A Whale A Week: Bent Paddle Double Shot Double Black

Now in my second year, A Whale A Week is my challenge to try (with an array of beer loving friends) a rare beer for every week of the year.  Last year I had a great time with this and have continued it for 2016.  Not every beer will be a truly "white whale" beer, but all are hard to find and a treat to try!  This week we try something different.  Tired of just trying out one beer (and lets be honest how can I really shrink my cellar at this rate) each week, we're going to break out a bunch of them!

This week one of my old friends Rob Wengler invited my wife Sarajo and I over to his place for a couple of rare beers.  Rob had discovered this little treasure at an out-of-the-way liquor store that somehow fell off the beer hoarders' radar this past month.  Bent Paddle Brewery in Duluth is one of my very favorites in Minnesota--and frankly one of my favorites in the nation.  I've met brewers Bryon Tonnis, Collin Mullen, and Peter Mack many times over the years--before Bent Paddle was even formed.  When Tonnis and Mullen (and their wonderful wives who are much involved in the business aspects of the brewery) formed Bent Paddle I was incredibly excited.  Here were two of my favorite under-rated brewers--who both put out amazingly balanced and consistent beers--forming a super-group of sorts.  I've been to the brewery several times (usually our first stop as we roll into Duluth for All Pints North beer festival each summer) and the offerings just keep getting more varied and more impressive.  Currently Bent Paddle has been involved in some controversy up north due to their stance on opening a new mine in the area.  Apparently the municipal (owned by the government) liquor stores have boycotted their beers in response.  To me this is fine for a personally owned business to decide, but for the city government to do so (and encourage other businesses to do it as well) seems like stepping over the line.  Check HERE for a link to a really impressive statement from the brewery that was published in The Growler.  That's as political as I get on this blog...

A few years back Bent Paddle did their first barrel aged beer--Double Black--an Imperial version of their Black Ale aged in bourbon barrels.  We had it at All Pints and were blown away.  The next year we tried the coffee infused version (Double Shot) and had found a new favorite beer.  This year they released that version in bottles and they went like hot-cakes in the Twin Cities market.  Sarajo and I searched but did not score any bottles at all for our dragon's-hoard.  Luckily Rob was willing to share!  This is a 11.2% ABV stout with cold press locally roasted coffee and whole bean Madagascar vanilla beans.  We had to hack at the thick wax on the bottle with a dangerously sharp knife to get
into it!  

Bent Paddle Double Shot Double Black

Aroma:

Eric: Powerful strong cold press coffee!  Hints of vanilla.  Mild alcohol zippiness.  As it warms I get tons of rich dark chocolate.  Mild oak tannins.  No hops to speak of.  The aroma complex and like a chameleon seems to change with each sniff.  I spent several minutes just smelling this beer before actually going in for a taste.  Impressive.

Rob: Coffee grounds.

Sarajo: Smells like chocolate.

Appearance:

Eric: Nearly pitch black and opaque.  Very fine dark tan head is pretty persistent for such a strong beer.

Rob: "So black it sweats oil..."

Flavor:

Eric: Sweet at first, but quickly drops to an almost chalky dry dark chocolate finish.  Coffee is very present--seems like a freshly brewed medium roast with some earthy character.  Vanilla comes across at the tail end--adding a hint of sweetness to even out the dry almost bitter chocolate aftertaste.  Mouthfeel is mouth coating and thick and creamy--but finish is off-dry.  Mild tannic oak or coffee grounds.  Balance is pretty even between bitter and sweet.  

Rob: Like a plain biscotti soaked in a sweet espresso 'til its soft--then sucking the juice out of the biscotti.  

Sarajo: The vanilla is strong in this one...but not cloying--perfect balance.

Overall:

Eric: Wonderful complexity in both the aroma and the flavor.  Strong coffee, even-handed vanilla, chocolate. Barrel is subtle.  Masterfully crafted beer.  One of the best I've had so far this year.  4.75

Rob: 4.5

Sarajo: Goes well with chocolate chip cookies!  :)  4.75

Overall Score: 4.67

A Trip to Duluth! For Beer!

Continuing with my travelogues of beer based tourism for the summer, I thought I'd spend a bit of time talking about our recent trip to Duluth for the All Pints North beer festival.  Sj and I went to the fest last year after getting the combo pack of tickets for Autumn Brew Review, Winterfest, and APN.  We ended up having such a good time that we made sure to do the same thing this year!  I took off work early on Thursday and we drove up to the character-filled city on the shores of Lake Superior.

Day 1: Thursday

We arrived in town early enough to stop at the best brewery in Duluth: Bent Paddle!  The tap room and brewery was so new last year that the place still smelled of wet paint.  Now, a year later, the place has a more lived-in vibe and was nearly full of patrons, a mix of business people after work, bike enthusiasts, hipsters, and an old friend named Brad.  This is truly a melting pot of beer lovers!  They had a large number of beers on tap, including two nitro versions and a firkin of their Cold Press Black Ale with vanilla beans.  Of course I had one of those and it was heavenly!  They had just recently changed their tap handle design and had the old ones for sale--so I had to get one for my collection at home.  Now if only I could find a Steel Toe and a Surly tap I'd have all my local favorites on display...  During our brief visit we had the good fortune to run into Peter Mack, one of the awesome brewers previously of Rock Bottom and Town Hall. 

