Beer Brief #10 - St. Bernardus Abt 12

Brewery - Brouwerij St. Bernard, Watou, Belgium

Beer - St. Bernardus Abt 12

Style - Quadrupel

ABV - 10%

Color - Ruby brown with a thick, off-white head

Aroma - Raisins, dates, molasses, cinnamon-like spice

Flavor - Rich, sweet, dark dried fruit, touch of herbal spice, just enough subtle bitterness to keep it even, slight tart twang on the finish

Verdict - Wow. This is my kind of brew. Nice, big rich Belgian with loads of flavor and an ABV that will kick your butt if you're not careful.

Christmas Eve Eve Coborn's Tasting

No, that's not a typo. On Friday, December 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve (a.k.a. Christmas Eve Eve), I'll be pouring samples of some gift-and-holiday-celebration-worthy beers. Here are the six tasty brands in the line-up:

• Alaskan Winter Ale
• Chimay Grande Reserve
• Duvel
• Lagunitas Bavarian Doppel Weizen
• Rodenbach Grand Cru
• Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Visit the store anytime from 4:30 - 8:30pm if you'd like to savor the flavor of these brews. I'll also be happy to help you find the perfect beer to accompany your Christmas meal and/or that last minute gift for the beer-lover in your life. Hope to see you there!

Beer Brief #9 - Stag Series Burton Ale

Brewery - August Schell Brewing Company, New Ulm, Minnesota

Beer - Stag Series Batch 4 - Burton Ale

Style - Burton Ale brewed with floor malted Maris Otter, torrified wheat, and British crystal malts, along with turbinado sugar and dark candi syrup, and hopped with Nuggets and Holdings

ABV - 8%

IBU - 60

Color - Crystal clear reddish brown with an off-white head

Aroma - Brown sugar, bread dough, slight sour fruit, herbal

Flavor - Matches the aroma surprisingly well, bread, caramel, little fig, flash of tartness, metallic bitterness

Verdict - Good stuff. This is my second-favorite Stag Series brew. Very balanced, delicious, crisp, and easy to drink. Except for a little alcohol warmth, the strength is hard to detect, so drink with caution.

El Bait Shop

Last week, I went on a business trip to Des Moines, Iowa. During the day, things were all serious business and client meetings. Then, in the evening, I was shown that downtown Des Moines has some great places to drink tasty beer. The first place I visited was El Bait Shop.

Driving past El Bait Shop, you'd never suspect what lurks inside. The unassuming brick building with a couple tiny windows is decorated with a few signs from old oil companies. It could be any old bar at first glance.

When you walk inside, it's easy to see this place isn't just any old bar. Your attention gets pulled in many directions by the eclectic (and fun) atmosphere. Old bicycles hang from the ceiling and walls. Old, new, and obscure beer signs are everywhere. All manner of lighting hangs from the ceilings, including the converted kegs that dangle over the bar. Then there's the bar itself, clear plastic with old fishing gear embedded inside.

That's a lot to take in as you're walking up to the bar. It seemed like this place had potential and would be an enjoyable watering hole, but the full, huge smile on my face didn't come until I saw what was behind the bartender. 105 tap handles, all for American craft brews. It was truly a sight to behold. Check out the pictures on their website if you don't believe me.

They had a nice, big chalkboard to help navigate my beer endeavors. Everything was broken down by style, so finding suitable flavors was made simpler. I drank two delicious brews I had never tasted before and had to be on my way; dinner plans awaited me.

I really enjoyed my time at El Bait Shop. I wish I could have stayed longer, but this will help fuel my desire to make a return trip. If you find yourself in the downtown Des Moines area, you owe it to yourself to visit this excellent craft beer bar. You won't regret it.

Best Craft Beer Store in Hastings

Being the guy who wants to find a quality six-pack when I'm away from home, I've noticed it can be hard to zero in on which liquor stores in a given area best cater to the craft beer drinker. Often, I have nothing to go by except the store's sign(s) and/or name familiarity. I also know other beer drinkers who run into the same problem. So, I have decided to start an occasional series of posts that will be dedicated to finding the best craft beer stores in Minnesota cities. The first of these posts should help people searching for beer in my hometown, Hastings.

If you find yourself needing a tasty six-pack while visiting (or passing through) the southeast metro city of Hastings, I recommend you head over to Coborn's Liquor. For the sake of full disclosure: I work 4 shifts per month at this store. Because of that, it may seem like I would be slightly biased. However, there are reasons I came to the decision to do some part-time beer work with this business.

There are 2 liquor stores in Hastings that have what I consider a good craft beer selection. Coborn's Liquor is one of them. Craving a tripel, doppelbock, imperial stout, Flanders red, British bitter, Wee Heavy, saison, or IPA? They have all that and much more.

Want a little variety in your six-pack? The Coborn's Liquor Mix-Your-Six section has no equal in Hastings. Pick and choose what you'd like to try from a nice, big selection. The beers are grouped by style to make your search easier, and there's a nice flat price of $9.99 per six-pack, which keeps you from getting shocked at the register.

The Hastings Coborn's Liquor does have another thing that helps it stand out: great customer service. The staff is very knowledgable, helpful, and friendly. This service goes a long way towards enhancing your craft beer shopping experience. Can't find the beer you want? I found out long before I worked there that you can ask the store manager, Keith, to order the beer you're looking for. He's happy to bring it in for you.

So, to summarize: Good craft beer shopping in Hastings = Coborn's Liquor. Next time you're in my neck of the woods, stop in and browse the selection. If you don't know what you're looking for, ask. A helpful staff member will aid you in your search.

Cheers!

Coborn's Tasting December 10th

Ah, December - the busy holiday season. A month which can quickly fill up with family visits, catching up with friends, decorating, eating, and, of course, shopping. Why not take a break from all that craziness this Saturday and sample some tasty seasonal brews at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor? I'll be there, sharing liquid deliciousness with all of you weary shoppers. Here's the line-up:

• 21st Amendment Fireside Chat
• Alaskan Winter Ale
• Great Lakes Christmas Ale
• New Belgium Snow Day
• Rush River Winter Warmer
• Schell's Snowstorm

Stop by the store anytime from 1 - 5pm if you'd like to partake in these winter varieties. Hope to see you there!

Beer Brief #8 - Honeymoon Saison

Brewery - Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota (created by brewer Sam Doniach)

Beer - Unchained Batch 07 - Honeymoon Saison

Style - Saison brewed with Minnesota honey

ABV - 5.3%

IBU - 40

Color - Orangish gold and cloudy with an eggshell head

Aroma - Lemon, herbal, earthy undertones

Flavor - Honey, stone fruit, spice, strong metallic bitterness

Verdict - Good beer, but not my favorite saison. It has appropriate flavors and aromas, but the bitterness is almost too aggressive for the style, in my opinion. I'd still have a couple, though.

Pour, Then Drink

Doing what I do, I often have many conversations with people about all facets of the beer world. Many of those folks are just beginning to get into craft beer and like to ask me for tips to enhance their new hobby. Interestingly, one piece of advice I offer seems to surprise more than I would expect: pour your beer into a glass before you drink it.

Many people look at me like I'm nuts. They say things like, "I prefer bottled beer, and I like to drink it from the bottle." Don't worry if you're one of them, I'm not going to scold you. I just want to help people understand what they might be missing.

If you drink a beer without pouring it into a glass (or even a cup), you are depriving yourself of the entire flavor experience. Remember when you were a kid and your mother told you to plug your nose when ingesting a taste you didn't enjoy? Did it help? I know it helped me to swallow some nasty cold medicine on more than one occasion. Your sense of smell is very connected to your sense of taste. That trick from mom essentially muted the message to your tastebuds, making unpalatable food easier to swallow.

