Ale Asylum Unshadowed Review

Name: Ale Asylum Unshadowed
Style: Hefeweizen
ABV: 5.5%

I have one more beer from Ale Asylum out of Madison, Wisconsin called Unshadowed. From my understanding, this is also one of their newest beers to be released and has been added to their year-round lineup. I also regret not snapping of a photo of the full label because I think the bottle artwork is extremely cool.

Picture courtesy of Beerpulse.com

Unshadowed pours a bright yet hazy orange color with a white soapy thin head. There is some mild visible carbonation and some soapy lacing.

The nose has a fairly sweet malted wheat and banana scent upfront. There is also some pale malts on the back end with just a light touch of floral hoppiness.

Flavor starts out with a banana sweetness which is followed up by some wheat & pale malts. Also much like the nose, there's also a light floral hoppiness on the back end of the palate.

The body is reasonably light and the carbonation is also very mild and quite manageable. I don't think anyone should have a problem drinking this.

Unshadowed is a fairly standard, albeit, good Hefeweizen and fans of the style will no doubt enjoy this. I would say that this is worth checking out if you aren't 100% sure what to get next time you go beer shopping.

Ale Asylum Unshadowed - 8/10

Ale Asylum Contorter Porter Review

Name: Ale Asylum Contorter Porter
Style: Porter
ABV: 4.8%

It's been about a year since I've looked at anything from Ale Asylum, so on my recent trip down to the Twin Cities, I picked up a couple of their offerings from Hudson, WI during my visit last month. The first Ale Asylum beer that I picked up from Hudson which I will be reviewing is their Contorter Porter, which has a lower-than-usual ABV of 4.8%. The label also invokes a Motörhead-esque sort of feeling but that could just be my imagination working overtime

Contorter Porter pours a pitch black color with a rather thin khaki colored head. The lacing left behind is somewhat sparse and the visible carbonation is seemingly mild.

The aroma has a fairly strong roasted barley scent upfront with notes of dark chocolate malts, cocoa and coffee grounds. It seemingly teeters between roasty and sweet almost.

Flavor-wise, it's definitely more sweeter than roasty. Starting out are some strong chocolate malts which transition into some roasted barley, coffee and some mild but noticeable hoppiness on the very back end of the palate. With that said, the aftertaste is quite roasty with no signs of maltiness

The palate as a whole is quite light in the body with some moderate carbonation. There is however a distinct creamy texture which makes this rather easy to drink.

At the end of the day, Contorter Porter is tasty and quite easy to drink. It's not too often you see "session" porters but this one ends up being quite flavorful. If you're ever in Wisconsin, I'd definitely recommend checking this out.

Ale Asylum Contorter Porter - 8.5/10

Tyranena Sheep Shagger Scotch Ale Review

Note: Since this photo was taken, my Tyranena glass broke

Name: Tyranena Sheep Shagger Scotch Ale
Style: Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
ABV: 7.5%

Based out of a sleepy little town called Lake Mills, Wisconsin, which is just 15 miles west of Madison, Tyranena Brewing was one the many craft breweries I dabbled in when I first got into craft beer. They are also the makers of, in my opinion, one of the best pumpkin beers out there: Painted Ladies Pumpkin Spice Ale.

However I'm here to look at their Sheep Shagger Scotch Ale, which to my knowledge is a seasonal beer. Beer Advocate claims it's a fall seasonal but I've always seen this beer come out around March/April. Now some of you are probably wondering: Why such a bizarre (disturbing) name? Well according to Tyranena's website, the term "shagging" means retrieving and sure enough, the dictionary can back up that claim, though they refer to it as "pursuing."

Sheep Shagger pours cloudy dark brown color with a thin light-khaki colored head and some sparse lacing.

Aroma-wise, it starts off with a nice caramel maltiness, peated scotch and some vanilla notes. There's also a subtle roastiness and a light hint of maple syrup on the back of the nose.

In the flavor, the vanilla and peated scotch characteristics take more of a center stage. These are backed up with a solid caramel maltiness, some roasted barley and there are even some floral hoppiness thrown in for good measure. The aftertaste is mainly caramel and toffee sweetness with a hint of smoke on the back of the palate.

