Beer Me! — Lupulin Brewing — Big Lake — Big Lake, Minnesota, United States

English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter

7.50% abv.

Date: December 25, 2021 (#10805)

Package: canned

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Deep amber, opaque. Huge head.

Aroma (3)
Mild citrus, floral. Bready and yeasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body. Slick and yeasty. Fruity, grassy, floral hop flavor. Low bitterness. Mildly grassy finish.

Overall Impression (1½)
Probably a good example in a style that I just don't like.

Adult Sophistication

Barley Wine-Style Ale

12.50% abv.

Date: April 22, 2022 (#11007)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant red-brown. Big creamy head.

Aroma (3)
Hint of orange. Caramel and biscuit.

Mouthfeel (8)
Thick, malty-sweet. Citrus and pine. Warming in the belly, but not on the palate.

Overall Impression (2½)
Big beer, nicely complex, and really dangerous.

American Pils

American-Style Pilsener

4.50% abv.

Date: July 1, 2022 (#11074)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. High carbonation. Dense head.

Aroma (4)
Bready, floral, sulfury.

Mouthfeel (10)
Light body, fizzy. Clean malt, floral hops, nicely bitter. Fairly but appropriately sulfury. Clean hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent beer!

Ark Royal

Date: October 30, 2021 (#10746)

Package: nitrogenated

Place: Short or Tall Eatery & Drink Hall, Rogers MN

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright copper color. Tight dense nitro head.

Aroma (4)
Bready, grassy, smoky, grainy.

Mouthfeel (10)
Medium body, creamy smooth. Nice biscuity-grainy malt with a mild caramel note, along with some bread crust. Grassy hop flavor. Lingering low-medium bitterness with a floral note.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent beer. I love it when a brewery nails a traditional style. I'd like to taste a CO₂ version to compare.

Baggage Czech

Bohemian-Style Pilsener

4.20% abv.

Date: February 5, 2023 (#11308)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant golden. Medium dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Nicely grainy, nicely floral.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light body, really fizzy. Mild grainy malt, a little sulfur. Floral hop flavor, low-medium bitterness. Finishes nicely dry.

Overall Impression (2½)
Excellent beer. A little lighter than the ones in Prague, but just as flavorful.

Barrel Aged Doppelbock 2023

Barrel Aged Lateralus with Vanilla and Cacao

10.80% abv.

Date: February 2, 2024 (#11571)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 19½ points

Appearance (3)
Pretty fuckin dark. Low creamy head.

Aroma (3½)
MASSIVE coconut. Alcohol. Malt, kinda roasty.

Mouthfeel (10)
Thick and fizzy. Malty-sweet, roasty, with lots of coconut. Oak, bourbon.

Overall Impression (3)
Does what it says on the tin.

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout

13.10% abv.

Date: December 31, 2021 (#10812)

Package: canned

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Very very black. It even looks thick. Low brown head.

Aroma (3½)
Loads of vanilla. Loads of sweet chocolate. Nicely oaky.

Mouthfeel (8)
Thick, smooth, and malty. Nicely roasty, warming. Pretty sweet though. Lots of vanilla, milk chocolate. Maybe a hint of grassy hop flavor, but not bitter at all.

Overall Impression (2½)
Real good beer, but real sweet.

Barrel God 2024

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout

14.50% abv.

Date: March 20, 2024 (#11642)

Package: bottled

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Black as night. Low brown head.

Aroma (3½)
Intense dark fruit. Coffee. Mild chocolate. Malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Thick and smooth. Rich malt, lots of chocolate. Dark fruit, pretty sweet. Fierce charred wood character all the way through. Alcohol finally shows up in the finish, which is complex and lasts forever.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer. I should have bought some to age.

Barrel-Aged Little Black Rain Cloud

Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale

11.10% abv.

Date: March 17, 2022 (#10948)

Package: bottled

Place: at the brewery

Score: 19½ points

Appearance (2½)
Very dark red-brown, hazy. Low dense head.

