Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Uber-Oktoberfest Review

Name: Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Uber-Oktoberfest
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
ABV: 8.5%

After a couple of weeks of waiting and searching, I've finally been able to snag a bottle of Leinenkugel's other Oktoberfest called "Uber-Oktoberfest" as part of their Big Eddy Series. I mentioned in an earlier review that the Big Eddy Series is the line-up of stronger beers to appeal to the craft beer drinking crowd which, in my opinion, has been fairly successful in making some good beers.

The other thing you'll probably notice about this beer is it's 8.5% ABV, which is very strong for this style of beer considering that most beers in this category fall in-between the 5-<6.5% range.

Uber-Oktoberfest pours a clear dark amber color with a foamy yet fizzy head that fades away after a few minutes. The lacing left behind is pretty good and rather sticky.

The nose kicks things off with a pretty strong citrus hoppiness and caramel malt notes up front. This is followed up by roasted barley & malts, yeasts and some mild nutty notes.

The flavor has some strong floral hop notes up front with  strong roasted barley, nuts, yeasty and citrus/grapefruit notes. Quite hoppy even for an Oktoberfest beer.

The body is fairly moderate in weight but it feels thick at the same time. The carbonation is actually quite mild compared to Leinie's other Oktoberfest beer.

Well the term "Uber" was properly utilized in the name because this is a strong tasting Oktoberfest. I thought this was rather good. It has some really strong flavors in it's profile, particularly with it's hops and is also bit boozy at the same time. If this were available in 6-packs (as opposed to 4) and a couple dollars cheaper this would be my go to Oktoberfest beer.

It's hard to describe how a stronger Oktoberfest beer tastes after having so many of them, so my advice to you is to try it out and make the call for yourself.

Leienkugel's Big Eddy Uber-Oktoberfest - 8/10


P.S. Keep your eyes open for a special review tomorrow night as I'm going to be looking at something completely different (and awesome!)

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest Review

Name: Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
ABV: 5.1%

Tonight I'm doing something a bit special, as I will be doing two reviews of same style of beer made by the same company, Leinenkugel's. My first review will be their regular Oktoberfest beer, which is released around this time every year and the second beer I'll be reviewing is their Big Eddy Über-Oktoberfest beer.

With the case of many Leinie Seasonals, you're bound to find this in pretty much anywhere in the Midwest, whether it's a bar, grocery or liquor store; Though I'm unsure how widely available Leinie's is available in the rest of the country.

Leinie's Oktoberfest pours a clear orange color and a foamy head with excellent retention. The carbonation has a very mild appearance and the lacing is fairly decent.

The aroma has some light caramel to it, but the majority of the nose is grain adjuncts, cooked corn and some grassiness.

The flavor starts out with a mild caramel and Munich Malt-esque taste but aside from that it's grain adjuncts, corn, and grassiness make up most of the flavor. The finish is also quite dry so it doesn't linger on the palate

The body is quite light but the carbonation is quite intense for what it is, a sharp contrast compared to what I saw earlier.

There isn't really too much going on here: it smells like a typical adjunct lager and while the flavor somewhat resembles what an Oktoberfest should be, it just doesn't cut it. You're better off getting something else if you're looking for a decent fall seasonal.

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest - 6/10

Mikkeller 1000 IBU Review

Name: Mikkeller 1000 IBU
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9.6%

Ever seen a beer that seems so out there, that when you look at it you think to yourself "It could be very bad but I want to try this anyway?" Well this is one of these beers. While I was at a store over in Superior, I was talking with one of the employees about IPAs in general when he came across this oddity from Mikkeller Brewing, whose operations are based out of Denmark but this was brewed at Proefbrouwerij in Belgium, which is a facility dedicated solely for third parties to brew their own beer

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it wasn't the cat burglar on the front that drew my attention to the beer but the "1000 IBU" on the front in bold font; Almost like it was trying to scream it at me. In case you didn't know, IBU stands for International Bittering Unit, which is a scale that determines how bitter it. Up until having this, the beer with the highest IBU that I had ever had was Flat Earth's Northwest Passage.

1000 IBU pours an extremely hazy dark orange color with a foamy head which has excellent retention. The lacing, of course, is also fairly abundant. Looking at the sediment at the bottom of the glass, I can also see that this is an unfiltered beer. Carbonation activity is also fairly calm.

