Angry Inch Four Horseman IPA Review

Name: Angry Inch Four Horseman IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.3%

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder:

One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw.

And behold, a white horse.

"The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash

It has come time for me to review the final beer I received from the guys at Angry Inch Brewing. For this review, I've decided to end it all with the Four Horseman IPA. I actually took a look at Four Horseman back when I was visiting them in May but like many of the beers I sampled from them, I never got to do a proper review until tonight.

Despite the rather ominous-sounding name, Four Horseman doesn't draw its name from the bringers the end times. In fact, it's called that because it utilizes four different types of hops in the brewing process.

Four Horseman IPA pours a very hazy orange color. Not really too much in terms of head aside from a very thin filmy appearance and it possesses some fairly moderate visible carbonation.

The nose is very citra & resin hop forward with a solid caramel malt base and some nice toffee sweetness.

The flavor, on the flipside, is actually fairly piney hop forward which is followed up by some mild citrus hoppiness. The caramel malt sweetness is actually more moderate here than in the nose and is placed second in favor of some musky-bitter hoppiness with an equally bitter hop aftertaste.

The palate is moderately weighted as a whole with a bit of thickness. The carbonation is a bit more on the moderate side so there's a slight kick to the overall mouthfeel.

While the flavor could've used a bit more maltiness to help balance things out, it's still a very good and quite hoppy IPA that hop heads will no doubt enjoy. It's a good beer from Angry Inch overall, and I cannot wait to see what other beers these guys will churn out in the future.

Angry Inch Four Horseman IPA - 8.5/10

P.S. I also wanted to Angry Inch for providing me with the tasty beer that made all these reviews possible!

Third Street Brewhouse Spotlight Review

Name: Third Street Brewhouse Spotlight
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.3%

Last year I did a review of Cold Spring Brewing's IPA and found it to be very lacking and made a good argument that quantity is not always better than quality. Since that review, the brewery itself has pretty much completed their metamorphosis to become the Third Street Brewhouse. I bring this up because today I have Third Street's Spotlight IPA, which is the brewery's newest release, at least to my knowledge. Since it's been a while since I've had anything from the brewery itself, it's time to see how this stacks up to their old IPA.

Spotlight pours a dark yellow color with a fair amount of haze floating around and some mild visible carbonation.

The aroma starts off with a solid grapefruit scent along with some citrus hops and a bit of a apricot sweetness. There is also some caramel maltiness in here too but everything else seems a bit more prominent.

The flavor has some fairly strong piney/resin hop bitterness to it along with some citra hops and mild caramel maltiness. It's not exactly what you'd call a West Coast-style IPA.

The body is more on the lighter side in terms of weight with a slight thickness. The carbonation is fairly low so it's not exactly an intense beer to drink.

Compared to their old IPA, this is by far a much better beer and the improvement in quality is definitely a welcome change. With that said, it hasn't done anything that I already haven't seen before in an IPA but you aren't making a bad choice by buying a six-pack of this either.

Third Street Brewhouse Spotlight - 8/10

American Sky USA IPA Review

Name: American Sky USA IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.8%

Up until a couple of years ago, Hudson, Wisconsin was the small sleepy town on the St. Croix River that residents of Minneapolis/St. Paul flocked to for their Sunday beer run and that was pretty much the only reason why people even went there. Then last year, two breweries all of a sudden popped up in Hudson and it has since been gaining a reputation aside from the one it's already known for.

As mentioned before, Hudson currently has two breweries to it's name: Pitchfork Brewing (which is a fantastic place to go to if you haven't been there already) and American Sky Brewing. Today we'll be looking at a beer from the latter called USA IPA and it has perhaps the most patriotic name I've ever seen on a beer, hands down.

USA IPA pours a very hazy dark orange color with a thin foamy khaki colored head. The sheer haze of the beer also makes it very hard to pick up any type of visible carbonation.

The nose has a pretty nice citrus hop and grapefruit scent backed up by some caramel malt sweetness. On the back end, I am picking up on some faint piney hops but they're subtle at best.

The flavor is surprisingly piney hop and resiny resin forward upfront with the citrus hops taking more of a backseat. The maltiness definitely isn't as strong here but it manages to provide somewhat of a balance in terms of flavor.

Body is moderate in weight but fairly thick and the carbonation is actually quite mild. This also has somewhat of a creamy texture so it's fairly easy to drink.