Now, think of your standard beer packaging. Bottles and cans have very small openings; openings so small that your whole mouth covers them when you take a drink. Since the opening is covered, no aroma can escape to your nose. If you pour that same beer into a glass, you have a wide opening that allows your nostrils to fill with aroma while the liquid rolls around on your tongue.

Of course, don't feel obligated to drink out of a glass all the time. Hey, even I'm not going to pack a pint glass to go fishing. And when I go canoeing, I'm drinking my craft beer right out of the can like everyone else. I just hope that next time you crack open a tasty beer at home, you'll pour it into a glass. I know it will greatly enhance your taste experience.

My New Approach

I've been thinking pretty seriously about the best way to maintain the Lupulin Libations blog these days. It's time for a new approach, for the benefit of both you (the readers) and myself.

It seems that my life is busy enough to make certain blogging aspects more challenging and stressful than they were originally. Mainly, my in-depth beer sessions with nice pictures and my long, intensive stories detailing various events. Those types of posts were getting harder for me to find time for and more taxing to write. This, in turn, was causing me to blog much less frequently. I definitely had a need to adjust my blogging style.

I have already starting making some changes, as some you may have noticed. Posting in a more concise format while keeping detailed highlights has been working well, along with my new "Beer Brief" format. Reader feedback and site traffic has shown me that the new approach is successful, so I'm happy to continue on that path.

Of course, the Lupulin Libations blog remains dedicated to good brews and sharing beer knowledge. I may still occasionally do some of the old style sessions from time to time, but my new goal is to get all of you something beer-related to read on a more regular basis (while minimizing my own stresses).

Thanks for your continued support.

Cheers!

Beer Brief #7 - Life and Limb

Brewery - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, California (In collaboration with Dogfish Head Brewing)

Beer - Life and Limb

Style - American Strong Ale brewed with maple syrup, fermented with a blend of both breweries' house yeast strains, and bottle conditioned with birch syrup

ABV - 10.2%

IBU - 50

Color - Dark brown with hints of ruby and a light tan head

Aroma - Chocolate, brown sugar, dates

Flavor - Sweet malt, very roasty, coffee, herbal bitterness

Verdict - Tasty and dangerous. The alcohol is hidden fairly well by flavors that I feel are quite similar to an imperial stout, but sweeter.

Beer Brief #6 - Odell Avant Peche

Brewery - Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins, Colorado

Beer - Avant Peche

Style - Blended Imperial Porter (From the bottle label: 45% ale with peaches added, 19% ale aged in oak barrels, 36% ale aged in oak barrels with peaches)

ABV - 9.5%

Color - Opaque black with a tan head

Aroma - Milk chocolate, a little barnyard, slight vinegar

Flavor - Chocolate, coffee, sour apricots, earthy funk

Verdict - Quite enjoyable, although I definitely wouldn't have guessed there were peaches in it if the label didn't tell me. The brewery website mentions wild yeast used in the creation of this brew, which really comes through.

Coborn's Tasting - November 26th

Wouldn't you like to try some tasty new beers after all the Black Friday madness this weekend? Stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor this Saturday and you can do just that. I'll be pouring samples of the six brews from the Samuel Adams Winter Classics variety pack, which includes:

• Black & Brew Coffee Stout
• Boston Lager
• Chocolate Bock
• Holiday Porter
• Old Fezziwig Ale
• Winter Lager

Come to the store anytime from 12:30 - 4:30pm if you're interested in sipping these varieties. As usual, I'll be happy to chat about beer and help you choose the best beverage for your needs. Hope to see you there!

Beer Brief #5 - New Belgium Kick

Brewery - New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins, Colorado

Beer - Kick

Style - Blended Fruit Beer (75% ale brewed with pumpkins and cranberries, 25% ale aged in wood barrels)

ABV - 8.5%

Color - Orange side of gold with a white head

Aroma - Tart cranberries

Flavor - Brief sweet malt with pumpkin undertone, dominant cranberries, slightly sour

Verdict - Not at all what I expected, the cranberries are the star of this brew. Surprisingly light and refreshing with only some alcohol warmth in my throat indicating the strength. It's really tasty!

Lift Bridge Commander Release

When I look down at the back of my left hand, I can still see the faintest image of a black star. Multiple hand washings since this past Saturday have removed all but the ink embedded in the low spots of my skin texture. When fresh and new, it was the obligatory hand stamp required at so many events. It's also the physical reminder of my attendance at the Lift Bridge Commander Release Party. It will soon totally disappear, but luckily I have many good memories that will not allow me to forget this event.

The newest release from Lift Bridge, Commander is a big 12.5% barleywine brewed with cardamom and partially aged in Heaven Hill Distillery bourbon barrels. To me, that description sounded delicious - and sipping it definitely put a smile on my face. I thought the beer could benefit from a little more aging, but it's definitely good for how young it is. At the release party, I asked Dan Schwarz for a few more details on the blending of this beer. Some of the brew was aged in the bourbon barrels, and some in stainless. Dan said they had a blending session and decided on 75% bourbon and 25% stainless. I think they chose well, and look forward to tasting it again after some more time has passed.

Of course, there was more than beer consumption happening at the release party. They kept people entertained with beanbag toss, hammerschlagen, live music, and tasty food. Not to mention the momentous opening of an enormous Commander double magnum bottle that was shared with all. (That's 4.5 liters of beer!) Anyone who desired to purchase some of the new beer could bring home up to six 750ml bottles. Yep, I bought some.

Sometime tomorrow, I'm sure the remnants of the hand stamp will be gone, but I've got 4 bottles of beer and a nice snifter glass to extend my enjoyment even further. The Lift Bridge crew sure does throw a good release party, and I will be happy to attend more of their events in the future.

Coborn's Tasting Tomorrow

If you feel like tasting some beer tomorrow after work, be sure to stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor in the 4:30-8:30pm range. I'll be working hard and pouring samples of six enticing brews:

• Bell's Best Brown Ale
• Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
• Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout
• Summit Unchained Series Batch 8 - Black Ale
• Summit Winter Ale
• Tripel Karmeliet

As usual, I'll be sharing info about each beer and chatting with people about our favorite beverage. Hope to see you there!

Coborn's Tasting Tomorrow

Alright, it's time for me to make up for missing the last tasting due to car trouble. Stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor tomorrow between 1-5pm and sample any of these six brews:

• Brooklyn Oktoberfest
• Great Lakes Nosferatu
• Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest
• Lagunitas Imperial Stout
• Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey
• Wells Bombardier

I'm looking forward to sharing these tasty libations with all of you. I'll be ready to talk beer and answer any questions you might have, as well. I hope to see you there!

Beer Brief #4 - Odell Double Pilsner

Brewery - Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins, Colorado

Beer - Double Pilsner

Style - Double Pilsner (like you weren't expecting that)

ABV - 8.1%

Color - Golden

Aroma - Bread, lemon, herbal spice

Flavor - Sweet bread and honey, spicy hops, earthy metallic bitterness

Verdict - A delicious example of what a double pilsner should be. Sweet malt is balanced perfectly by the spicy, earthy hops.

Vanberg & DeWulf Coast to Coast Toast

Before I get to the Vanberg & DeWulf announcement, I'd like to apologize. Last week, I posted info about a Coborn's tasting I had scheduled for Friday the 14th. Unfortunately, that tasting never happened. While in transit to the Hastings Coborn's, the tensioner pulley in my car decided to explode into pieces. Of course, this led to multiple complications, including the cancellation of the beer tasting. Sorry to any of you that made the trip for the tasting, but arrived and found no tasty samples waiting...