Aroma (3)
Dark sweet malt and alcohol.

Mouthfeel (7)
Thick, almost still. Lots of sweet dark malt, mildly roasty. Plums, molasses. Less alcohol character than I expected. Malty, dark-fruity finish.

Overall Impression (7)
Needs more complexity and less intensity. I have another bottle that I'll open next year.

Belgian Blonde

Belgian-Style Pale Ale

6.50% abv.

Date: July 31, 2020 (#10326)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright yellow. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Fresh malt, mildly estery. Bready.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, surprisingly creamy. Bready, grassy, fruity.

Overall Impression (2)
Good clean beer.

Belgian Dubbel

Belgian-Style Dubbel

7.50% abv.

Date: December 10, 2020 (#10397)

Package: bottled

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Extremely lively pour! When it's finally in the glass, the beer is a beautiful, brilliant, dark red under a massive dense head that you could probably walk across.

Aroma (4)
Grassy, spicy, raisiny. Clean dark-toasty malt.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fizzy. Dark, toasty malt. Nicely fruity, mild bananas and raisins. Dark caramel. Grassy, very low bitterness. Lingering toasty malt finish with just a hint of alcohol.

Overall Impression (2)
Real good beer.

Belgian Quad

9.00% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10882)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Almost-black-red. Low dense head.

Aroma (3)
Mild dark malt. Mildly fruity.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big body, low-medium carbonation. Sweet dark malt. A little fruity, very mildly alcoholic. Dark and fairly sweet all the way through.

Overall Impression (2)
OK beer. Probably fairly dangerous.

Belgian Triple

Belgian-Style Tripel

9.00% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10881)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden-amber. Creamy head.

Aroma (3)
Mildly floral. Very mild dill note.

Mouthfeel (8)
Surprisingly big, surprisingly sweet. Really grassy and floral. Big clean malt all the way through. Fruity "Belgian" esters. Malty and grassy in the finish.

Overall Impression (2)
It's a real good beer, but nowhere near as dry as, say, Tripel Karmeliet.

Between Worlds

German-Style Pilsener

5.40% abv.

Date: February 5, 2023 (#11309)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Yellow. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Fruity, grainy, bready.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light body, fizzy. Bready malt, mildly sulfury. Floral hops, low-medium bitterness. Fruity-floral finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Good clean beer.

Black Lager

German-Style Schwarzbier

5.00% abv.

Date: December 20, 2020 (#10401)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Almost completely black. Thick creamy head.

Aroma (4)
Clean malt, mildly roasty. Mild floral hop note.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Nicely roasty, with a pleasant clean malt sweetness. Mild grassy, floral hop flavor. Low-medium bitterness, with more in the finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Real tasty Schwarzbier.

Blissful Ignorance

9.00% abv.

Date: December 20, 2019 (#10136)

Package: canned

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 15 points

Appearance (3)
Translucently hazy, amber color. Massive head.

Aroma (3½)
Huge fresh citrusy hops. Tangerine juice.

Mouthfeel (7)
Intensely hoppy, fruity...dare I say juicy? Medium body, slick texture from all the haze. Sweet background but not all that malty. Fairly bitter, but it doesn't last.

Overall Impression (1½)
It's all about the "juiciness", with nothing else for balance.

Brave Noise

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale

4.50% abv.

Date: April 8, 2022 (#10999)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Appearance (2½)
Yellow-orange, opaque. Creamy head.

Aroma (3)
Floral and citrusy. Smells kinda like Windex.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light-medium body, fizzy. Big citrus fruitiness, low-medium bitterness. Orange rind.

Overall Impression (1½)
Kinda weird. And look, if you're going to serve murky beers, at least call them out on the menu. This one was labelled "Pale Ale - American", which is why I ordered it.

Centsless

7.00% abv.

Date: May 21, 2020 (#10292)

Package: canned

Place: at the brewery

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Thick head.