When it comes to the overall mouthfeel, it's pretty thick bodied almost to being chewy but the carbonation is very subdued so it's easy to drink. All of this gives this beer a nice creamy texture.

At the end of the day, Sheep Shagger is a quality scotch ale that possesses a vibrant flavor and some easy drinkability to boot. If this were a year-round offering, this would be a regular visitor in my fridge. If you're able to get Tyranena in your area, this is a beer worth checking out!

Tyranena Sheep Shagger Scotch Ale - 8.5/10

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

Lakefront Beer Line Review

Name: Lakefront Beer Line
Style: Barleywine
ABV: 12.5%

It's been a long time it seems since I had a barleywine, after all spring seasonals tend not the be heavier in alcohol content. That's why I bring to you Beer Line, the latest barleywine offering from Lakefront Brewery. From what I gathered, this actually hasn't been brewed for quite a few years and Lakefront only recently brought it back.

It seems to me that Lakefront also has a thing for brewing organic barleywines as this is the second one I've had from this brewery; The first being Chad Barleywine, which was released under the "My Turn" series.

Beer Line pours a dark hazy red color with a thin filmy head. The visible carbonation is on the milder side and the lacing is somewhat sparse.

The nose has a strong caramel malt base with some strong citrus hops, vanilla, some mildly roasted malts and an encompassing yeast-doughy scent. It smells a bit like bourbon almost!

The flavor is also very malt forward with notes of caramel, yeasts and some citrus hops that make themselves more known as it warms up. As a whole it's very similar to the nose, though I can't help but feel that this should be barrel aged. There is also no booziness here and considering the ABV, that's quite an accomplishment!

The palate possess a very heavy body but with some mild carbonation. The overall texture is quite smooth, which makes this very easy to drink.

Beer Line is an excellent example of how to do an English-style Barleywine right. It's got a nice flavor profile and it's extremely easy to drink. My only gripe about this beer is that it had the beginnings of a nice bourbon barrel-aged flavor and I feel it really could've benefited from that. With that said, Beer Line is still definitely worth checking out, especially if you are into the barleywine style!

Lakefront Beer Line - 9/10

New Glarus Coffee Stout Review

Name: New Glarus Coffee Stout
Style: Stout
ABV: 5.75%

It's time to look at New Glarus Coffee Stout, another beer from the brewery which was recently added to their seasonal line-up. Like many other beers I've looked at from the brewery, it's occasionally brought out of retirement; Much akin to a cheesy 80's action movie where a former green beret soldier is approached by his former commanding officer and is told he is only one who can get the job done.

The beer pours a pitch black with a khaki-colored head. There isn't any visible carbonation to be seen here but the lacing is quite good.

The aroma is quite roasted and consists mainly of roasted barley, coffee ground and chocolate malts. There is a hint of hops in the nose, but it isn't immediately apparent.

Like the nose, it's got a very roasty flavor with coffee notes, some floral & bitter hops which make themselves known on the back of the palate, and a solid chocolate malt base. The coffee flavor becomes more prominent as it warms up. The aftertaste is also fairly roasty with a slight hop bitterness.

The palate as a whole is quite heavy in terms of body weight but it's got some very low carbonation and a semi-smooth texture. It's not quite drinking an iced coffee but you get the idea.

I'm not really too much into drinking coffee as a means to wake up in the morning mainly because I can't stand the taste but I found this to be pretty good. It's nice and roasty and there are other flavors (particularly the chocolate malts) that help balance out the coffee flavors quite well. I'd say give this one a try, you might be surprised!

New Glarus Coffee Stout - 8.25/10

New Glarus Back 40 Bock Review

Name: New Glarus Back 40 Bock
Style: Bock
ABV: 5.5%

It's time to look at one of latest releases from New Glarus Brewing. For this review, I have their Back 40 Bock, which is another one of their Bock-style ales. If my memory serves me correctly, it was listed on brewery's website as an archived beer at one point but it's since been moved to their "Seasonal" listings.