The nose is very citrus & piney hop forward with some caramelized malt notes. I wish I could say more about the aroma but this is literally all I was able to come up with because the hops overpower the other aspects of the nose with the exception of the caramel malt notes.

When I took my first sip, I was greeted by a very malty-caramel sweetness and even a bit of toffee flavor. It was quite pleasant and for a moment I thought to myself "Say, this isn't so bad!" 

Then it hits you. The piney hop bitterness literally comes out of nowhere and hits the palate with such intensity that it is completely overwhelming. The aftertaste is a lingering bitter hop resiny flavor. It's like walking in a rainstorm and getting hit by wind-swept rain, then all of a sudden golf ball-sized hail starts falling at the same consistency as the rain and mercilessly pelts you as you try to run for cover; It's kind of like that.

The body is quite thick & heavy and the carbonation is on the moderate side, which adds more intensity to what is already an intense beer.

I have a sneaking suspicion that 1000 IBU was created for the sole purpose of seeing how hoppy/bitter one could make a beer, almost like an experiment. If that was the case then it was a resounding success.

With all this in mind, I declare this to be a novelty beer. It's hoppy, malty and there is no booziness to speak of. It also accomplished what it was trying to achieve which was create a bitter/resiny beer. I'd normally say that it should tone down the bitterness but then I realized that would defeat the entire purpose of this beer existing. All and all, this beer is a prime example of "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

Mikkeller 1000 IBU - 6/10

Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Review

Name: Stiegl Radler Grapefruit
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 2.5%

The Stiegl Brewery based out of Salzburg, Austria is one of the more popular makers of craft beer is Europe though it's status as a craft brewery could come into question depending on who you ask.

In my review of Leinie's Summer Shandy, I mentioned that the beer was an American interpretation of the Radler, which is lemon/grapefruit soda mixed with beer. Well this is an actual European Radler I have here from an Austrian Brewery. I also learned that the term "Radler" is a German word which means "Cyclist" and the beer is meant to be a thirst-quencher of sorts not unlike a sports drink. This could also help explain the very low ABV content of this beer, coming in at just 2.5%

Stiegl Radler pours a pale hazy yellow color with a fizzy head that vanishes very quickly. The carbonation activity is also fairly high.

The aroma has a sweet grapefruit and lemonade scent, along with some barley & what I can only describe as an "earthy hay" smell.

Much like the nose, the flavor is mostly lemonade, grapefruit, with some minor barley & hay notes. Doesn't really taste like a beer.

The body is light and the carbonation is moderate. Strangely enough, it fits the flavor quite well and t feels rather refreshing.

Stiegl Radler aims to quench thirst and give flavor to those who wish to drink it and it accomplishes that quite well. Though you can pick up Summer Shandy for cheaper, this has a lot more flavor to it and I feel that you get more of your moneys worth here. This also isn't a beer that you're gonna catch a buzz from thanks to the very low ABV content, but unlike Session Ales, this one has alot more flavor to it.

So would I recommend this? Yeah, but only if you're outside on a hot day. Otherwise, you're better off with something else.

Stiegl Radler Grapefruit - 7.25/10

Summit Extra Pale Ale Review

Name: Summit Extra Pale Ale
Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%

When Summit Brewing Company first opened it's doors, no one would've imagined that they would've grown into one of the largest craft breweries in America (Ranked 23rd as of 2012) and 2nd largest brewery in Minnesota behind August Schell Brewing Company. In fact, when the local NBC affiliate KARE11 did a piece on the brewery's grand opening back in 1986, they featured a very familiar beer that Minnesota holds dear to it's heart as you will see in the video here.

The first beer that Summit ever released, Extra Pale Ale (EPA), has continuously been their best selling beer and like Spotted Cow in Wisconsin, you can find it literally anywhere in Minnesota, whether it's in a bottle or on tap. Like Sierra Nevada, it's also one of the first craft beers I ever took note of thanks to my Dad's company picnics when I was younger; It was the beer of choice amongst my dad's co-workers, beating out Budweiser & Miller Lite as they sat submerged in ice.

Since I've already reviewed quite a few of Summit's offerings, I figured now would be a good time to look at Minnesota's own flagship craft beer.