OK, on to the announcement.

Vanberg & DeWulf (a Belgian beer importer whose founders also helped create Ommegang) occasionally sends me an email asking if I would help share some information with my readers. This past weekend, I received such a message. Check this out:

On 11.15.11 we are throwing what we believe will be the largest celebration of Belgian beer held on one day in the USA in this century. No kidding.  Hundreds of bars, restaurants and stores - the places that have made beer culture in America so stupendous - are hosting Coast to Coast Toasts to mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of our company. Thirty of our beers from independent family run breweries will be the stars of the show (Saison Dupont, Scaldis, Lambrucha, Witkap anyone?).

Learn more about the whys and wherefores of the event and participating establishments at: http://belgianexperts.com/ 

If we are new to you, Lew Bryson has written a very sympathetic precis of our history: http://greatbrewers.com/story/30-years-belgian-beers-happy-anniversary-vanberg-dewulf

Know of a place that absolutely has to be a part of the celebration?  Drop us a line at vanberg.and.dewulf@gmail.com, send them a link, and we will be sure to reach out.

To learn more about the Toast as the date gets closer, follow us on Twitter and check out our Facebook Page.  We have some really big news breaking in another week. To benefit from it you will want to get yourself signed up on Untappd.

Please help us spread the word in your community. 

All the best and many thanks, 

Wendy Littlefield  & Don Feinberg, Co-Founders 

If you love Belgian beer, do your best to help celebrate the Coast to Coast Toast. I know I will!

Coborn's Tasting Tomorrow

What's that? You say you want another beer tasting at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor? OK, OK, just stop twisting my arm. How about tomorrow, Friday, October 14? Off the top of my head, we could maybe try these six brews:

• Brooklyn Oktoberfest
• Guinness Black Lager
• Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest
• Lagunitas Imperial Stout
• Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey
• Wells Bombardier

Those beers sound good? OK, let's talk time. How about from 4:30 - 8:30pm? That work for you? Great. I'll see you then.

Kona in Hawaii

Just recently, my family and I returned from a trip to visit friends in Hawaii. (You may have noticed there haven't been any posts for a while...) We flew to Honolulu, stayed just outside Kailua, and spent our vacation exploring the island of Oahu. In fact, we packed our time with so much fun that days disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The constant sunny, mid-80 degree weather allowed us to experience a large variety of activities:

• Dole Plantation
• Sea Life Park
• Germaine's Luau
• Hiking on Makapu'u Point
• Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay
• Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri Battleship, USS Bowfin Submarine)
• Aloha Bus (which takes you to numerous points of interest in Honolulu)
• Scenery, scenery, scenery

We had a great time there and were sad when we had to come home. You might be wondering why I'm mentioning this family trip on my beer blog...

Or not.

Yep. Me being me, I already had planned a visit to a beer institution before I ever left Minnesota. I can't go to another state (let alone Hawaii) without searching for some good beer culture! I chose Kona Brewing's Koko Marina Pub for my Hawaiian brew experience, and I was not disappointed.

We visited the pub after snorkeling, because it's pretty close to Hanauma Bay. Kona's brewing facility is actually located on the Big Island, not Oahu. This particular location we visited is a restaurant owned by the brewery. It's not a brewpub, but they do serve all of their year-round beers and a good selection of seasonals. I had never had a Kona beer before, so I didn't know what to expect. However, I can say I was very excited to try some new brews. Hey, it's what I do.

The second I walked into the place, I was happy. This was a beautiful pub sitting right on the water with window views out to the Koko Marina. There was live music playing, which was some excellent quality blues rock. (I liked it so much, I asked if they had albums for sale.) We sat down at the table and I immediately perused the beer selection. Of course they offered beer samplers, but each one only came with four beers. How did I solve this dilemma? By ordering two samplers, of course.

I tasted all eight of those beers and enjoyed every one. They were all well made and left a smile on my face. There are definitely two that rose above the rest in my mind though, and both were seasonals: the lemongrass ale brewed with ginger, and the barleywine. Very good stuff. Add dining on some delicious swordfish tacos to the tasty brews (not to mention the atmosphere and company) and everything was right with the world.

As we left the pub, I had to stop and buy a hat at the gift shop. I probably didn't need a souvenir to remember this experience, but it couldn't hurt. Plus, it looked really good on me...

Great time of year for craft beer

Autumn doesn't officially begin until September 23rd, but we can all feel the change of seasons approaching. The other morning, I went out for a bike ride before work and had to wear pants and long sleeves to keep warm in the chilly dawn air. (I realized shortly after leaving home that I should have worn gloves, as well.) Then, of course, we have yesterday's high of 59° as a good indicator of the fall weather to come.

I know many people who dread the coming of fall. To them, it's only an indicator of the impending doom of another Minnesota winter. I, on the other hand, really enjoy it for many reasons. First, there's the cool, crisp air that makes outdoor activities more refreshing and assists in my appreciation of the sun's warming rays. Next, we have all the beautiful landscapes enhanced by the changing colors of the trees' leaves. Then, of course, there's the start of another NFL season (which almost didn't happen this year). Last, but definitely not least; it's a great time for good craft beer.

I love grilling amongst the orange foliage around my deck with a tasty saison in hand, as well as sitting by the fire on a cool evening while sipping a warming imperial stout. And those brews aren't even fall seasonals! That's right folks, we have many autumn-specific beers that are awaiting us at the liquor stores, with more still to come!

Oh, where to begin...

• the classic lager of fall, Oktoberfest Märzen, available from many different breweries
• many iterations of "Harvest" ales - some floral and fruity, some malty sweet
• spicy and delicious pumpkin beers
• fresh/wet hop brews, made with hop cones picked straight from the bine

My mouth is starting to water just thinking of all the options...

I'm also happy to be attending the Autumn Brew Review for my first time this Saturday, which is big event put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild. There will be many tasty beers to sample in my favorite kind of weather. If your interested, check out the details here. They still have tickets available for Session 1, which starts at 10am.

Fall, I'm ready for you. Let's make it a good one.

Cheers.

Coborn's Tasting - September 10th

Have you noticed the changing temperatures? Fall is beginning, and I love it. This is my favorite time of year and it's also a good time to drink some tasty seasonal brews. I'll be pouring samples of six autumn beers this Saturday, September 10th at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor:

• Bell's Octoberfest
• Great Lakes Oktoberfest
• Lake Superior Oktoberfest
• New Belgium Hoptober
• Rush River Lyndale Brown Ale
• Southern Tier Harvest Ale

Stop by the store anytime from 2-6pm if you want try some beer that will put you in the proper mood for the season. Hope to see you there!

Beer Brief #3 - O'so Night Train

Brewery - O'so Brewing Company, Plover, Wisconsin

Beer - Night Train

Style - Oatmeal Porter

ABV - 7.2%

IBUs - 49

Color - Very dark brown with a tan head

Aroma - Roasted coffee, hint of cocoa, molasses, dark fruit

Flavor - Milk chocolate, coffee bitterness, hint of raspberry or cherry, rich and heavy, all about the malt

Verdict - Awesome beer. Rich, velvety mouthfeel combined with sweet and bitter dark malt characteristics make a beautiful porter that I would happily revisit.

