Beer Brief #58 - John Henry Colonial Cream & Brown Ale

Brewery - Cold Spring Brewing Company, Cold Spring, Minnesota

Beer - John Henry Colonial Cream & Brown Ale

Style - Imperial cream and brown ales blended and aged on brandy oak spirals

ABV - 9.3%

Color - Reddish copper with a light tan head

Aroma - Brown sugar, waft of tart cherry, little bit of spice, toasted bread, hint of alcohol

Flavor - Caramel, toasted rye bread, light roast coffee, raisin, slight tart cherry again, balancing bitterness, bit of alcohol

Verdict - A very enjoyable sipping brew with an aroma that pleasantly matches the flavor, but with less roast. While alcohol is definitely noticeable in the aroma and flavor, it is towards the subtle end of the spectrum and doesn't detract at all from the rich character. I wasn't sure what to expect from this beer, but after trying it I would definitely recommend that others do as well.

P.S. - This brew is advertised as being aged on brandy oak spirals. Rather than using oak barrels, it can be more cost effective for a brewery to use spirals like this. Due to their large surface area, they can increase the amount of oak characteristics extracted. Typically, if there is a spirit associated with the oak spirals (like the brandy for this beer), it means that the brewery has actually soaked them in the spirit before aging the beer on them. I haven't officially confirmed that this is what Cold Spring did with this brew, but it is a good possibility.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company Visit

Recently, I visited the most recently opened brewery in Saint Paul, Tin Whiskers Brewing Company. I had been following their progress for a couple months, and joined their email list so I would know when they planned to officially open the doors to the taproom. Last week, I received that notification. They opened on Friday, May 16th, and it was reported that they had a full house that night and on Saturday. I wasn't able to make it this past weekend, so I decided to stop into the brewery yesterday.

Walking into the brewery, the first thing I noticed was the very large and open taproom. The outside "wall" facing 9th street is all windows, allowing the space to be illuminated by daylight. A useful arrangement (and a good number) of tables and chairs are spread throughout, including a couple of well placed sofas. There is also a nice long bar for anyone who wants to be right next to the taps and get a good view of the brewery. Nothing separates the open space of the taproom from the brewery area, which makes the whole place feel that much larger.

I sat down at the bar and took a look at the TV displaying the available beers and prices. They have 4 beers at the moment, along with a bonus nitro version of their stout. I ordered a flight so I could sample Batch Alpha (American Wheat), Batch Beta (Stout), Wheatstone Bridge (American wheat with honey and chamomile tea), and Flip Switch IPA. Check out my twitter feed if you want to see details from the experience. I will say that I was mostly happy with their solid selection of beers for having just recently opened. While at the bar, I was also fortunate enough to get into a fun bit of conversation with one of the 3 founders of the brewery, George Kellerman. Thanks for the beer chat, George!

On the bar, their were little flip-book style signs that had various relevant information. One of the pages encouraged taproom patrons to bring their own food and/or order from any of the nearby restaurants, including Key's Cafe, Sawatdee, and Black Sheep Pizza. I was very tempted to order some delicious food, but I resisted this time. I'm sure I'll end up ordering something next time.

Another of the pages in their book describes how they have a "stage" for each of the beers that they have on tap. The "stages" are listed on the TV alongside the beer names, and this page from the bar-top sign is the key to understanding them. Here is a pic:

I personally think it's a pretty cool idea. They're keeping their customers well-informed this way and also giving them an opportunity to share opinions on the Alpha and Beta beers, which might even be reflected in the next batches.

When I was done with my pint of nitro Batch Beta, I got up from the bar and took a couple pictures as I made my way to the exit. I had a good experience in this new taproom and I felt that a return trip was inevitable. Then I looked at this wall and I saw that the Tin Whiskers mascot already knew I would be coming back. Just look at what I'm talking about:

Yep, I'll probably be visiting again soon to have a beer with the robot...

Back From Unofficial Hiatus

Wow.

Has it really been 3 months since I made a post? It seems that it is so...

I dropped the ball on that one. Although, I did have a few other things contributing to my delay. Let's see. Loss of 2 loved ones in a short time (sad), birth of a new child (happy, but hectic), and changing of employment (first scary, then exciting). Yep, a lot has happened to my family in a brief period...

