A look back at 2014 (Yeah, it's one of these)

So I was going to start working on this post early next week since I was originally going to designate this holiday weekend to playing video games and not much else. However due to Playstation Network being down thanks to a hacker group that hates humanity and not being able to play Destiny (You need an internet connection to play the game,) I decided to pass the time by starting to write about this year in review.

2014 has been a year full surprises and life-changing events; Some of which I saw coming and others I did not expect. Here I'll be writing about the beers I've had as well as some happenings to mix it up. So without further ado, I give you my recap of 2014!

**Disclaimer: I'm also going to point out right now that this is also a fairly long post, so just a heads up**

January

What can be said about January? To be honest, not a whole lot. I guess the only memorable things I could take away from January would be the record breaking god-awful cold temperatures we had and a little something called Deschutes The Abyss.

With its rich and complex flavor, this beer easily stood out as the best beer in a month that I considered to be lacking. New Glarus' Raspberry Tart also was pretty good but The Abyss edged that one out, though it did make for a good trade a few months down the road.

February

The month of love was also a fairly slow month. However there was one beer that stood out to me...for all the wrong reasons. My regular readers probably know what I'm talking about but I'll explain a little further. I follow a philosophy that I never turn down free beer, regardless of who it's from. In other words, you have to screw up pretty badly to make a beer so horrible that even I wouldn't take it even if it were free.

Lo and behold, a beer matching that description made its way into my hands and it went by the name Miller Fortune.

I promise this is the last time I talk about Miller Fortune. Fortune was Miller's answer to Budweiser Black Crown and was no doubt marketed to the craft beer drinking crowd by promising bourbon-like flavors and toting a higher-than-normal ABV; Which I've mentioned a couple times before is pretentious and unnecessary. 

Needless to say, this ended up being one of the worst beers I had ever had. How could somebody take a wonderful thing like beer and make it so awful? I understand that it's a Miller product and all, but even their regular stuff like MGD, Pabst & Miller Lite, while not great, I would still consider to be tolerable at the very least. In any case, I hope Miller's next attempt at trying to gain a share of the craft beer market is....less terrible.

March

Finally a month that isn't mediocre! In early March, I was contacted by David Grandmaison and was offered the opportunity to help promote The Duluth Experience's North Shore Craft Beer Roundtable, which was a series of four roundtable events pertaining to the craft beer scene in NE Minnesota & NW Wisconsin. 

I cannot express enough how great it was to see well-respected individuals in the craft beer scene sit down, talk, and share their experiences in the industry. On top of that, I got to meet and network with so many great people.

April

April saw the continuation of the The Duluth Experience's Roundtable event, which featured the head-brewers from the various breweries located in the Duluth-Superior area. Much like the first event, the second part was just as engaging and interesting as the first one. 

So what made this month as interesting as March? Well for me it was the interviews I conducted. The first being the interview I did with David Grandmaison from The Duluth Experience, which I found to be extremely interesting and insightful. The second interview I did was with these guys....

I met Seth from Regular Guy Brewing on Twitter in the wee months of 2014 and we have since become good friends. Seth was awesome enough to give me the chance to interview him, which we managed to pull-off despite Google Hangout's attempts to cut our connection. Overall it was a fun month but it was only a prelude to what was to come.

May

During the first half of May, I spent a week down in Minneapolis/St. Paul for Minnesota Craft Beer Week, in which I covered various events which celebrated Minnesota Craft Beer. It was a week full of fun and it made memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. Needless to say it was also a very busy time but they always say time flies when you're having fun.

Among the thing I did during that week:

• Went to Dangerous Man for the first time and checked out Northbound Smokehouse's Buckwheat Honey Porter
• Going to Great Waters Brewing for the first time and going to a keg tapping of Surly Blakkr with Simcoe & Centennial Hops at the Four Firkins
• Making a trip to Pitchfork Brewing in Hudson, Wisconsin (It's not Minnesota beer, but I still consider it local)
• Checking out The Freehouse in downtown Minneapolis & going to Barley John's keg tapping for Warrior's Passage 2.0 Imperial IPA w/ Falconer's Flight Hops.
• Attending the food truck rally at Harriet Brewing, complete with barrel aged sours and Nutella and Bacon covered chocolate chip cookies

Those events were awesome and all, but they don't hold a candle to what the final day of Minnesota Craft Beer week had in store for me. That's because on the last day of Minnesota Craft Beer week, I met these guys for the first time....

I met with Jon & Josh from Angry Inch Brewing in Rosemount, Minnesota for a private tasting event. Originally it was supposed to be an hour long affair but it ended up turning into a 3 hour conversation about their experiences in brewing as well as the story behind each beer and just getting to know them; All the while drinking some fantastic beers which they made for the tasting event. 

June

June started off with me moving into my new place, which put me in close proximity to all the breweries & brewpubs located in Duluth. It was during this time I started doing weekly roundup posts which continued until the end of July; I would also like to take this time to point out that those posts WILL be making a return in the near future. As for when, I don't know yet.

June also marked the final event in The Duluth Experience North Shore Craft Beer Roundtable event, which focused on the role of women in the Craft Brewing Industry. Of all the roundtable events, I found that one to be the most educational and interesting of the topics that were covered during the Roundtable series

As for the beer, there was a lot of great beers that I had that month but the one I found to be the most memorable was Heady Topper from The Alchemist. Talk about a great and well balanced Imperial IPA, I can see why all the craft beer fanatics love to post pictures and boast about this beer online.

July

July brought about something new for me: an interview with a film director. I sat down with Dave Okar, director of Crafted to Last: Minnesota Beer Blossoms, a documentary which covered the rapid expansion of Minnesota Craft Beer movement thanks to the Taproom Bill that was passed back in 2011. It was a fun interview and it gave me a really good appreciation for all the local beer which we here in Minnesota have the pleasure of drinking.