In the end, USA IPA is a pretty standard IPA that doesn't really do much to stand out from the crowd. With that said, it possess a good taste and is easy to drink. So while there's nothing to write home about, you aren't doing anything wrong by checking this out.

American Sky USA IPA -  8/10

Dogfish Head Sixty-One Review

Name: Dogfish Head Sixty-One
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%

When I got this beer originally, I wasn't exactly paying attention to what I was getting. I knew I was grabbing a Dogfish Head beer but I thought I was getting a bottle of 60 Minute IPA. Now imagine my shock when I looked at the bottle and realized I ended up grabbing a bottle of Dogfish Head Sixty-One.

Now Sixty-One is, in fact, an IPA but keeping in with Dogfish Head's tendencies to explore uncharted territory, this is brewed with Syrah grape must which is just another term for "grape juice." According to the brewery's website, Sixty-One was created as a test batch at the Dogfish Head brewpub last year and it actually uses the same type of hops that is used in 60 Minute IPA and an addition of dry hops.

Sixty-One pours a hazy orange color with a pinkish tinge with a foamy white head that also has a light pink shade as well. Light visible carbonation and good lacing. I really can't say that I've had a beer that has been a pinkish color before. I guess there's a first time for everything

The nose has moderate aroma of citrus hops but it's lightly masked a a distinct grape and berry scent. It smells like you took sparkling grape juice and poured it into an IPA.

The citrus hops are a bit more prominent in the flavor but the grapes and berries are still quite noticeable. It does possess some resiny bitterness and also a distinct muskiness, particularly in the aftertaste. The palate possesses a fairly heavy body with some mild carbonation.

I have very mixed feelings about this beer. On one hand, it's a totally different IPA that is trying to bridge the gap between wine and beer which I think is awesome! On the other hand, I think the execution is a bit sloppy and somewhat imbalanced when it comes to the flavor.  I enjoy trying out beers that to go off the beaten path into uncharted territory. I have found several beers that have absolutely floored me with how great they taste but Sixty-One just didn't cut it with me.

Had this been a heavier style of beer like a Dubbel, Abbey or Barleywine, I think the outcome could've been a lot different. With that said, it's a decent beer that's worth checking out if you're looking for something truly unique and I feel that people are either going to love or hate this beer. For me, at the end of the day I'd rather have a 60 Minute IPA instead of this.

Dogfish Head Sixty-One - 7/10

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA Review

Name: Great Divide Hercules
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10%

It's been a long while since I've reviewed anything from Great Divide Brewing, mainly because they weren't available up here. Now imagine my surprise when I discovered last Friday when I walked into my local liquor store and saw some brand new Great Divide beers sitting on the shelf that had just arrived on the shelves; Which makes me very happy considering that I got this beer from down in Minneapolis just a few weeks back and speaking of which.....

Tonight's beer is Hercules Double IPA, a name which more than likely gets it's name from being a fairly strong Imperial IPA that clocks in at 10% ABV, which I consider to be on the high end of the spectrum in terms of ABVs for this style unless you count Evil Twin's Molotiv Cocktail.

Hercules pours a hazy dark orange color with a fairly thin filmy head. The lacing is what I would describe as moderate and I'm not picking up any visible carbonation. I do, however, see a couple pieces of floating sediment on the bottom of the glass.

The nose has a very strong citrus & piney hop scent with some apricots, mangos and grapefruits. There is some slight maltiness to be had but it's an otherwise very fruity smelling beer.

The flavor is a thankfully more balanced out with a strong citra-hoppiness with some sweet mango and grapefruit fruitness and a much more prominent caramel malt backbone. The aftertaste is a little bit more on the resiny/pine side with some light maltiness thrown in. The palate has very heavy body which comes along with some moderate carbonation.

Hercules is a textbook example of how to do an Imperial IPA correctly when it comes to flavor. If I had to point out one complaint about this beer, it's that the palate could've been just a little bit lighter in terms of weight and carbonation. Aside from that, Hercules is definitely worth checking out if you ever see it on the shelf.

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA - 8.75/10

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA Review

Name: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%

There are few craft breweries in America that have become household names like Dogfish Head Brewing has. Based out of Milton, Delaware, you could find this beer in places around the Eastern United States and even parts west of the Mississippi River. That was until 2010 when Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, started his own TV Show called Brew Masters, which focused on the brewery discovering new & different styles to make.