As I sit here sipping on a Schell Shocked Grapefruit Radler (which I do enjoy), it's occurring to me how much my life has flown apart in such a short time. Getting spread in so many different directions due to major events tends to do that, I guess. Along with neglecting the blog, I haven't brewed a batch of beer in months, and I haven't been keeping up with my Coborn's beer tasting responsibilities.

Well, it's time to start pulling things back together. And returning to the Lupulin Libations blog is one of the steps that will help me to accomplish that goal. I miss writing about beer. I've continued to stock up on local brews in my absence, and tried my best to keep up on my knowledge of our local brewing culture. So, let's get this thing going again, shall we?

Many of you realize we're in the middle of a major craft beer renaissance. Breweries are popping up like weeds in a garden (which are a little delayed for us this year, thanks to the Minnesota chill hanging on). Our local beer scene is no exception to that rule. Whether it's HammerHeart Brewing with its Norway-trained head brewer or the soon to open Tin Whiskers Brewing with its 3 electrical engineer founders, we have quite a variety of fresh and interesting local beer options.

This is a great time to be a fan of quality beer, and I intend to continue my quest to learn more about our Minnesota brewers and the tasty brews they offer. With each passing week, more local zymurgic companies, products, events, and culture emerge here in Minnesota. I will do my darndest to resume my duties as a local beer advocate and blogger to make at least one blog post per week pertaining to my chosen brew-topic.

I hope you'll all welcome me back. Let's have a beer to celebrate!

Cheers!

Beer Brief #57 - Black Ops

Brewery - Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, New York

Beer - Black Ops

Style - Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and re-fermented in the bottle with Champagne yeast

ABV - 11.5%

Color - Opaque black with a tan to light brown head

Aroma - Milk chocolate, toffee, anise, blackberry, vanilla, hint of coffee, bourbon, sweet alcohol aroma similar to sake

Flavor - Semi-sweet chocolate chips, vanilla, medium roast coffee, bourbony goodness, definite alcohol flavor, blueberry in the finish?

Verdict - This is a very enjoyable rich imperial stout that has the noticeable aroma and flavor of alcohol, but drinks lighter than one would expect. There is not a discernible "hotness" from the ABV, even though it makes its presence known through the other senses. Still, if you're lucky enough to find a bottle, I would recommend aging it for at least 6 months. That should mellow out the strong alcohol character. As is though, this is a solid and enjoyable brew. If I can find some more (which I doubt), I will have to buy a bottle or two and put it in my Brewbicle for future sampling...

P.S. - The mystique revolving around this beer is awesome. I went to the Brooklyn brewing website to get more info for this Beer Brief, but didn't see Black Ops listed with their other brews. I had to do a Google search to get the "secret" Black Ops page on Brooklyn's website to show up. Here's the link to the page so you can read the very cool description on their site.

Beer Brief #56 - La Lune Special Ale

Brewery - Borealis Fermentery, Knife River, Minnesota

Beer - La Lune Special Ale

Style - Belgian style special ale brewed with spices

ABV - 7%

Color - Reddish copper with a thick, rocky, off-white head

Aroma - Honey, cotton candy, biscuity malt, bit of stone fruit, herbal spice

Flavor - Honey, caramel, toast, bubble gum, light fruit, strong earthy bitterness

Verdict - A nice Belgian-style that starts off great but finishes much more bitter than I like for this type of beer, so much so that I'm finding it challenging to consider buying another bottle. Of course, that's just my thoughts on the old balance of malt sweetness to bitterness. La Lune does seem well crafted and I am definitely intrigued enough by this brew that I will want to check out the other beers in the Borealis line-up.

P.S. - The name of the brewery, Borealis Fermentery, instantly caught my attention. Being a native Minnesotan who visited the BWCA twice a year during my teenage years, I developed a great fondness for the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) after watching them in the night sky numerous times.