Next up is The Duluth Experience Saturday Evening Brewery Tour, which consisted of tours at Vikre Distillery, Bent Paddle Brewing Company & Fitger's Brewhouse. For me, it was my own fun little mini-bachelor party that I threw for myself. It was a great time and it gave me a much greater appreciation for the craft beer scene in Duluth.

I ended July by going to camp.....Beer Camp that is! I acquired a 12-pack of Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp, which featured collaborations between Sierra Nevada and twelve different breweries across the country. Some of my favorites included:

• Electric Ray IPL - Brewed in collaboration with Ballast Point.
• Yonker Bock Tropical Maibock - Brewed in collaboration with Cigar City Brewing.
• CANfusion Rye Maibock - Brewing in collaboration with Oskar Blues (Probably my favorite of the bunch)

Just a few days after I finished with that 12-pack, a big life changing event happened to me....

August

I got married.

Wait, that doesn't count? My mistake!

I suppose if I were to talk about anything beer related, the first order of business would be my mini-honeymoon up to Ely, MN for a couple of days right after we got married. It was my first time going through the Mesabi Iron Range and the sights were truly something to behold. 

Nestled deep in the northern edge of the Iron Range is a small brewery called the Boathouse Brewpub. It was a far cry in terms of size and scale when compared to other brewpubs in Minnesota. With that said, it was a nice and cozy place to eat and drink. 

Speaking of which, the beers were fantastic and quite tasty. I can also tell that it doesn't possess the same traffic and reputation as Town Hall & Fitger's but any craft beer fan owes it to themselves to check this place out. On top of that, the drive up there is gorgeous.

September

This the month of homebrew reviews. I reviewed not one, not two but seven homebrews. Remember Regular Guy & Angry Inch Brewing? Well I finally was able to sit down and do a proper review of their beers. 

From Angry Inch Brewing:

• Daddy's Honey Pot Saison
• 42 Short & Portly
• Menage a Trois Tripel
• Four Horseman IPA 

From Regular Guy Brewing:

• Smokey Grove Porter
• Hot Blonde Jalapeno
• Unnamed Extra Pale Ale 

Also worth noting is my interview with Sarina Otabi, who is the co-founder of Bluenose Gopher Brewery, an upcoming brewpub that will be based out of Granite Falls, MN which is scheduled to open sometime in the near future. It was a fun interview and I enjoyed learning more about the brewpub and what the future plans are.

October

The big thing to happen to me in October was being brought on board by Northland Beer, a website that is dedicated to raising awareness of the craft beer scene in the Upper Midwest. I am extremely grateful to be part of such a wonderful team and I really enjoy having another outlet to get my name and writing out there.

November & December

Finally to wrap up the year, a couple of pretty big things happened and the first thing I'd like to bring up is finding out that Angry Inch Brewing is planning on opening up their own brewery sometime next year in Lakeville, MN. They were also kind enough to let me officially announce the opening on Northland Beer's main website. 

During a tasting party I attended for Angry Inch Brewing back in November, several people who were at the event were familiar with my blog thanks to word of mouth by Angry Inch and quite fond of my work. To me, it was a very humbling experience and it was fun talking with everyone. 

Overall, it was a fun year and I am looking forward to what next year has in store for me. In fact, I know 2015 is going to be a great year. How do I know this? You'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading and have a Happy New Year!

- Nick

Jack Pine Fenceline Pale Ale Review

Name: Jack Pine Fenceline Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.4%

Last weekend, I was visiting family in Brainard when we decided to make a trip to Jack Pine Brewery, which is located in the adjacent town of Baxter. I had heard about Jack Pine early last year but never found the time to visit, but thankfully the opportunity to do so came up. To my knowledge, they only distribute to the Brainard Lake area right now due to their size and capacity.

I wanted to get something to review for this blog. After much deliberation, I decided to get a growler of their Fenceline Pale Ale, which is their American Pale Ale offering.

Fenceline pours a hazy orange color with some mild visible carbonation. The head is nice and foamy and the lacing is very abundant.

The aroma kicks things off with some orange peels, some mild grapefruit notes, a solid caramel maltiness and some floral hoppiness to top things off.

On the front of the palate, I'm getting some bitter citra hops and grapefruits; Some noticeable yeastiness in the middle before finishing with a kiwi sweetness. I will admit I did not see the NZ hop-like quality coming.

Fenceline is a nice, drinkable beer and the kiwi sweetness I got at the end was a very welcome surprise. If you ever find yourself in the Brainerd Area, be sure to check this beer out & check out the brewery while you're at it!

Jack Pine Fenceline Pale Ale - 8.5/10

Tin Whiskers Ampere Amber Review

Name: Tin Whiskers Ampere Ale
Style: Amber Ale
ABV: 5.3%

It's always exciting to try out beers from a new brewery. Which is why I'm psyched to try out my first beer from Tin Whiskers Brewing Company. The beer I've decided to try out is their Ampere Amber, which you may have guessed, is an Amber Ale. Ampere is a unit to measure electric currents, which makes sense when you consider that the founders of Tin Whiskers are electrical engineers by trade.

Interestingly enough, they talk about how there is some mintiness in both the aroma and flavor, something which I have never seen in an Amber Ale before.

Ampere Amber pours a dark yet fairly clear amber color with mild carbonation. The head is quite foamy with some good lacing.

The aroma starts out some surprisingly strong chocolate malts followed by some floral hops, mild roastiness and, like the bottle says, a hint of mint.

