A Whale A Week: Pelican Mother Of All Storms 2014

Last week we showed off the now ancient 2008 vintage of Surly Darkness.  At that same time we used our panel of judges to try a couple other rare beers...to clear the palate you see?  Or something.  OK, we just wanted to drink more and its hard to go down to lesser beers after such a brawny one.  We poured this into Surly Darkness and Steel Toe snifters for tasting.  Here is our cast of characters: Me (Eric)--homebrewer for over 25 years, beer judge, beer geek.  Sj--my wife who inexplicably is a woman of few words when it comes to reviewing beer.  Sean Kampshoff--Winner of National Homebrew Competition medals, beer judge, cool guy.  Jim & Cindy Moldenhauer--a very fun couple of craft beer geeks we got to know at several McCoy's Public House beer dinners.

Pelican Pub & Brewery Mother Of All Storms 2014

Pelican started life in 1996 along the northern Oregon coast in tiny (and I mean tiny) Pacific City, and is the state's only oceanfront brewpub.  They have grown in popularity based on scenic location, and due to the high quality of their beers.  They've won many awards over the years for their beers and have been named best brewpub and small brewery in multiple national contests.  They have done quite a bit of expansion over the past few years, opening a production facility and taproom in nearby Tillamook (yes the place they make the cheese...) and have plans to open another brewpub in Cannon Beach in 2016.  For those Minnesotans reading this, our very own treasured Jason Schoneman of Steel Toe Brewing, used to brew for Pelican!  

My wife, Sj, and I visited the original brewpub sometime around 2005 on a trip up the Oregon coast visiting wineries and breweries.  We had to go a bit beyond our planned course to hit the place, but I had heard such great things from my local cousins that I pushed us to go there.  At the time the brewpub was very comfortable, spacious, and relaxed.  They were building an upscale Inn and some cabins right next door and those are all complete and functional now.  In fact they have a B&B&B now (Bed, Breakfast, Beer)--stay the night, get food at the pub and beer!  Sounds like a great trip to me!  The pub is right on the beach and has a fantastic view of the ocean and Haystack Rock, making this one of the best views from a brewery I've been to.  The rooftop of De Halve Maan Brewery in Bruges may have outdone this...  We enjoyed the food quite a bit--more upscale than many brewpubs but not pretentious.  And the beers were all stellar.  

Which ends our background--on to the beer at hand!  Mother Of All Storms (MOAS for short) is based on their English barleywine Stormwatcher's Winterfest, but aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels.  Usually released in November, the hearty beer clocks in around 14% ABV and 40 IBU.  My mom still visits our family in Oregon every Christmas and brought me back this hard to find 2014 vintage bottle from her most recent trip.  Thanks mom!  The beer was originally named The Perfect Storm for 2008 and 2009, but due to trademark issues (possibly from a popular movie at the time) the name was changed.  Beer Advocate gives this a 99 and RateBeer gives it a 100.  

Aroma:

Eric: Strong toffee to sugary caramel!  Booze is certainly present, but not burning.  Vanilla and oak tannins are present to some extent as well.  Overall I can tell this is going to be SWEET!

Sean: Rich toffee, caramel, vanilla, marshmallow, coconut.  No hop aroma. 

Cindy: Angel's Share

Jim: Bourbon!

Appearance:  

Deep brown/amber with ruby highlights.  Fine dark tan head that fades quickly.  Excellent clarity.

Flavor:
Eric: Oh my my, oh hell yes, better put on your party dress!  Sweet caramel and toffee explodes over your tongue, leaving a trail of coconut and vanilla in its wake.  Strong bourbon flavors and warming, but so SMOOTH.  Very little bitterness.  Slight pixie stick straight sugar zing on the end.  Mouthfeel is nearly full.  Carbonation on the low side.
Sean: Dark fruit, raisins and toffee.  No hop flavor, low bitterness.  Tannic dryness in the finish.  Mouthfeel medium full body.  Medium low carbonation.
Cindy: Bourbon deliciousness.
Jim: Heaven in a glass.

Overall: 
Eric: Wow!  Well deserved fame.  This is sweet and boozy but so well crafted/balanced that it isn't cloying. I would seek this out any day.  5
Sean: Amazing barleywine! 4.75
Cindy: 4.75
Jim: 5
Sj: "My favorite beer of the night!" 5

Overall score:  4.9

This is what happens when you finish with MOAS...

