5igmund
Seth Steinbach
Web Page: http://5igmund.com
Registered Since: 2008-01-07 13:24:58
Profile: Spending long days oiling the wheels of the corporate machine makes a guy thirsty. A beer a week is the perfect way to stay hydrated. Winter is my favorite time of year, skiing, hockey, and anything else involving the white stuff. Dabbling in aviation and I enjoy my boat in the summer!
Reviews by 5igmund:
*Way* too expensive!
Week 17: Lake Superior Sir Duluth Oatmeal Stout (April 21–27) | Reviewed on May 3rd, 2008
One of the better brews from Lake Superior. Nice hints of coffee while not being overpowering. Not much head out of the bottle that I would like to see from an oatmeal stout. Since I am reviewing the total beer package at almost $10.00 a 6 pack I would expect this to knock my socks off. There are much better local beers out there at a better price point.
Nice Specimen of Maibock
Week 16: Summit Maibock (April 14–20) | Reviewed on April 15th, 2008
This is a nice rendition of a Maibock, a bit sweet, subtle, lightly hopped. Again, Summit is not going out on any limbs here, just making a good rendition of a classic German brew.
Sweet
Week 14: Schell Maifest (March 31–April 6) | Reviewed on April 5th, 2008
This beer is decent but it is WAY too sweet. Its okay but I wont buy again after my 6 pack.
Evil Warlock
Week 13: Flat Earth Winter Warlock (March 24–30) | Reviewed on March 25th, 2008
Wow, this beer is kicking my butt, I should have looked at the label before I consumed it so quickly. 9% alcohol comes from all the yummy fermentables. This is a very sweet hoppy beer that is a bit like drinking sugary hops. Which is okay but not over 1pt 6oz this would be better served in a 12 oz bottle. I think I could appreciate the style but not in the spring. All the sugar and hops is leaving an off aftertaste.
Better in the Bottle
Week 12: Finnegans Irish Amber (March 17–23) | Reviewed on March 18th, 2008
It is rare when I would say the beer out of the bottle is better then beer on tap but this little beer is one of them. I originally had this in the bottle and though it had a nice taste and I had no problems drinking another. However, on tap the potato taste was much more prevalent, it was decent but not great. If I just had tried it out of the bottle I would have rated 4 stars.
Ho Hum
Week 11: Schell Pilsner (March 10–16) | Reviewed on March 12th, 2008
Nothing about it really sticks out and screams at me but it is not bad. This one was just ho hum so I really don’t have anything to say about it.
It’s Okay
Week 10: Lake Superior Special Ale (March 3–9) | Reviewed on March 2nd, 2008
This beer was okay, not really special but okay. A good balance between sweet and bitter. I didn’t really mind drinking the whole 6-pack. There was not too much head on this one after pouring less than 1/4 inch. I would prefer at least 1/2 inch of head for this type of beer. I think I would buy this one again maybe once a year for something different.
Bad Batch
Week 9: Brau Brothers Frame Straightener (February 25–March 2) | Reviewed on February 26th, 2008
I am not sure if there is a bad batch of beer out there but this was HORRIBLE!!! This beer had a sour smell an a putrid sour taste I could barely swallow my first taste. I gutted through a few drinks and called it a day on this beer. I am not sure if there is a bad batch which would not even matter for my rating of this beer if there was a “good batch.” I am still giving this beer the lowest rating because, in my opinion poor quality control is the worst thing you can have when brewing and distributing beer. I wish I could give this beer a “0″ star rating but .5 will do.
Mochachinobeerlatte
Week 8: Flat Earth Cygnus X-1 (February 18-24) | Reviewed on February 19th, 2008
This beer tasted like something I would get at my local starbucks only with an alcohol content. Let’s be clear, I am *not* a coffee fan. But, I actually liked this beer’s deep mocha flavor as it was balanced with a nice sweet flavor. This beer was a nice change of pace from last week’s Surly debacle. This beer did not crack my top 20 favorite beers but it was enjoyable. I tried this beer from the bottle and not on tap. I thought the 1pint 6oz bottle may just be *way* too much but I found that it was the perfect size to drink. Though I prefer .5l bottles so I can fit it all in my Augustiner .5l ceramic mug.