Though the show was cancelled after 5 episodes due to lack of ratings, it created enough buzz for the the brewery that they had to pull back distribution to the East Coast because the demand had grown tremendously. In fact, it wasn't until last year that the brewery started redistributing westbound again and last week, I received word that Dogfish Head was coming back to our area, which I'm extremely excited about since Dogfish Head was one of my goto breweries while I lived in Chicago a couple years back.

While I was down in the Twin Cities a couple weeks ago, I grabbed some Dogfish Head while I was over in Hudson, WI. The first beer I'm going to take a look at from them is their 90 Minute IPA, which is highly regarded as one of the best Imperial IPAs on the market and considered by some to be their flagship beer.

90 Minute IPA pours a rather hazy dark amber color with a thin foamy head that has some decent retention. Visually I'm not picking up any carbonation and the lacing is somewhat sparse but still there.

The nose has starts out fairly malt heavy with caramel sweetness and a light hint a of chocolate. This is followed up by a strong mix of floral & piney hops and some grapefruit notes.

The flavor on the other hand pretty much levels the playing field. You've got a nice robust floral & piney hop profile matched with a solid caramel malty backbone, and a slight chocolate and toffee sweetness. The aftertaste is on the maltier side with notes of caramel and a slight grapefruit flavor.

This beer possess a heavier body that also quite thick, giving it an almost chewy like quality. However since it has very mild carbonation, it comes across as very creamy and smooth on the palate.

90 Minute IPA's robust flavor profile and easy drinkability make this beer standout. Anyone whose into Imperial IPAs that has not checked this out yet owe it to try it out. You will not be disappointed, I promise!

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - 9.5/10

Milwaukee Brewing Hop Happy IPA Review

Name: Milwaukee Brewing Hop Happy IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.7%

Milwaukee Brewing Company (or MKE) based out of.....you guessed it, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has recently started shipping to Minnesota; Although right now we currently don't get them in my neck of the woods in cans. Up until now, my experience with MKE has been their Louie's Resurrection (Fantastic beer, by the way!) from the growler fill station over in Superior.

So on my recent visit to the Twin Cities, I decided to grab a can of their Hop Happy IPA since I have trying to get myself back onto IPAs as of late, along with a few other goodies which I'll be reviewing in the near future.

Hop Happy pours a mildly hazy orange color with a thin foamy head. The lacing is quite abundant and there is very little carbonation to be seen.

The nose has a nice scent of citrus hops with some sweet caramel maltiness, and a mild floral hop profile at the very end.

Flavor is more of the resin/piney hops side along with citrus & floral hops and a solid caramel malt backbone. Each type of hop used in this beer (Columbus, Fuggle, Cascade) are nicely put on display here and are distinguishable to the point where I would say they co-exist for the most part.

The palate is fairly heavy when it comes to body weight but the carbonation is mild at best and it helps keep the drinking experience a steady one.

Judging by the flavor and overall quality of Hop Happy, I would say that this is a very well balanced and put together IPA that is worth your attention. Anybody looking for a robust yet balanced tasting IPA would be wise to give this one a shot.

Milwaukee Brewing Hop Happy IPA - 9/10

Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail Review

Name: Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 13%

Recently when I was down in the Twin Cities, I took it upon myself to grab some beers that we currently don't have available up in Duluth or Superior. One of the breweries I have been hearing about is Evil Twin Brewing, whom are based out of Copenhagen, Denmark but contract brew all of their beers at different breweries both in Europe and here in America.

Originally I was going to grab some Justin Blåbær and Hipster Ale  but they were out so I settled for their Molotov Cocktail Imperial IPA, which clocks in at 13% ABV. Normally the highest I've seen Imperial IPAs go is around 10% ABV.

Molotov Cocktail pours a hazy orange color with a fizzy head. The visible carbonation is moderate at the most and there is no lacing to speak of along the sides of the glass.

The nose has a nice citrus hop & honeydew melon flavors with a solid caramel malt backbone and some booziness. It's also got a fairly pungent aroma to it that gives it a strong feel.

Sure enough, the flavor possess some strong booziness with an equally strong yet bitter citrus hoppiness, grapefruit notes and ending on a substantial caramel maltiness. The boozy flavor actually does have a bit of a burning kick to it too, which makes the name of this beer all the more appropriate.

The body is quite thick yet moderate in terms of actual weight. The carbonation is also moderate too though in this case, I would prefer it to have mild to almost no carbonation at all when you consider the flavor.