As for the taste, it starts out with some floral and light citra-hoppiness & yeasts before giving away to a chocolate maltiness, roasted barley, and some light mintiness which shows up on the back end of the palate. There's also a mild encompassing bitterness in the overall flavor as well and shows up mostly in the aftertaste along with the mintiness

Another great Amber Ale in less than a week? I must be on a roll here! In all seriousness, Ampere is a very well put together Amber Ale with a fairly complex taste. Plus it's very reasonably priced as I paid just around $5 for this bomber. After having this, I can't wait to see what else this brewery can do!

Tin Whiskers Ampere Ale - 9/10

Bud Light Platinum Review

Name: Bud Light Platinum
Brewed By: Anheuser-Busch
Style: American Adjunct Lager
ABV: 6%

You want me to let you in on a little secret? Of all of the articles I have written, the post that has the most views isn't a great beer like AleSmith's Wee Heavy or Schell's Arminius. No No. The post with the most views is none other than my review of Miller Fortune, a beer that I enjoyed about as much as a case of appendicitis.

Why does this matter? Well Miller Fortune, in a way, owes its existence to Budweiser. You see back in early 2012, Anheuser-Busch unleashed Bud Light Platinum, presumably as a way to reel in craft beer drinkers with its higher-than-normal alcohol content. You also may notice too that Bud Light Platinum clocks in at 6% ABV, which definitely lands it far outside the realm of what is considered to be light beer. Did I mention it just has 8 less calories than regular Budweiser?

What can be said about Bud Light Platinum aside from the blue bottle? For starters, I've had this before and it was back in February of 2012 while I was watching a Minnesota Wild game with a couple of friends. My initial reaction was that it tasted like rusty dishwater, so I'm not exactly looking forward to having this again. Just remember, I drink it so you don't have to.

Bud Light Platinum pours a clear pale yellow color with some mild visible carbonation. The head starts out thin, even with an aggressive pour, before disappearing into nothingness. As for the lacing......well there is none!

The nose consists of pale malts, some cereal grains, a strong boozy scent and a some light barley. Well, it certainly doesn't smell any different than what I remember.

The taste starts out with a strong booziness followed by some metallic rust, pale malts, cereal grains, cardboard and even more booziness. On the plus side, it feels crisp.

Remember that rusty dishwater comment I made earlier? Well in the almost 3 years since I've had this, pretty much nothing has changed in the flavor so I would say that comment still holds up quite well. Much like Molson XXX & Miller Fortune, I would turn this down if it were offered to me at a party. My only wish is that people will read this review and heed my words. I just hope my Summit glass will forgive for pouring such a terrible beer into it.

Bud Light Platinum - 1/10

Milwaukee Brewing Louie's Demise Review

Name: Milwaukee Brewing Louie's Demise
Style: Amber Ale
ABV: 5.5%

It's been a few months since I've reviewed anything from Milwaukee Brewing Company, but thankfully I'm looking to make up lost time by reviewing their self-proclaimed flagship beer Louie's Demise, which is the brewery's Amber Ale.

Now I had a variation of this beer last year called Louie's Resurrection, which was a more imperialized version of their Amber Ale but aged in bourbon barrels. Sadly I didn't take notes at the time, let alone take a photo of the said beer. Hopefully in the near future, I can do a proper review of that beer. For the time being, this will have to do.

Louie's Demise pour a clear red color with no visible carbonation. The head is quite foamy and the lacing is abundant.

The aroma is mainly toffee malts, a bit of roasted barley, some chocolate notes and some bitter hoppiness.

The flavor is toffee & chocolate malts, roasted barley, and bitter hops. Aftertaste is mild roastiness but otherwise dry.

Louie's Demise is a fairly straight-forward amber ale and the flavor really leaves something more to be desired, it almost makes you wish that you were drinking something better. It plays it safe with the flavor but it gets the job done and but it's certainly not one of the better amber ales I've had recently.

Milwaukee Brewing Louie's Demise - 6/10

Goose Island Rambler IPA Review

Name: Goose Island Rambler IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.7%

Tonight I've got a fairly new (to me) beer from Goose Island Brewing. It is the Rambler IPA, the brewery's new Red IPA. On both the label and in the video on the brewery's website, they proudly talk about how they use Amarillo & Mt. Hood hops in the brewing process.

Not to take the wind out their sails or anything but a lot of beers out there use both hop varieties (either together or separately.) Were these brand new experimental hops used in Rambler, I could say that would be worth boasting about. As for the name, maybe the brewer is an Allman Brothers fan....?

Rambler pours a clear dark orange color with very little visible carbonation. The head is thin yet foamy and the lacing is quite good.

In the aroma, I'm picking up on some moderate piney hops upfront followed with some fairly strong caramel maltiness, a bit of roastiness and some mild spiciness. I'm even getting a bit of earthiness in here as well.

The flavor has some moderate piney hops on the front of the palate with a accent of bitter hoppiness. Caramel malts also supplement the flavor as a whole and the spiciness that was present in the nose is also here as well and shows up in the back of the palate. As for the aftertaste, it can be summed up in one word: bitter. By that I mean, it consists almost entirely of bitter hops with just a hint of caramel sweetness.

You know what? This is a nice solid IPA, especially if you like your IPAs to be more on the bitter side! I wasn't expecting too much with Rambler, but I'm pleasantly surprised with just how well put together this beer is. I would definitely recommend checking this out should you get the chance.

Goose Island Rambler IPA - 8.5/10

Swag Brewery Vanilla Porter Candle Review

A couple months ago, I was contacted by Max from Swag Brewery to help promote the Kickstarter he was doing to get his brand new beer candle product off the ground, to which I gladly helped. Since the Kickstarter was a rousing success, I have been given some beer candles courtesy of Swag Brewery to try out for myself.