All in all - good work Flat Earth, I enjoyed this beer.
Over the Edge
Week 7: Surly 2 (February 11-17) | Reviewed on February 13th, 2008
To me Surly is a brewery that prides itself on pushing the limits of brewing, trying new things. Unfortunately, on the quest of greatness, sometimes we stumble, pick ourselves up again, brush off the dirt and move on. This beer is one that Surly tripped over and needs to brush off and move on. Oh yeah don’t forget to burn the recipe.
The initial taste of this beer was not too bad, tart cranberries, and a hint of chocolate almost a nice crispness to it, then once you get your first drink down, a nasty tart and bitter aftertaste. Not a hoppy bitter but that “mom can I try one of the cranberries” before she cooks them on Thanksgiving day bitter. After around 5 drinks I was struggling to get this beer down, with 3/4 of the beer left I downed my beer in 2 to 3 big drinks so I didn’t have to suffer the aftertaste anymore. I have this bad habit of not being able to throw away beer once it is served to me and I want to give each beer a fair shake and at least drink one entire beer to form my conclusions.
If you can’t find this beer on tap, don’t worry you are not missing out. I rated this beer a one just because Surly was gutsy enough to put this on the market.
Sticky Fingers
Week 6: Herkimer Meet Up, Alt Bier (February 4-10) | Reviewed on February 7th, 2008
Again thanks Rett for organizing not only the site but the event last night as well. It was good to meet a large chunk of people on this site, it just makes the reviews much more relevant.
This was a decent beer for me. I would not say it was anything special but it was pleasant to drink and there was really nothing that totally turned me off about it. This is a sweet beer not cider sweet but still sweet enough that when I spilled some of my full beer on my fingers they were sticky all night. Well at least until I went to the restroom.
Summit Safe
Week 5: Summit Winter (January 28-February 3) | Reviewed on January 28th, 2008
This is a decent beer for those that are new to quality beer and want to start discovering their beer pallet. This is a light winter beer with a pleasing coffee flavor. I had this beer both on tap and in the bottle. To me the bottle was as Aaron put it flat, however the tap was a bit livelier but not by too much. I was still left wanting something a bit more after this brew. This seems to be another safe brew by Summit that bridges the gap between Macro and Micro brewery.
Über-Hops
Week 4: Surly Furious (January 21-27) | Reviewed on January 22nd, 2008
I prefer beers that balance all ingredients and give me a total beer experience, not ones that leave a bitter hoppy film on my tongue long after I have finished my beer. If you *love* hops, this beer is for you. If you are not a hop head, stay away your cash is better spent elsewhere.
Not bad, but not great either.
Week 3: Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale (January 14-20) | Reviewed on January 14th, 2008
Nothing really jumped out at me and nothing really discouraged me with this beer. The first drink was okay but, I just became bored by the time I got half way through the beer. I just kept feeling can I be done with this beer so I can try something else? I am not really a big fan of Belgian beers - too sweet for me. So, for me to give this style a beer a glowing review it would really have to jump out at me which this did not thus only 3 stars. I have met the brewer who seems like a good fellow with a good product, I was more impressed with some of his other brews.
Decent Winter Beer
Week 1: Schell Snowstorm (January 1-6) | Reviewed on January 8th, 2008
Admittedly I had a 12 pack in the refrigerator from Christmas. My wife really enjoys the snow storm. I am a bit more critical when it comes to beer but this one is one of my favorite Minnesota brews for the late fall when I am “thinking snow.” This beer was a pleasant surprise that we found in a sample pack of Schell’s a few years back and it keeps finding it’ way into our house in the late fall. I appreciate the balance of a light coffee flavor that turns into a dark yet crisp and refreshing beer after the first few drinks. I am sure that Snow Storm will end up in our house for many years to come.