While this was the last of 4 whale beers we tried (I'm doing these in the order that I get the photo's done, not the order we drank them) it was certainly the best.  Having tasted one-year-old Steel Toe Lunker I can sense a certain kindred to the two beers.  The best part of that?  Sj picked me up 6 Lunkers last recently and I don't have to have my mom mule those back from another state!

Thoughts on Untappd

I recently read Michael Agnew's article in The Growler about Untappd and serial drinkers.  He had included me in his group of informants for the work (showing that he both has good taste and does his research!)  If you haven't read his article yet, I suggest checking it out HERE, but come back after and read the rest of this entry!  Having taken the time to write up responses to his questions, I realized that I had most of a blog entry already written and my thoughts varied a bit from the tack that Agnew took.  Why not expand on this a little as an avid Untappd user for several years now?

While Untappd (and other apps like it) fulfill various needs and desires for beer drinkers, Agnew's piece focuses in on the concept of the Serial Drinker.  He describes a serial drinker thus: A “serial” beer drinker is one with very little brand loyalty. Serial drinkers tend to seek out new beers that they haven’t yet tried rather than sticking with brands that they know. They are the people who look at a beer list and say, “I’ll have this. I haven’t had it yet.” As usual with Agnew's work, he is incredibly well spoken and has spent much time thinking out his points before writing them up.  Also, as he often does, he takes a borderline controversial stance.  This is actually why I like reading his stuff: that devil's advocate view is often more entertaining and thought-provoking than the mutual back-slapping of most craft beer journalism!

When asked if I am a serial drinker my response is this:  I have some brand loyalty and certainly the more unique beers I try from a brewery that rate highly will increase that loyalty. On the other hand, I admit that I get bored easily and rarely buy a full 6 pack of any one beer--making me a serial drinker.  Let me use Odell as an example: Having visited Odell in Colorado when it was still a small local brewery and being blown away by their beers, I have been watching them closely ever since.  When they arrived in Minnesota I rejoiced and promptly bought a bunch of their beers.  After a while--when I could grab a 90 Shilling at many pubs and liquor stores--I mostly stopped actively searching it out.  However, I have had enough fantastic beers from Odell over the years that when I get wind of a new one coming out I will go looking for it.  For me this is brand loyalty, but not necessarily beer loyalty.  If I find a brand, say Leinenkugel's, that I have tried 8 beers from (giving them more than enough tries to get things right,) and rate them all 3 or under on a scale of 1-5, then that brewery is much less likely to intrigue me in the future.  For me, using Untappd allows me to keep track of these breweries and beers for future reference.

Back to the easily bored thing.  I like to try new things and the only way to find a new beer that you might love is to take a chance.  By doing this I run the risk of getting an inferior beer, but I could get something great! Then again, having had a lot of different beers from different breweries, I have a feel for which ones are likely to be good bets. Kind of like being a seasoned gambler who knows the odds versus being a green mark goggling around during their first trip to a casino.  I don't just choose my "new" beer willy-nilly.  I also sometimes look up a beer on Untappd prior to ordering, just to get a feel for what other folks have rated it.  If everyone says it is terrible, I might adjust my choices!

When there are so many recognized good beers around, why should I keep trying new ones instead of sticking with those?  I'll be honest, I use the old standbys as a beer life-line of sorts.  I always know those good beers are available and can use them as back-up if I get a lousy one. A recent example of this occurred just a few days ago at Old Chicago.  I had ordered a beer that was listed as an Imperial IPA (a favorite style of mine) but when it arrived I found it to be a black IPA that was not to my liking.  They were kind enough to replace it, and rather than risk a new failure, I went with a Schell's beer I have enjoyed in the past.  I also often try to get bars/pubs to give me sample of the untested beer before I buy a whole pint if possible.

Why not just drink my favorites (Surly, Steel Toe, Bent Paddle)? I love those breweries and almost everything I have had from them is wonderful. But after even one Furious, I'm in the mood for something completely different. And a lot of my favorite beers are more difficult to find (Imperial stouts, sours, barleywines, barrel aged) and are not as easily available. If I could have Darkness or Lunker any time I wanted...I probably would!

So why do I bother to check into Untappd?  I have several answers for this one!