Aroma (4)
Citrus. Floral.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Big floral hop flavor, fairly bitter. Some citrus. Nice clean malt background. Clean floral-hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer.

Conditional Chaos

American-Style Black Ale

6.70% abv.

Date: February 2, 2024 (#11570)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Creamy head.

Aroma (3)
Dark chocolate. Mild roast malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, fairy fizzy. Chocolatey, malty. Moderate grassy, resiny hop flavor, moderate bitterness. Malty, roasty, mildly resiny finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Pretty good beer.

Contessa

American-Style Lager

4.50% abv.

Date: July 1, 2022 (#11076)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant golden. Creamy head.

Aroma (3½)
Toasty malt, some sulfur.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light body, moderate carbonation. Really toasty, bready. Lots of corn all the way through. Sweet corn finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
Real good beer. Kinda tastes like cornbread.

Dapper Donkey Triple IPA

European-Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel

11.00% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10885)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Surprisingly clear. Low dense head.

Aroma (4)
Hugely spicy. Mildly biscuity.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, reasonably fizzy, hugely malty, fairly sweet. Massive spicy, piney hop flavor. Biscuity malt is way in the background. Fruity, piney, sweet finish. Nowhere near as bitter as the hop flavor would lead you to believe.

Overall Impression (2)
Makes a good nightcap.

Dark Prague-nosis

5.00% abv.

Date: February 2, 2024 (#11569)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Very dark brown. Creamy head.

Aroma (3½)
Malt, grain, chocolate.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, kinda fizzy. Mouth-filling malt. Nicely roasty, nicely chocolatey. Hint of floral bitterness in the finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer!

DDH Straight Hash Homie

International-Style Lager

7.70% abv.

Date: May 25, 2020 (#10295)

Package: canned

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden, except for a little Schmutz at the end of the pour. Dense white head.

Aroma (3½)
Citrusy, mildly tropical. Biscuity. Maybe a little alcohol.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-big body, smooth. Biscuity malt underlies a grassy, fruity-floral hop flavor with an odd onion note. Medium bitterness. Grassy-floral finish.

Overall Impression (2)
We have the ingredients for a clone batch, to be brewed in the next few weeks.

Doki Doki ドキドキ

4.50% abv.

Date: April 8, 2022 (#10998)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant, pale. Low head.

Aroma (3½)
Very mildly grainy. Very mildly floral. Very clean.

Mouthfeel (9)
Very light, very fizzy. Sweet clean grainy malt all the way through. Very low floral hop flavor, very low bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent light beer. "Japanese rice lager"

Doppelbock

German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock

8.00% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2020 Great American Beer Festival

Date: December 30, 2021 (#10811)

Package: canned

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Beautiful deep red. Massive dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Bread crust, toasty. Mildly floral.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth and chewy. Richly malty, toasty, dark-bready. Some sulfur. Mild floral hop flavor, but most of the low bitterness comes from the roasted malt. Grassy, toasty, malty finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer.

Dortmunder

Dortmunder/Export or German-Style Oktoberfest

5.50% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2017 Great American Beer Festival

Date: April 29, 2020 (#10279)

Package: canned

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (2½)
Golden. Some haze. Foamy, short-lived head.

Aroma (3)
Floral and earthy. Nice bready malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Big bready, mildly toasty malt up front, with floral hops coming though later. Low-medium bitterness. A little sweet for an Export, but not overly so.

Overall Impression (2)
Pretty good beer.

Dunkel

European-Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel

5.40% abv.

Date: January 26, 2020 (#10174)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 13½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright mahogany. Moderate head.

Aroma (3½)
Roasty. Hints of dark fruit and malt.

Mouthfeel (6)
Light-medium body, fairly fizzy. Roasty, mild malt. Oddly phenolic, sort of a peppery-medicinal note.

Overall Impression (1)

Eastern Sea

Baltic-Style Porter

8.20% abv.

Date: January 26, 2020 (#10176)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Jet black. Low dense head.