Back 40 Bock pours a clear dark red color with a foamy khaki colored head. The visible carbonation is fairly moderate in appearance and the lacing left behind is pretty good.

The aroma starts off with some caramel and chocolate notes, followed by some roasted barley and mild floral hoppiness.

The flavor consists of caramel malts, mild roasted barley, chocolate notes and a mild hoppiness. The aftertaste is fairly dry with a mild caramel sweetness and floral hoppiness. The palate has a surprisingly heavy body and the carbonation as a whole is also very strong, which is unusual for this style.

As a whole, this is actually a good beer. It has considerably more flavor than New Glarus' last Bock offering, Uff-da, and has an overall more robust profile. My only major complaint about this beer is that the carbonation and overall palate are way too heavy for my liking. Still I say it's worth checking out if you get the chance.

New Glarus Back 40 Bock - 8/10

Thirsty Pagan Velo Saison Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thirsty Pagan Velo Saison - 8.5/10

Lakefront Big Easy Imperial Maibock Review

Name: Lakefront Big Easy Imperial Maibock
Style: Maibock
ABV: 7.6%

After being in absentia for a few days, I feel it's time to get back to doing reviews. It's been a long time since I have reviewed anything from Lakefront Brewery. In fact, now that I mention it, the last time I reviewed anything from Lakefront was from back in July of 2013; Where does the time go?

Anyways, tonight I have Lakefront's Big Easy Imperial Maibock. While looking it up, I found out that it is sometimes referred to as "Big Easy Lager" and the ABV is listed from 6% all the way up to 7.1% (per RateBeer and BeerAdvocate respectively). However, Lakefront's website lists it at 7.6%, which is what I will be going with.

Big Easy pours a hazy orange color with a thin white head. The visible carbonation is very mild in appearance and I'm not getting any lacing along the sides of the glass. Doesn't look too lager-y from my point of view.

The nose starts out with a solid malty base with notes of caramel, sweet honey and light floral hops.

The flavor also isn't too different from the aroma, consisting mainly of caramel, sweet honey and light floral hops. All of which are backed up by a solid malty backbone.

The overall palate is moderately weighted and lightly carbonated, making this a pretty easy-to-drink and refreshing beer.

All and all, this is a solid Maibock-style beer. It doesn't do anything terribly different as far as Maibocks are concerned but I've certainly much worse than this. I'd say this one is worth checking out at the very least if you get the chance to do so.

Lakefront Big Easy Imperial Maibock - 8/10

New Glarus Spiced Ale Review

Name: New Glarus Spiced Ale
Style: Herb/Spiced Beer
ABV: N/A

My regular readers know that I am a pretty big fan of New Glarus Brewing and also know of my desire to see them expand their operations to other states. For the time being, I'll just have to settle for driving over the bridge to Superior to acquire their offerings.

Today I have a new addition to their Thumbprint Series and it's a style which I have never seen before from New Glarus and that is their Spiced Ale. A style which I could readily use thanks to Duluth having the second coldest winter on record since they began recording temperatures. On that note, Canada can stop taking dumps of cold air on us anytime now.

New Glarus Spiced Ale pours a mildly hazy orange color with moderate visible carbonation. The head is rather soapy and the lacing is fairly abundant.

Contrary to what I was expecting, the nose has some nice notes of cinnamon, pumpkin pie, ginger, cloves, toffee malts and yeasts. It almost smells like my favorite fall seasonal beer: Tyranena's Painted Ladies Pumpkin Spice Ale. If I didn't know better, I would say that this screams "Fall Seasonal!"

The flavor pretty similar to the aroma but with less of a focus on the malts & yeasts and a greater emphasis on the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I will say this, it does warm you up fairly quickly, almost like a shot of whiskey while ice fishing on the lake.

The palate is quite heavy in terms of weight and it has some moderate carbonation. With that said, the overall spiciness combined with the carbonation does give the overall mouthfeel a strong stingy quality and makes it harder to savor and enjoy the flavors. I think this is a beer that is meant to be enjoyed in sips.