It's not often I say this but I think that this would've benefitted from being lower in alcohol content, or they could've done a better job of masking the booziness (Easier said than done obviously.) I think the boozy aspect gets in the way to the point where it butts heads with the other flavors. With that said, everything else going in the flavor does possess a rather nice hop and malt profile so it's not a total loss, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this again.

Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail - 6/10

Lucid Foto Review

Name: Lucid Foto
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%

It's time to look at another beer from Lucid Brewing, whom are based out of Minnetonka, Minnesota. This time around I have their Foto IPA, which I have been seeing on the store shelves for a while but I have never really tried it out until now. Plus another thing that I have noticed with Lucid is that they finally have their own custom bottle caps as opposed to the generic ones which I am used to seeing; Chalk up one more decoration to my beer fridge!

Lucid Foto pours a hazy dark orange color with a thin foamy head. The visible carbonation is rather moderate but the lacing is abundant and sticky.

The nose starts things off with some sweet orange peel and citrus hop notes, backed up by a solid caramel maltiness and toffee sweetness.

The flavor starts out with a sweet citrus hop flavor but with a distinct bitter hoppiness which settles on the back of the palate. These are backed up by a caramel maltiness and yeasts.

The palate is quite heavy body in terms of body weight with some mild-to-moderate carbonation that allows the flavors to really help sink in.

All and all, Foto is a well-rounded and well-balanced IPA. It's hoppy enough for fans of the style to enjoy yet malty enough to please those who like their IPAs on the sweeter side. Check it out if you get the chance.

Lucid Foto - 8/10

Summit True Brit IPA Review

Name: Summit True Brit IPA
Style: English IPA
ABV: 6.4%

Tonight I'm going to review what I consider to be a timeless classic from Summit Brewing's line-up: their True Brit IPA, an English Style IPA as you may have guessed from the name. Now it wasn't always called "True Brit"; In fact, prior to their image and label overhaul, it was simply called Summit India Pale Ale.

Then much like the rest of the beers in Summit's lineup, each one received a facelift, a couple got a name change, and one beer (Horizon Red) even received a different recipe change. However, True Brit just changed in it's name only.

True Brit pours a clear orange color with a foamy head that eventually becomes filmy while still maintaining retention. The visible carbonation is pretty mild carbonation and the lacing left behind is quite good.

In the nose, I'm picking up on some fairly strong caramel malts which are back up by citrus hops, grapefruit notes, and some light toffee notes.

Flavor-wise, it’s very caramel malt forward, which is to be expected out of an English IPA. Luckily the citrus & piney hops help bring balance to the overall flavor. The palate is pretty light overall and the carbonation is also very mild. It's a pretty easy easy-to-drink IPA overall.

True Brit is a good example as to how to do an English IPA correctly. It doesn't do anything exciting necessarily but it tastes great and it's easy to drink and honestly, that's what having a good beer is all about.

Summit True Brit IPA - 8.5/10

Sierra Nevada Harvest Single Hop IPA Review

Name: Sierra Nevada Harvest Single Hop IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Sierra Nevada Brewing has been releasing quite a few beers lately which focus on specific types of hops; Usually in the form of a 22oz. bomber bottle. Their latest creation utilizes a brand new experimental hop called ” Yakima” and is the sole hop style used in this single hop IPA. On the label, it calls itself a "100-Day IPA" and advises the drinker not to store it but drink it now, which leads me to believe that this is a fresh-hop IPA; 'Tis the season I suppose!

Harvest Single Hop pours a clear golden color with a thin foamy head. The visible carbonation is pretty mild and the lacing is abundant and sticky.

The aroma starts off with some strong cracked peppers & an earthy pale maltiness. On the back end are some fairly fruity notes which consist of blueberries, orange peel and citrus. The nose.....is interesting to say the least.

The flavor is very pepper forward with notes of bitter notes, blueberry fruitiness, orange peel and pale/earthy malts. The aftertaste is also quite bitter but not overwhelmingly so. The palate is more on the heavier side and the carbonation is more or less at a moderate level.

It's always fun and interesting to see what kind of hops can be developed and how they can be profiled to the general public. With that said, though, Yakima would not be my first choice for a single hop IPA. It's got an interesting flavor profile that would go great if paired with Cascade and/or Centennial Hops but I feel that it really needs other hops to help balance out the overall taste.