Coborn's Tasting - Friday, August 26th

Yep, it's finally time for a tasting this weekend! I know I usually fit two into every month, but it's been a really busy August. Don't worry though, because this one will make up for it. Tomorrow, August 26th, I'll be happy to share some delicious beers from three quality breweries. Here's the list:

• Bell's Kalamazoo Stout
• Bell's Lager Beer, a.k.a. "Lager of the Lakes"
• Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild
• Lagunitas Lucky 13.alt
• Summit Silver Anniversary Ale
• Summit Unchained Series Batch 07 - Honeymoon Saison

Make sure to stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor between 3 - 7pm if you're interested in trying any of these tasty brews. I'll be there pouring samples and talking beer, as usual. Hope to see you there!

Samuel Adams Utopias 2011

In case you couldn't tell from the title or the photos, I have a very cool session for you today. This year, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to purchase a bottle of Samuel Adams Utopias. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with it - know that this brew is very special. Why? Read on and find out.

Utopias is a barrel-aged and blended beer that reaches an astounding 27% ABV. That's right, this stuff is 54 Proof. It is the highest alcohol brew produced that gets there only through the magic of natural fermentation. There are other beers out there with higher percentages, but they use a freeze-distillation process which removes water and basically creates concentrated beer. Boston Beer Company uses 2 yeast strains (one of which is typically used for champagne) to help Utopias on it's way.

Multiple batches that have been aged for different lengths of time are carefully blended to create this libation. Some of them have been aged up to 18 years! Many types of barrels were brought in to enhance the aging process, including: Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels, sherry casks, madeira casks, and port casks.

For a beer this grand, you need packaging that lets people know how special it is. Utopias comes in a 750 ml ceramic decanter that closely resembles an old copper brew kettle. The bottle even has doors that open to reveal a picture of Samuel Adams.

When I picked up my bottle from the liquor store, there was a nice descriptive tag attached to the neck explaining everything about the beer. It also gave a nice little backstory on the purposefully designed Utopias glass. Jim Koch worked with well-known glassmaker Georg Riedel to develop a vessel that would deliver all the flavors and aromas in the best manner. The tag also had a code that allows Utopias buyers to get this glass for free from the Boston Beer website. I was happy to use the code, but found I had to pay for shipping on my "free" glass (of course).

I was so excited to do this session that I brought in a professional to take care of the photos. My lovely wife Amy (who is a portrait and wedding photographer) was kind enough to take pictures for me in a special photo shoot. They turned out great! If you have some time, you should check out her other work at amyrondeauphotography.com. Thanks for your help, hon.

Alright, let's get on with the session!

This may sound silly, but I'm measuring my portion with a shot glass. I've definitely never measured out my beer serving before! I pour 2 ounces into the shot glass, then transfer that into my new Utopias glass. There is absolutely no head or carbonation at all. This beer is flat, and it's meant to be. The liquid is dark amber with hints of orange and ruby when held at different angles in the light. When I swirl the beer in the glass, it has definite "legs" like one would associate with a glass of wine.

Immediately, I notice the aromas of sherry and port rising up. Another sniff catches raisins, prunes and, strangely enough, a smell similar to a Terry's Chocolate Orange. (That's the foil-wrapped, orange-flavored chocolate confection that breaks into chunks that look like orange wedges.) The strong, boozy scent of alcohol is also present, which is to be expected.

Wow, this doesn't taste like any beer I've had before. The sugary flavor of maple syrup is apparent and briefly visits a touch of caramel, then I get the same chocolate orange that I detected in the aroma. Tart cherries arrive before noticeable alcohol combines with a quick bitter bite. The long sweet finish is rich and lingers a bit.

This brew rolls around my mouth with the consistency of a thin syrup. It sticks to my tastebuds well and doesn't let go easily. There is an obvious warming effect taking place, while a slight tingling affects my tongue.

Yep, this is unlike anything else I've ever tasted from a brewery. Utopias is very rich and super complex. There were moments where it was hard for me to realize that this beverage I sampled was actually beer. It will blow your mind and show you how widespread the realm our favorite drink extends. If you are ever able to try this, you have to do it. No "ifs, ands, or buts" about it.

Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival - Saturday Afternoon

Well, I think I've drawn out this Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival thing for long enough. Wouldn't you agree? I promise this is the final post in the 4-part series. Let's get to it.

Saturday Afternoon

After brunch, we went back up to the lodge room and watched for the clock to read 3:00pm. That was the time the Hopped Up Caribou Beer Garden would open. My buddy had brought his Sega Genesis along, so we had a couple beers and played some classic video games while we waited. Well, it just so happens that the combination of beer and video games makes time fly by pretty quickly. Before we knew it, the journey to the tennis courts was upon us.

As we entered the beer garden, the first thing I noticed was the increased number of people. Compared to the previous two gatherings, this one was much larger. The reason? This Saturday afternoon portion was offered as a separate ticket for people who couldn't attend the entire weekend. Even with this population growth, the beer garden portion was still much smaller than many other beerfests I've attended - which was nice.

All of the brewers were present once again (along with a new one) and were happily pouring samples of their beers. Some had the same offerings, while others had a different selection than Friday. Here are some of the highlights, in no particular order:

• Fitger's - Dave and Frank had tapped three new brews: Apricot Wheat, Starfire Pale Ale, and Timmy's Edelstoff (which was a helles lager). As usual, nothing but good quality from this brewpub. All of them were great.
• South Shore - Bo was also serving a different selection: Nut Brown Ale, Inland Sea Pilsner, Northern Lights Cream Ale, and American Pale Ale. These were all tasty, but the Cream Ale really stood out in my mind. I've never tasted a beer like it. I could swear I detected a coconut flavor in there somewhere...
• Summit - They were serving the same beers as Friday, but the third brewer showed up: Mike Lundell. He was responsible for the Unchained Series Batch 3 (India Style Rye Ale). Many of my friends and I were big fans of this recipe, so I was happy to get an opportunity to chat with the brewer.
• Bell's - Jason added 3 choices: Oatmeal Stout, Oarsman Ale, and Le Contrebassiste. I had been excited to try the Biere de Garde (Le Contrebassiste), and I was not disappointed.
• Dubrue Brewing - This brand new brewery showed up just for the beer garden. Bob Blair, a former brewer for Fitger's, started this new Duluth addition to brewing culture. They brought two beers: Pub Ale and India Black Ale. Both were very good, and Bob was fun to chat with. Keep your eye on the future progress of this brewery, as I foresee them doing well.

As had been the case all weekend, there was delicious food being served while beverage consumption was occurring. This time, the eats were a little more simple, but still mouth-watering: beer-brined smoked turkey legs, beer brats, hot dogs, and juicy hamburgers with all the fixings. Once again, I couldn't help myself. The food beckoned me. I ate a turkey leg, a brat, a burger, and some chips. I was very full, but it was totally worth it...

From 3 - 6 pm, all through the beer garden people were voting on their favorite brew. After the garden closed, they announced the winner: Fitger's Apricot Wheat.

The Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival was officially over. Or was it? My buddy and I continued to chat with our fellow beer geeks while we shared more tasty brews with each other. As the night came to a close, I couldn't help but ponder over the events of the past couple days. So far, this had been the best beer event that I've ever attended. They're planning it again for next year and have promised to keep it the same size with the same format. All I could think was this: I can't wait to go again.

Beer Brief #2 - Lagunitas Lucky 13.alt

Brewery - Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California

Beer - Lucky 13.alt

Style - American Strong Ale

ABV - 8.9%

IBUs - 76.92

Color - Golden with a hint of amber

Aroma - Caramel, biscuits, and grapefruit

Flavor - Brief caramel, then grapefruit, pineapple, slight herbal spice, and strong lingering bitterness

Verdict - Good stuff if you like double IPAs and hoppy American-style barleywines, which I do.

Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival - Saturday Morning

Welcome to part three in the series of posts about my experience at the Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival in Lutsen.

Saturday Morning

My eyes worked open slowly as some faint light fought past the blinds covering the window. Suddenly, I remembered where I was and my eyelids immediately widened to maximum. I was at a weekend beer event in Lutsen! The previous night's experience was a lot of fun; eating delicious food, drinking tasty brews, and conversing with the brewers and fellow beer geeks. Now, I was eagerly anticipating the next part: the Brewers Bloody Mary Brunch.

The time was around 8:00 am. That meant I had a couple hours before the brunch started at 10. I walked over to the blinds and opened them. What did I see? It was pouring rain and there was a dense fog hiding Eagle Mountain from view; the mountain that looked so awesome from the same window the day before. Not a good sight, as all the events were planned to be outside. I took a quick shower and wandered out to the gift shop, where there was a clear view of the tennis courts (the designated area for all parts of the weekend). The tent from Friday night looked a little different this morning. They had attached walls and fit numerous tables and chairs inside the safe haven. At least I knew we would stay dry for brunch.

After a cup of coffee, we headed down to the tennis courts. The mouth-watering scents of brunch taunted everyone while we waited for the crew to let us in. After a few minutes, they gave the go ahead. We walked into the tent and picked a spot to sit.

In the back corner, there was the bloody mary bar. They offered a choice between regular vodka or a special vodka infused with garlic, peppers, etc. Once the shot was poured, you could add your bloody mary mix and a host of accompaniments, including: meat sticks, pickles, olives, peppers, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and even pickled herring! Sorry to disappoint any of you that might be drooling over that selection, but I don't enjoy bloody marys. Not a fan of tomato juice. However, I did come up with my own quick solution for my morning beverage; I asked for a shot of vodka, skipped the bloody ingredients, and walked over to the juice table for a cup of OJ. With a simple pour and mix: voila, a screwdriver!

Now that I had my drink, it was time to get something to eat. The food. Wow, the food. Everything was set up buffet style, and included all these goodies:

• Apple fritter french toast
• Biscuits and gravy
• Duck sausage frittata
• Green onion and cream cheese scrambled eggs
• Honey smoked bacon
• Potatoes O'Brien

And to top it all off, they had a made-to-order omelet station. Now, you may be wondering, "Was the food well prepared?" And my answer would be, "Does a bear defecate in the woods?Umm... I mean, yes!" Yep, I tried it all. I couldn't help it. All of the selections looked so good...

While our table filled up with people eager to devour their meal, conversation started flowing. It started out with simple chatter about the quality of the food and the fun of the past evening. Eventually, Dave Hoops (Master Brewer for Fitger's Brewhouse) sat down with us. Then, beer and barrel-aging became the next topic.

It turned out that the very nice woman sitting across from me was a "barrel broker," for lack of a better term. Her name was Elena Kotowski, and she owns a company called "Barrel Depot." She started out with rain barrels (which is still her main focus on the site), but now offers recycled wine and whiskey barrels as well. She talked of her plans to start carrying 5-gallon barrels for homebrewers. I told her that I (and probably many other homebrewers) would be excited to know if/when she starts to sell them.

After all the barrel talk, Dave started talking about his involvement in the brewpub distribution bill that didn't make it through the Minnesota government this year. Then, Bo Belanger (from South Shore Brewing) sat down and joined in to tell us about the new difficulties in Wisconsin caused by a new law involving distribution. We had a serious discussion about what these laws and bills mean to the industry, and I came away very enlightened. On the lighter side of the chit-chat, I found out that Dave's brother is the head brewer for Town Hall Brewing in Minneapolis. Imagine that! Two brothers end up as the main brewers for two great Minnesota brewpubs!

As we neared the end time for the brunch event, the conversation wound down. We all exchanged business cards and said goodbye. However, it wasn't going to be too long before we saw each other again. In only three hours, the next part of this weekend event would begin: the Hopped Up Caribou Beer Garden. Once again, I couldn't wait...

Next up: Saturday Afternoon

Coborn's Tasting - Saturday, July 30th

It's time for the second store tasting of July! Stop in to the Hastings Coborn's Liquor tomorrow to try some tasty brews. There will be 3 beers from Lucky Bucket Brewing (a Nebraska brewery that just recently started distributing to Minnesota), along with 3 others to tantalize your taste buds:

• Big Sky Summer Honey
• Karmeliet Tripel
• Lucky Bucket Certified Evil
• Lucky Bucket IPA
• Lucky Bucket Lager
• Ommegang Witte

Our local weather people are predicting temps around 90° and some ugly humidity. I know you could use a thirst quenching beverage to help you get through the heat. Visit the store and allow me to aid you in finding the perfect brew for that purpose!

I'll be pouring from 2 - 6pm. See you there!

Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival - Friday

Sorry about the delay in this post, everyone. I was insanely busy last week and tried my best to get this post up, but wasn't able to do so. Now, here we go with my continuation of the Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival saga.

Friday Evening

After settling into the room and sampling beer from our welcome basket, we went out to the tennis courts at 7:30pm for the Meet the Brewers Social. Bell's, Carmody, Fitger's, Lake Superior, Schell's, South Shore, Summit, and Surly were all present, giving out tasty beer. A few of the brewers even brought some special treats, just for the Friday night guests. Because of the purposefully small attendance, it made for a more intimate experience than most beer events and I was able to have a nice conversation with almost every brewer. Here are some of my fond remembrances from that night, in the order they occurred:

Fitger's had two brewers present in Master Brewer Dave Hoops and Head Brewer Frank Kaszuba. I was able to briefly talk to Dave, but I spent much more time conversing with Frank. In fact, I spoke with Frank more than anyone else over the course of the evening. He was very open to discussing his education, brewing techniques, barrel aging, and upcoming recipes. They brought two special beers to share, and both were delicious - Lake Michigan (a wee heavy aged on cherries) and Lake Erie (a Belgian strong golden ale).

I'd never tried a South Shore Brewing product before, but I was really excited to. I had heard good things and was happy to taste the two special beers they brought - Honey Double Maibock and Weizen Eisbock. Both were excellent, and both were strong. I chatted with Master Brewer Bo Belanger, who is definitely passionate about his brews and the Wisconsin beer industry. I was happy to hear that he is using local malt and is working to get local hops into his processes.

My old friend Dale Kleinschmidt, Head Brewer of Lake Superior Brewing, was my next stop. I've had the honor of chatting with him probably around 6 or 7 times now, and I think he's starting to remember my face. I've had most of their beers before, and focused on trying one I hadn't - Windward Wheat. This was a pleasant summer seasonal that is Dale's favorite, but wasn't brewed for the last four years. He gets very sporadic demand for his seasonal beers, so he can't always afford to brew them. That's too bad, because the four I've tried are all great. If you can, ask your local liquor stores to get Lake Superior seasonals. Dale says that is the only way enough demand is generated for him to brew them.

"That smell... What is it? Oh, it's only the bevy of beautiful looking hors d'oeuvres and barbecue surrounding me with mouth watering aromas." That's what my mind was saying. My stomach was saying, "It's time to eat!" So, I grabbed a plate and made my way around to all the different food stations. Nothing bland to be found here. They had wild game, seafood, bacon-wrapped goodies, fondue, chocolate desserts, etc. Wow, it was freakin' fantastic! I've never had food like that at a beer event before...

