continue its North Shore Craft Beer Roundtable series with a discussion about businesses related to the North Shore Craft Beer Scene. This panel – aptly titled “Riding a Wave of Beer” will explore the excitement and energy surrounding craft beer and the influence the local scene has had on businesses outside the breweries and pubs.

The roundtable will address topics related to the development of craft beer related businesses, how craft beer has changed the game for the business community and the importance of connecting local businesses with community breweries. Beyond that, there’s no telling where this conversation will go. The Duluth Experience’s James Sanders will moderate the live panel discussion with a great lineup of panelists that includes:

• Marissa Saurer – Northlandbeer.com
• Paul Riordan – Brule River Hilltop Hops
• Carolyn Jones – CMT Farms
• Brad Nelson – Star Creative
• Paul Helstrom – The Duluth Experience

The events are designed to provide behind-the-scenes perspectives on the regional craft beer community and showcase the great people involved in pushing the North Shore Craft Beer Scene to the forefront of the expanding craft beer industry in Minnesota. Beer will be served at the event (of course) and there will be time for audience questions. The event will close with a raffle and if it turns out anything like the previous two roundtables – the conversation will spill out into the mezzanine and then to a local pub for continued discussion and merriment.

The event will be held from 1-2pm at Duluth’s Teatro Zuccone in the Zeitgeist Arts Building at 222 East Superior Street on May 18th. Tickets for each event are only $5 and all proceeds from the event will be donated to a local charity. For more information about the North Shore Craft Beer Roundtable call (218) 464-6337 or visit The Duluth Experience website at: www.theduluthexperience.com/special-events/craft-beer-roundtable/

If you happen to be in the area, this is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the craft beer scene here along the North Shore. So try to make it down if you can!

Cheers!

- Nick

Castle Danger Double Crossing IPA Review

Name: Castle Danger Double Crossing IPA
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9.1%

Last weekend, I made the drive up the shore to Castle Danger Brewing to grab myself a growler of beer. Since it was a nice, sunny spring day as opposed to a snowstorm that I've come to expect, I decided to drive with the windows rolled down while taking in the breeze. Along the way, I stopped by the site of the new brewery and I have to say it's come quite a way considering that it was an empty parking lot not even 8 months ago. Since it'll be opening in the very near future, I can't wait to see the end results!

While I was at the brewery, I noticed a new offering called Double Crossing, which just so happened to be an Imperial IPA. I feel like its been awhile since I've had a good Imperial IPA (and a local one at that) I decided to give this one a go. Plus I was quite pleased with the last IPA offering I had from them. So with my growler buckled in, I made the drive back to my place of residence and picked up some Do North Pizza for dinner.

Double Crossing pours a hazy orange color with a thin filmy head. The lacing left behind on the sides of the glass is moderate and the visible carbonation is fairly mild.

The nose is best described as a blast of citrus hops, tangerines, mangoes, apricots, and a solid caramel maltiness. Overall, it's a very fruity aroma.

The flavor retains most of what was found in the nose. It starts out with a mix of citrus hops, mango, apricot, caramel and a strong malty backbone which provides a solid foundation for the flavors. The aftertaste is fairly malty with a mild hint of apricot. The body is on the heavier side and the carbonation intensity is pretty mild, giving it a fairly creamy feel.

Once again, it's another great beer from Castle Danger. It's got just enough flavor to give hop-heads the fix they are looking for, yet at the same time, I can see this beer being an excellent segway to introduce people to the Imperial IPA style. I know I've said this before, but pick up a growler and see for yourself!

Castle Danger Double Crossing IPA - 9.25/10

Thirsty Pagan Velo Saison Review

Despite what the growler says, this is indeed a Thirsty Pagan beer.

Name: Thirsty Pagan Velo Saison
Style: Saison
ABV: 6%

I feel that I've been neglecting the local craft beer scene for a while in terms of reviews so I decided to switch it up tonight and review an offering from Thirsty Pagan Brewing, located over in neighboring Superior, Wisconsin. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, Thirsty Pagan is the only brewery located over in Superior, Wisconsin whereas compared to the numerous breweries located over in Duluth. I also think that they serve the best pizza in the area but of course that is just my opinion.

For this review I have their Velo Saison, which is their Saison-style ale and it's usually on their regular line-up whenever I go in. A quick fun fact: Velo is the French word for "Bicycle"

Velo Saison pours a hazy yellow color with a average foamy head with decent retention. The visible carbonation is mild and the lacing is decent.

The aroma starts off with some notes of cloves and Belgian Yeasts backed up by some nice floral hops and a solid malty backbone.

Likewise, the flavor isn't too different from the nose. It starts off with a strong Belgian yeast spiciness/cloveiness before the floral hops make themselves known at as it finishes up. There is also an encompassing malty backbone that helps even everything out. The aftertaste is a light Belgian yeast and floral hoppiness.

The palate as a whole is more moderate in weight but thankfully the carbonation is very mild so you shouldn't have any difficulty trying to drink this.

Velo Saison is a very enjoyable and rather robust Saison-style ale. Usually if I'm not really sure what to get while I'm there (or not feeling like a sour that day), I can always rely on this beer in terms of flavor and quality.

Thirsty Pagan Velo Saison - 8.5/10

Bell's Third Coast Beer Review

Name: Bell's Third Coast Beer
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.8%

I know I've reviewed quite a few offerings already from Bell's Brewery but I've never taken a look at one of there more well known staples (unless you count Two-Hearted of course.) Tonight I bring you Bell's Third Coast Beer, a blonde ale style beer. This is not to be confused with Bell's Old Third Coast, which is a barleywine style ale and the total opposite of what the beer in question is

Third Coast Beer pours a hazy yellow color with a thin filmy head, mild carbonation and some decent lacing.

The aroma of has a moderate pale malt base with some mild floral hops & barley. A noticeable pilsner-like earthiness also permeate the nose.

Likewise, the flavor is pretty much the same as the nose. You've got a mild floral hoppiness mixed in with some pils & pale malts with some barley thrown in. The only noticeable difference is that there is a dry but grassy aftertaste.

The palate has a pretty light body and thankfully the carbonation is very light as well. It doesn't have a crisp feeling but it's very easy to drink.

Bell's Third Coast Beer is a decent Blonde Ale that both craft beer and macro lager drinkers will no doubt find something to like about this beer. With that said, it's not terribly impressive in terms of flavor and I can think of better examples of a Blonde Ale......but as I said before, it's decent and you aren't going wrong by giving this a try.

Bell's Third Coast Beer - 7.5/10