Beer Brief #55 - 120 Minute IPA

Brewery - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware

Beer - 120 Minute IPA

Style - (super huge) Imperial IPA

ABV - Anywhere from 15-20% according to the website

Color - Hazy reddish copper with an off-white head

Aroma - Biscuit and caramel malt, brown sugar, green resiny herbal and spicy hops, surprisingly slight alcohol

Flavor - Big rich malt profile, caramel, toffee, a bit of toasted bread, chewy resiny hops, a bit of grapefruit, maybe a hint of mint leaves, semi-sweet wine, alcohol (although not in the levels you might expect for a beer this big), bitterness that struggles to balance the sweetness of the brew

Verdict - This beer does not drink at all like it's ABV would imply. This is a big, rich, sweet brew that obviously used a lot of hops, but not enough to overpower the malt bill and the alcohol. It drinks somewhere between the qualities of a English barleywine and an American barleywine, but with much higher alcohol. Although, you'd be hard pressed to guess that it's ABV is any higher than 10-12 percent. I am really enjoying this, and I think it would make a great after-dinner brew to share with a good friend.

P.S. - I've always wanted to try this beer, but have never been able to get my hands on a bottle of it. (It doesn't help that Dogfish Head doesn't distribute to Minnesota.) I was finally fortunate enough to try this big brew thanks to some friends of mine. I recently saw them when they were up for a visit from Texas and they gave me this very special brew as a birthday gift. Thanks for the tasty experience, Reid and Brenda!

Beer Brief #54 - St. Whatshername

Brewery - Pour Decisions Brewing Company, Roseville, Minnesota

Beer - St. Whatshername

Style - Belgian tripel, fermented with brettanomyces and aged in wine barrels

ABV - 9%

Color - Between straw yellow and gold with a white head

Aroma - Honey, hay, barnyard, cotton candy, white pepper, tart cherries

Flavor - Mellow sweetness, grassy, touch of lemony tartness, leather, dry white wine, herbal bitterness

Verdict - As a fan of brett beers, I have to say this brew is really enjoyable! The fact that the entire fermentation was done with brettanomyces is amazing to me as a homebrewer. It has just the right amount of funk and acidity to go with the tripel malt base, while the wine barrel aging has definitely added a noticeably crisp character to the flavor. I might have to buy another soon...

P.S. - Pour Decisions is no more! I had been a fan of this brewery since the beginning when I attended their grand opening celebration. At first glance, it would seem that this was the end for the Roseville brewery. Luckily, that's not the case. Pour Decisions recently merged with Bent Brewstillery (who had been brewing their beer in the same brewhouse) under the Bent Brewstillery name. According to the website, Pour Decisions head brewer Kristen England will continue to be the head brewer and keep pumping out the beers from the Pour Decisions lineup along with the Bent beers. So, that means we will hopefully continue to see St. Whatshername for years to come!

Coborn's Tasting Today!

I fell behind schedule and didn't get this post up as early as I would have liked...  Oh well, better late than never, right? This is very short notice for any of you who read the blog, but here goes:

Today, from 2 - 6pm, I'll be pouring some delicious samples at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor. What's more, this will be my first time sharing delicious brews with you since I officially became a Certified Cicerone®! Stop by the store and have a taste from these options:

• Bell's Christmas Ale
• Green Flash Le Freak Belgian IPA
• Samuel Adams Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout
• Summit Unchained Batch 14 Biere de Garde

Also be sure to enjoy a little beer talk with me while you're there. I can help you find the perfect brews for gifts and/or pairing with your holiday meals!

I hope to see you there!

Beer Brief #53 - Old Friend Holiday Ale

Brewery - Indeed Brewing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Beer - Old Friend Holiday Ale

Style - Winter warmer brewed with honey and fresh ginger

ABV - 7%

Color - Red with some copper and a light tan frothy head

Aroma - Toffee, ginger, biscuity malt, hint of nuttiness

Flavor - Very similar to the aroma, biscuity nutty malt, caramel, very faintest hint of chocolate, ginger, touch of berry fruitiness, herbal hops, nice balancing bitterness

Verdict - Quite the enjoyable winter warmer. The malt and hop profile reminds me a bit of an ESB, while the ginger adds a nice complementary spice. Moderate carbonation does a great job of amplifying the ginger, and the pleasant medium-body mouthfeel is capped off nicely by some alcohol warmth after swallowing. I'd definitely be happy to call this brew an "Old Friend".