From Bent Paddle we headed to Fitgers Hotel to check in and get settled before dinner.  I've mentioned this place before so I'll keep it short here.  Not the cheapest place to stay in Duluth, but it is right along the Lake Walk and one just has to go down the hall to find Fitgers Brewhouse for a fine pint of beer.  They have wonderfully attentive staff and free shuttle service around Duluth.  We made great use of that shuttle! 

 



We next drove up Scenic Highway 61 along the lakeshore to make our evening dinner reservation at the New Scenic Café.  Someone suggested this place the first time we went to Duluth years ago and it has become a mainstay in our dining choices!  About 20 minutes north of town, this little restaurant with its beautiful flower gardens hosts some amazing quality food.  This is fancy fine dining food in a relaxed atmosphere and the prices are not terrible compared to the Twin Cities.  We shared starters of Ahi tuna tacos and curried mussels and both were perfect.  We each had the duck breast for dinner since neither of us wanted to share! 

By the time we arrived "home" we met up fellow JAB member Shawn Kummrow for a beer upstairs at Fitgers Brewhouse.  The wheat wine was very tasty, but I enjoyed the Hoppelujia IPA more!  A full day done Sj and I ambled down the hall to a much needed rest!

Day 2: Friday

A late start today since no cats were present to scratch at doors, lay warm paws upon your face, or howl plaintively until fed.  The coffee at Fitgers is free, but that pale tan colored swamp water is not worth it!  The day was a bit overcast, but not outright raining.  Taking my camera along and crossing my fingers for sun, we headed back up along the Scenic Highway. 

We stopped at the French River Fish Hatchery.  A small river next to the hatchery empties into the lake and this gave me access to some great photo ops!  We wandered into the somewhat deserted hatchery grounds, not sure if we were really in the correct place, but taking our cue from the sign on the open gate saying they were open to the public.  After finding a hidden trail up to more old buildings we entered The-Hatchery-That-The-60's-Forgot!  An old decrepit "Visitor's Center" promised information, but was mostly out of commission.  The antediluvian displays were faded with time, decomposed and coated in a thick layer of dust and dead insects.  Another, larger building had a small nearly unmarked door that looked promising.  We entered this large, dank building to a strong aroma of fish, mildew, and moist age.  Were we really supposed to be in here?  Clicking on a switch, a small amount of hooded light flickered on above us, dimly illuminating huge tanks of lapping dark water.  Below the surface of these long pools swam thousands of small salmon and trout spinning gently in the mild current.  The light was too poor for good photos but this was pretty cool!



The 60's called and want their stuff back...

Afterward we hiked back to our car, running into Shawn and his family in the parking lot.  We then continued on our northward trek, driving past cheesy roadside attractions (as opposed to Wisconsin Cheese attractions), scenic overlooks, small towns, and resorts.  We ended up having a decent lunch at the Rustic Café, paired with a local Castle Danger IPA. 

We ended up at Gooseberry Falls for some epic photo taking and some light mountain-goat style climbing!  It was a struggle to get photos of the falls without people entering the shot, but with some creative angles and editing I think I got a few good ones. 

Once again not making it any farther north, we headed back to Duluth.  Our friends Randy and Andrea had just arrived in town and we met up with them a group of their other friends at Bent Paddle for a pint and some company.  Waiting in an epic line to get beer, we ran into Kat who bought us our round!  This time they had a firkin of Bent Hop dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops that was quite tasty. 

Later we met up with the whole crowd at a small local apartment that Kat was renting for an absurdly low amount of money.  Many great beers were shared including an oaked Imperial brown ale from Hammerheart, Mon Cherries from Borealis, Wit Noir from Blacklist, and Green Monster from Deschutes.  Lounging amongst old and new friends sipping on cool beers...This is how to spend an afternoon!

From here, Sj, Randy, Andrea, and I all took a brisk walk to Fitgers Brewhouse owned Tycoon's Alehouse for dinner.  With more fine Fitgers beers to choose from and very good upscale pub fare we all had a very pleasant evening.  With just a few blocks to walk back to our hotel, Sj and were ready to crash.  But wait!  Is that a text from Shawn saying he is right down the hall at Fitgers Brewhouse?  Guess I'll just have to go have one last pint of hoppy goodness and hang out a bit longer...Shawn seems to know everyone, so I got to meet several new people during this little stint at the bar.  A perfect end to a great day!

Day 3: Saturday

Desperate for real coffee this morning (see previous day's festivities to understand why...) we had the Fitgers shuttle take us to Canal Park area for some strong Caribou drinks.  We wandered about in the increasingly warm sun, getting a good look at the Duluth Lift Bridge and the pier.  We walked back to Fitgers along the Lake Walk, getting too much sun and plenty of exercise. 