I was sent the Vanilla Porter candle but it also comes in Apricot Wheat and Hoppy IPA scents as well. With that said, I want to throw this out there: Much like the beer soap which I got last year, this does NOT smell like beer but uses the aromatics used in the said beer. So I'm going to take a look at this candle.

Packaging

Wow, I really like how this looks. From the front as you can see here it looks very professional and has a bit of that old-timey, wild west poster look to it. I don't know what I find so attractive but I just really like the packaging. Plus it's proudly made in the US of A!!

The Candle

Aside from the label being from Swag, the candle itself reminds me of something I would get from Yankee Candle....except not like this.

So you're probably wondering to yourself "Well....how does it smell?" Well I want to point out again does NOT smell like beer, but instead you're treated to a wonderful aroma of vanilla, chocolate and a hint of underlying caramel sweetness. It is quite unlike any other candle we've had in our apartment, to say the least.

As for the longevity of the candle, going by the two I've used so far, it clocks in at around 50 hours, so it's got a good amount of life behind.

Much like the beer soap I've had before, this is a wonderful gift for that special craft beer lover in your heart. At the same time, it's also a gift I would feel comfortable giving to anyone who isn't necessarily a beer geek because it's a wonderful smelling candle. With all that said, I would highly recommend checking this out!

Bauhaus Brew Labs Jingle Fever Review

Name: Bauhaus Brew Labs Jingle Fever
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 8%

It's always exciting to review a new beer, but it's even more exciting if that said beer is from a brand new brewery. Which is why I'm excited to review Jingle Fever from Bauhaus Brew Labs. Most winter seasonals are usually Winter Warmers or Stouts, but Bauhaus is changing that up by giving beer drinkers a Baltic Porter. This is also the first beer I've had from Bauhaus that's in a bottle as opposed to a can.

Jingle Fever pours a pitch black color and I'm not picking up on any carbonation. The head is quite thin and takes on a khaki-colored appearance and the lacing is good.

The nose starts out with a nice roasted barley and robust chocolate maltiness. I'm also getting some sweet-smoky malts paired with some bitter hoppiness. Smells like a beer I'd drink during the winter.

Flavor-wise, the chocolate/smoked malts and roasted barley make up the first half of the flavor. The second half of the flavor is has some dark fruitiness paired with some black licorice. The aftertaste is mainly bitter hoppiness, light smokiness, and roasted barley.

Jingle Fever is an excellent and robust tasting beer and a great showcase of the Baltic Porter style. Since it's only available during the winter season, be sure to grab this while you still can. Also if you so happen to be a fan of Baltic Porters, this will definitely be up your alley.

Bauhaus Brew Labs Jingle Fever - 9.5/10

Fulton The Ringer Review

Name: Fulton The Ringer
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5%

Even though winter has finally started digging its claws into our region (after a 50 degree day no less,) I'm still digging some of the lighter styles for the time being; Though one's definition of "light" may be subject to interpretation. Which is why I'm taking a look at The Ringer, an American Pale Ale from Fulton Brewing.

From what I've gathered, this started out as a draft only beer a couple years back and it wasn't until recently that this became a bottled beer. After all, Lonely Blonde was available in bottles way before I ever recalled seeing this on store shelves. As for the name, I haven't a clue why it is called The Ringer or how it relates to APAs.

The Ringer pours a dark hazy orange color with a bit of mild carbonation. Head is nice and foamy and the lacing is quite abundant.

The nose is very floral hop forward with some prominent yeastiness. I'm getting some moderate resin hop bitterness and some mild toffee malts.

Thr flavor is fairly floral hop forward with a light citrus kick behind it. I'm also getting some yeastiness, in turn which is followed by some bitter hoppiness and mild maltiness. The aftertaste takes on a mild citrus hop bitterness and light toffee maltiness.

The Ringer doesn't do anything revolutionary for the style. What does do is provide a nice & flavorful APA for beer drinkers to enjoy and it does so quite well.

Fulton The Ringer - 8.5/10

Victory Prima Pils Review

Name: Victory Prima Pils
Style: Pilsner
ABV: 5.3%

Today I'm going to be reviewing an old favorite of mine from when I first started drinking craft beer: Victory Brewing's Prima Pils. Why is it called Prima, you ask? According to the beer description, Prima is a German exclamation of joy. From what the ever-reliable internet tells me, the English equivalent of Prima is "great."

Prima Pils pours a clear yellow with a moderate amount of visible carbonation. The head takes on a foamy white appearance but the lacing is very sparse.

The nose starts out with a strong aroma of lemon zest & pilsner malts followed up by some maltiness and some light citra and floral hoppiness.

The taste is lemon zest, pilsner & pale malts, citrus & bitter hops. The aftertaste is strong with some bitter hoppiness. Very robust and complex flavor for a Pilsner. It does have a very crisp body though.

Even though this is one of the first Pilsners that I've ever had way back when I first got into craft beer, this still ranks up there as one of the best that I've ever had. In fact, I would consider Prima Pils to be a textbook example as how to do a Pilsner right. The name may seem a bit presumptuous, but this is indeed a Prima Pils!

Victory Prima Pils - 9.25/10

Angry Inch Brewing Company - An Introspective

It's hard to believe all that has happened to me since starting this blog early last year. All the people I've met, the places I've gone, the events I have attended and so forth; But what I'm about to tell you is something so unexpected (in a good way) that even I am still trying to comprehend that it's even happening.

It all started back in January of this year when I connected with Angry Inch Brewing, based out of Rosemount, MN. We started to hit it off right away when I was asking about the name and the close proximity of the brewery to where I used to live. It was mainly batting around ideas of where their future brewery would be located and during that time, we rattled off about half of the streets in the South Metro area.