P.S. - So far, this is the seventh beer I've had from Indeed. I must say, I haven't been disappointed by a single one. If you have an opportunity to try any of the brews from their line-up, I highly recommend you do so! I know they are ranking pretty high on my "favorite Minnesota breweries list" these days...

Bomber Tasting on Thanksgiving Eve!

Just wanted to make a quick post to invite all of you to the Hastings Coborn's Liquor tomorrow for our first ever Thanksgiving Eve Bomber Tasting. From 4:30 - 8:30pm, I'll be pouring some tasty samples from multiple 22 ounce bottles from our shelves. Beers present will be:

• Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
• Lagunitas Imperial Stout
• New Belgium Lips of Faith Coconut Curry Hefeweizen
• New Belgium Lips of Faith Yuzu

So stop on by the store and try some samples with me. I'll also be happy to help you find the perfectly delicious brews to pair with all your favorite Thanksgiving dishes. I look forward to seeing you there!

Beer Brief #52 - Lunker

Brewery - Steel Toe Brewing Company, Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

Beer - Lunker

Style - English barleywine aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels

ABV - 10.5 - 14.4%? I'm seeing conflicting reports regarding batch, and the bottle doesn't specify

Color - Very dark crimson brown with a minimal light tan foam skimming the surface

Aroma - English toffee, vanilla, dark dried fruit, toasted nuts, molasses, alcohol

Flavor - Rich toffee, chocolate, prunes, hint of nuttiness, vanilla, roasty bitterness, little spice

Verdict - A very delicious brew that fits the season well. Each sip warms me up after I fully enjoy all the rich and decadent flavors and aromas within the beer. I had tried this at the brewery on a terribly snowy blizzard of a day late last winter and it suited me so well that I had to take home a bottle. I'm enjoying it so much again that I know I will have to get another bottle as soon as it is available...

P.S. - So, for those of you who might not be sure - lunker is a word reserved for describing something big, usually a fish. Steel Toe did a great job of incorporating that into the label. This brew is aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels, which was Al Capone's favorite booze, according to legend. So, very appropriately, the label features Al Capone sitting on a Templeton Rye barrel out on a dock with a fishing pole and his line in the water, presumably trying to catch a lunker. (And of course, this is a "big" beer, so Lunker is a great name for it.)

Beer Brief #51 - Storm Cellar Series #1 Schoko-Weizen

Brewery - Bad Weather Brewing Company, Minnetonka, Minnesota

Beer - Storm Cellar Series #1 Schoko-Weizen

Style - Dunkelweizen with cacao nibs

ABV - 7%

Color - Dark brown, nearly black, with hints of red and a light tan head

Aroma - Chocolate, bit of clove, slight banana bubble gum, and some roasted coffee bean

Flavor - Very similar to the aroma, weizen characteristics are there but subdued, chocolate and coffee dominate with a bit of nuttiness

Verdict - This beer was very surprising, but also very good. I expected the typical weizen flavors and aromas to be the dominating characters. However, chocolate and roastiness are the rulers of this brew. If I didn't know it was a wheat beer, I'd say it drinks like a light-bodied, nutty porter. Unexpected, but delicious and definitely worth a try. I'm probably going to look for another bottle before it disappears from liquor stores...

P.S. - (This is a new section I want to incorporate into some of my beer briefs, depending upon if I feel the need to state anything above and beyond the basics. Let's see how it goes...) This is the fourth brew I've tried from Bad Weather, and I've enjoyed all of them. I wasn't able to taste them until recently, so the experiences are very new (as are the beers) and fresh in my head. For those of you that don't know, they share brewing equipment and space with both Lucid and Badger Hill in Minnetonka. It's cool that these 3 breweries can share and grow together.

On a side note, I learned something fun by reading the label for this beer, which I always enjoy: Schokolade is the German word for chocolate. Hence, the "Schoko" portion of the name.