Again taking the shuttle, we were dropped off for lunch at Fitgers Brewhouse owned Burrito Union.  These guys own quite the fleet of restaurants!  Located in a cool old building that retains much of its charm, this place is an upscale version of a Chipotle, but with better food and Fitgers beer!  We shared some really good fresh salsas and enormous burritos as a good base for this afternoon's coming festivities. 

After a very hot walk back to our hotel we prepared ourselves for All Pints North, making good use of the shuttle again to drop us off near the Bayfront Festival Park grounds.  Last year's fest was on a very overcast day and was quite comfortable.  This year's was very hot, muggy and the huge ball of fire sun was glaring its melanoma-inducing rays down upon us with extreme glee.  Not a cloud in sight to shield us from the sun and little wind to cool things down.  This did not bode well for staying hydrated and not regretting this whole thing tomorrow...

The festival opened at 3 PM, floodgates opening and hordes of thirsty beer geeks rampaging into the grounds!  Actually I think this was the most relaxed and calm festival crowd I've seen at a beer festival, making this one of the reasons I love this particular event.  With the heat and sun, Sj and focused on lighter, refreshing beers as much as possible.  Sweat streaming down my back, clothing sticking to me in unfortunate places, I trooped on, suffering for my chance to try new and unusual beers.  A bluegrass band played on stage adding a cool vibe to the festival.  The breweries were mainly from Minnesota, but there were some from other areas to mix it up a bit.  Many brewers brought special versions of beers, always welcome at this type of event!

Yup, I only took one pic of the whole fest...too busy drinking!

Interesting Tidbits from the Fest:

1) Schells had one of the longest lines in the fest.  I wanted to try their newest sour beer made with cherries, but didn't want to wait that long...I'll have to try it in bottle soon!

2) Bells brought several interesting beers including a wonderful India Red Ale.

3) I got to try the Bourbon Barrel version of Mon Cherries--quite good with a hint of smoke.

4) I finally gave Carmody Irish Pub a second chance (after having a terrible experience at the pub in the past.)  I tried the Flanders Red, which I had heard good buzz on, but it way too acidic and not balanced well.  Maybe I'll try them again next year.

5) Got to hang out with Pio from Free House, Jason from Enki (and his very sweet wife!), and Ian (formerly of the Firkins.)  Though not all at once!  I love getting to see all these people I know through other beer events!

6) Hammerheart again had  huge line this year (though last year's was due to that being their first release to the public).  I have to say that they have come a long way in one year!  With smoked, spicy and barrel aged releases these guys really brought it strong.  Friends in the Primary Fermenters have been telling me how Hammerheart has become and now I need to get out to the brewery!

7) Jack Pine is always fun to try with their sessionable beers and this year was no exception.  Vengeance, a jalapeno infused cream ale, was perfect on this hot day.  Sj and I also got the dregs of a mostly hidden bottle of amazing barleywine!

8) Town Hall's Manhattan was as wonderful as always, but tough to drink this alcohol bomb on such a hot day.  I never made it back for Russian Roulette!

9) Didn't even make it to the Surly tent this year...too many new things to try.

And a lot more!  Clouds came out and the wind kicked up a bit after that first few hours making the day more bearable.  This is still my favorite beer festival, and I almost hesitate to spread the word about it in hopes of keeping it smaller and more manageable.  We left before the bitter end, wanting to avoid heat stroke and terrible hangovers, getting picked up by our shuttle nearby. 

Back to the hotel and a burger at Fitgers Brewhouse, and off to a very needed rest.

Day 4: Sunday (the Aftermath)

Thirsty Pagan!

Actually felt pretty good for the day after a beer fest!  We packed up and took a trip across the bridge into Superior Wisconsin for a lunch of pizza at the Thirsty Pagan.  Sj and I shared samplers and tried all the beers.  My experiences here have been hit and miss.  Most of the beers this time were decent, but not many stood out as exceptional.  Last year they had several sours that were great, but this year only a not-so-good Berliner Weisse.

Lake Superior Brewing Company Review

On our recent trip to Duluth for All Pints North, I was able to make it to one of the older craft breweries in Minnesota: Lake Superior Brewing Company.  I've had a few of their beers over the years but will admit I haven't paid much attention to them recently.  This was a great excuse to re-acquaint myself with the beers and check out the brewery itself.  Only in the last year or so has the brewery opened up its doors to sell pints to thirsty patrons, so my timing was good!

Finding the brewery was somewhat difficult!  We trusted the GPS on my car, rolling silently along rutted streets of industrial Duluth in hybrid glory.  With both of us watching our surroundings, neither of us spotted the brewery where it was supposed to be.  We circled around a circuitous route, GPS angrily berating us to "Turn around wherever possible!"  Eventually we returned to the initial area indicated and pulled into a parking lot to reconnoiter and decide if we should let this one go.  And lo-and-behold, there it was!  At the very end of a little nondescript office building sat a tiny and also nondescript sign for the brewery.  Entering into a late 1970's or early 1980's looking building, we followed the small signs for the brewery, eventually coming to a dimly lit vestibule leading to a warehouse area.  Just to the left of the entry was a small bar and seating area made of light colored wood, busy with locals and other folks in for the beer festival. 