A few months later during Minnesota Craft Beer Week, I stopped in for a private tasting with Jon & Josh from Angry Inch to see what they were planning on offering, which included their Beer Dabbler Award winning Saison & Dubbel. What was supposed to be an hour long tasting event turned into 3 hour discussion about our experiences in the craft beer industry, hearing the story behind each of the beers they had on tap as well as their plans to one day open a brewery.

As I drove back to Duluth that afternoon, I remember thinking to myself how excellent the beer was and how much love and care they put into each batch which they brew. I also thought to myself that once their brewery opens up, which I thought at the time would be in a few years, that it would be a welcome addition to the South Metro, which lacks the number of breweries as say.....Minneapolis.

During Labor Day Weekend, I was given some samples to review in depth and I enjoyed each and every one given to me. There were some minor changes to a couple of the beers I had tried before but for the better. Again I was still holding onto the belief that a production brewery for Angry Inch was still a few years out.

Now imagine my surprise when, a few weeks back, this exchange happened....

Upon finishing my double-take, my first reaction was that it was an auto-correct typo, as you can see from our conversation above. Of course, I was informed almost immediately that it was, in fact, NOT a typo. It was at this time I had a startling realization:

I was witnessing the birth of a new commercial brewery in Minnesota and I had a front row seat to all the action.

Last week I published my Angry Inch Opening Press Release on Northland Beer, the other website I write for (which you should totally check out.) For those who don't feel like doing more reading, I'll give you the Sparknotes of the Press Release:

• Angry Inch is planning on opening their brewery sometime in Spring/Summer 2015
• They will be located at 20730 Holyoak Ave, Suite 160, Lakeville, MN.
• They plan on having nine draft lines in their taproom. They will consist of six year round offerings, one 6 month rotating seasonal, one 2 month rotating seasonal, and one tapline for an experimental brew.

It has been such a privilege to see how much Angry Inch Brewing has grown this past year and I cannot wait to see how much they will grow in the upcoming year. I also wanted to extend my sincerest thanks to Jon from Angry Inch for giving me the honor of writing & publishing the press release for their grand opening; It is something I am truly grateful for. 

While you wait to try out some of their fantastic beers, for the time being you can do your part by following Angry Inch on social media. You can find them at:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AngryInchBrew

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angry-Inch-Brewing/632502360094820

 

I am truly looking forward to writing more about Angry Inch Brewing in the near future, and I cannot wait for the day when beer drinkers everywhere will be able to try out some of their fantastic beers.

Cheers!

- Nick

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild Review

Name: Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 8.9%

Today I'm going to be reviewing something from Lagunitas Brewing Company. I've been craving a good Belgian IPA as of late (amongst the others that I've looked at recently), which is why I have a Little Sumpin' Wild. I was originally going to look at the original Little Sumpin' Sumpin', but I didn't get my hands on that until after I had already had this.

Little Sumpin' Wild pours a fairly clear light orange color with some mild visible carbonation. The head starts out pretty foamy before tapering to a more foamy appearance and the lacing is quite good.

In the aroma, I'm picking up on a strong citra hops, passion-fruit and mango up front, while Belgian yeasts, a bit of piney hoppiness, some pale and toffee malts make up the second half of the nose.

The flavor is a bit different. On the front of the palate, I'm getting some cloves/spices, Belgian yeasts and citrus hops upfront. Meanwhile grapefruits, toffee malts and citra-bitter hoppiness make up the flavors in the second part of the flavor. As for the aftertaste, it's mainly a citrus & bitter hoppiness with a light touch of toffee malts.

Even though Lagunitas has grown a lot these past few years, it's still nice to see that the overall quality of their beers hasn't been affected. With its complex and robust flavor, you'll no doubt find something to enjoy about this beer!

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild - 9.25/10

Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine Review

Name: Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine
Style: Barleywine
ABV: 12.3%

Every year at the beginning of December, Goose Island Brewing releases their Bourbon County series in limited quantities. Last year I reviewed their Bourbon County Stout and found it to be quite good.

Now originally I was going to review their Barleywine but I mistakenly gave it to a friend of mine and was unable to give it a proper review. To make matters worse, the poor guy wasn't used to the barleywine style, let alone a beer that is high in alcohol content. Well now the time has come where I can give this a proper review.

Pours a black color with some mild visible carbonation. The head pours a creamy khaki-colored head and the lacing is very sparse.

In the aroma, I'm picking up on some strong vanilla bourbon notes with some strong oakiness. There is some strong caramel maltiness along with some prominent bitter hoppiness.

In the front, the vanilla bourbon and caramel maltiness are very prominent. The bitter hoppiness and oakiness show themselves in the second half of the taste. The aftertaste is primarily oak and caramel malts.

This is no doubt an extremely good bourbon barrel aged barleywine but it isn't quite my favorite bourbon barrel aged barleywine, which so happens to be from Central Waters The asking price is also a bit steep but if you can afford it, then you are in good company.

Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine - 9/10

Schell's Snowstorm (2014 Edition) Review

Name: Schell's Snowstorm (2014 Edition)
Style: Grand Cru/Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Every winter, Schell's Brewing releases their Snowstorm Ale, which changes style every year. Last year it was a Belgian Golden Ale, and now this year it is a Grand Cru; Which is a term normally used to describe wine but it's also used to describe something that has no set category. However I've seen this also described as a Belgian Strong Ale, so I will be using both terminologies in the description.

Snowstorm pours a clear dark orange color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head is quite fizzy at first but retains a thin foamy appearance throughout. I am not picking up on any lacing though.