Not everyone is going to go crazy over this simply because spiced ales are somewhat of a niche beer. With that said, I found this to be quite enjoyable and despite some issues with the palate, I would say that this is worth checking out if you're in the mood for something a little different.

New Glarus Spiced Ale - 8/10

Capital Jobu Review

Name: Capital Jobu 
Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 8.5%

Capital Brewery has been steadily releasing some new beers in the form of a bomber as opposed to the 12 oz. bottles that I'm used to seeing. I give you Jobu, a brown ale aged in Caribbean Rum barrels, as opposed to Whiskey or Bourbon barrels, which I'm used to seeing. Since I'm currently in an environment which is the polar opposite of the Caribbean, I've decided to grab irony by the horns and take a look at this.

Jobu pours a dark brown color which turns to a crimson red when held up to a light. The khaki-colored head is quite filmy and fades after a couple of minutes. There is some mild carbonation visible as well. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'm looking at a glass of Coca-Cola.

The nose starts out quite yeasty with some chocolate malts, roasted barley, oak and rum. The rum characteristic at this point is somewhat subtle at this point

The flavor starts out with some chocolate malts paired with caramel, oak and a bit of nuttiness. The rum aspect is quite a bit stronger here but it's not as prevalent as as the chocolate/roasty flavors. Still it is there and goes nicely with everything else.

The palate fairly lightweight and mildly carbonated. This gives it an easy drinkability & crisp quality which fits well with the flavor.

It's a different take on the brown ale style and I think it works out pretty well. I think anyone looking for something a little off the beaten path in terms of conventional styles will find something to love with Jobu.

Capital Jobu - 8.5/10

Rush River Double Bubble Review

Name: Rush River Double Bubble
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%

While in college, Rush River Brewing Company was amongst many of the breweries that I had tried out when I first got into craft beer. Based out of River Falls, Wisconsin; They do alot of business in both Wisconsin and the Western part of Minnesota. I decided to review their Double Bubble Imperial IPA as a first from this brewery. An interesting fact about this beer is that it's brewed with honey.

Double Bubble pours hazy orange color with a filmy head. It's got some good lacing retention and moderate carbonation.

The aroma has a nice honey scent with some citrus & floral hops, grapefruits and pale malts. The honey scent is particular is a nice touch.

The flavor is very citrus hop forward with some toffee notes and piney hops. The aftertaste is where the honey is most noticeable along with bitter resiny notes. The palate has a very heavy feel to it which is paired with some mild carbonation.

Overall, it's a solid Imperial IPA with an interesting twist. I would definitely recommed this to any seasoned IPA fan or somebody looking for a slighty different IPA.

Rush River Double Bubble - 8.5/10

O'so Lupulin Maximus IPA Review

Name: O'so Lupulin Maximus IPA
Style: Imperial India Pale Ale
ABV: 9%

It's not often that I buy a beer that has something so unusual about it that I buy it on the spot without having any prior knowledge about the beer. Save, of course, for Rogue Voodoo Maple Bacon.

Yet somehow O'so Brewing had managed to do just that with their Lupulin Maximus IPA. What's so unusual about this beer you ask? In each bottle there is at least one hop cone. I say ”at least” because in the pictured above, there were two inside. The label even has a warning on it advising potential drinkers that there may be hop cones contained within the bottle. It is worth mentioning however that the two of the other bottles in the 4-pack only had one hop in them while another had none in it.

Eat your heart out, Hoptimum!

Lupulin pours a nice hazy orange color with a filmy head, good lacing retention and low amount of visible carbonation.

The Aroma consists of some pretty pungent citrus hops, apricots, mango, and mild caramel notes.

Citrus hops and mangos are very strong upfront in the flavor. This is followed by some caramel malts, piney hops, and some mild grapefruit notes. The aftertaste is a strong bitter citra-hop flavor.

It's got a fairly heavy body and some moderate carbonation so it's got a slight bite to it.

The name ”Lupulin Maximus” translates roughly to Bitter Hop Superior. While it's certainly not what I would call bitter with the exception of the aftertaste, this is still a bold and excellent Imperial IPA. The flavor may very slighty depending on the hop cones (or lack thereof) contained, but this is one Imperial IPA that is worthy of the name Maximus.