At many beer events I've attended, Summit has pretty standard fare for beer. They don't typically offer anything special. As a huge fan of our big local craft brewery, I'm sad to admit that I usually don't visit them at these events for just that reason. I feel like I need to be trying new beers, not sipping on the EPA or Great Northern Porter I've had so many times before. However, in Lutsen I was very excited because I got the chance to meet three of the brewers. Two were present on Friday: Eric Blomquist and Nate Siats. If you enjoy the Summit Unchained Series, you might recognize their names. Eric brewed batch 2 (90/- Scottish Style Ale) and Nate brewed batch 5 (Imperial Pumpkin Porter). I spent a good amount of time speaking with each of them and learned a bit about their experiences at Summit. I also was pleasantly surprised to find that they had brought some of the new 25th Anniversary beer with them! It was a great brew that you should definitely seek out when it hits your local liquor stores.

Onto another Minnesota great. Pouring beers for Surly was brewer Spencer Anderson. I walked toward the table as he gave people the liquid deliciousness that is Darkness 2010. That's right, he brought a keg of this highly-sought brew just for this evening. As if the tasty beverage wasn't enough, I also had a pleasant back and forth with him regarding Surly's new brewery and the future of their production. He mentioned the possibility that the old brewery could become the "creative" department; the place where they would continue to think up new recipes and test batches. He also talked of the excitement around the new facility and their real estate hunt.

Bell's might not be local, but it is pretty popular around here. Their regional brewery representative, Jason Gillum, was doing his job well. He brought one of the last two kegs of their Batch 10,000 and people were loving it. Once again, I got my chat on and asked him about the new brewery and their upcoming canned beers. He said no official decision had been made about which flavors will end up in cans, but that didn't stop us from bantering about the possibilities. We both agreed that Two Hearted Ale has to be one of them...

When the time came to leave, I knew that this was just the start. But, what a great start it was!

Next up: Saturday morning

Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival - Intro

Last Friday, a buddy and I were cruising north on Highway 61 after passing through Duluth. Seeing Lake Superior in all it's glory along with the beautiful wilderness of the North Shore, I knew it was going to be a good weekend.

When we departed the Twin Cities the temperature was in the 90's (way too hot for me), but it dropped as we went north and was a comfortable 70° just off the big lake. The birch trees were numerous and really stood out it the mix of all the other foliage. Turning left, away from the lake, we approached Eagle Mountain. One more quick turn on the back side of the towering peak and we had reached our destination just outside of Lutsen.

Coming through the main entrance, I noticed the main area of the lodge looked great and had a beautiful window view of the landscape. After checking in, I was looking forward to inspecting the room. I swiped the keycard, waited for the green light, and opened the door. Right then, I knew it was going to be more than a good weekend; it was going to be spectacular. There, sitting on the desk, next to the lamp, was a six-pack containing 6 different tasty craft beers. It was our "welcome basket." We had arrived at the Hopped Up Caribou Beer Festival.

When I first read about this new beer fest, I immediately checked into the details. There were 2 attendance options for participating in this event at the Caribou Highlands Lodge:

1. Buy a ticket to just the Saturday afternoon tasting, which is similar to most beer fests, or
2. Pay for the full weekend package.

What's included in the weekend purchase price? Well, let's see here. First, there's your 2 nights in the lodge. Next, your beer "welcome basket." Then of course, there's the 3 beer events (along with all the food and drinks for each one): the Friday evening Meet the Brewers Social, the Saturday morning Bloody Mary Brewers Brunch, and the Saturday afternoon Hopped Up Caribou Beer Garden. I knew immediately that I had to do the whole weekend package. The price? Trust me, it was a great deal.

In my next few posts, I'm going to break down the progression of this excellent beer weekend for all of you. This post is the intro, and I'll work through each of the 3 main events. Just a warning; if you're a beer geek like me, you may have a very strong desire to attend this event after reading all of them.

My next post will cover the Friday night Meet the Brewers Social.

Until then...

Coborn's Tasting - Saturday, July 16

Are you looking forward to the extreme heat coming to visit us in the Twin Cities this weekend? I know I'm not. Want some help cooling yourself down? I suggest quenching your thirst with a cool beer or two. Stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor on Saturday so I can aid you in your search for summer brews. I'll even have 6 tasty beverages open for you to taste:

• Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale
• Odell Myrenary
• Widmer Citra Blonde Summer Ale
• Widmer Drifter Pale Ale
• Widmer Hefeweizen
• Widmer X-114 IPA

Come visit between 2pm and 6pm. I'll be happy to pour you a sample and help you find the beer you're looking for. Let's beat the heat together!

Beer Brief #1 - Lucky Bucket Certified Evil

Welcome to the first of a new kind of post on Lupulin Libations. I've decided to start doing quick sessions with non-local brews that I'll call "Beer Briefs." They still contain some good info about the beers, but they'll be very concise and to-the-point. Don't worry, I'll still continue posting my full-fledged sessions with local products in between these mini sessions. Now, onto the 1st Beer Brief:


Brewery - Lucky Bucket Brewing in La Vista, Nebraska

Beer - Certified Evil

Style - Belgian Strong Dark Ale

ABV - about 10% (according to brewer's video)

Color - Black

Aroma - Coffee, chocolate, herbal spice, slight dark fruit

Flavor - Imperial Stout crossed with Belgian spice, roasted coffee beans, unsweetened chocolate, black pepper, hint of ripe cherry and figs, good bitterness

Verdict - I like it!

Lupulin Libations is in the news!

Today I am happy to report some exciting news (at least for me). Lupulin Libations is in this week's edition of the Hastings Star Gazette!

Apparently, Chad Richardson (of the Hastings Star Gazette) had come across my blog not too long ago. He contacted me by email soon after. I was pleased when he told me it is very well written and asked me to join their parent company's AreaVoices blog domain. I eagerly agreed and now maintain 2 Lupulin Libations blogs. The newest (lupulinlibations.areavoices.com) has become a featured blog on the websites of multiple newspapers in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

That was all very cool, but I was even more excited when he asked me to do an interview for the local paper. We did some questions and answers over the phone a couple weeks ago, but couldn't coordinate pictures until this past Monday. We met at RJ's Tavern (always my first choice in Hastings for good beer), and he snapped a couple shots as I sipped on an Arrogant Bastard while wearing my prized Summit Brewing shirt. Then I received confirmation Thursday that the article was printed in this week's paper.

On my way home yesterday, I stopped at a gas station to pick up a copy of the paper. Sure enough, there was a blurb on the front page that said "A Resident Beer Taster." When I paged through to find the article, I was amazed that Lupulin Libations had the whole front page of their Et Cetera section. Last night, I decided I had to celebrate. I did so with some Tripel Karmeliet and Ommegang Hennepin. That's not surprising at all, is it?

If you want to check out the article, click here. That will take you to the Hastings Star Gazette website.

I want to thank all my readers. As long as you keep reading, I want to keep blogging.

Cheers!

3rd Annual Saint Paul Summer Beer Fest

This past Saturday, I was quite happy to be present at the 3rd installment of the ever-growing Saint Paul Summer Beer Fest. I had previously been to the first year of this event, but missed number 2 because it fell on my daughter's birthday (which is, of course, much more important). In my return this past weekend, there were some definite changes from last time I attended. Beer lovers and brewers have come together over the years to make this a very popular and special event, which definitely facilitated its growth over the last 3 years and led to these imminent improvements:

• Year 1 was held at the Midway stadium parking lot. This year was held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in the very nice International Bazaar area.
• Year 1 VIP tickets allowed entrance an hour earlier than standard tickets. This year, the VIPs still gained early entrance, but also received pretzel necklaces as they came in (essential beer fest jewelry) and had access to the special VIP tent. In the tent, there were free massages, multiple pitchers of a good variety of beer, private bathrooms, and even some beer pong gaming.
• Year 1 had some music from live artists, but this year seemed to have more variety from a larger number of bands.
• The biggest improvement of all? Even more breweries (up to 70+ this year) and a greater number of special brews offered (cask & limited release). This was a beer taster's nirvana.

