Surly: Wet

Brewery: Surly
Beer: Wet
Style: American IPA
ABV:  7.5%
How it was consumer: Firkin

The other day, I finally had an opportunity to make it to a Firkin Friday at Grumpy's downtown, as I was waiting for my wife to get out of work.  I made my way into the establishment, only to find out it was a Surly Beer on tap.

Those who know me and my weird beer preferences know I'm usually not a fan of Surly's beers.  I love that they are local and I love what they've done for the microbrew scene in Minnesota, but I can't get behind a beer that so loaded with hops that it tastes of perfume.

That being said, I said what the hell and decided to give it a go anyways.  Keep in mind the beer had probably been sitting, unchilled, in the firkin for about an hour prior to me getting there.  Usually that'd be strike two right there.

However, I found myself really enjoying this beer.  It has its hops for sure, but it was a delightful blend of wet hops and bittering hops.  This particular beer also uses an English Ale yeast, but tasted almost similar to a Belgian.  It tasted comparable to a lot of other smaller breweries summer ales, but with a unique flavor that tasted good at room temperature. 

I'm glad I got a chance to try one more Surly beer that I enjoy, besides their Brown Ale. I also drank the Summer Ale from Indeed brewery later that night, but still enjoyed my room temperature Surly Wet to the fresh and cold Shennanigans, despite the fact they are similar in style, close in taste and feature a lot of the same ingredients. 

  If you'd like to give this one a try though, better act fast.  The Surly Wet is a seasonal beer.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Fulton Brewery: Libertine

Brewery: Fulton Brewery
Beer: Libertine
Style: American Amber/ Red Ale
ABV:  8.5%
How it was consumer:  Take home Growler

It's dangerous working very close to a brewery, especially when they happen to produce one of your favorite beers.  I work in the North Loop in Minneapolis, giving me a chance to grab a growler of Sweet Child of Vine from Fulton basically whenever I feel like it.

Obviously, them introducing (or re-introducing I suppose) a new beer got me excited.  It's kind of like anytime your favorite sports teams get a new player.  I guess I'm comparing my hype to Libertine to AK-47 (T'Wolves), Josh Willingham (Twins) and Zach Parise (Wild). :)

The Libertine is a very elegant Red Ale.  Many I've spoken to, or read from, suggest drinking this beer out of a goblet, rather than the typical pint glass I use with growlers.  I'd also highly suggest drinking this beer cold, as allowing to get warm is suggestible only to those who are used to drinking warm beers.  It's slight smoky flavor may make it harsh for people to drink at room temperature.

There are hints of cherry in the Fulton as well, but nothing potent enough to deter those who do not like fruit in their beer.  Comparing to a Summit Horizon Red Ale, this beer tastes more adult, with more flavor, and definitely more potent, sitting at over 8% ABV. Expect to feel it a bit after having a couple drinks from it.



The Libertine, while not for everyone, is still a great beer. It's certainly not going to pull me away from drinking their Blonde or their IPA, but not a beer I'd say no to if available at my local watering hole.  It's rich flavor, amazing amber color and its smoky after taste make it a good beer to enjoy around the campfire or relaxing at home for a movie night.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

House of Shandy:Curious Traveler Shandy

Brewery: House of Shandy
Beer: Curious Traveler Shandy
Style: Shandy
ABV: 4.4%
How it was consumed:  From tap

I've never been particularly crazy about Shandys, or any beer that has fruit in it.  That's odd coming from a guy who will drink most Wheat beers like it's going out of style.  Still, beers like a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy have tasted on par with Boons Farm to me, in the sense that it just seemed like beer with an overkill of sweeteners in them.

Birthday night, September 26th, 2012, I'm sitting in Stanley's Barroom (because, where else would I be, right?) and I glance upon their giant chalkboard of beers.  I notice a beer that has a curious looking 19th style looking gentlemen on the logo, with a mustache I'm super jealous of, and spectacles to boot.  I inquire with the nice waitress about this beer, and upon learning it was a Shandy, decided to try it anyways.  After all, playing pulltabs provided no luck on my birthday, maybe a beer would.

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the beer upon first taste.  Perhaps it was either a combination of my tastes changing over the years, or the fact that this beer was very fresh with a crisp little bite that made me instantly fall in love with it.  It was light, not too over bearing with any sort of dose of flavoring, and went down really smooth.  It's infusion of lemonade was perfect too, not too fruity, but flavorful enough that I would've recommended my wife try it, had I not been a greedy glutton over this fantastic beer.

This is definitely the kind of beer I'd like to try again, especially at home.  This beer would be very enjoyable on a hot summer day, if one is trying to avoid a dehydrating "lawnmower" beer like a Miller Lite or Budweiser, but still want something light and delectable.  It is available in the Minneapolis area, as well as many others. Locations can be found on their website provided above.

Curious Traveler Shandy is worth your time to try, even if you aren't a Shandy fan.   Anyone who enjoys anything along the lines of a Shock Top or Blue Moon can make the easy transition to Shandys, especially the Curious Traveler.  If you're thing is a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, you might not be as crazy about this, especially being its fresh and all. :)

Rating: 4 out of 5

Introduction

Amongst the abundant hobbies I have, one of them I've gotten into over the past 3-4 years has been beer.  It doesn't help that microbrews have become an extremely popular thing, allowing me to skip the skinny jeans while still being a hipster in some fashion. 

NorthEast Minneapolis, the area I live in, has been dubbed the "Brew District", due to the amount of breweries opening up around here. I also have Stanley's NE Barroom just down the road from me, which is a great establishment, especially when it comes to a place willing to stock a plethora of different and exciting beers.

Therefore, I've decided to post little blurbs in here covering my various Brew-ventures in a little Blog.  Nothing really formal or in dept; just something for fun.  As some of you may know, I already do video game and tech writing for a bunch of different sites, so I'm no stranger of blogging and reviewing.

Keep in mind, I'm no beer expert.  I've had zero formal training in how to judge a beer, nor am I remotely close to even being a cicerone. My goal isn't to become one either; I'm perfectly happy just enjoying a beer just to enjoy it. 

Anyways, hope you enjoy my short little reviews of beers on here.  Let me know if there is anything you'd like me to take a look at!  Cheers!