Aroma (3)
Chocolatey. Very mild alcohol. Hint of malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Thick. Malty. Smooth. Chocolatey and roasty. Grassy hop flavor, medium bitterness. Finishes sweet, roasty, and malty.

Overall Impression (2)
Tasty and sweet.

Fashion Mullet

Dortmunder/Export or German-Style Oktoberfest

6.50% abv.

Date: May 19, 2020 (#10289)

Package: canned

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Appearance (2½)
Amber, translucent. Big thick head.

Aroma (3)
Citrusy and tropical and a little bit grainy.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, smooth. Nicely malty, almost creamy. Big tropical fruit hoppiness with a bit of citrus. Medium bitterness, lower than I expected. Clean fruity finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
Pretty good beer.

Festbier

5.60% abv.

Date: September 24, 2022 (#11129)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden-amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Pretty clean, just a hint of biscuity malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, fairly fizzy. Very nicely malty all the way through. Grainy, maybe a little smoky. Mild floral hop flavor, low bitterness. Actually a little warming in the finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Not bad.

Grodz Gift to Man

Smoke-Flavored Beer

3.80% abv.

Date: September 7, 2024 (#11901)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Pale, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (4)
Smoky, bready.

Mouthfeel (10)
Light, fizzy. Mild grainy malt, very nicely smoky. Grassy. Smoky, grainy finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer!

Haferflocken

Oatmeal Stout

4.20% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10884)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Very mild coffee. Even milder chocolate.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body, kinda fizzy. (They also pour a nitro version.) More chocolate than roast. Floral, mildly resiny hop character, not all that bitter. Finishes grassy and dry.

Overall Impression (2½)
Doesn't have that silky mouthfeel that oats are supposed to import, but tasty nonetheless.

Helles

Münchner-Style Helles

4.80% abv.

Date: January 26, 2020 (#10171)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Grainy, grassy. DMS.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light body, moderate carbonation. Sweet, grainy malt. Sulfury. Low-medium grassy hop flavor, low bitterness.

Overall Impression (1½)
Not bad, but not as clean as it could be.

Kölsch

German-Style Kölsch/Köln-Style Kölsch

4.80% abv.

Date: September 7, 2024 (#11903)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Appearance (2½)
Deep golden. Slight haze. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Clean. Mild grainy malt. Mild floral hops.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light-medium body, fizzy-ish. Sweet malt, mildly grainy. Floral-fruity hop flavor, low bitterness. Finishes bready and sweet.

Overall Impression (1½)
Awful sweet for the style.

La Flama Blanca

Traditional Strong Scotch Ale

8.30% abv.

Date: April 22, 2022 (#11005)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Low dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Huge citrusy-floral hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, fizzy. Lots of citrusy-floral hop flavor, nicely bitter. Clean bready malt background for a nice balance.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good clean hoppy beer.

Little Black Rain Cloud

11.00% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10886)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (2½)
Black. Low head.

Aroma (4)
Huge graham crackers. Mildly piney. Mildly roasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Thick. Low-medium carbonation. Sweet, roasty malt. Some coconut. Alcohol isn't apparent at all. Sweet, dark, malty finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer, but not all that complex. I'd sure like to taste a year-old sample. Fortunately, they're selling (barrel aged) bottles, so I can take some home.

Maibock

German-Style Bock or Maibock

Date: July 31, 2020 (#10325)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant amber. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Grainy, sulfury.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fairly fizzy. Nicely malty. Grainy and fairly sulfury. Grassy, mildly floral hop flavor. Medium bitterness. All the flavors last a long time.

Overall Impression (2)
Real tasty Export-style Festbier.

Make IPA Piney Again

German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock

7.00% abv.

Date: January 26, 2020 (#10173)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Appearance (2)
Yellow-brown opaque. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Mild citrusy hops with only a hint of citrus. Bready.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-big body, fizzy. Biscuity malt and mild piney, citrusy hop flavor. Medium bitterness. Sweet, bready, fruity finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Claims to be a sort of anti-NEIPA, but I'm unconvinced.