Summit EPA pours a mildly hazy dark orange color with a foamy head and good lacing along the sides of the glass. There's also some light carbonation visible as well.

The aroma gives off a strong baked bread & yeasty scent. In the back are some floral hop, pale malts & barley notes which add a nice touch to the aroma.

The flavor is a bit more well rounded with yeasts, floral & dry hops, pale malts and barley. Aftertaste is a mild floral hoppiness with just a teensy bit of resin.

As far as the body goes, it's fairly moderate in weight and while the carbonation starts out in the middle, it does mellow out the more you drink it.

It's a staple of the Minnesota beer scene and it isn't hard to see why that after 27 years, it still holds up nicely. You've got a nice flavor that aims to please and it's a beer that's perfect for any occasion. Sure, it's not going to knock your socks off with it's flavor but at the same time you definitely aren't making a mistake by drinking this either.

Summit Extra Pale Ale - 8.25/10

South Shore Northern Lights Ale Review

Name: South Shore Northern Lights Ale
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.3%

Despite Duluth being pretty much the central hub of beer along the shores of Lake Superior, many seem to forget that Northern Wisconsin has it's share of breweries as well. With the exception of Thirsty Pagan located over in Superior, Northern Wisconsin's brewery scene doesn't really get any recognition here in Duluth. South Shore Brewery based out of Ashland, WI is pretty much the only brewery located in Northwestern Wisconsin. The other breweries in the northern part of the state are closer to Rhinelander or situated along Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Today I will be looking at South Shore's Northern Lights Ale, which is their Blonde Ale and the one I most commonly see on the shelves.

Northern Lights pours a hazy yellow color with a surprisingly fizzy head yet no carbonation to speak of that's visible.

Barley, pale malts and yeasts with an encompassing grassiness make up the aroma. There are also some hints of wheat in the nose as well, but it only becomes apparent once it warms up.

The flavor has a surprisingly sweet pale malt and wheat profile, backed up by yeasts and barley. The earthiness that was present in the nose isn't as strong here but it's noticeable. There's also some strange adjunct grainy notes to the taste.

The body is pretty lightweight but the carbonation, contrary to it's seemingly dead appearance, is rather moderate for what it is.

I can't say that Northern Lights Ale blew me away because it certainly didn't. The flavor has a strange and unnecessary adjunct taste to it and could forgo the earthiness; If you remove those, this would've been a great blonde ale but it's an okay blonde ale for right now.

South Shore Northern Lights Ale - 6.5/10

Robinsons Trooper Review

Name: Robinsons Trooper
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
ABV: 4.7%

While I was down in Minneapolis for the State Fair, this was one of the three beers I had picked up, the others being Flat Earth Element 115 and Stone's Gotterdammerung. I picked up this beer because I had heard about it many times before and I am a huge Iron Maiden fan. When I heard Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, was making a beer  in collaboration with Robinsons I just had to try it out.

The beer by Robinsons Brewing called Trooper is inspired by the Iron Maiden song of the same name.
The name of the song is inspired by The Charge of the Light Brigade which took place at Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the Crimean War. A light brigade cavalry were suppsoed to be sent to attack some retreating Russian forces but due to a miscommunication higher up on the command chain they were instead sent to attack a Russian artillery unit. Upon initiating the attack, the British soliders were surprised by the artillery attacks and were forced to retreat but not before losing 118 of their troops and 60 of them captured by Russian Forces.

Trooper pours a clear dark orange color with a foamy head and sparse lacing. I'm not picking up on any visible carbonation activity in the glass.

The nose consists mainly of marmalade, strong floral hops, caramel, barley and biscuits. With the exception of the floral hops, all the other notes feel somewhat subdued.

The flavor has a stronger floral hop profile, but the caramel, barley, and yeasty flavor are again all very subdued and pretty much in line with the nose.

In terms of weight, it's pretty light but the carbonation is pretty much non-existent and the body as a whole feels kind of watery.

As stated before, I'm a big Iron Maiden fan but I'm not a fan of this beer. It's not offensive in any way, but the flavor feels imbalanced and severely lacking at the same time. There are better ESB/Bitter Beers out there than this one.

Robinsons Trooper - 5/10