Talk about hidden away!

The space itself certainly looked like a production brewery that had been in this space since the 1990's.  Lighting in here was a bit darker than expected, giving the place a slightly shadowy effect and greenish glow.  A small stand across from the entrance hosted two friendly folks who greeted us and served us a sampler of beer from the taps in the wall behind them. 

Our sampler of 8 beers was served up in a vintage PBR tray which we carried to a high-top table near the bar area.  We started with the Kayak Kolsch--a light and slightly fruity beer that certainly fit the style.  This was one of my favorites of the bunch.  The North Shore Wheat was a fair hefeweizen, but I am not a huge fan of this style so my judgement is perhaps suspect.  The Special Ale was my least favorite of the samples--a pale ale that was a bit too sweet and had some buttery diacetyl flavors hiding in there among the hops.  Deep Water Black IPA was a newer one for them and was not a bad example.  But the biggest stand out was Sir Duluth Oatmeal Stout.  We had versions of this on CO2 and Nitro and both were excellent!  Overall I felt that the quality of the beers was decent, but many of them were a bit too "safe" for this day and age.  Even though I don't really like black IPA as a style, I do appreciate the brewery trying out something a bit more cutting edge. 

Seriously...make labels more like this!

About half way through our sampler, the friendly jokester who had served us came over to see what we thought of the beers.  It turns out that this was none other than the Head Brewer and co-owner Dale Kleinschmidt!  Very talkative, Dale gave us an impromptu history of the brewery and small tour, making this experience much more informative and eye-opening than I had expected.  Bob Dromeshauser opened the brewery and a homebrew shop in the basement of Fitgers way back in 1994, making this one of the oldest craft breweries in Minnesota.  Dale came on in the late 1990's and was there for the move to the current warehouse space in 1999.  The current owners of Lake Superior Brewing Company helped to found the homebrew club The Northern Ale Stars and the brewery has had a constant link with the homebrew hobby since its humble beginnings.  Dale also told us about the many brewers who either worked or interned at Lake Superior before heading off to other breweries, making this place an stepping-stone for many budding brewers over the years. 

At first glance, the brewery is not much to see, but with the addition of the history and stories I have to say that my experience was elevated.  I'm glad that the brewery continues to be successful, but do worry a bit about their ability to compete with the huge number of new craft breweries out there.  The beers were mostly good, but only the oatmeal stout blew me away, and that is not a very popular beer style these days.  Should a brewery change who they are and what they stand for to compete with others?  Hard to say, but I think they could afford to update a few things (like their somewhat bland bottle labels) and perhaps try more seasonals to widen interest in their beers.  From the perspective of a beer drinker who likes to try new things I think that would appeal to me more.  The tap room has limited hours, but I think this place is worth a stop, just to get a different perspective on some of the history of craft brewing in Minnesota. 

Fitgers Brew House, and Fitgers Hotel

On our recent trip to Duluth we stayed at the historic Fitgers Hotel, right on the shore of Lake Superior and walking distance to Canal Park.  The location can't be beat, especially with a lakeside room that overlooks this ocean-like body of water.  Plus, its a hotel inside the old Fitgers brewery building!  What better place for a beer geek to stay!  Much like a Gideon Bible, each room comes equipped with a copy of a book on the history of the building and of Fitgers Brewery.  I read it cover to cover and enjoyed my stay all the more for it. 

The building itself is a monolithic red stone structure with large double doors (manned by uniformed doormen/valets) opening into a lobby with a high ceiling.  The staff are situated behind an ornate iron lattice-work cashier's cage left over from the original building.  Parking can be a bear, so I recommend the free valet service.  They also have a complimentary shuttle that will take you into and back from the city before 11 PM.  We made much use of this during our stay in Duluth!  Down the hall from the hotel side is a small liquor store, Fitger's Brew House and the Red Star Lounge.  Downstairs is the Fitgers Brew Shop and some other boutique shops.

So the coolest part of staying here is being able to walk down the hall to one of the best brewpubs around.  Fitgers Brew House is small, crowded, and often loud, but serves up some of the best beers in the state.  One can see the fermenters and serving tanks from the outside (glass windows) and from parts of the restaurant inside.  I have been on the tour which takes you back into the cramped brew space and another room where they were working on barrel aging: free and worth a try!  They have live music most Friday and Saturdays (one night's was entertaining, the other bordered on ear-bursting.) 

Fitgers Brewhouse--crowded and loud but great!

The food is a little hit and miss.  They serve burgers made with special Scottish long horned cattle that are fed the spent grains from the brewery, but served mine well done instead of the medium I asked for--a terrible waste of great beef.  Our waitress was not incredibly helpful or present.  In the past I've had better dining experiences here.