Amongst my tastings of various libations from all over the country, a friend and I mixed in a few games of hammerschlagen and had some good conversations with brewers and fellow craft beer enthusiasts. Through all of this, I noticed that my own approach to this type of fest has evolved from what it once was.

In years past, I would go to something like this and try to sample every beer I could within the given timeframe. That was hard to do, and had the potential to make sampling less fun. Now, I find my method no longer has that specific focus and hectic feel. I've learned to slow down and appreciate fewer brews while enjoying the atmosphere and camaraderie of the venue. For example, I only visited 3 breweries in my first hour and a half on Saturday. Yep, just 3. I'm sure that many people had visited at least one-third of the breweries in that same amount of time. More power to them, but I personally can't do things that way anymore. And that's OK. No, not just OK; it works out great!

As it usually happens, I targeted more local breweries and found my way into some enlightening discussions. I chatted with Jason from Harriet Brewing, Michael from The Four Firkins, Joe from Olvalde Farm and Brewing, Aran from Furthermore Beer, and a very friendly Abita rep whose name escapes me (sorry about that).

Of course, you may be wondering about the beer. Here are a few of my local highlights from the day. I had not tried any of them before that day.

• Every one of the 4 beers that Harriet Brewing sampled - West Side, Wodan Weizen, Pilsner, and Saison. All were excellent.
• The "secret" beer behind the Olvalde table. I was lucky enough to get a taste of this beer experiment that yielded a tasty imperial stout made with rye and spruce tips.
• Lift Bridge had a unique cask of strawberry rhubarb Farm Girl Saison. Crazy stuff, right?
• Flat Earth showed up with a beer I had been wanting to taste for a while: Extra Medium. It's a sour wild ale that was even better than I had expected.

Of course I sampled many more, but I've rambled on long enough. Let's get down to it. Would you like to know what my pick is for the best beer at the fest? Well, even if your answer is "no," I'm going to tell you anyway.

Ready? Here it is...

Harriet Brewing Company's Saison. After sampling, all I could think was "wow." The look, flavor, and aroma were awesome! If you like saisons and get an opportunity to try it, I highly recommend doing so. Really good stuff.

Coborn's Tasting - Friday June 24th

Tomorrow, June 24th, I will be happy to share some samples with you. Samples of what? You know the answer to that - tasty beer! Stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor between 4:30 and 7:30pm to try one of these 6 great brews:

• 21st Amendment Hop Crisis - brand-new Imperial IPA in a can
  
• 21st Amendment Monk's Blood - dark abbey ale with spices
  
• Boulevard Single Wide IPA - staple IPA of their lineup
  
• New Belgium Somersault - all new seasonal brewed with ginger
  
• Piraat - imported Belgian deliciousness
  
• Samuel Adams Summer Ale - refreshing brew made with grains of paradise

I look forward to seeing you there and answering any of your beer questions. As usual, I'll be happy to help you find the beer that best suits your plans.

Cheers!

Special Beer Sessions

As many of you may have noticed, I really try to focus on local Minnesota brews in my beer sessions. I have occasionally ventured outside of those boundaries, but I truly enjoy supporting my home state's breweries and will continue to do so.

That being said, I cannot pass up any excellent and/or unique opportunities to blog about brews that are not native to our area. A good example would be my past posts with the Blond,8, and 12 from Westvleteren.

I recently came across 2 possibilities that I think will make for some very special sessions. In fact, the products I want to sit down with both come from The Boston Beer Company:

• Latitude 48 IPA Deconstructed - This very special 12-pack gives anyone the opportunity to understand how 5 different hops affect the aroma and flavor of Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA. The box contains 2 bottles of the original IPA and 2 bottles each of 5 different single-hop IPAs. (A single-hop recipe is just that; a beer made with only 1 variety of hop.) The hops used individually in each of those brews are the same ones that combine to make the original Latitude 48: Ahtanum, East Kent Goldings, Hallertau Mittelfruh, Simcoe, and Zeus. I plan to sit down and taste all 6 IPAs in one sitting so I can break down the nuances and differences for all of you.

• Samuel Adams Utopias - Now this is a special beer. It is released every 2 years to eagerly awaiting beer geeks like me (even though it's extremely expensive). This brew is part art and part sledgehammer. The art lies in the craftful blending of many different beers conditioned in various varieties of barrels; some which have been aging 18 years. The sledgehammer? Oh, that would be the naturally fermented 27% ABV. That's right, this beer is 54 proof! I consider myself lucky to have been given the chance to purchase this one-of-a-kind libation, and I plan to share my experience with you.

Well, there you go. I've got 2 very special sessions to plan and I hope you're looking forward to them as much as I am. Up to that point and beyond, I will continue to visit our favorite local brews.

Cheers!

Coborn's Tasting - June 11th

Have you checked the weather forecast lately? It looks like we're going to have a wonderful combo of sunny skies and temperatures around 70° in the Twin Cities this weekend. In fact, these conditions may cause you to have the desire to enjoy a couple tasty brews outside. If you decide to go on a hunt for some beer on Saturday, stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor. From 2 - 6pm, I'll be pouring samples of 2 Alaskan and 4 Tallgrass varieties:

• Alaskan Amber
• Alaskan Summer
• Tallgrass Ale
• Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat
• Tallgrass IPA
• Tallgrass Oasis

I'll be ready to talk beer as usual, and will be more than happy to make any recommendations for your beautiful weather endeavors. Hope to see you there!

Brau Brothers Bancreagie Peated Scotch Ale

If you've been watching Brau Brothers over the last few months, you may have noticed some new things happening to their line-up. First, they recreated and replaced 2 of their year-round beers (which I believe worked out for the better on both counts). More recently, they introduced a whole new brew to their annual group; one that is a departure from any style they've produced before. I think this is great news and shows that things are going well for this growing Minnesota brewer.

In this session, I'll be sitting down with 1 of their 2 new year-round replacements: Bancreagie Peated Scotch Ale. This brew takes over for their old Scotch Ale, which was the first Brau Bros beer I had ever tasted. To create this new recipe, they used Scottish-grown Maris Otter barley malt, a controlled portion of peat-smoked malt, Golding and Willamette hops, and Edinburgh yeast. It weighs in with 7.6% ABV and 20 IBUs. Let's get to it!

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my tulip glass and get a rapidly building off-white head that peaks at 1.5 fingers. It then quickly shrinks and breaks up into a few tiny, thin patches of foam. The color of the body is similar to dark maple syrup and has some lovely hints of ruby.

The smell of toasted biscuits and dark dried fruits dominate the aroma. There is smoke present in the nose as expected, but it's surprisingly subtle. Just a touch of alcohol scent rounds it all out.

Flavors? They're there, and are quite nice. Rich caramel and English toffee combine with a flavor similar to grilled peaches (yes, I have eaten a grilled peach before - good stuff). Then, the wonderfully balanced peat smoke comes through nicely without becoming overpowering. There is minimal bitterness at the finish, but along with the smoke it's just enough to keep things from getting too sweet.

This beer's medium viscosity is stickier than I expected, but in a good way as it coats my mouth with deliciousness. It has a mild carbonation level and doesn't leave any lacing to speak of.