Münchner Starkbier

11.00% abv.

Date: February 5, 2023 (#11311)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant red. Low head.

Aroma (3½)
Caramel. Dark fruit.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and smooth. Hugely malty, but nicely dry. Loads of dark caramel. Some grassy bitterness late.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer. Not necessarily a Doppelbock, more like a kinda hoppy Wee Heavy.

Night Witch 2022

Imperial Stout

12.00% abv.

Date: September 24, 2022 (#11131)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Jet black. Very low brown head.

Aroma (3½)
Chocolate. Roast. Some coconut, some oak. Floral.

Mouthfeel (9)
Thick. Malty, toasty. Coconut. Mild alcohol, but it's not even really warming. Chocolate all the way through.

Overall Impression (3)
This is a very dangerous beer.

Night Witch 2023

Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer

13.20% abv.

Date: July 8, 2024 (#11804)

Package: canned

Place: at the brewery

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Motor-oil thick. Low brown head.

Aroma (4)
Coconut, molasses, and oak. Sweetly black. Dark fruit.

Mouthfeel (10)
Thick, smooth. Malty. Dark, with a lot of coconut. Great whiskey note grows through the finish. Chocolate and dark chocolate and roast malt. Finishes sweet and dark, malty and oaky, with some whiskey and just a bit of alcohol.

Overall Impression (3)
Great beer. Look up the story of the Night Witches. "Imperial stout aged in Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon and Heaven Hill Bernheim Wheat Whiskey barrels"

Oaked Märzen

5.70% abv.

Date: September 24, 2022 (#11130)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Beautiful brilliant copper color. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Very mild oak. Biscuity malt, some dark fruit.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Malty, rich, bready, hint of molasses. Very mild floral hop flavor, low bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer, but not a lot of oak character.

Oktoberfest

German-Style Märzen/Oktoberfest

5.70% abv.

Date: August 29, 2021 (#10705)

Package: canned

Place: Hy-Vee Maple Grove, Maple Grove MN

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Copper-amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3½)
Grassy, biscuity. Mildly floral.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Toasty malt, grassy hops, nicely floral. Low bitterness. Floral-fruity finish with lots of bread crust.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer, and a real sharp label.

Proper Heathen

Barley Wine-Style Ale

10.10% abv.

Date: December 18, 2020 (#10400)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant mahogany color. Nice dense head.

Aroma (4)
Rich malt, fruity esters. Toast and caramel and a hint of wood.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big, chewy. Lots and lots of malt, caramel, toast, biscuit, grain. Grassy hop character, medium bitterness. Fruity, like grapes or berries. Definite woody note. Finishes malty, grassy, and pleasantly warming.

Overall Impression (2)
Kinda reminds me of Old Foghorn. Collaboration with Ma href='https://beerme.com/brewery.php?24378'>Working Draft Beer of Madison WI.

Resin Rapture

Imperial or Double Red Ale

9.00% abv.

Date: February 5, 2023 (#11310)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-amber. Creamy head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy, malty, bready, fruity. Kind of an Old Ale character.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big, smooth. Lots of malt, caramel. Grassy, floral, fruity hops. Medium bitterness. Fruity, caramel finish with very well hidden alcohol.

Overall Impression (2)
Good stuff.

Rylee's Amber

Smoke-Flavored Beer

6.00% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10878)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (2½)
Red-brown, translucent. Creamy head.

Aroma (4)
Rich smoked malt. More than Spezial, a little less than Schlenkerla.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Toasty, smoky, grainy malt all the way through. Nice malt sweetness to balance the smoke.

Overall Impression (2½)
Excellent beer.

S&M

7.50% abv.

Date: October 21, 2021 (#10742)

Package: canned

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 15 points

Appearance (2½)
Yellow. Very hazy. Dense head.