Still, it tastes decent and it's well-priced. I say try a bottle out (I only paid $4 for this) and decide for yourself.

Sierra Nevada Harvest Single Hop IPA - 7/10

Rush River Minion IPA Review

Name: Rush River Minion IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6%

Thanks to our neighbors over in Superior, Wisconsin, I have gotten the opportunity to review and try out many beers that I otherwise would not have been able to try out via growler. Tonight I have a growler full of a Rush River Minion IPA. They have a couple other IPAs in their lineup, but Minion is only available on draft and not in a bottle.

Minion pours a clear dark golden color with a thin foamy head and moderate carbonation. There is no lacing left behind so it has a clean finish.

The aroma of starts out with a citrus hop and grapefruit scent. To go along that is a mild caramel maltiness and some slight yeasty notes.

The flavor is mainly citrus hops but there are also mild piney hops in here too. The caramel malts are a bit more prevalent here but the yeasts are just as mild as it was in the nose. It finishes off with a bitter resiny aftertaste. The palate as a whole feels pretty heavy body with some mild to moderate carbonation.

It's a pretty solid IPA, but it doesn't do anything different that we haven't already seen and plays it safe for the most part. Still, if you're out at a bar or get it in a growler like your's truly, I think you'll enjoy it!

Rush River Minion IPA - 8/10

Ballast Point Big Eye Review

Name: Ballast Point Big Eye

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.8%

While Ballast Point Brewing is most well known around here as the brewery behind Sculpin, they actually have other IPAs in their lineup that I feel others seem to miss. Tonight I have their Big Eye IPA, which upon adding to part of my mix-a-six, I noticed that were still a few bottles behind it. One could only why this is the case.

Big Eye IPA pours a mildly hazy orange color with a foamy head that leaves behind some soapy lacing. The amount of visible carbonation is also fairly high.

The aroma starts out with a mild citrus hop & grapefruit smell. Backing that up are notes of toffee, caramel malts and yeasts. 

Upon drinking this, I noticed that there is a very strong strong piney hop flavor which I did not pick up on earlier; Almost like a cloak-and-dagger. Once you get passed that, you find yourself with notes of caramel malts, grapefruits, yeasts and an extremely bitter resiny aftertaste. I don't mind some bitterness in my IPAs, but I feel this is pushing it. 

The overall palate is pretty light but it packs quite a punch when it comes to the carbonation. I don't really feel it helps the overall flavor either.

Big Eye is an okay IPA but the bitterness, particularly in the aftertaste, is way too much for my liking. If the overall bitterness were taken down a few notches, I would be more likely to recommend this.

Ballast Point Big Eye - 7/10

Big Wood Bad Axe Review

Name: Big Wood Bad Axe
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10%

If I had to give a brewery an award for the most "Snicker-Inducing" name, I would award it to Big Wood Brewery. If you really have to think about why that is, then you're probably not old enough to read this blog.

Then again, it should come as no surprise that one of their beers is named "Morning Wood" but that's a totally different review. Tonight I have their Bad Axe Imperial IPA, which is a stronger interpretation of their Jack Savage IPA. Also taking a cue from another Minnesota brewery, Surly Brewing, their beer comes in four packs of 16oz cans.

Bad Axe pours a hazy orange color with a foamy-looking 2 finger head and solid lacing retention.

The aroma has a nice citrusy and caramel scent to it. To back that up are notes of grapefruits, toffee and malts.

Citrus and floral hops sit at the forefront of the flavor with grapefruit & caramel malt undertones and a resiny aftertaste. For an Imperial IPA sitting at 10% ABV, the flavor is more subtle than expected but thankfully has no booziness.

The palate has a light body and some mild carbonation. Overall it's pretty smooth.

Bad Axe has a very subtle flavor for an Imperial IPA, which can sneak up on you if you're not careful. Still it's not a bad beer and I'd still say it's worth checking out.

Big Wood Bad Axe - 8.25/10

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA Review

Name: Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.6%

It's time to confront my biggest demon in terms of craft beer. It's s story that began 2 years ago during the earlier half of 2012 when I first encountered Sierra Nevada's Ruthless Rye IPA. It was a simpler time back then: Working feverishly on my senior year projects, studying for weekly exam(s) and playing some Skyrim when the time permitted.

