I picked up a 6 pack of Indeed Bside pils. Not a huge Pilsner fan but it is pretty good. Indeed always does a good job. I also got a four pack from Insight called east vs west. Two are west coast IPA's and 2 are New England style IPA's (didn't know that was even a style). The west coast is really good! Also grabbed a 6 pack of Stone Ripper. Pretty standard hop forward IPA. How about you?

Working through three 6ers from Castle Danger: Ode IPA, Danger Ale, and George Hunter Stout. Picked them up for an exchange party that fell through. Their loss.

I've been drinking a 6 of Lake Monster Calhoun Claw Pilsner. Grabbed it off the shelf on a whim and found it to be pretty decent.

quote schweady: "Working through three 6ers from Castle Danger: Ode IPA, Danger Ale, and George Hunter Stout. Picked them up for an exchange party that fell through. Their loss.
"

I like their stuff

quote mr.barley: "

quote schweady: "Working through three 6ers from Castle Danger: Ode IPA, Danger Ale, and George Hunter Stout. Picked them up for an exchange party that fell through. Their loss.
"

I like their stuff"

+1

For a couple years we had a "Beer Club" with 6 members that met once a month at one of our houses to sample too many beers, often on a theme of some sort. Sadly, it has slowly faded away but two years was a good run.
Today however is a revival meeting, one of the guys just can't give it up!!:)

There is always food and games too and we often end up sampling 15-18 beers over 4-5 hours (small samples of course).

Here is today's list:

BREW ABV BA rate beer IBU NOTES STYLE
Bent Paddle Valve Jockey #1 7.10% 89 60 A smooth to drink, fun to smell, new school IPA. Huge hop aromatics, nice bitterness, combined with a silky, smooth mouth feel make this hop bomb approachable yet intriguing to the hoppiest of hopheads out there. Oatmeal Ipa

Ballast Point Mocha Marlin 6.00% 91 99 42 "
Our Black Marlin Porter is the perfect beer for a mocha mashup. The addition of coffee and cocoa plays perfectly off the roasty, chocolaty flavors of this English porter, while a hint of vanilla smooths it all out. It’s full-bodied, but not too sweet; try it for breakfast…or dessert.
" Porter

Founders Frootwood 8.00% 89 96 We took a crisp, light-bodied cherry ale and hid it away in oak barrels that have held both bourbon and maple syrup. After a lengthy stint, it emerged a changed beer, blanketed in notes of warm vanilla and earthy sweetness. The wood proves itself the star of this beer, adding depth and taming the tart cherry while the maple imposes a velvety texture that lingers for not a moment too long. Fruit beer

Stone Megawheat IPA 8.40% 90 96 70 Kick back and crank it up as we’ve done all the brewing…the we being us and the special guest appearances of two heavy hitters in the indie craft beer industry: New Mexico’s Marble and Colorado’s Odell. Credited with 58 years of brewing chops, our trio built their wheat ale foundation on the classic “C” hops. Then, we rocked a pure hop triad of “M” hops to achieve a supercharged succession of orange, tangerine, lemon, lime, spice and dankness. The undulating riffs of Motueka, Mosaic and Mandarina Bavaria hops slash through the wheat haze with equal footing, never playing over one another. The cacophony of flavor is what fans would expect with a name like Megawheat. Imperial IPA

Surly Unbridled 6.20% This unpredictable beer takes a traditional IPA, spikes it with a variety of New Zealand aroma hops, then ferments the whole thing with Brett. The result is light-bodied and dry, and the brett/hop combo offers earthy notes accented with lemon, floral, berry, and black pepper notes Brett IPA

Hammerheart Neandertaler 7.70% smoky, Bacony, malty sweetness smoked doppelbach

Alaska Brewing Perserverence 9.00% 89 50 Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Birch Syrup and Wildflower Honey. RIS

Stone Bigger, Longer, Uncut 13.00% 82 89 5 A Peaty as Hell Double Bastard Aged in Islay Scotch Whisky Barrels American Strong Ale

Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose 4.20% 88 91 Born from our passion for experimentation, our Briney Melon Gose boasts a thirst-quenching tartness that is perfectly balanced by subtle watermelon flavors and aromas. Gentle additions of sea salt create a refreshing harmony between the acidity and fruity sweetness leading to clean, dry finish. Gose

Stone Pataskala 7.30% 91 96 70 The deep crimson hue is courtesy of a fairly new special German malt variety by BESTMALZ called Red X. Dry-hopped with Mosaic, Cascade and Amarillo hops, this beer is incredibly citrus-forward, rounded out with biscuit and toffee notes. We think you’ll find this red IPA to be quite deliciously satisfying, no matter how you choose to pronounce it. Red IPA

New Glarus Road Slush 6.20% 87 94 Uncut oatmeal fresh from Chilton, Wisconsin gives this Stout a "sink into it" smoothness that slides you into its depth. Handcrafted English Chocolate malt and Wisconsin Victory malt combine to balance this robust ale. Expect this ale to pour a luxurious rich head over a rich black ruby body. The powerful malt bouquet will greet you as you tip this silky smoothness from your glass oatmeal stout

New Holland Mischievous II 6.50% 10 A kettle-soured brown ale finished with local peaches which contribute a fruity nose and hint of sweetness. American Wild Ale

Orkney Brewery Skullsplitter 8.50% 91 91 Named after Thorfin Hausakliuuf, the seventh earl of Orkney, this reddish coloured ale has an intense vinous nose, is rich and satiny in the mouth with a long dry finish and deep rich fruity notes. Described as ’Satiny smooth in the mouth, deceptively light and dangerously drinkable’ Scotch Ale

Empyrean Brewing Long Route 6.00% 91 20 With the delightful aroma of a peanut butter cup, this porter maintains a porter backbone with notes of chocolate, peanut butter and toast. A perfect balance of beer and candy flavors. Peanut Butter porter

Bear Republic café racer 15 9.75% 93 99 100 Café Racer 15™ features aromas of bright citrus and resinous pine from the generous use of Citra, Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook hops which are complimented by a dry malt finish. The result is a high revving Double IPA that is loud and assertive, much like the rebellious street racers who inspired it. Never ride alone... double IPA

Lagunitas Dave Murray's 9.50% 52 This Scotch Ale is sweet, but not cloying. It's strong, but not brash. It's smooth and smokey, like a good dram among friends. Cheers! Scotch Ale

Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death 8.00% 89 93 75 Consider this aggressively hopped imperial IPA, jam-packed with Virginia raspberries and blackberries, a testament to our passion and unwillingness to settle or sell out! We think Patrick Henry would be proud, and hope you will be too. double IPA

Hiccup!

quote lindylair: "For a couple years we had a "Beer Club" with 6 members that met once a month at one of our houses to sample too many beers, often on a theme of some sort. Sadly, it has slowly faded away but two years was a good run.
Today however is a revival meeting, one of the guys just can't give it up!!:)


There is always food and games too and we often end up sampling 15-18 beers over 4-5 hours (small samples of course).


Here is today's list:


BREW ABV BA rate beer IBU NOTES STYLE
Bent Paddle Valve Jockey #1 7.10% 89 60 A smooth to drink, fun to smell, new school IPA. Huge hop aromatics, nice bitterness, combined with a silky, smooth mouth feel make this hop bomb approachable yet intriguing to the hoppiest of hopheads out there. Oatmeal Ipa


Ballast Point Mocha Marlin 6.00% 91 99 42 "
Our Black Marlin Porter is the perfect beer for a mocha mashup. The addition of coffee and cocoa plays perfectly off the roasty, chocolaty flavors of this English porter, while a hint of vanilla smooths it all out. It’s full-bodied, but not too sweet; try it for breakfast…or dessert.
" Porter


Founders Frootwood 8.00% 89 96 We took a crisp, light-bodied cherry ale and hid it away in oak barrels that have held both bourbon and maple syrup. After a lengthy stint, it emerged a changed beer, blanketed in notes of warm vanilla and earthy sweetness. The wood proves itself the star of this beer, adding depth and taming the tart cherry while the maple imposes a velvety texture that lingers for not a moment too long. Fruit beer