The nose has a nice aroma of coriander & orange peels upfront followed by citrus hops and caramel malts in the back.

The flavor treats you to a nice mix orange peel, belgian yeasts and coriander; While the second half of the flavor is citrus hops, spices and a caramel maltiness. The flavor is surprisingly complex for what it is.

I have to say that this was quite good. I like the flavor and the overall drinkability; It's beers like this that make me look forward to the annual Snowstorm release. Be sure to pick this up while it's still in rotation

Schell's Snowstorm (2014) - 9/10

Corsendonk Christmas Ale Review

Name: Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 8.1%

Every year for Christmas, I celebrate by having one of my favorite Christmas beers courtesy of Brouwerij Corsendonk, which is simply called Christmas Ale. I had this on tap a few years ago at the Nomad World Pub right after Christmas and found it to be pretty good. Since then I've made it a tradition to drink it every year, so I figured it makes sense to give it a proper review.

The beer pours a pitch black color with some high visible carbonation. The head is quite foamy and khaki colored in appearance. The lacing is also very good.

The nose consists mainly of dark licorice, caramel/chocolate malts and dark fruit. This is followed by some bitter hoppiness and some light roastiness.

The taste starts out with a strong black licorice flavor up front with some very strong caramel maltiness. The 2nd half is a mix of dark fruitiness and bitter hoppiness. The aftertaste is dark licorice, some mild roastiness and bitter hops.

With its complex and robust flavor profile, this continues to be a favorite holiday beer for myself. Should you ever get the chance to try this out, I would highly recommend doing so!

Corsendonk Christmas Ale - 9.5/10

Fulton Lonely Blonde Review

Name: Fulton Lonely Blonde
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.8%

It's time to look at another offering from Fulton Brewing and this time, I have their Lonely Blonde. As you may have guessed from the name, this is indeed a Blonde Ale. I remember having this a couple years ago and found it to be pretty good so I decided to try this out and give it a proper review.

Lonely Blonde pours a hazy dark yellow color with a high amount of visible carbonation. The head has a thin white appearance and I'm not picking up on any lacing.

The nose is fairly standard in terms of blonde ales go. You have some pale maltiness with a some lager yeasts to back it on. On the very back, there is also a bit of citra hops to give it a slight kick.

As for the taste, you've got some pale malts, barley & lager yeasts right away before giving away to a and mild floral & citra hoppiness. The aftertaste, however, is quite dry. The body is also nice and crisp.

Lonely Blonde is a textbook example of how to make a good blonde ale. It won't knock anyone's socks off, but it's a pretty good yet simple tasting beer. Be sure to check it out should you get the chance.

Fulton Lonely Blonde - 8/10

Deschutes Jubelale Review

Name: Deschutes Jubelale
Style: Winter Warmer
ABV: 6.7%

It's getting colder and darker outside around this time of the year, much like the beers that many craft beer enthusiasts will be drinking in the coming months. So tonight I've decided to look at what is considered by many to be a staple of winter ales: Jubelale from Deschutes Brewing.

I remember when I first had this beer about 3 years ago, back when I was a senior in college. I had just finished my last final for the fall semester when I stopped by Zipp's Liquor in the Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood as it was on my way back to my home. While I was scanning the aisles, I noticed Jubelale was on sale for $7.99 for a six-pack and the clerk highly recommended it to me.

That night while I was playing Gears of War 3 online, I decided to crack open a bottle of Jubelale. What I was treated to was a mesmerizing and robust tasting beer. Today I'll be revisiting this beer to see how well it has held up compared to when I first had it.

Jubelale pours a clear dark crimson color with some mild visible carbonation. The head takes on a foamy khaki colored appearance and the lacing is both abundant and sticky.

In the nose, I'm picking up on some strong caramel maltiness with a distinct smoky quality. I'm also getting some black licorice & chocolate notes and some mild bitter hoppiness.

The flavor starts out very caramel & smoked malt forward. The second half of the flavor settles into a roasted barley, dark fruit and bitter hop taste.

Out of all the Winter Warmer style ales out there, this ranks up there as one of my favorites. It has held up wonderfully and the flavor is just as complex and robust as I remember it. Be sure to check this.

Deschutes Jubelale - 9.5/10

Southern Tier Krampus Review

Name: Southern Tier Krampus
Style: Imperial Helles Lager
ABV: 9%

In honor of the upcoming holidays, I will be looking at Krampus from Southern Tier Brewing, which is their winter seasonal release. What's a Krampus, you ask? According the German tradition, the Krampus is the counterpart to St. Nicholas and is described as being half-goat/half-demon.

While St. Nicholas rewards good children with presents, the Krampus rewards the bad children by whipping them with rods and rusty chains. According to legend, the Krampus will sometimes kidnap, eat and/or take the really bad children with him to hell. And you thought a lump of coal was scary idea as a kid.

Krampus pours a dark orange color with some mild visible carbonation. The head takes on a nice, white foamy appearance with some pretty good lacing.

Starting out in the aroma, I'm getting some fairly strong pale maltiness which is paired with an almost-as-strong hop profile of citrus & bitter hops. I'm also picking up on some boozy notes here too.

As for the taste, there is some fairly prominent pale malt and toffee sweetness up front. This is followed up by some mild roasted barley notes & strong bitter and citra hoppiness. The aftertaste is made of a bitter hoppiness and light booziness.

I think Krampus is a pretty good beer and a nice change of pace compared to other seasonal styles out on the market during the winter season. On top of that, it's very reasonably priced so be sure to pick this up should you get the chance.