The beers are very good and served in great variety.  I got the sampler of 8 beers and still couldn't try all of them (including 2 cask versions.)  Overall I feel like the quality of their standard beers has dropped a bit since I was last here, but still better than 90% of the commercial beers we can get in Minnesota.  I wonder if they are pushing the timing of the beers in order to supply Burrito Union, Red Star, the Brew House and now Tycoon's with enough beer.  It is worth checking out all those places since different beers will be on tap at each... The porter was wonderful and the Red White and Blue was a great raspberry and blueberry wheat beer.

Downstairs is the Brew Shop where one can buy pre-filled growlers, shirts, metal growlers, and other swag.  The growlers from down there will last longer than the ones filled off the taps upstairs...and growler sales end at 10 PM, so plan ahead!  They have Jess Durfee blown glass tap handles for sale too (found upstairs on all the Fitgers taps) I actually have one of them on my kegerator at home! 

Overall the brewpub is a very solid place to visit and try a bunch of beers.  The hotel and complex as a whole is well worth the trip if you are in Duluth.  Getting carted around town by the shuttle was nearly worth the price of admission!  There is something elegant and old-worldly about a stay at this converted old brewery.  The ironwork grates, the door-sized iron safe, the aromas of age and history with a hint of mashing grain, all lead to a nostalgia for what once was. 

Duluth Beer Scene: All Pints North 2013

This year Sj and I managed to get the six-pack of tickets from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild which included two tickets to Winterfest, ABR and All Pints North.  Since last year we were forced to buy scalped tickets to Winterfest at the last minute, we wanted to make sure we were prepared this year, and were willing pay the price.  The bonus tickets to All Pints North just gave us the excuse we needed to schedule our first summer trip to Duluth! 

Last year was the inaugural festival and apparently they had low attendance.  Being the first year I think people didn't know what to expect and were less likely to take a trip all the way up to Duluth and take the risk.  It may also have been scheduled against another big beer event.  This year, between better PR, word of mouth from the previous year, and the six-pack tickets, the festival sold out.  Many folks from the Twin Cities were in attendance, including my friends Shawn, Randy, Andrea, and many more.  The whole weekend most of the breweries and pubs we visited were especially busy with the hoard of city-folk in town for the festival.  Very smart move for a tourist destination!  The night prior to the festival Surly did a tap take-over at 7 West (a local beer bar with lots of taps) and we caught wind of it before most of the other invaders.  We were able to get samplers of Surly Seviin, Syx, Darkness 2012, Smoke 2012, and Hell before the festival had even begun! 

The festival was held at the large Bayfront Festival Park, walkable from the Fitgers Hotel we were staying at.  Though I admit we had the free shuttle service drop us off.  The weather was hot and muggy, with a deeply overcast and ominous sky above us.  Despite the threat of rain we only received a few cooling sprinkles during the festival itself.  A cluster of festival goers were already in line when we arrived, many preparing pretzel, cheese, and beef-stick necklaces for wearable sustenance during the fest.  In line we happily ran into Thad and Elise, folks we have met at other fests and at Happy Gnome beer dinners.  It was nice getting to hang out with some people we knew already.  Some other people I know were in town for this and we never actually ran into them during the festival!  At the sound of the bagpipes (traditional for starting Minnesota beer events) we all calmly moved forward to receive our booklets and taster glass and get into the festival grounds.

There were four big tents with all the breweries situated underneath.  A large bandstand hosted some mediocre music once the festival got going.  There were smaller booths hosting MNBeer.com, Northern Brewer and some more sponsors.  A special tent had educational programming throughout the fest: like a Better Beer Society blind sensory tasting; a talk by beer historian Doug Hoverson; and Michael Agnew of A Perfect Pint.   One big gripe I have about this and most beer fests we have been to in Minnesota is the lack of dump buckets and rinse stations.  There was only one trough with running water for the entire festival to use.  I like these events so I can taste as many new beers as possible, and don't want to get hammered by drinking the whole 2 oz pour from each brewery--I like to taste, dump the rest and move on.  Being outside, we could dump on the ground, but the area soon ended up muddy and sloppy.  More buckets people!

On to the beers!  I'm not going to lie, we tasted a lot of beers that day and I stopped keeping track about an hour into it.  As a result my memory may be vague on some details, but I'll post some high and low lights of the beers we tried.  Since I had tried other local beers in the previous days I will talk more about those beers in my other blog posts.  Hence the absence of Bent Paddle on this list...

1) Because we had tried most of the Surly beers the previous night, the only one I had to try was their collaboration with Three Floyds called Urine Trouble.  "For that cat peed on the Christmas tree aroma."  Yup, as an owner of three cats, I think this is well named.  I did not really like the brett mixed with the strong hops though, and am in the minority by not loving this beer.

2) Schell Imperial Grain Belt Premium in cask and dry hopped.  I wanted to like this.  I really did.  But it was nasty and bitter and forced me to go all across the fest to find that one rinse station.