 A. I like to keep track for future reference as mentioned above.  Did I like that beer before or did I give it a mediocre score? Once you try a lot of beers it gets hard to remember them!

 B. I also use the app as a Facebook-of-beer. I like seeing what my friends are drinking as well as toasting them, taunting them, or asking questions of them. And by doing this on Untappd, I'm not spamming all my non-beer friends and family with all my drinking hijinks. There is some element of showing off and competition going on there as well. I'm a big beer geek and when I get to drink a rare Cantillon or a Bourbon County Stout I want to share that excitement with other folks who will "get it".   Can this boasting be bad?  Sure, just like Facebook, forums, etc. there can be Trolls.  Not the kind with green skin wielding gnarled oaken clubs, but people who feel like they can say obnoxious things in the relative anonymity of cyberspace.  De-friend them and they will bother you no more!

 C. I have actually met local people through Untappd that I later ended up becoming real friends with, as well as arranging for some beer trades from other states, so there is a real life social aspect to this as well.

D. I have used the location features of the app to good effect.  One afternoon while hanging out at Town Hall Brewery, I checked in a beer on Untappd.  Doing a quick scan of what other friends were drinking, I discovered that one of my good friends had just logged in a beer at Town Hall as well.  I wandered the place until I found him and he joined our group for the evening.  This may not seem all that impressive to those who live in the Twin Cities proper, but I live in Waconia and rarely run into people I know when in Town!  On that same day I checked the Nearby Beers feature on the app and discovered that people were drinking Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout just down the road at the Nomad World Pub.  Our group was soon off, fighting through a crowd of folks waiting for PBR tallboys in search of this dark and precious fluid.

So basically I use this app for multiple reasons at different times.  Probably the only negative I see is that my (mostly) very tolerant wife will complain from time to time about me whipping out my phone to check in beers when she wants to be talking to me.  And I get that!  On the other hand I really enjoy checking in my ratings for beers and comparing to other people's.

In his article Agnew mentions the "gamification" of this app and gives some good information about this as a marketing tool.  With us being a technological society, and also one with a notoriously short attention span, apps and programs that keep us involved or reaching for goals like badges will keep us coming back.  Geek Alert: I play the incredibly addictive computerized card game Hearthstone on my iPad nearly every day.  Each day the game gives you a new goal and if you reach that goal you will earn virtual gold to spend on new cards.  So you can play some more.  And earn more virtual gold.  So you can get more cards.  Ad infinitum.  Yet I enjoy the game for what it is and for the interaction with other gamers, not just for the "gotta catch 'em all!" collector value.  There is something intensely gratifying about your cards coming out just right and sweeping an enemy player off the map with some epic combination that is a glory all its own!


Untappd has badges for things like drinking a certain number of lagers, or pumpkin beers, or Belgian ales, or a certain number of total unique beers.  I'm not really looking to win these badges but I do remark upon them when they arrive.  I'll admit I have sampled a cider or two from my wife just so I could complete the Johnny Appleseed badge though.  Call me a sucker!  I can tell that Agnew doesn't like the concept of drinking beers just to hit a number...and he isn't wrong in that.  However, Untappd also rewards the steady drinker with the 6 Pack badge for drinking the same beer for a week, and the Brewery Loyalist badge for drinking 10 beers from the same brewery in the past 30 days.


I've noticed that the app has occasional badges for specific breweries or beers, funded by those breweries. This doesn't seem to be secret or nefarious and the app is free.   Everybody wants to get paid right?  So perhaps a sucker is born every minute, and apps like these use subliminal methods to take advantage of that and direct our consumerism.  But one must weigh the risks and benefits!  I've also noticed that breweries are paying attention to what people are saying on Untappd.  This is a quick way of getting some feedback on beers for them, and probably drives them crazy if a beer is not as well received as expected.  Just recently we cracked a beer at an event that had gone unintentionally sour and the next day someone from the brewery had contacted us for information about it.

So, apparently from reading my own blog entry I'm Untappd's biggest fanboy.  Overall, I enjoy the app for what it does, but it certainly is going to fulfill different roles for different people.  I obviously have a different take on the use of this tool from others.  Thanks go to Michael Agnew and his article about this app and trends for prompting me to take a closer look at something I use regularly.  In that article he sums up with the question "Are you in it of the journey or the destination?"  This is a great question and relates as much to life in general as to beer drinking.  Personally I'm into the journey.  I view Untappd as a tattered old map (or my fritzy GPS that freaks out in St. Paul) that sometimes helps me find my way on that trip.