Southern Tier Krampus - 8.5/10

Sam Adams Boston Lager Review

Name: Sam Adams Boston Lager
Style: Vienna Lager
ABV: 4.9%

Since I've started this blog, I have looked at some beers that not a lot of people have heard of before. On the flipside, there have been beers that everyone had that I haven't looked at yet. Such is the case with Sam Adams Boston Lager, which is the final beer from this year's fall sampler pack.

What can be said about Boston Lager? Well for starters, it is arguably the most well known craft beer out there (Yes, I do consider Sam Adams to be a craft brewer.) and it can be found in pretty much every part of the country. As of late, they have been using the song "I'm Shipping up to Boston" by The Dropkick Murphys in both their radio and TV spots. It was also the first recipe that Jim Koch came up with when he started Sam Adams 30 years ago.

Boston Lager pours a clear amber/dark orange color with some mild carbonation. The head is thin and white in appearance and the lacing is rather sparse.

The nose has some Munich maltiness upfront along with mild some roasted barley and toffee sweetness with a floral & bitter hop profile encompassing the aroma.

The flavor starts out fairly malty with some toffee and Munich malt sweetness. The floral hops are a bit more pronounced here while the bitter hops make up what is an otherwise dry aftertaste.

The body has a bit of weight to it but not overly so. The carbonation has a bit of a kick to it as well but it feels rather crisp as a whole.

Even though it's 30 years old and is one of the most widely produced beers on the market right now, I still consider this to be a good beer that has held up well. It is, by no means, the best craft beer out there. However you aren't making a bad choice by having this either, which is more than what I can say about some other craft beers I've had before this.

Sam Adams Boston Lager - 8/10

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale Review

Name: Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Style: Pumpkin Beer
ABV: 5.7%

Next up on Sam Adams Fall Sampler pack is their Harvest Pumpkin Ale. I have had a their Fat Jack from before but this is the first time I've had this particular beer. Not really much else to say, so let's get right to it.

Harvest Pumpkin pours a clear crimson color with some moderate visible carbonation. The head pours a soapy khaki-colored head with some soapy lacing.

The nose starts out with some cinnamon & nutmeg notes which is followed by some pumpkin pie sweetness. There's also some mild toffee maltiness and faint floral hoppiness tucked away in the back.

Flavor-wise, the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg notes all seem to come at you at once. After this, it finishes with a bitter floral hoppiness and a light spicy yeastiness.

This is a decent pumpkin beer but it leaves something to desired. At the same time, it isn't what I would consider terrible. My advice would be to get this as part of a mix-a-six and decide for yourself.

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale - 7.5/10

Sam Adams Harvest Saison Review

Name: Sam Adams Harvest Saison
Style: Saison
ABV: 6.0%

I recently came into possession of a Sam Adams fall seasonal pack, which just so happened to be on sale, I'm guessing to make way for the inevitable winter seasonal pack which should be arriving in the very near future; Plus I can't argue with an $8 twelve-pack! As such, I'll be taking a look at each beer in this pack, with the exception of the Octoberfest which I have already reviewed.

The first beer I'll be trying out was actually the one that grabbed my attention when I picked this up, which is their Harvest Saison. According to the label, this is a Saison brewed with oats, wheat & rye. For the record, I've never had a Saison brewed with rye, let alone a Saison from Sam Adams so I'm very eager to try this out.

Harvest Saison pours a dark hazy yellow color with some mild carbonation. The head is pretty foamy and the lacing is very abundant.

The nose starts out with Belgian yeasts and cloves before transitioning to some light malted wheat notes and slight rye spiciness. Judging from the description on the label, it's holding up true so far.

The flavor is fairly Belgian yeast forward upfront with some rye spiciness. This is followed up by some malted wheat notes, berry fruitness and light floral hoppiness. The aftertaste is a bitter hop aftertaste and light rye spiciness.

The body is moderate in weight but the carbonation is relatively light. Thankfully it goes really well with the flavor profile and helps keep everything in check

I'll admit that my expectations were that this would be good, but not great; After all, I can't seem to remember having a bad beer from Sam Adams. With that said, I was very impressed with the overall flavor and just how complex this was. I was a bit skeptical of the inclusion of rye in this beer but it actually works out quite well. If you're still able to try this out, I would highly recommend checking this out, particularly to fans of the Saison style!

Sam Adams Harvest Saison - 9.25/10

La Trappe Isid'or Review

Name: La Trappe Isid'or
Brewed By: Brouwerij de Koningshoeven
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 7.5%


A few posts back, I expressed my desire to dedicate some more reviews to imports and what better way to do this than with a review of a Trappist Ale? For those who don't know, a Trappist beer can only be referred to as such if they are brewed by Trappist monks. Today I have a beer from Brouwerij de Koningshoeven called La Trappe Isid'or.

Now I've had many beers before but regrettably I have never had a Trappist ale before today. It's not because I was weary of the price or anything like that; It had just never crossed my mind to try it out.

Dark brown/orange color with some mild visible carbonation. The head is fairly thin in appearance and the lacing is somewhat on the sparse side.

The nose starts off with some strong candied caramel maltiness with some fairly strong booziness. Some dark fruit notes are also present in the aroma but I'm not picking up on much in terms of sheer hoppiness.

The flavor is fairly identical to the flavor. It starts out with some strong caramel maltiness and dark fruit notes before ending with a caramel malt and bitter hoppiness. It's fairly robust tasting beer and the booziness is not as strong as it was in the nose.

Bodywise, it's fairly moderate in weight and the carbonation level is between that of mild and moderate as well.

You know what? This is pretty good! It's got a nice robust flavor profile which makes for a wonderful beer. If you have access to this beer in your area, I would check it out! With this in mind, I will be definitely be seeking out more Trappist ales in the future!