And finally, for the last bit of the new "P.S. section" there's this little unimportant nugget: I'm pretty sure there's a spelling error on the bottle. Cellar is spelled "Celler" on the front. Now, normally I would think this was by design (because brewers do all kinds of crazy stuff with their beer names and labels), but the website and the description on the back of the bottle spell it "cellar". It's no big deal, but I did notice and thought it would be fun to point out. I guess that's what happens when you work in the print industry as long as I have. Maybe that error will make the bottles more collectible one day...

Beer Brief #50 - Foundation Stout

Brewery - Badger Hill Brewing Company, Minnetonka, Minnesota

Beer - Foundation Stout

Style - American Stout

ABV - 6.3%

IBU - 45

Color - Black with a dark brown edge showing when held up to light, light tan head

Aroma - Light roast coffee, chocolate muffin, slight black licorice, bit of berry fruit

Flavor - Molasses, coffee, dark chocolate, very subtle blackberry, big bitterness

Verdict - This is a highly enjoyable brew that surprises with it's drinkability. Not as rich or full bodied as one might expect from a 6.3% stout, the slight dryness and lighter mouthfeel make this beer one you could revisit a few times in a single evening. I know on one particular occasion, I did just that while enjoying a burger at Red Robin...

Hastings Coborn's Beer Tasting

If you feel like sampling some delicious brews tomorrow, be sure to stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor.

From 4:30 - 8:30pm on Friday, October 11th, I'll be pouring beers for your tasting pleasure, including: The Libertine from Fulton, Schell's Star of the North, New Belgium Pumpkick, and Omission IPA. Stop by the store to enjoy some tasty beverages and chat beer with me.

Hope to see you there!

My Experience at New Bohemia's Oktoberfest

Mike from the New Bohemia Wurst+BierHaus invited me to partake in the first annual rendition of their Oktoberfest this past Saturday evening. I was pouring samples at a beer tasting at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor earlier in the day, so I wasn't able to make it to Minneapolis location of the celebration until 8pm. When I did arrive, I met up with Mike briefly and he was kind enough to let me into the 'fest for free with a tasting glass. Thanks for that, Mike!

First off, the tasting glass handed to me at the entrance was a Ball-branded pint jar, which was kind of ingenious on their part. It had to be a lot cheaper and required a lot less work for them to use cases of canning jars, which benefits them greatly. Plus, everyone at the 'fest seemed to enjoy drinking their brews out of those pint jars!

The event was held in the public parking ramp behind Kramarczuk's, on the ground level. After entering the main gate, I took a look around to see where everything was. Three beer trailers were present, serving all sorts of varieties appropriate for this fall celebration. There were spots for numerous activities, including: Bean Bag Toss, Keg Bowling, Sausage Eating Contest, Hammerschlagen, and even a mustache seesaw from The Traveler Beer Company (which really cracked me up - any of you who have seen Super Troopers will understand why). Of course, they had a three man polka band playing all the tunes you'd like to hear, which was located very near where you could pick up some delicious food.

The food required the use of tickets, which you could purchase near the entrance for $3 each. Snacks like Belgian fries and your basic large pretzel (along with desserts) were 1 ticket, wursts were 2 tickets, and a giant pretzel was 3 tickets. I had Belgian fries and the "Exotic Wurst of the Day", which was made from duck. Both selections were awesome!

Since I had to drive home, I didn't hit the beer very hard. However, the brews I did choose were quite good. I really enjoyed Indeed Brewing's Sweet Yamma Jamma; a creation that involves sweet potatoes, candied yams, and a special blend of spices. The big winner for me that night, though, was Bad Weather's Windvane that was cask conditioned with Mosaic hops. Mmmm, good stuff!

New Bohemia's Oktoberfest definitely felt like a great success to me, especially since there was a lot of fun to be had without an overcrowded space where people are jammed in shoulder to shoulder (they limit their general admission entries). I've been to other Oktoberfest celebrations where it was nearly impossible to move, let alone hold a bratwurst and a mug of beer while chatting with friends. Plus, there were some very good quality brews, tasty food, good polka tunes, and plenty of fun activities. If you didn't go this year, I recommend checking it out next year.

Thanks, Mike! I'm glad you invited me to check it out!