Aroma (2½)
Yeasty, bready, fruity.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, both fizzy and creamy. Big grassy-floral hop flavor, medium-big bitterness. Lingering grassy finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Schism

American-Style Black Ale

8.00% abv.

Date: January 26, 2020 (#10175)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Almost-black red. Moderate head.

Aroma (3½)
Roasty and grassy. Hint of chocolate.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big body, smooth. Big chocolatey, roasty malt. Grassy hop flavor, reasonably bitter. Some alcohol, but still in balance. Grassy, almost minty roasty finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Scottish Pub Ale

Scottish-Style Ale

5.00% abv.

Date: February 4, 2022 (#10877)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright copper color. Dense head.

Aroma (4)
Sweet, malty. Caramel and a hint of smoke.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light body, fizzy. Nice darkish caramel malt. Sweet but not too sweet. Hint of smoke. (I don't know if there's actually smoke in it.) Mild grassy-floral hop flavor, low bitterness. Biscuity, toasted malt finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer.

Sexy Hops El Dorado

Sexy Hops Superdelic™ + Simcoe®

7.70% abv.

Date: October 30, 2021 (#10747)

Package: draught

Place: Short or Tall Eatery & Drink Hall, Rogers MN

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (2½)
Hazy opaque, deep yellow. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Bready. Apple peel.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-big body, smooth and slick. Big fruity hop flavor, low-medium bitterness. Kinda yeasty. Less bitter and more floral in the finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout

7.50% abv.

Date: September 7, 2024 (#11902)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant golden. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Tropical and piney.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Biscuit malt background with loads of tropical hop flavor. Not all that bitter. Clean fruity finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer, but it kinda tastes like a Hazy somehow.

Sherburne County

14.10% abv.

Date: October 25, 2021 (#10744)

Package: bottled

Place: Northbound Liquor Store, Elk River MN

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Low, dense, brown head.

Aroma (4)
Oak, whiskey, coconut, chocolate, malt, molasses.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big, smooth. Hugely malty, hugely chocolatey, bitter. Lots of oak, lots of coconut. Some alcohol. Bittersweet lingering finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Tasty and complex. Imperial Stout aged in J. Carver wheat whiskey barrels, bottled August 2021.

Sophistry 08

7.50% abv.

Date: December 13, 2020 (#10399)

Package: bottled

Place: at the brewery

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Yellow, translucent. Dense creamy head.

Aroma (4)
Tropical fruit and tropical flowers. Mild biscuity malt, mildly yeasty.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth and creamy. Big fruity-floral hop flavor all the way though, along with a yeasty slickness. Mango, mild tangerine. Medium-big bitterness, really nicely balanced with the malt sweetness and the hop fruitiness. Lingering fruity finish that isn't all that bitter.

Overall Impression (2)
Real good beer, despite the distracting "hazy" texture and slickness.

Straight Hash Homie

7.70% abv.

Date: April 22, 2022 (#11006)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Appearance (2½)
Orangeish. Opaque. Creamy head.

Aroma (2½)
Mild citrus. Mildly yeasty.

Mouthfeel (7)
Thick, slick, and fizzy. Citrus and mango and yeast. Graham cracker malt way in the background.

Overall Impression (2)

Suburban Sunrise Red IPA

7.00% abv.

Date: January 26, 2020 (#10172)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Brilliant red-brown. Moderate head.

Aroma (4)
Fresh piney hops. Mildly biscuity.

Mouthfeel (10)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Huge spicy, piney hops with plenty of bitterness to go along. Very nice yet subdued caramel malt backbone. Excellent balance.

Overall Impression (3)

Take the Plunge

Session India Pale Ale

4.80% abv.

Date: July 1, 2022 (#11075)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Yellow, some haze. Creamy head.

Aroma (3)
Citrusy, earthy. Orange rind. Grassy.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Biscuity, bready malt. Big fruity hop flavor, grassy bitterness. Lemony finish.

Overall Impression (1½)

Unholy Confessions