Brew52 » flashmcduff

Bender Rodriguez

flashmcduff — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:08:51 +0000

Synopsis: brown ale with a bite.

I’ll second the claim that it follows the Surly formula of taking a good beer and kicking in a few more hops just because. It has a complex flavor but is easy to drink and finishes smooth. I had it on tap with pizza…what could have gone wrong?

get in my pie

flashmcduff — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:12:01 +0000

Very good porter and I’ll be making a Porter Pumpkin Pie with it for Thanksgiving . Thanks, indeed.

bigness

flashmcduff — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:17:49 +0000

Had it at the Muddy Pig – where the glassware always smells a little like their detergent. Hey at least it’s clean!

Everything seems to be in balance with this one. It’s easy to drink and packs a punch; a huge beer in palatable form. I can’t think of anything bad about my Darkness experience. I may have expected a more extreme beer from Surly, but was even more pleased to get a great beer that was good all-around.

blanket weather

flashmcduff — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:19:32 +0000

I’m a sucker for slightly chilly weather and strong beer. Combine the two and I’m one happy camper. Thanks to everyone for hanging out, we had a blast. Thanks to Colin for being such a genuinely happy beermaker.

I enjoyed the sample pitchers as a way to try all the beers and was pleased that nobody got visibly disgusted by the rinse pitcher. The Little Barley Bitter would make a great end of a long day beer. The IPA….well….I wasn’t impressed. It seemed, judging from Colin’s tone, that the brewers at Barley John’s were aware this mix of hops was a bit of an experiment and in that regard it turned out well. Stacked up to other IPAs that I’m a fan of, though, it doesn’t hold up as well. The Wild Brunette, though is a great brown ale without being watery (something I’ve noticed in browns….could just be me). For a final act in the 4-part sampler, I don’t think anyone could top the Dark Knight Returns. I also don’t think any healthy American should enjoy any more than each of us poured. It was big, bold, complex and I think I may have napped for a few minutes after drinking what little I had. I particularly enjoyed the contrast from the aroma to the taste. The heavy bourbon smell was only mildly present in the flavor – a perfect balance for a beer of that style, IMHO.

best of the fest

flashmcduff — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:53:09 +0000

I could Google it, but that just kills a conversation. What’s the significance of the blue and white checkered pattern with Oktoberfest? The Surly can just looks like a picnic tablecloth, but I became interested when I saw the pattern on a Schell’s Oktoberfest label. Anybody?

And for the record, this one is great. Having this beer at this time of year makes me proud to be fractionally German.

just ok(toberfest)

flashmcduff — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:46:02 +0000

I’d have to try it on tap to be certain, but this really didn’t impress me. It had the right combo of bitterness and maltiness but didn’t do enough of either one, it seems. I like Summit’s beers. Some are better than others. This one, thankfully, is seasonal.

shrug

flashmcduff — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:54:44 +0000

I can’t say too much for or against this one. It was a smooth drinking stout for sure but it was a bit watered-down for my taste. C’est la vie – wouldn’t stop me from trying it again.

big brown bottle

flashmcduff — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:38:12 +0000

No question, I liked this one a lot. This is the most surprising Schell’s beer I’ve had. Others have been safely tasty, but not particularly memorable. This was full bodied and drinkable. It had great flavor that didn’t leave a sour lingering taste like I’d expect some stouts to. I found this in a 22oz bottle and thought it might be a challenge to finish – not the case. I even initially thought the label was kind of drab but now I’m kind of smitten with it. Ohh, cute.

CBCCSNBCCSPANCNNNBCCBSFOX Beer

flashmcduff — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:51:34 +0000

A fitting day: I watched broadcasts from St. Paul during the day and tried the Convention Ale at night. Drinkable, with just enough bite to keep it interesting. My wife put it best I think “Kind of like [candidate name excluded]. Good. Pretty non-offensive, but there’s something better”

And as a testament to my steel trap of a mind – I was about an hour past finished with the bottle when I finally got the play on words in the name (conventional/ale)

Red Hearted

flashmcduff — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:27:46 +0000

I’m muddling my way through a six-pack and things have been getting progressively better. My first bottle was with dinner one night and the taste was a bit too astringent. I don’t recall what I was eating, but my guess is that the food didn’t feel that I should be drinking a beer so the two flavors proceeded to fight. I brought in a Bell’s Two Hearted to quell the riot. It worked. For the record, I mixed the two at a ratio of approximately 2/3 Two-Hearted to 1/3 Mesabi Red (perhaps a bit more Red, wasn’t measuring). The end result was very surprising and tasted better than the Red alone.

For what it’s worth, the other bottles of Mesabi Red have been satisfactory. Not my favorite, just good.