I'm curious if any of my readers have strong opinions on the issue of Serial Drinkers, or of using Untappd in general.  Feel free to chime in and tell me what you think!

Limited Release Episode 9: Surly Darkness, Steel Toe, Fulton!

Here is a link to my friend's show Limited Release.  This month they visit Steel Toe and Fulton breweries, culminating in Surly Darkness Day!  Including a cool interview with one of the best MN brewers Jason Schoneman of Steel Toe, and with Alvey from the Four Firkins.  I'm not in this episode but you should watch it anyway! Catch up on old episodes if you haven't seen them yet!

http://www.limitedreleasebeer.com/the-beer/darkness-day/

Republic Homebrew Chef Dinner

When I was alerted to this event (via Facebook) this was a no-brainer...I had to get there.  I'm sure my readers know that I'm all about the gluttony and go to more than my share of beer dinners around the Twin Cities, already having been to a couple this month, so even I felt that this might be excessive.  But it was Sean Paxton the Homebrew Chef! 

Let me back up a bit.  I've been listening to The Brewing Network podcasts for many years now, usually while brewing, and first "met" Sean Paxton through them.  He hosted on several episodes, and just listening to him talk about beer and food was mouthwatering and intriguing.  Paxton is a bearded Goliath of a man, incredibly well spoken and seems to taste food and beer on a completely different plane than most people.  On one of the podcasts I listened to he directed attention to his website.  If you haven't done so go check it out now (but come back and finish reading this blog entry afterwards!)   Make sure to look at the recipes...

Ok, are you back from your Internet journey?  Those recipes are gold.  Foody and fancy and glorious.  I have successfully created dishes based on his recipes for chicken braised in dubbel, grand cru braised lamb shank, lamb shepard's pie, and the extravagant barleywine prime rib.  I have also used his beer brine for chicken and even a Thanksgiving turkey (using an old fermentation bucket as a brining vessel.)  Some of these recipes are simple, others are more complex, but all result in an amazing use of beer in the cooking process.  I recently used a set of recipes from Beer Advocate to make a St. Patty's Day dinner as well and blogged about that.  What I love is that he uses beer as an ingredient in pretty much all of his dishes, contrasting and complimenting the flavors of both the beer and the food.

I've also been to two NHC award banquets and both tasting menus were created by this man, paired perfectly with tasty and complex Rogue beers.  As a result of tasting Paxton's food personally and trying my own hand at recreating his dishes at home, to say I was excited about him coming to town for this beer dinner is certainly an understatement.  Strangely it took my wife prodding me to bite the bullet and get us tickets, but she's an enabler...

The dinner was at Republic Uptown, and only their second beer dinner to date.  The first was a smaller group with Steel Toe and we missed it due to prior engagements.  This dinner was very large, perhaps too much so, but they rolled with it and made the dinner a very good experience.  The event took up the entire restaurant side of the space, but was not really separated from the rowdy Friday night bar crowd.  Between the noise from the bar side and the ebullient diner cheer, it was a bit cacophonous.  Luckily the folks at Republic had planned ahead and set up a microphone for the various speakers, so we could all hear the details.  Our friend Emily Brink (previously from The Happy Gnome) is a manager at Republic and obviously put a lot of time and effort into making this work, as did the rest of the staff.  This dinner was the first such event that was organized by the Rob Shellman, founder of the Better Beer Society.  The goal of that organization is the improve the quality and serving of craft beer in Minnesota, with consulting for restaurants and pubs on their beer programs, as well as a certification for those places so potential drinkers know that they are doing things correctly.  This is the first time I've met Rob and he seemed positively giddy about the dinner!

Our meet and greet beer before the festivities was the sessionable and hoppy Steel Toe Provider.  Between each dinner they had Sean Paxton talk about the dish and the pairing, followed by the brewer to discuss the beer.  The only other beer dinner I've been to with this many brewers present is the Brewmaster's Dinner before ABR each year (last year was at Blackbird and was truly amazing.)