3) Blacklist Beer:  A new one in Duluth, featuring Bob McKenzie on the brew staff.  All Belgian styles but needing a little refinement I think.  The Or De Belgique was very tasty, but a bit under attenuated and sweet for my tastes.  The Imperial wit with Kaffir line had a lot of flavor, but maybe too much lime flavor.  I will certainly be watching for more from these guys over time.

4) Borealis Fermentery:  A tiny brewery from Knife River (just north of Duluth) that also puts out Belgian styles in 750 ML bottles only.  The Mon Cherries Belgian dubbel is my favorite from them, very well balanced.  The Raisin Liason Saison was more than just a cool name, mixing unusual yeast and fruit flavors.

5) Dangerous Man:  Chocolate and Coconut milk stouts were both fantastic, with the coconut being one of top three from the entire festival.  These guys are bringing it strong. 

6) Fitgers Brewhouse:  More on them in my upcoming  Fitgers blog post.  I had tried many of the beers at the brewery but they still had several new ones to try here.  Both Sj and I thought the Gooseberry Gose was one of the best of the festival, only being beat by our favorite from Town Hall--Hoops brothers smack down!  Red Wheat and Blue was a pretty tasty concoction as well.

7) Fulton:  War and Peace is one of my favorite coffee beers and I was happy to try it again.  Maybe twice.  They also brought a version of their Libertine Imperial red aged in 2 Gingers Whiskey barrels that is even boozier and tastier than I remember.  These two beers have really increased Fulton in my estimation.  Keep them coming!

8) Hammerheart:  A new brewery opening in Lino Lakes and focused on Celtic and Nordic culture.  These guys had a great display featuring a Nordic wooden shield, excellent artwork and tattooed servers.  All of the beers were very interesting, featuring oak aging, smoke, habeneros, etc.  They had an impressively long line throughout the festival.  I tried them all and was intrigued by the ideas, but feel that they maybe should get their base recipe styles a bit more refined before adding all the crazy stuff.  I had this issue when I first started homebrewing, wanting to add all sorts of fruit and spices and things to my beers.  Watch them though--and they have a cool aesthetic.

Celt-Punk Hammerheart!

9) Jack Pine:  Brewmaster Patrick Sundberg has really started making some great beers in his small Baxter, MN brewery over the last year.  Disclaimer: I contributed a small amount to his successful Kickstarter campaign, and this was the second time I have been able to try his beers.  All the beers he is putting out are incredibly clean and well balanced, perfect for his location and main clientele.  The Dead Branch is probably the best cream ale I've had in years, and the Duck Pond is easily better than Newcastle.  Check them out but don't expect Uber beers.

10) Pour Decisions:  Contining their tradition of making rare and extinct styles of beers to appeal to the beer geek in all of us, we sampled a great Gose (Salinity) and Verity (a tart and refreshing ale aged in a wine barrel.)  Always something cool to try here.

11) Rock Bottom:  Another day another brewer.  Pio has apparently moved on and Larry Skellenger from the Iowa Rock Bottom has taken his place as brewer.  His Evergreen Red IPA was a very nice and subtle spruce ale, and a good start to a new career move.

12) Town Hall:  Always one of my favorites, these guys continually impress me.  The mango IPA was probably the first IPA my wife has ever tasted that caused her to go back for her own sample!  And Russian Roulette (Belgian chocolate Imperial stout anyone?) was my favorite beer of the day.  They tied for best beer with Bent Paddle for it! 

Sj and I actually finished a bit before the fest was over, cutting ourselves off long before we got sloppy.  Restraint is good.  We headed over to Tycoons, the new upscale restaurant by the folks who own Fitgers Brewhouse.  They had some good Fitgers beers on tap, a few that were only at the restaurant, and very good food.  The smoked fish appetizer platter was a huge hit at our table and we ended up splitting two.  The place is very large and takes up much of the historic city hall building.  There is a large upstairs the was taken up by a post-beer-festival party for the brewers when we were there.  They have a small downstairs bar (located in the old jail area) that is worth just checking out if you can:  exposed brick, dark corners, and a creepy/cool speakeasy feel.

Overall, All Pints North was an amazing festival in a cool outdoor venue.  I would love to come back to it again in a year or two.  Other than not enough BIFs and dump/rinse stations I think this was one of the best festivals I've been to. 

Castle Danger Brewery: Danger Is My Middle Name...

On our recent trip to Duluth we took a day trip up north to Split Rock lighthouse and its surrounding environs.  We very randomly discovered that my cousin IZ and his wife Emily were visiting her parents in Knife River--right along our route to the light house!  After a wonderful meal at the New Scenic Café just north of Duluth along Scenic 61, we met up with my family for a bit.  Emily's parents own a beautifully renovated home on an old camp site right on Lake Superior with lake access.  We had a great time hanging out, hunting for agates and drinking some Canal Park Maibock from a growler IZ had waiting for us.