Stone Megawheat IPA 8.40% 90 96 70 Kick back and crank it up as we’ve done all the brewing…the we being us and the special guest appearances of two heavy hitters in the indie craft beer industry: New Mexico’s Marble and Colorado’s Odell. Credited with 58 years of brewing chops, our trio built their wheat ale foundation on the classic “C” hops. Then, we rocked a pure hop triad of “M” hops to achieve a supercharged succession of orange, tangerine, lemon, lime, spice and dankness. The undulating riffs of Motueka, Mosaic and Mandarina Bavaria hops slash through the wheat haze with equal footing, never playing over one another. The cacophony of flavor is what fans would expect with a name like Megawheat. Imperial IPA


Surly Unbridled 6.20% This unpredictable beer takes a traditional IPA, spikes it with a variety of New Zealand aroma hops, then ferments the whole thing with Brett. The result is light-bodied and dry, and the brett/hop combo offers earthy notes accented with lemon, floral, berry, and black pepper notes Brett IPA


Hammerheart Neandertaler 7.70% smoky, Bacony, malty sweetness smoked doppelbach


Alaska Brewing Perserverence 9.00% 89 50 Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Birch Syrup and Wildflower Honey. RIS


Stone Bigger, Longer, Uncut 13.00% 82 89 5 A Peaty as Hell Double Bastard Aged in Islay Scotch Whisky Barrels American Strong Ale


Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose 4.20% 88 91 Born from our passion for experimentation, our Briney Melon Gose boasts a thirst-quenching tartness that is perfectly balanced by subtle watermelon flavors and aromas. Gentle additions of sea salt create a refreshing harmony between the acidity and fruity sweetness leading to clean, dry finish. Gose


Stone Pataskala 7.30% 91 96 70 The deep crimson hue is courtesy of a fairly new special German malt variety by BESTMALZ called Red X. Dry-hopped with Mosaic, Cascade and Amarillo hops, this beer is incredibly citrus-forward, rounded out with biscuit and toffee notes. We think you’ll find this red IPA to be quite deliciously satisfying, no matter how you choose to pronounce it. Red IPA


New Glarus Road Slush 6.20% 87 94 Uncut oatmeal fresh from Chilton, Wisconsin gives this Stout a "sink into it" smoothness that slides you into its depth. Handcrafted English Chocolate malt and Wisconsin Victory malt combine to balance this robust ale. Expect this ale to pour a luxurious rich head over a rich black ruby body. The powerful malt bouquet will greet you as you tip this silky smoothness from your glass oatmeal stout


New Holland Mischievous II 6.50% 10 A kettle-soured brown ale finished with local peaches which contribute a fruity nose and hint of sweetness. American Wild Ale


Orkney Brewery Skullsplitter 8.50% 91 91 Named after Thorfin Hausakliuuf, the seventh earl of Orkney, this reddish coloured ale has an intense vinous nose, is rich and satiny in the mouth with a long dry finish and deep rich fruity notes. Described as ’Satiny smooth in the mouth, deceptively light and dangerously drinkable’ Scotch Ale


Empyrean Brewing Long Route 6.00% 91 20 With the delightful aroma of a peanut butter cup, this porter maintains a porter backbone with notes of chocolate, peanut butter and toast. A perfect balance of beer and candy flavors. Peanut Butter porter


Bear Republic café racer 15 9.75% 93 99 100 Café Racer 15™ features aromas of bright citrus and resinous pine from the generous use of Citra, Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook hops which are complimented by a dry malt finish. The result is a high revving Double IPA that is loud and assertive, much like the rebellious street racers who inspired it. Never ride alone... double IPA


Lagunitas Dave Murray's 9.50% 52 This Scotch Ale is sweet, but not cloying. It's strong, but not brash. It's smooth and smokey, like a good dram among friends. Cheers! Scotch Ale



Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death 8.00% 89 93 75 Consider this aggressively hopped imperial IPA, jam-packed with Virginia raspberries and blackberries, a testament to our passion and unwillingness to settle or sell out! We think Patrick Henry would be proud, and hope you will be too. double IPA


Hiccup!"