The first course was a raw shaved vegetable salad with goat cheese, paired with the Summit Unchained Organic Ale.  I was a little torn on how much I like this beer, but after getting to have a conversation with brewer Gabe Smoley about how much work it was to get all the organic ingredients and get it USDA certified, it rated a little higher for me.  Interestingly, they went through the effort of making sure the yeast was organic as well, despite that not being a requirement to the certification process.  Winner for this course was the Organic Ale.  Save the planet--drink a beer!

The second course was a walleye fillet poached in the Schell's Goosetown Gose beer.  I found this dish to be my least favorite of the evening, mostly because it was under seasoned, but also because I'm not a huge fan of fish.  The Goosetown was a new beer from Schell's and is a take on the nearly extinct style of Gose--a tart and sour beer with salt added during the brewing process.  Brewer Dan (I didn't catch his last name because it was loud and I'm totally losing my hearing...) discussed the beer for us.  I think he wanted it more sour, but the brewery was concerned that they wouldn't be able to sell it all if it was too sour.  I liked it, but there was more malty lager character than tartness.  Would be very refreshing on a hot summer day...maybe we'll get one of those soon!

The third course was more on track with a wild rice and purple barley (cooked in Bender) pancake topped with pheasant leg confit and a red currant sour cherry Pentagram beer jam.  There was also a healthy serving of pheasant breast that had been smoked with a Russian River Consecration barrel.  This dish was very complex and paired perfectly with the Surly Pentagram.  This beer is sour, dark, and wine like, bringing more interesting flavors with each sip.  A great beer for food pairing.  I'm glad I have a few bottles stashed away in the cellar!  Omar gave a quick talk about this one, and apparently they are now going to make this on a regular basis!

The fourth course was the winner in my book.  Or Blog.  Spring lamb simmered with leeks, yellow onions and shallots, as well as the paired beer.  This was served over soba noodles with a Sriracha gelee and brought tableside in a red Chinese carry-out box.  I am a huge fan of lamb and carbonade, and this spicy Belgian/Asian fusion dish was outrageous.  Bold flavors for a Scandinavian hold-out like Minnesota where many view black pepper as too spicy.  The beer used in the dish and paired with it was the Indeed Hot Box, an Imperial porter made in collaboration with Northbound Smokehouse.  Co-owner Tom Whisenand and brewer Josh Bischoff were both present and the humble Tom gave a bit of background on this unique beer.  They used alder, hickory, and (I think) maple wood to smoke the base grain for the beer as well as hot peppers that were added to the fermenter.  I tried this beer at Winterfest a few months ago and thought it was nearly undrinkable, but it has mellowed significantly with time.  The smoke is strong at this point but not overwhelming, and the chili burn is complementary and not overly painful.  I would search this beer out now just because it is so unusual.

The final beer of the night was my favorite: the Steel Toe Lunker.  I've blogged about this one a couple times, including standing in line outside the brewery in sub-zero weather to get our bottles of it!  Jason Schoneman talked about the beer a bit and apologized to the other brewers for not sitting with them--he was out with his wife Hanna for their second date in a year, so he should be excused!  His sweet English style barleywine aged in Templeton Rye barrels is simply heaven in a glass, and Sean Paxton encouraged Jason to send some to The Toranado Barleywine Festival in California next year.  The last decadent course was a deconstructed barleywine.  Paxton took all of the major flavor descriptors from English barleywine and combined them into a sweet and unusual desert for us.  Prunes, raisins and dried cherries were soaked in the Lunker, along with crunchy Lunker cocoa nib toffee, malted shortbread cookie and a pastry beer curd made with Before the Dawn black barleywine.  Sound awesome?  Yes it was!

Overall I think the dinner was very good, but my favorite aspect of this particular event was the social.  I am not naturally a very outgoing guy and often have a hard time talking to people unless I'm in comfortable company or surroundings.  I blame growing up Norwegian Minnesotan.  Some events though, can make it easier to break out of my stoic and quiet shell, and this was one such.  Sj and I knew a lot of people here!  Everywhere I looked I found an old friend or recent acquaintance to talk to.  I discovered a whole table of fellow homebrewers including Al Boyce, Steve Piatz and their wonderful spouses, as well as beer historian Doug Hoverson.  My good friend Chris German from Rahr/Brewer's Supply Group was there, and he knows everybody in the business.  Our friends Randy and Andrea from previous beers dinners kindly saved us seats and kept us entertained through dinner.  A contingent of folks from The Happy Gnome were there, including the talented Executive Chef Scott Brink, and general manager Ryan Huseby.  Ben Knutson and James Beard nominee Jack Riebel from Butcher & The Boar were there as well, lurking off in a corner.  Let's not forget to mention getting to briefly talk with Sean Paxton, Jason, Omar, and some of the other brewers.  I feel like even without great food and beer I would have had a wonderful time!  While I truly love food and beer, this is the real reason I continue to frequent so many beer dinners.  Thanks to Republic, BBS, Sean Paxton, all the brewers, and all the staff for putting on a unique experience, and for giving me the chance to take part.