Hastings Coborn's Beer Tasting

I just wanted to make a quick post to let you all know that I'll be pouring some delicious beer samples at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor tomorrow - Saturday, September 21st.

I've chosen some fall brews for you all to enjoy, including pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest Marzens. This should be a fun day (especially weather-wise) to enjoy these fall seasonals. Stop by the store anytime from 2 - 6pm if you want to taste some beer, or even if you just want to geek out about beer with me.

I hope to see you there!

Oktoberfest at New Bohemia

Ah, fall. My favorite season. I definitely got a nice taste of that crisp cool autumn weather this weekend and I really enjoyed it. Fall is also great for beer, with all the breweries releasing their Harvest Ales, Pumpkin Beers, and Oktoberfest Marzens. Then, there's all the great Oktoberfest celebrations, usually involving big tents in parking lots, polka bands, and lots of tasty brews. Recently, I met Mike from New Bohemia in Northeast Minneapolis, who invited me to attend their first annual Oktoberfest celebration.

I've never been to New Bohemia before, but after checking their website I see that they brand themselves as a "Modern European Bier Hall" and they serve up a large selection of beer and wursts to satisfy your thirst and hunger, respectively.

Their Oktoberfest is this coming weekend and sounds like it should be a great time. They will have a ceremonial keg tapping with the Lord Mayor of New Bohemia and will have the music and beer ready for all your Oktoberfesting needs. There will be a number of breweries represented, including: Ayinger, Bad Weather, Brooklyn, Goose Island, Leinenkugel's, Paulaner, Samuel Adams, Schell's, Third Street, The Traveler, and Widmer. Sounds like a good time, right?

So, I'm going to head to New Bohemia this weekend and check it out. Maybe you should, too!

Beer Brief #49 - High Road Everyday Ale

Brewery - Badger Hill Brewing Company, Minnetonka, Minnesota

Beer - High Road Everyday Ale

Style - Badger Hill claims this one doesn't fall into any standard style category (we'll find out)

ABV - 5%

IBU - 24

Color - Light golden copper with an eggshell white head

Aroma - Honey, biscuity malt, herbal spice, hay, tropical fruit, hint of sourness when agitated

Flavor - Biscuit/cracker malt, light toast, hops take over quickly and are floral, then herbal, then spicy, with a perfect bitterness to the finish

Verdict - When I poured this into the glass, it foamed like mad even though I poured carefully. That's the one and only thing that challenged me on this brew. The aroma is very complex and pleasant, while the flavors blend together beautifully and are punctuated by the light, drinkable body and awesomely crisp finish that goads you into taking your next sip. I definitely agree that this doesn't seem to fall neatly into a specific style category. In my mind, it's almost like Badger Hill crossed an English bitter with a Bohemian pilsner. I really enjoyed this brew and look forward to drinking it again in the future!

Beer Brief #48 - Star of the North

Brewery - August Schell Brewing Company, New Ulm, Minnesota

Beer - Star of the North

Style - Berliner Weisse

ABV - 3.5%

Color - Cloudy pale yellow with a white head

Aroma - Graham crackers, lemony citrus, earthy, sweet spice

Flavor - Brief yeasty dough, big bright tartness that's a cross of lemon and cranberry takes over, a bit of sourdough bread and minimal bitterness in the finish

Verdict - This is a wonderful, light, refreshing Berliner Weisse that is everything I expect from this type of brew. The low (and true to style) ABV allows you to enjoy the whole bottle of this sessionable beer by yourself if you want, but it might be nice to share this experience with somebody else...

Beer Brief #47 - L.S.D. Honey Ale

Brewery - Indeed Brewing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Beer - L.S.D. Honey Ale

Style - Fruit beer made with lavender, sunflower honey, and dates

ABV - 7.2%

IBU - 20

Color - Hazy copper with an off white head

Aroma - Honey, lavender is powerful and dominates, touch of molasses?

Flavor - Sweet malt, flowers (lavender), light but fitting date flavor, spicy hops, mild bitterness

Verdict - This is my second time drinking this brew, and I love it just as much as I remember. The lavender is powerful, yet meshes so well with the other flavors that the level of floral character seems perfect. I've never had another beer like it.