Then one February evening while I was browsing the selection at Haskell's, a store associate recommended I try out Ruthless Rye and he convinced me to buy a six-pack of it. Upon getting home and trying it out, I found myself reeling in disgust and ended up doing a drain pour. I wasn't used to rye beers at the time and lamented the $8 I had wasted on it. Now it's a couple years later, and I have a more refined palate, particularly towards rye beers. I say it's high time that I re-evaluate this beer

Ruthless Rye pours a darker gold color with a very clear look. The head takes on a filmy appearance and leaves behind some good lacing.

A citrus hoppiness and spiciness are fairly prominent at the front of the nose; The spiciness no doubt coming from the rye. Mixed in with those are notes of cracked peppers and caramel malts.

The flavor is equally strong with both the rye and citrus hops. Much like the aroma, the caramel malts and cracked peppers take a backseat but provide a good foundation. Strangely enough, the aftertaste has an odd pils-malt/earthy flavor.

The body is very lightweight but the carbonation is rather intense. This paired with the rye creates a very stingly and unpleasent texture.

Looking back, Ruthless Rye does possess a great flavor but the palate is comparable to that of sulfuric acid, which is probably why I poured it down the drain before. If the carbonation were more subdued, it would be another solid IPA from Sierra Nevada. However right now, this is only for the most dedicated of rye beer fans


Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA - 7.5/10

Redhook Long Hammer IPA Review

Name: Redhook Long Hammer IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Redhook Brewing is fairly well known in the craft beer world; From their oddly shaped bottles as you can see in the picture above, to their exclusive "Game Changer" beer available only at Buffalo Wild Wings. In case you were wondering, it's mediocre at best and you're better off ordering something else instead.

I grabbed their Long Hammer IPA as part of a mix-a-six because I wanted to check out some of their offerings. After all, they did make one of the first ESBs that I ever had an thought it was quite good at the time, though I haven't had it for a good while.

Long Hammer pours a pretty hazy yellow color with a fairly mild amount of carbonation. The head is quite filmy in appearance and the lacing is abundant and rather sticky.

The nose has a fairly mild floral/citrus hop & resiny aroma along with some pale malt notes. No I'm not forgetting anything else, that's all I'm really getting out of this.

Flavor-wise it's got mild floral hops with caramel & pale malt notes. There's an encompassing bitter resin taste throughout but it's quite mild just like the rest of the flavor. The carbonation and overall body weight are quite moderate as well.

For an IPA, it's very bland. Any flavors in here are too mild for their own good, which makes this very hard to recommend. You're better off picking up a Two Hearted instead.

Redhook Long Hammer IPA - 5/10

Goose Island The Illinois Review

Name: Goose Island The Illinois
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.4%

You're all probably scratching your heads right now as to why I have a picture of a growler instead of a bottle above. A couple of weeks ago over in neighboring Superior, WI at a little place called Keyport Liquor introduced their very own growler fill station like the one located at Casanova in Hudson, WI.
Since Minnesota law prohibits you from filling a brewery's growler with another brewery's beer, this is considered to be quite a novelty amongst Minnesota craft beer drinkers.

Now keep in mind that Keyport doesn't quite have the selection of Casanova, missing breweries like Toppling Goliath, Ale Asylum, Three Floyds, and so forth. Right now, they have some pretty good stuff Milwaukee Brewing, Southern Tier, Sierra Nevada, Bell's, and Goose Island.

Named after Frank Lloyd Weber's vision of a mile high skyscraper called "The Illinois", we have a growler of Goose Island's The Illinois. To my understanding, it was supposedly only brewed once and it's only available on draft. Since I now have a growler, it's time to give this a proper review.

The Illinois pours a clear orange color with a fairly filmy head. The lacing left behind is pretty good and the carbonation has a very mild appearance.

The nose opens up to a fairly sweet apricot aroma with hints of piney hops, grapefruits and mild caramel maltiness. Not too overwhelming and rather mellow smelling for an Imperial IPA.

A bitter citrus hoppiness greets the palate upon drinking mixed in with some peaches, apricots and mild caramel malts. The aftertaste leaves behind a bitter resin/piney hop flavor. Flavor isn't mild but it isn't vibrant either. The body is quite heavy in terms of weight and the carbonation is has more of a moderate intensity.

The Illinois is a pretty good Imperial IPA. It may not be as robust as other beers of the same style but it's quite smooth and you definitely aren't making a bad choice by trying this out!