McCoy's Public House Steel Toe Dinner 4/4/13

McCoy's Public House opened in St. Louis Park quite a while ago, before the big craft beer boom in this state.  At first they were touting themselves as a brew pub and some good friends of ours invited us to go there (knowing I was a big beer geek.)  I was disappointed to find out that the beer was not brewed there, but shipped from a facility in another state entirely--and I was disappointed in the quality of that beer as well.  The food was fairly good at the time, but nothing to get me racing back there.  I'll admit I left this place off my radar and forgot entirely about it until recently.

Just a few short weeks ago, my friend Nick Collins started working at McCoy's as the bar manager, and this prompted us to take a trip out there and get a baseline reading of how the place was doing.  We were actually fairly impressed with the food and prices, getting there for brunch and having chicken and waffles that were spot-on.  The beer list is extensive with a lot of taps and bottles to choose from.  They have thankfully let go of the McCoy's beers.  The beer menu was a little wacky, with some beers in the wrong category as well as a few unseasonal beers available.  Based on my visit last night the beer menu is looking better already and some cool beers are popping up there!  You can also get a four-drink sampler if you can't make up your mind...I am a sucker for these!  It looks like the restaurant wants to expand their craft beer selection and do more beer-related events like firkins and beer dinners--certainly the right direction to go in my mind!

Just after arriving at McCoy's, Nick was thrown into the deep end and asked to help organize a beer dinner, and that was music to my ears!  They managed to get Steel Toe Brewing on board, which makes sense since the brewery and their new tasting room is less than a mile away.  You have probably heard me say it before, and you probably will again: Steel Toe is one of my favorite breweries and Jason Schoneman makes some incredibly, consistently tasty beers.   This was actually Steel Toe's inaugural beer dinner and I feel excited and proud to have been a part of it.  One day when Steel Toe is a giant regional brewing behemoth like Summit or Great Lakes, I'll be able to say that I got in at the ground floor...

Upon arrival we were escorted to a back room where they had assigned us seats at communal tables.  I love this type of set-up for beer dinners because it encourages the diners to talk to their neighbors...something that Minnesotans are notoriously uncomfortable with!  We ended up talking quite a bit to a young couple seated next to us and had a great time hanging out with them.  We arrived slightly early and had a chance to talk a while with Jason, who is always entirely pleasant and laid-back.  I guess there were some late additions to the dinner so the poor guy had to sit at his own small table... sort of like getting stuck at the kids' table at a wedding.  Before the dinner began he gave a little talk about the history of his brewery and answered some questions.  I always love hearing this info directly from the brewers and appreciate him coming to this event himself--especially since he is knee deep in electrical work and installation of new fermenters in the brewery right now! 

We started the dinner with a glass of Provider:  an unfiltered pilsner-esqe ale with a citrus character, notes of yeastiness and a pleasant malt backbone.  This was paired with seared baramundi and crispy pork shoulder with a thai inspired rice noodle salad and pea shoots.  I wanted more of that sriracha sauce!  And more of the pork shoulder! 

Between each course Jason was able to give us a bit of background on each beer and then Chef Peter Hoff talked briefly about each course before rushing back into the kitchen to finish preparing our food.  My picture of the chef was blurry, (probably because he moves so fast,) so you will have to believe me that he really exists.

The second course was a flavorful take on chicken-fried steak, but using lamb instead of steak!  Madras curry reduction, local honey, pears, and tart apples made this a complex dish with bursts of heat, sweet, and savory.  The dish was paired with Size 7 IPA and apparently the lamb was braised in the beer as well.  I'm a big fan of this IPA and could drink it every day if I lived just a little closer to the taproom.  I should mention at this time that McCoy's did not skimp on the pours, bringing out a full pint of this beer, and usually topping up your glass if you so desired during the dinner.  Good job guys!

