Widmer Brothers W'10 Pitch Black IPA

I've heard a few rumblings about this emerging style of beer dubbed the "Black IPA" on the interwebs and was eager to give it a try. I stumbled across this new creation by Widmer at Cashwise in Baxter. This brew is deep ruby, nearly black, but definitely more black than your run of the mill India Pale Ale. There is an interesting blend of dark roast and fresh hop grassiness in the aroma that carries into the flavor. The hops carry through into the finish and leaves a lingering character that definitely personifies the IPA side of the beer. While I'm not particularly thrilled with the combination of roast and hops, it's definitely interesting and worth trying. It's a good detour from the traditional American IPA, but I'll definitely go back to it's lighter cousin for my go-to beer. This is an extremely drinkable beer and I will have no problem finishing off this six pack. I probably won't go back for that second six pack, but I wouldn't think twice about trying any other brewery's take on the Black IPA style. 5.5/6

Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra

Ok, here he goes again with his beer-related ADD. When will this ever end?

I know I said I was going to keep it local, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to post something about this beer. On a recent trip to Duluth, I swung over to the Wisconsin side to pick up a few beers I just can't get here in MN. One of which was from a very well known (in the craft beer world, anyway) brewery in Milton Delware that goes by the name Dogfish Head. The name originates from a local landmark rather than the actual fish. The chosen brew tonight is the Raison D'Extra.

A quick look on the Dogfish Head website is quite shocking as this flavor-packed brown ale weighs in at a whopping 18% ABV. It does have a rather strong character, but I didn't expect it to weigh in this big. You can definitely tell there are "boatloads of big 'ol raisins" in the tasty brew. Thick and almost chewy, this is definitely a sippin' beer. Behind the raisins, you can fine a myriad of rich caramel and toffee with a helping of mild molasses. Sip this as a dessert or pair with something substantial like steak and caramelized onions. While this is a very interesting beer and i'm glad I tried it, I'm also glad that I bought this as a single bottle. Get a six-pack and share with friends. 2/6

Getting back into this whole blogging thing

It's been quite a while since my initial post to this blog, but my recent experience being a guest blogger on a friend's blog got me fired up again. I'll start off slow, but hope to make a few visits to local bars, resturants, and post a few notes on my beer adventures.

I came up with an idea for rating a beer while being a guest blogger that I thought I'd incorporate here. It's based on both the lack of stores that sell single bottles in the area and my tendency to accumulate portions of six packs in the fridge over a period of time. From now on, I will be rating on a 0-6 scale, based on how many bottles in a six-pack I would get through before I get bored and it gets banished to the back of the fridge. If a beer is rated a 1/6, that means I'll get through one of them and loose interest quickly. A 6/6 is something I'd probably need to get back to the liquor store and get another six pack ASAP.

So, sit back, relax, grab a beer and enjoy my random ramblings of beer in and around the city of Baxter, MN.

Avery Hog Heaven

I picked up this little wonder at the St. Cloud World Market. I stopped in there on a tip from one of the members of the Cloudy Town Brewers. Strangely enough, I stopped in on my 28th birthday. What a birthday present! I picked up a few Avery brews and made my way home.

Back to the beer at hand. I was a bit disenchanted with the first few barleywines I had tried. My first impression was that they are thick, almost syrupy concoctions with a strong alcohol presence and heavy dark fruit notes. As I was cleaning out the beer fridge the other day, I was contemplating putting this one down for a few years when I took another look at the label. This brew touts a 9.2% abv and a whopping 100 IBU's! "Well," I thought to myself, "this has got to be pretty dang close to an Imperial IPA." And boy, was I right! This beauty isn't thick at all. It has none of the dark fruit or heavy roasted character that I've seen in a few, be it very few, Barleywines in the past. This brew hits you in the face with a solid hop aroma and flavor and a solid backbone of caramel sweetness to balance the hop bitterness. It leaves the palate reeling with flavor that swaggers between persistent bitterness and a warming sweetness. A few sips make it obvious that this brew is not to be taken lightly. The alcohol presence is evident, but quite pleasant.

I wouldn't consider this a winter brew, as I would associate with most strong ales. The intense hop bitterness and relatively light nature of this brew leads me to think it would go well on a chilly spring or autumn evening. It has the alcohol warmth to lift the spirits, but is still light enough to enjoy in front of a campfire.

I would recommend SPLITTING a 22 oz. bomber with someone. It can be a bit much for one individual to handle, but I was up to the challenge.

To Avery!
-Patrick