Goose Island The Illinois - 8.5/10

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale Review

Name: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.8%

Every winter, Sierra Nevada Brewing likes to get in the holiday spirit by releasing Celebration Ale, their winter seasonal IPA. As you can see in the picture above, it depicts a cottage covered by snow, which is ironic considering that the brewery's location does not get any snow at all.

As I mentioned in my previous review, not every winter release is necessarily a darker/heavier beer and this certainly isn't a darker beer by any means. In fact, it's one of the most highly anticipated widespread winter releases I have ever seen around here.

Celebration Ale pours a hazy orange-brown color with a fairly thin foamy head. The lacing left behind is quite good and the carbonation takes on more of a mild appearance.

The nose starts out as fairly caramel malt forward followed up with some hefe-clove notes, citrus & piney hops and a slight yeastiness.

Likewise, the flavor is also fairly malty with stronger hefe-cloves, spiciness, citrus hops, and yeasts with a bittersweet piney-resin aftertaste. Highly unusual to see cloves in an IPA, but it works pretty well.

The body is pretty light and the carbonation comes off as more moderate than what it's mild appearance lets you believe.

Some beer drinkers may not like the cloviness in this beer, but I feel it helps give a wintery feel to the IPA style without making it too different. Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable IPA and worth checking out if you're in need of a good seasonal IPA.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - 8.5/10

Castle Danger Local Fresh Hop IPA Review

Name: Castle Danger Local Fresh Hop IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7%

Earlier this year when I was visiting Duluth, I did a review of Castle Danger Brewing's George Hunter Stout and found it to be quite good. Well now that I'm living in Duluth, I think I'll be going back there more, just like I did last weekend! It was a cold windy and rainy afternoon that was reminiscent of a Nor'Easter we had just a few weeks ago. We were north of Two Harbors when it started picking up and we could feel the wind push on the car. But lo and behold we had made it.

While I was at the brewery (you can find the pictures in my George Hunter Review), I had the chance to talk with Clint MacFarlane and his plans for the new brewery that's scheduled to be open for business in Spring 2014. During this time, we talked about the Fresh Hop IPA he had made with Cascade Hops and Brewer's Gold hops made locally from Brule, WI. Since I've been craving a good Wet Hop IPA, and a local one nonetheless, I decided to make it my growler of choice for the visit.

Local Fresh Hop IPA pours a nice clear orange color with a soapy filmy head, sparse lacing and high amount of visible carbonation.

The aroma gives off a fairly pungent caramel malt and citrus hop scent with some grapefruit and grassy notes. While not particularly complex, each component is vibrant in it's own way.

Citrus hops, caramel malts and grapefruits are fairly prominent in the flavor with a bittersweet resiny aftertaste. Much like the aroma, it's not what I'd call complex but still very vibrant for what it is. On top of that, it actually has that wet hop taste that has been eluding me for a while!

The body itself is pretty lightweight but contrary to my earlier observations, the carbonation is actually quite mild. On top of that, it's got a very smooth & creamy texture, giving it extra points in terms of drinkability.

Local Fresh Hop IPA is an incredibly smooth & well-balanced wet hop IPA. At the same time, it isn't overwhelming either like others in the same category. I would consider this to be a very approachable wet hop IPA and I could definitely see this being a regular visitor in my fridge. Make the trip up to the brewery, grab a growler and see for yourself.

Castle Danger Local Fresh Hop IPA - 9/10

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA Review

Name: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 7.2%

It's been a fairly hectic week on my end so I'll try to make this one nice and quick. Tonight I will be having Sierra Nevada's Torpedo Extra IPA.

With many of Sierra Nevada's labels, the name usually coincides with the portrait in the center. So why does the artwork in the center show off a prairie landscape and yet calls itself "Torpedo?" Instead it should be a picture of Marko Ramius in his snappy outfit; Just saying!

Torpedo pours a mildly hazy orange color with a slightly orange tinted foamy head. The carbonation visible is fairly mild.

The nose gives off a fairly strong piney and citrus hops aroma with some mild mango-grapefruit notes with some slight caramel maltiness.

Flavor-wise it's pretty much with piney & citrus hops, grapefruit, caramel, and a slight resiny aftertaste that comes off as surprisingly dry.

The body has a moderate weight to it but the carbonation is very mild, giving it an almost creamy feel. With that said, it goes down pretty easy.

Despite the lack of Marko Ramius, this is a great IPA! It doesn't have all the bells and whistle of other IPAs out there, but each flavor is very robust which makes for an enjoyable IPA!

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - 8.5/10