Brau Brothers has a really tasty scotch ale on their hands with this one. It's rich and sweet with a perfect amount of smoke and some pleasant fruit characteristics. I thought their old Scotch Ale was a good brew, but I thing they did the right thing by switching to this new recipe. I will definitely be revisiting Bancreagie in the future, especially on cool spring and fall evenings while sitting outside.

Olvalde The Auroch's Horn

I'm always happy to hear about a new brewery opening in Minnesota. Many questions immediately come to mind when I hear news like that: Where is the brewery? Who is the head brewer? What kind of beers do they produce? Are they hiring beer geeks like me? It also makes me very excited about the future of our craft beer culture in this state. I think someday we might even compare to great beer states like Oregon and Colorado. That would be pretty cool...

We recently had some brand new local breweries pop up including Harriet, Pour Decisions, Castle Danger, and Olvalde. Not to mention the already existing brewing companies that have been contract brewing and now started the setup of their own brewing space and equipment, like Lift Bridge and Fulton. Yep, things are looking bright for Minnesota craft brewing.

Today, I'm focusing on a beer from one of those brand-spankin' new breweries: Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company. They are a small operation located on a family farm in Rollingstone, MN. Their goal is to create ales "that honor ancient brewing traditions and culture." I like the sound of that.

The first (and only, for right now) beer that Olvalde has bottled is The Auroch's Horn. This brew is based on a very old style made with barley, wheat, and honey. It is unfiltered, refermented in the bottle, and weighs in with big 10% ABV.

Why did they name the beer The Auroch's Horn? That's a fun bit of trivia. The aurochs were a species of huge wild cattle that lived in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa until they officially became extinct in 1627. Their horns were often hollowed out and used as drinkware for the ales of that time. Pretty cool, huh?

I pour from the 750 ml bottle into my oversized wine glass. Yep, I said wine glass. Don't fret, my friends, I haven't gone crazy. It's actually appropriate for this style. The fast building off-white coarse head peaks at 3 fingers high, then slowly fades to a sticky, soapy-looking film. The body is a nice orange-ish gold color.

Some pleasant aromas make their presence known. The sweet smells of honey and ripe apricot combine beautifully with herbal spice and a slight musty quality. There is also the definite scent of alcohol.

This is tasty stuff. The flavor matches the aroma almost identically. The honey starts it off and and mixes with stone fruit, black pepper, bittering herbs, booziness, and a little metallic twang as it carries all the way through to the finish.

The brew's moderate thickness and some prickly carbonation make for a wonderful mouthfeel. A nice dry, crisp finish is accompanied by a building warmth after each sip. Some pretty lacing is left on my glass as the liquid disappears.

I'm a big fan of Belgian beer styles and now I'm a big fan of Olvalde. I'm proud that this lovely creation was crafted in Minnesota. It has a wonderful combination of sweet fruit, spice, and some constructive bitterness that makes me want to drink a lot more of this brew. I can't wait to see what Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company will create next. Definitely go out to buy yourself this beer and help me support this new brewery.

Vanberg & DeWulf update

I just recently received an email from Wendy Littlefield of Vanberg & DeWulf. They have updated their website and recently returned from a successful trip to Belgium, which means they will be bringing 10 new beers into this country very soon!

For those of you who may not know, Vanberg & DeWulf is a wonderful beer importer based out of Cooperstown, New York. One of the best-known beers they bring to us is the legendary Saison Dupont.

Wendy asked me to share this information with all of you:

"Here’s our brand new website: http://www.belgianexperts.com. Please take a moment to pour yourself a “pintje” before perusing our 30th Anniversary Expanded Collector's Edition Portfolio. Stave the sorrows of an empty glass by arming yourself with our bevy of beer locating tools. Explore our cooking with beer recipes and visit our blog for breaking beer news, upcoming events and contests, featured “heroes of the good beer movement”, and Belgian travel tips.

Thirsty for more?
Subscribe to our blog
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We'll be happy to share content on things sour, spiced, blended, organic, monastic, hand-selected, sessionista, still or sparkling, new & noble. Please help us pass the word and let us know if you have questions about anything in the collection.

There are ten new beers coming in in the coming three months! We are just back from a three month trip to Belgium and it was very productive.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave an ale!

Best wishes, Don & Wendy"

Summit Unchained Series Batch 06 - Gold Sovereign Ale

I recently realized that I need to try very hard to keep from falling behind on my beer sessions with our local limited batch brews. I did manage to fully catch up on the Schell's Stag Series first, and then picked up the slack on the Summit Unchained Series. Now that those sessions are complete, it's time to get to the present beer in the Unchained Series: Batch 06 - Gold Sovereign Ale.

If you've been watching the Unchained Series closely, you'll have seen that each batch has been created by a different Summit brewer. Batch 06 is no different and the mastermind behind this beer is Damian McConn.

Damian is the guy in charge of Summit's casks, so you may be familiar with his work. (I personally was blown away when I first tried the dry hopped cask Horizon Red Ale.) When I participated in Great Waters' Ultimate Beer Tour, I was lucky enough to have him as a tour guide when we hit Summit. I can definitely say that was the best Summit tour I've ever had. Damian is a fun guy with a lot of beer knowledge (obviously), so I was excited when I initially heard he created this batch.

Damian based this batch on an old English ale recipe from 1857. The twist is this: he used very modern ingredients that have only been used by British brewers within the last few years. I've heard it called an East India Pale Ale; I've heard it called a Victorian Pale Ale. Whatever you want to call it, all that really matters is how it tastes. I'm ready to get this session rolling, but first...

If you compare my past photos of Summit beers to this photo for Unchained 6, do you notice anything different? Look closely at the top of the bottle. See it yet? That's right, they switched from twist-offs to the traditional pry-off caps. Summit had been hearing customers tell them how hard it was to open the twist-off caps. (I myself had shredded a little skin up from time to time so I could enjoy their beer.) This was due to the fact they put the caps on as tightly as possible to protect the precious liquid inside, which is a noble deed appreciated by craft beer lovers. The only problem was that most people had to resort to using a bottle opener to get the cap off. So, the minds at Summit figured they might as well switch to pry-off caps if an opener was already required for the twist-offs. Now, you still have to use an opener, but the beer is protected better than ever!

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my imperial pint glass and create a 2 finger off-white head in the process. The foam gradually sinks into a coarse, uneven coating with a sticky ring around the sides of the glass. The body is slightly cloudy and golden in color.

Pleasant, light aromas fill my nostrils. Honey, bread, and what smells like fresh-cut grass blend wonderfully with the scents of peaches and apricots. There is also a definite herbal quality present in the nose. I'm starting to crave a taste...

The flavor of biscuits along with a light fruit sweetness is followed by just a bit of citrus zing. Then a slightly earthy hop spice chips away at a bit of the malt while a bitter tang starts building from midway through and lingers strongly at the finish.

The weight of this brew is surprisingly light in the mouth with some mild carbonation. It's very smooth and easy to swallow, yet keeps a nice crispness. My glass has some pretty lacing sticking as the beer level drops.

Gold Sovereign Ale is very different from most IPAs I've tried (if we've decided it's an IPA), but it a good way. It's light, fruity, easy to drink, and very refreshing with a good amount of bitterness to balance it out. This tasty brew drinks like a session beer, but I bet it's high enough in alcohol that it's probably not. The ABV is not listed anywhere that I can find. However, using my homebrew knowledge and the listed original gravity of 1.060 from Summit's website, I'd guess it's somewhere in the range of 6 - 6.5%. Go get some and enjoy it on a lovely spring evening!