Sounds really fun! Some pretty high abv's in there. Which one did you enjoy the most?

My chief canoeing partner and I and our wives get together every New Years Eve.
We have been sampling beers now for 5 or 6 years. His wife is now an active participant in our endeavors and my wife basically tastes each offering. She roughly gets one ounce and we each get a share of the other eleven. We take turns where we end up and usually stay over at each others house every other year.

We end up trying 12 plus beers and have an enjoyable NYE! We don't the notes Lindylair does but take a picture from worst to first. It has been a good tradition.

Elysian Space Dust IPA

8.2% ABV

Two thumbs up.

RM

Enjoyed dinner with my wife last night at Brew Ales & Eats in Perham. Both of us agreed that Indeed's L.S.D. Ale was the best of the night, followed by Über Düber Hoppy Bock from Bauhaus. L.S.D. stands for Lavender, Sunflower honey, and Dates, but before you get all "don't fruit my beer," know that the crispness of the brew came through very nicely, with only a pleasant hint of floral sweetness at the end. (A well-deserved -- but very rare -- second glass of the same beer in one sitting, please.) Über Düber is classified as an imperial sparkling ale, which I probably would not have ordered had I known, but it was surprisingly good. An imperial that proved to be a nice way to slide into the spring season.

Since I'm going to be spending less time in MN for the next several months, and more in WI, I guess I'll be drinking my old standby Moosehead , which is still a family owned brewery (albeit a dysfunctional family) rather than owned by some Euro trash conglomerate because I can't seem to find it when I'm in Milwaukee.
Starting next week I'll be drinking many of the brews that aren't available, or at least harder to find, outside of WI.
But none of that coffee- licorace-watermellon-oregano pizzwadder for me. Just beer.

quote ZaraSp00k: "Since I'm going to be spending less time in MN for the next several months, and more in WI, I guess I'll be drinking my old standby Moosehead , which is still a family owned brewery (albeit a dysfunctional family) rather than owned by some Euro trash conglomerate because I can't seem to find it when I'm in Milwaukee.
Starting next week I'll be drinking many of the brews that aren't available, or at least harder to find, outside of WI.
But none of that coffee- licorace-watermellon-oregano pizzwadder for me. Just beer."

Try the New Glarus Raspberry tart! It's really good!

OK, I think I have recovered now from our Beer tasting revival:)

Of the 18 we tried there were several standouts and a few clunkers.

The Hammerheart Smoked Dopplebock was exellent - this is a local(Twin Cities) brewery in Lino Lakes and among the best in the metro for unique and amazing beers.

Stone Bigger, Longer, Uncut was also excellent and truly unique. Hearty and chewy it was a bit like going out into the middle of Big Bog State park and taking a big sip...in a good way of course.


Bear Republic Cafe Racer was an excellent double IPA in the west coast style, full bodied and plenty of hops and citrus notes. By far the best thing they have done to this point.

Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose was also really good. The style is "Sour" and is an acquired taste but if you like them this is one of the better ones. This brand is not available in MN but luckily we don't live too far from WI.

Was a good day with good food and several darts games in between beers.



By the way, to smokedwhitefish, I agree on the Elysian Space Dust IPA. It is excellent and my go to beer right now.

quote PaddlinMadeline: "


Try the New Glarus Raspberry tart! It's really good!


"

I may have to, I tried Leinie's Berry Weiss, and it doesn't make me vomit, and actually it does wake up the sweet tooth in me and is somewhat enjoyable. How about their other two berry beers?

My first stop was the local Pick N' Save, they had Leinie's on sale for $4.99/six and if you bought two 6's, you get one free, so naturally I took them up on the deal, including one Canoe Paddler.

I'll be buying whatever is on sale. And as a bonus there is no liquor tax like in MN :)