Oso Lupulin Maximus IPA - 9.5/10

Milwaukee's Best Premium Review

Name: Milwaukee's Best Premium
Brewed By: Miller Brewing Company
Style: Pale Lager
ABV: 4.3%

The name of the beer is Milwaukee's Best Premium.....or as we called it in college: The Beast.  Yes, I recall many times with The Beast. Every once in a great while we would tire of Miller Lite and Natural Light and seek out some Milwaukee's Best. You see to a 21 year old college student, Milwaukee's Best was considered ”high end” due to the price we would have to pay at the various University of Minnesota campus liquor stores.

Of course, all of that changed when my old roommate from Wisconsin introduced me to New Glarus Spotted Cow. Now that I'm a few years older, I've decided to take a look at the beer that helped shape my college experience.

Milwaukee's Best Premium pours a very pale yellow color with a high amount of carbonation and a foamy head. There's also no lacing to be had here.

The aroma is mainly cereal grains, pale malts, grassiness and cooked corn. With that said, the taste is also pretty much the same but with a more pronounced barley flavor.

The body is pretty light but it's very heavily carbonated, but crisp at least.

For an adjunct lager, it’s not too bad and it's higher in quality compared to other beers of the same style. With that said, I really can't say that'd go out of my way to try this but I can say that it's tolerable at least.

Milwaukee's Best Premium - 5/10

Central Waters Mud Puppy Porter Review

Name: Central Waters Mud Puppy Porter
Style: Porter
ABV: 5.5%

The next beer in my lightning round review session is yet another beer by Central Waters Brewing, this time it's their Mud Puppy Porter.

Contrary to what the name suggests, it is NOT named after an adorable beagle which has been frolicking around in the mud. In fact, it is named after something that is the total opposite of adorable: A salamander that lives at the bottom of muddy river streams.

All I want is a hug!

Mud Puppy pours a Clear Dark Red color with a filmy head with an abundant amount of lacing and a high amount of carbonation.

The aroma is very roasty with roasted barley & malt notes, paired up with chocolate and some floral hoppiness, unusual for a porter to say the least.

The hoppiness is even more prevalent in the flavor with some roasted barley, coffee and chocolate notes. Aftertaste is a bittersweet dark chocolate flavor.

The body is a bit on the heavier side with some mild to moderate carbonation. Not ideal, but at least it allows you to savor the flavors which this has to offer.

It's not perfect but it's roasty, malty and surprisingly hoppy for a porter. Overall I say give this one a shot and decide for yourself; I enjoyed this and I hope you do as well.

Central Waters Mud Puppy Porter - 8/10

Central Waters Sláinte Review

Name: Central Waters Sláinte
Style: Scottish Ale
ABV: 5.2%

Recently I came across a mix-a-six of Central Waters and decided to review the last couple that I haven't tried out as of yet so keep an eye out for the others...when I decide to get around to it that is. The next beer I have from Central Waters is Sláinte, a Scottish Style Ale. Using my detective skills, I found out that Sláinte means "Health" in Scottish Gaelic and is one of the equivalents of "Cheers" in both Ireland and Scotland.

Sláinte pours dark brown color that borderlines on black. The head is brown and soapy in appearance and the lacing is rather abundant.

The nose starts off with a very roasty and chocolate aroma mixed in with some coffee, barley and light toffee.

While the aroma is quite roasty, flavor-wise it's got a surprisingly sweet chocolate taste along with coffee, roasted malts, toffee and even some mild citrus hops! Astonishing considering it's a darker beer and even the aftertaste has a sweet chocolate finish!

It possess a rather heavy body that has some moderate carbonation to it, allowing one to enjoy the flavors without coming off as too intense.

I'll admit I wasn't expecting too much when I got this but it's a malt-heavy, robust and flavorful beer. As such, I would highly recommend trying this out if you get the chance to do so.

Sláinte!

