Juicetree DIPA by Portage Brewing

I love a good DIPA. I love Dua Lipa. Listening to Dua Lipa while drinking a DIPA just sounds delightful. It’s the TRIPLE D! Dua Lipa, DIPA, Delight!

This Juicetree from Portage, out of Walker, MN, makes me think I never want another beer I can see through. When I first poured it was clear but then as the settled bits came in it turned into this delicious cloudy drink. I’m a fan of thick beer. If I needed a spoon to drink my beer, well, that’s a positive. It’s fruity and hoppy and just yummy.

This is the first time I’ve updated my blog in awhile and I didn’t look back to check how I was rating things before so I’m using a scale of how many thumbs up it is. I will say it is an 8.0 on the drunkenscale and it drinks so smooth that it’s dangerous.

I give this Juicetree by Portage 88 out of 100 thumbs up. So many thumbs...88 of them to be precise. 

Stillwater Surround...5.1 for yo mouf!

Chocolate, caramel, smoke...chestnuts roasting on an open fire...Christian Grey nipping at your nose...wait...what is that Fifty Shades blu ray doing hanging out back there?

Anyway, this is another good beer from Duluth, MN. This time from Stillwater. It's a 10,0 on the drinkenscale. Heavy and deep and dark. Luscious comes to mind. It's another smooth beer, I could just drink it and drink it and well...en up really fat but very happy as well. There's a bitterness that lies behind the chocolate an smoke and it's really good. I'm not one to talk about Mouthfeel on here but...well...no, I won't mention the word mouthfeel. Good beer!

Lake Superior Deep Water IPA

Another Duluth, Minnesota brewery brewing beer, Lake Superior Brewing makes some really good beer.  This is a black IPA from them so its got the IPA flavors mixed with some maltyness. I think the perfect word to describe this beer is like. I don't love it, I don't hate it, I just like it. It's very drinkable, the maltyness goes well with the citrus of the IPA. It's a very light but dark beer so it makes a good beer for someone wanting some of that roasted dark beer flavor without that roasted dark beer feeling. I actually don't know the ABV on this one so I can't put it on the Drinkenscale but I can say there is little to no alcohol flavor. Good beer. I wish I had more to say about it but I don't. It's a good beer.

Surly Hell - Is It The Perfect Wednesday Beer?

A Helles Lager (Hence the clever name) Hell apparently means "bright" in German and I think that suits this beer quite well. I call it the perfect Wednesday beer because it's a low 4.5 on the Drinkenscale and is really easy to drink. The kind of beer you can drink during the week and still get up feeling fresh in the morning for work. If you want to drink all day, you can absolutely do worse than a Surly Hell. Surly is one of the better Minnesota craft brewers and I've yet to dislike any of their beer. They do some really heavy beers and some really experimental beers. Surly Hell is proof they can brew. It takes a lot more skill to brew an excellent light beer than it does to brew a heavy full flavored beer. Surly takes their craft very seriously, and it shows in their finished product.

Castle Danger 17-7 Pale Ale

This will probably be a short post because there just isn't a lot to say about this beer. As far as pale ale goes it's good. It's just not anything special. Castle Danger is out of Two Harbors, MN and I've had some really good beer from them. This just isn't it. Again, not bad, just boring. It's a beer, that's all I an really say.It's light, it's got some hops. I'm not complaining about it, I'm just not impressed I suppose.If it was hoppier or lighter, it might be something really special but instead it falls right in the middle of all of the flavors they are looking to achieve. You're not going to dislike this beer. It's a 5.8 on the Drinkenscale so it gets the job done.

Blacklist Brewing Or Del Belgique Verte

This is why I drink beer. Because, while most beer is good, every now and then you stumble on something wonderful. This Or de Belgique from Blacklist is amazing, This is a brewer out of Duluth, Minnesota where there are some truly great brewers. The smell of this beer is intoxicating, it hits the nose beautifully and all I wanted to do was drink it...which I did. It's a 9.5 on the Drinkenscale so be careful imbibing this too quickly. It's a strong Belgian golden that drinks so smooth. It leaves a hint of alcohol burn as it goes down, but it's nothing overpowering. This is an extremely drinkable beer with a high ABV and a very complex flavor. It's hoppy too! There's a lot going on here and my tongue liked all of it.

Bent Paddle - Bent Hop

Bent Paddle is another Minnesota brewer (you'll see a trend of Minnesota beers on here since I live in...well, Minnesota) Bent Hop is a pretty American IPA clocking in at 6.2 on the Drinkenscale and measuring 68 IBU. It's got a golden color and really strong citrus flavor. I'm a big fan of IPA's and IBU's in general, and this beer is one of the good ones. If you like IPA's you'll like this beer.

In The Land of Mexican Honey

Indeed Brewing never let's me down, and this Mexican Honey is no exception. If you ever find yourself near Minnesota make sure to get your hands on anything Indeed has to offer. Mexican Honey is an Imperial Lager brewed with orange blossom honey and Amarillo hops. It measure a hefty 8.0 on the Drinkenscale so it's a beer that can put you on your ass if you aren't careful. The flavor of the honey really comes through and it is exceedingly drinkable with an orange-y finish. If you see this in a store, get it.