La Trappe Isid'or - 9/10

Fulton The Libertine Review

Name: Fulton The Libertine
Style: Imperial Red Ale
ABV: 8.5%

If you're reading this right now, you're probably trying to escape the monotony that is the Thanksgiving family get together. If so, then a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Nick's Beer Blog; And by us, I mean me!

Today I've got a beer from the Fulton Brewery called The Libertine, which is an Imperial Red Ale. I'll admit that until now, I have never had an Imperial Red Ale although I have had numerous Red/Amber ales before. So I'm going into this not exactly knowing what to expect and, of course, with an open mind.

Libertine pours a hazy dark red color with some mild carbonation on the bottom of the glass, but it's hard to tell in the rest of the glass because of the haze. The head takes on a very thin khaki colored appearance and the lacing is sparse.

The nose starts off with some dark fruit notes along with some strong toffee & caramel malts and a hint of roastiness. I'm also picking up on some light floral hoppiness, but it is well masked by the maltiness.

The flavor has some dark fruitiness which are backed up by the strong caramel & toffee malts. The floral hops are also fairly light here and show up in the back of the palate. Some rye spiciness and a bit of booziness encompasses the overall flavor as well.

The body is moderately weighted with some mild carbonation. When you take into account the flavor, it matches it quite well.

The Libertine is no doubt a good beer but I'm not exactly sold on the Imperial Red Ale style. It is an interesting concept no doubt but I think the rye could be toned down to give it some more balance. As it is right now, it's good but I think the asking price is a little too steep

Fulton The Libertine - 8/10

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA Review

Name: Stone Cali-Belgique IPA
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 6.9%

Thanks to my now frequent visits down to the Twin Cities, I've been able to get my Stone Brewing fix on a fairly regular basis. Which leads us to today's beer: Stone Cali-Belgique IPA, which is a their Belgian IPA. I also just realized that my past 4 reviews from Stone Brewing (including this one) have been an IPA-style beer. Next time I grab some Stone, I'll be sure it's not an IPA.

Pours a clear orange color with some mild visible carbonation. The head takes on a foamy thin white appearance and the lacing is rather abundant.

The nose has a strong grapefruit & citra hop profile upfront with some strong clove & and belgian yeast notes in the back.

The flavor has some strong Belgian yeast esters upfront which is followed by some mild banana notes. The citrus hop and grapefruit notes show themselves in the second part of the flavor but aren't quite as prominent as they are in the nose. As for the aftertaste, it's mainly a very strong bitter hoppiness and a moderate Belgian yeastiness.

The body is fairly moderate in terms of weight but it's light carbonated. It's a pretty easy beer to drink and it allows you to enjoy the flavor this beer has to offer.

While I think the flavor could use some more hops upfront, Cali-Belgique is another excellent beer from Stone Brewing and is worth checking out if you get the chance.

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA - 9/10

Goose Island The Muddy Review

Name: Goose Island The Muddy
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.0

I've got a new release from Goose Island Brewing and it's the third release that I'll be having in the "The" Series. It's the name I've given to the limited release series that Goose Island has been releasing recently. First came The Illinois, an Imperial IPA named after Frank Lloyd Wright's conceptual mile high skyscraper that would've been built in downtown Chicago. Then came The Ogden, a Tripel which is  named after William Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago.

The newest addition to the series is The Muddy, an Imperial Stout that gets it's name from Muddy Waters, who is responsible for the creation of the Chicago Blues scene, which first rose to prominence in the first half of the 20th Century. According to the bottle, this is is brewed with licorice.

The Muddy pours a pitch black color with some high visible carbonation. The head takes on a thin khaki appearance along with some sparse lacing.

The nose starts out with rather strong roastiness with chocolate malts, dark licorice and light vanilla notes. With the exception of the light vanilla, this is a very dark & roasty smelling beer and the licorice and roasted barley work in conjunction with the chocolate malts to make this possible.

Sure enough, that dark and roasty aspect carries over into the flavor. It starts out with a strong roasted barley taste which is followed up by some chocolate malts & dark licorice before being topped off with a bitter hop aftertaste.

The body is quite hefty and the carbonation is pretty moderate. It also possesses some thickness so it does feel a bit chewy.

The Muddy is a nice, dark and roasty Imperial Stout that is sure to please fans of the style. However like The Ogden before it, the asking price is a bit high when you consider that it only comes in a 4-pack, which is around $15 before taxes in my area. My advice would be to do what I did and buy a single bottle and try it out before deciding if a 4-pack is worth the price of admission.

Goose Island The Muddy - 8.5/10

Boom Island Silvius Review

Name: Boom Island Silvius
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%

Tonight I'm going to review a beer from Boom Island Brewing Company, a brewery that takes it's name from the area of Minneapolis which it is based out of. They have been open for about 3 years now and specialize in making Belgian Style Ales. At the time of writing they are available only in the Twin Cities. For this review, I've got their Silvius, which is their Belgian Pale Ale.

Silvius pours a hazy dark orange color with a moderate amount of carbonation. The head is very foamy but the lacing is sparse.

The aroma starts off with a moderate floral & citrus hop profile. The back end of the nose consists of a mildly roasty caramel malt backbone and some light Belgian yeasts.

However the flavor is surprisingly caramel malt with some fairly strong roastiness, which is followed up by some Belgian yeasts, mild citra hops and ends with a dry roasted malt finish.

The body is fairly light but the carbonation is on the moderate side, so this beer is pretty easy to drink.

Silvius is a solid Belgian Pale Ale. Were this available in my area, I would definitely be buying this regularly. For the time being, I'll have to get my fix whenever I visit Minneapolis.

Boom Island Silvius - 8.5/10