Third course was an incredible smoked beef tenderloin with a risotto made partially from Steel Toe spent grain.  The chef did some complex cheffery to get the flavor from the grain without leaving husks to get caught in our teeth.  Caramelized fennel, wild mushrooms and a roasted onion/Rainmaker jus also populated the plate, adding intriguing earthy and liqourice notes to the overall dish.  This was, of course, paired with the Rainmaker--probably my favorite of Steel Toe's regular line up.  A bitter and malty Imperial Red ale, the beer ends dry enough that you can keep on drinking and paired very well with the food.

To wrap up the meal we were brought a snifter of Steel Toe Lunker.  I have blogged about this beer before (and waiting in line for its release) and it is one of my favorite beers to come out in the last several years.  A perfectly balanced barleywine aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels, it clocks in at a brawny 10.6% ABV.  I would have gone to this dinner just for the glass of Lunker.  The desert was a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla bean whipped cream and coconut candied cashews.  The flavors in the desert played nicely with the beer, but my distended abdomen prompted me to focus my attention on the beer and leave behind some of the food.  Priorities...

As a veteran of many-a-beer-dinner, I think this was a very successful example.  For the price ($45 including tax and gratuity) it was a steal, giving us more than our money's worth in good beer, companionship and well-prepared cuisine.  The service was quick, efficient, and friendly.  About the only thing I would have changed would be having a meet and greet beer available before the first course for those who arrive early to sip on while making the acquantance of their neighbors.  The lack of such a beer may actually have been due to the limited number of options Steel Toe had available, but I would highly recommend one for their next beer dinner.  Speaking of which, McCoy's next foray into beer dinners will be Great Lakes 5/23/13, so keep your ear to the ground and sign up when it is posted.  Many thanks to Jason, Chef Peter, Nick, and all the other McCoy's folks who put this on--keep 'em coming!

Steel Toe Lunker Release 2012

I missed the first year's release of Lunker Barleywine from Steel Toe Brewery and have been regretting it since.  A big and flavorful barleywine aged in Templeton Rye Whiskey barrels, this is an amazing beer.  Andrew did share a bottle at one of our brewclub meetings, but I wanted my own to treasure and hoard like some demented Smaug the Beer Dragon.

This year I was prepared.  Sj and I woke up too early on a Saturday, had coffee, then drove down to the St. Louis Park brewery.  This happened to be one of the coldest days we've had here in Minnesota this season, the mercury dropping to about 14 degrees F when we arrived.  Most of the people were still in cars trying to stay warm, so we followed suit.  There was one group of folks standing around tail-gating and sharing cool beers, but they must have been insane.  One lady was wearing shorts.  Shorts!  Insane I tell you!  Once we could see a line starting to form around the loading dock entrance to the brewery we donned our hats and gloves, zipped up our parkas and headed out into the bitter chill.  This was at about 9:30 AM.  Once a line starts at one of these events it seems to quickly hit critical mass and suddenly stretches into the icy horizon.  Keith joined us in line and I saw Dave back in line behind us.  Apparently Rob and Kent eventually got there but I must have been long gone by then.  Good that some of my friends were able to get some bottles.

Minnesotan beer geeks are cray-cray!

Right about where I couldn't feel my face anymore and my hands were clenched into creaky lobster claws, they opened the doors and let us into the blessed heat of the brewery.  They had it set up very slickly with someone at the door to check ID, then we were routed past the taps and given a small sample of the Lunker to try before we decided how many to buy.  Very nice feature!  Keith beat me to rating it on Untappd though.  I blame the frozen sausage fingers for my slow performance.  The beer itself was just how I remember from my taste last year:  Sweet, caramel, vanilla and a mild alcohol burn.  Very warming and perfect to get some sensation back in the frigid gullet.

After picking up our bottles we took a quick look at the in-process tasting room at the front of the building.  The bar is up and the lights are mostly installed.  Mostly some cosmetic things to do, but looking good.  I have some pictures of the before, during and will soon have after pictures to show the process.  I'll do that on another post in the future.  We did get a brief chance to talk to Jason, the owner and brewer on our way out.  It sounds like things have been pretty busy around the brewery between the build, Lunker release and the birth of a new baby for Jason!  Congrats and good luck.  And keep putting out amazing beers like this and there is no way to go but up!