After getting a sunburned neck, we were back on our way up north to hit the lighthouse.  We ignored the movie about the place, but checked out the small interactive museum in the visitor center.  They have tours every half hour, but we were behind schedule and did it on our own.  The light house itself is very cool, affording a lot of picture opportunities for a budding iPhonographer like myself.  There are also some short trails around the buildings and a really long set of steps down to the lake that parallels the old rail-line that used to bring food and supplies from the shore up to the keeper's
family. 

On the way home, we were able to stop off at the tiny Castle Danger Brewery located in the town of the same name.  Possibly the coolest name for a city and brewery that I've heard of.  From the website:   "The brewery is situated at Castle Haven Cabins, a small family resort in Castle Danger also run by Clint & Jamie.  The land was originally homesteaded by Jamie's great-grandfather in 1902.  Her grandfather Marcus Lind built the first cabin in 1933."  Down a long dirt road just off HWY 61, this place is easy to miss.  Neither phone nor car GPS will not get you there correctly...I speak from experience!  Use the directions from the website (if you can get cell service out there, which was iffy for us.)  We almost let it go, but eventually managed to find our way out to this interesting site.

Nestled in amongst well-kept cabins along the lake shore, we found the small, red garage/shed where the brewery itself is located.  They have no tap room and are a production brewery only, however they have limited open hours for tours, and growler and merch sales.  We happened in during the correct time period (mostly because of using up some afternoon with family, so it all worked out great!)  The brewery itself houses a 3 barrel brew system that is just a small step up from the stainless system I brew on at home!  So cute!  I enjoyed being taller than the kettle and the fermenters, it doesn't happen often.  They were doing a brisk business, with plenty of locals and tourists popping in for some growlers and shirts.  They had 4 taps and were serving samples in small cups so we could try the beers at the brewery.  I wasn't convinced this would be the case based on the info from the website, and was glad I had a chance to try them all.  I really liked the flagship Danger Ale: called an American strong ale on the website, but what I would call a malty pale ale.  They had a cream ale and a hoppy wheat beer on as well that were both respectable.  We didn't end up getting any growlers, mainly because we had already gathered a few from other breweries on this trip to Duluth.  In lieu of supporting them by buying beer, I'm writing this to get the word out! 

Overall I think this place is an interesting experiment.  It feels more like a hobby or labor of love than a brewery that has plans to take over the Minnesota beer market.  The brewer/owner, Clint MacFarlane, is self trained as a homebrewer and has managed to use the land they already own as a place for the brewery.  Apparently they recently hired a second brewer who has been trained at Siebel, and that should only improve the quality and quantity of beer they can put out.  I did see a sign in the brewery that said proceeds from merchandise would go toward purchasing a larger brewhouse, so they obviously have plans to increase production in the future.  One can find the beer on tap around the Duluth area and up north as far as Grand Marais.  Check them out if you are in the area, but check for directions and hours of operation before you make the trip!

Duluth Beer Scene: Canal Park Brewing Company Review

On our recent trip to Duluth we were pleased to discover a bunch of new local breweries since the last trip up there in 2011.  One such brewery is Canal Park Brewing Company.  Located smack-dab in the center of Canal Park, this place has automatic name recognition and one of the finest spots for foot traffic I've seen. 

From our hotel (Fitgers) we strolled down the Lakewalk to Canal Park, getting an excellent view of Lake Superior, incoming barges, and the lift bridge.  We arrived at the brewery just after 11 AM for an early lunch and the place was already fairly busy.  By the time we were done eating it was packed in there, probably due in part to the All Pints North beer festival that afternoon had bringing a lot of beer geeks in from the Cities.  I'm guessing the place is always pretty crowded though. 

Outside the entrance we were greeted by old kegs bursting with live flowers and plants.  This is a large building featuring lots of stainless steel, glass, exposed ventilation pipes and concrete.  The brewery still has the new-car-smell, with everything still being shiny and clean.  A nice bar fronted with deep blue tiles is located against the back wall with the serving tanks visible through large glass windows.  Overhanging the bar are unusual light fixtures made of Canal Park growlers with the bottoms cut off.  Several large chalk boards show off the variety of available beers in colorful chalk scrawlings.  They have a large and very impressive outdoor seating area for the few warm months in Duluth.  There is also a small shop near the entrance where you can buy shirts, hats, jewelry and other swag.  I can only imagine how expensive it must have been to build such a big place right in the main touristy area of Duluth, and they have obviously put a lot of money into the décor as well.

I had a burger and Sj had fish tacos for lunch.  Both dishes were decent, but nothing I would write home about.  (But will Blog about...)  Our server was very pleasant, but was so busy that we didn't get the best of service.  I did not have great luck with burgers on this particular trip to Duluth, with every place overcooking them.  Oh well, can't all be as good as Town Hall burgers. 

This isn't blurry, it's just how I was feeling that morning...