Central Waters Sláinte - 9/10

Central Waters Satin Solstice Review

Name: Central Waters Satin Solstice/Solitude

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 7.5%

I find myself in a bit of an awkward position with this review. In a previous review, I mentioned that Central Waters Brewing was responsible for one of the first Imperial Stouts that I had ever had and that I would do a review on it.

Well the good news is that I found Satin Solstice to review! The Bad News? It's no longer called Satin Solstice but Satin Solitude. Oh did I also mention it now looks like this?

Much like Summit Brewing, they underwent a label/branding redesign overhaul on all of their products. So this means that this beer has been sitting around for quite a while and probably a left over from last winter. Being the brave adventurer I am and (possibly) against my better judgment, I have decided to review this anyways. Fingers crossed that it aged well!

Satin pours a pitch black color with a high amount of carbonation along the sides of the glass. The head is fluffly-later-filmy brown in appearance with some good lacing.

The aroma starts it off with some chocolate, coffee, & cocoa notes with some nice vanilla bean, roasted barley and faint hops to back it up. So far it's looking pretty good!

Starting off the flavor are some fairly strong chocolate, coffee, roasted barley, and a slight oakiness. The aftertaste is a bittersweet chocolate finish.

Bodywise, it's pretty moderate in terms of weight but the carbonation packs quite a punch when you consider the style.

Well this was a pleasant surprise, not only did it still taste good but I get the feeling that it's been allowed to age somewhat and it ended up tasting better than what I remember it! Permitting it's not anywhere near as robust like Dragon's Milk but it's still a tasty beer that is definitely worth checking out!

Central Waters Satin Solstice - 8.5/10

Sprecher Belgian-Style Dubbel Review

Name: Sprecher Belgian-Style Dubbel
Style: Abbey Dubbel
ABV: 6.5%

Up until few years ago, Sprecher Brewing was known to me as the people who made those kickass gourmet sodas at the grocery story (Puma Kola is amazing if you haven't tried it out yet!) and it never really occured to me until I got into craft beer that these guys also made beer. Well it turns out that not only do they make their own beer but they are celebrating their 25th year in business. Like many breweries celebrating their birthday, they have released a commemorative Abbey Dubbel beer to mark this event.

It pours a dark crimson red with an extremely fizzy brown head. There isn't really anything here in terms of lacing and the visible carbonation is rather high.

The nose has a strong licorice & plum note scent. Right behind that are some caramel, hoppy and earthy/grass notes.

The flavor has some mild licorice, plums, raisins, caramelized malts and a slight resin hoppiness. Aftertaste is rather dry and the flavor as a whole feels a bit underwhelming.

The body is light however the carbonation is waaaaaaay too strong for this type of beer; Almost like a club soda it seems.

Sprecher's attempt at making a Dubbel has all of the components to make a good Dubbel Ale but it doesn't quite fire on all cylinders in terms of flavor. As a Dubbel Ale, it's quite disappointing and you're better off looking elsewhere.

Sprecher Belgian-Style Dubbel - 5.5/10

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

New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest Review

Sorry for the poor & rushed picture quality

Name: New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
ABV: 6.25%

Continuing on with fall tradition, I travelled over the bridge to Wisconsin and acquired New Glarus' very own Staghorn Octoberfest beer (and another seasonal, look for a review in the near future!) I have heard some good things about it, and plus the label is a departure from most New Glarus labels in that it features black backdrop as opposed to white.

Staghorn pours a dark and mildly hazy orange color with a foamy white head. Not really much visual activity in terms of carbonation.

The nose starts out with some mild caramel and Munich malt notes. This is followed by some roasted barley, nuts, and yeasts.

The flavor is pretty consistent with the smell with it's Munich Malt, caramel, nutty and roasted barley profile. There's also a slight hoppiness to the flavor as well and some yeast and buttered biscuit notes.

The body is moderately weighted and the carbonation is on the mild side, making this a reasonably easy beer to drink.

Staghorn is a solid Octoberfest beer and the slight hoppiness helps add to it's uniqueness because you don't see a hoppy profile in an Oktoberfest too often. Mind you, it didn't blow my socks off but I found it to be enjoyable nonetheless.

New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest - 8/10