They had 10 beers on tap, available in a flight of 4 or a "round trip" of 8.  We shared the round trip so we could taste most of them.  Always hard to decide which beers to include in a sampler--that is why you get the sampler in the first place!  We had tried the Maibock the previous day with my cousin, so I could let that one go, and since I'm not a huge pilsner fan I let that one go as well.  Sj and I agreed that the best beer they had was Kessel Run ESB, and yes I drank it in under 12 parsecs.  The Dawn Treader Tripel and the Saison were pretty good too.  Overall the beers were respectable, but not nearly as good as Bent Paddle's.  They had a gluten free pale ale that was pretty hideous, but I appreciate them trying to do something like this.  I like the idea of a hoppy gluten free beer to cover up the usual weird taste, but this one had such an astringent aftertaste that I couldn't get more than a sip or so down.  Checking my phone just after trying this beer, I spotted a text from Shawn warning me not to get that one.  Too late!

Overall, I liked this brewpub, but with some reservations.  We did not get the best food or service, but this might have been at least partly due to the massive influx of beer folks that day.  The beers were average to slightly above in quality.  Certainly if you are walking around Canal Park, I would recommend stopping in and trying some of the beer to make up your own mind. 

Bent Paddle Brewing Company Review

I have been waiting patiently for Bent Paddle Brewing Company to open for years, and now it has finally opened its doors and is putting out excellent beers.  Some background first:  The brewery was started (at least in planning) in 2011 and just opened for the public in May 2013.  CEO and Director of Brewery Operations Bryon Tonnis has been brewing for more than 12 years, and was putting out fantastic beers at the Minneapolis Rock Bottom prior to this venture.  Colin Mullen (now President and Director of Brewery Communications) had his start as the brewer at Barley Johns.  I had the pleasure of meeting Bryon several times at RB brewmaster dinners and festivals and have been hoping to see him back in action.  Also several years back I won a brew day at Barley Johns at a silent auction and was able to help out Colin with a batch there.  He is a really mellow guy with a lot of brewing knowledge to share.  Not to forget them, (but I haven't met them yet), wives and partners Karen Tonnis and Laura Mullen are probably the true power behind the throne! 

On our trip to Duluth for the All Pints North beer festival this summer we finally had a chance to get to the brewery.  The shuttle driver from Fitgers (more on that place in another post) was kind enough to pick us up from dinner and drop us off at the brewery.  We were very happy of that since the place is about a 2 mile walk from the Canal Park area...doable, but a bit much after all the walking we had done already that day.  Our friends Randy and Andrea had brought their bikes and ended up meeting us at the brewery after dinner as well. 

Upon entry, I was struck by the mixture of exposed brick, deep chocolate paint and stainless steel in the place.  It was a nice combination of new industrial and comfortable history.  There was plenty of seating and a long bar the back of the building.  One can see the brew house through a large pair of sliding glass doors near the bar.  I hate taprooms that hide the equipment!  Lurking at a table near the bar when we arrived was my good friend Shawn and friend Brad!  We happily ended up hanging out with them for a while until our other friends arrived and Shawn wanted to head over to Canal Park Brewing. 

The brewery has only been open a couple of months and only has a few flagship beers, but still offer a surprising array of taps.  The current basic beers are the Bent Hop IPA (very well balanced and better than many I had in Oregon), and Black Ale (riding the line between porter and stout and hitting all the right notes for me.)  To mix things up a bit they had a blonde ale that I didn't try and a cold press coffee version of the black ale on tap as well.  They also had experimental Calibration ales (and IPA and a Dark) both served on nitro for a change of pace.  Rock Bottom under Bryon was the first place I've ever seen an IPA on nitro and I'm glad they brought this trick with them!  They don't have samplers, but do offer 10, 16 and 20 oz glasses of the beers.  I was impressed with the overall quality of the beers, every one of them was incredibly drinkable and full of character.  This should not surprise me based on the brewing skills of both the brewers here, but I'm still excited by how well they are doing right out of the chute.  I believe that they tied with Town Hall for best beer at All Pints North the next day and the line at their booth was always long.  I was happy I had tried most of the beers the night prior to the fest so I didn't have to wait in those lines.

The shirts look nice and they actually have a long sleeved T!  Stainless steel growlers and locally made canvas growler cozies are pretty sweet.  If we didn't have such draconian laws on needing a separate growler from each brewery, I would have picked up one of those.  After visiting Oregon where every place will fill a growler you bring in, as well as having special beer stores that can fill them with other commercial beers, I feel like this is something Minnesota needs to change if they want to keep up with other brewery-heavy states. 

With the APN going on that weekend, there were tons of brewers from the Cities in town and we ran into Peter Mack (previously also from Rock Bottom and currently a brewer at Town Hall) at Bent Paddle.  Bryon and Colin were both present and I got to talk briefly with Bryon about the brewery and his plans for the future.  It sounds like they are having a hard time keeping up with demand for their beer locally so it may be a while before we get some distribution down here in Minneapolis.  Selling out of beer is a great place to start for a new brewery!

Overall, this place is fantastic and they are putting out some of the best beer in the state only two months after opening.  They have immediately jumped into my top five or six breweries in Minnesota, and I wish them much luck for the coming years.  Based on the response at All Pints North I think that many other beer geeks are agreeing with me!