Beer reviews and blog posts by John
John is a pastor near St. Paul, the home of now-deceased Hamms Brewery. Beer tasting has become a hobby of sorts. The Twin Cities provides a host of local beers - Surly, Summit, etc., so the hobby has great potential for growth. He enjoys a Corona with pizza, a dark beer with chocolate and "the house" beer with ribs.
Lucky Bucket Certified Evil
My favorite beer man is high on this newly arrived Nebraska beer. Lucky Bucket may have been around for a while but it is new to Walt’s Wine and Spirits in Oakdale, Mn. This is my first Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Technically Belgian strong dark ales are similar to...
Lucky Bucket American IPA
Walt’s Wines and Spirits (www.waltswine.com) is a new wine and spirits store in our part of town. The Watson Fong family does a great job welcoming and making customers feel like they are important. Like so many locally owned businesses the staff at Walt’s...
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA
Our 3 day beer crawl in the Napa Valley of brewers was outstanding. 3 dedicated days to tasting brews and talking with brewmasters was a highlight of the year. One of those highlights was the Rogue Ales Public House near downtown Portland. So many beers to chose from...
Goose Island Night Stalker Imperial Stout
On 5/15/11 I read the date on the bottle “02/19//10”. Over one year this wonderful stout sat in the darkness of the cellar and grew–matured. My first impression–heavy mellow. Everything is heavy and mellow after 15 months. This is another...
Central City Red Racer IPA
I was on a “beer drop mission” from Minnesota to Binny’s in Chicago when I picked up this little gem. I was dropping off some Surly’s when I asked “the beer man” at Binny’s about a good IPA. He said Red Racer was voted the...
Bell’s Batch 10,000
If I was to name this beer I’d call it “Deceptive”. I was surprised by this beer. Tricked! Deceived! I’ve never had a “hoppy porter” or a porterish IPA. I picked up two bottles of Batch 10,000 thinking one for “now” and...
Stone IPA
I first tried Stone beer in a Chicago area pub and low and behold 6 months later it showed up on shelves in Minnesota. I had tried 5 Stone beers one night but this IPA was not on the menu. This is a great beer. Stone has a strong reputation where it is available and...
Widmer Brothers W’11 KGB Imperial Stout
The name KGB conjures up dark, clandestine operations of power. It also conjures up cold. Russia, the home of KGB, was cold. That’s an understatement. So my photo is perfect for introducing this dark Russian imperial stout. Perhaps the brew master was...
Bell’s Expedition Stout
I was driving through St. Paul yesterday and found myself following a Bell’s delivery truck. For the first time in my life I wanted to hijack a truck! Rather than risk incarceration I went home and broke out a bottle of Bell’s Expedition Stout that I had...
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
I had a $60 gift card to burn up at Dennis Brothers so I asked John (one of the brothers) to point me in the direction of a good hoppy selection. He recommended a number of brews and highlighted this Hoptimum bomber as one of the best. He was right on. I had just...
Wexford Irish Cream Ale
I love St. Patrick! He is an ancient hero of mine. His vision,determination and focus inspires me to this day. So when it came to celebrating St. Pat’s Day I get fired up. However, I’m a bit embarrassed to say I don’t like Guinness! Sorry but I just...
Goose Island Pepe Nero Belgian-Style Farmhouse Ale
Pepe Nero! The name and presentation are the best parts of this beer. I was all excited by the packaging but disappointed with the results. The color was nice and black in keeping with the “mystery” of the bottle. It poured a little brown head that lasted...
Point Cascade Pale Ale
Caught in the heartland of Wisconsin I wanted to get a “local” beer. So Stevens Point was my choice. I like to get a feel for what the locals like to drink so when near Steven’s Point I picked up a 6 pack of, whatelse, Stevens Point. It was a nice...
Arcadia Whitsun Ale
I shouldn’t be drinking this is December with 2 feet of snow on the ground but this ale’s number came up. It was time to drink and review. I picked is off the shelf as a single and waited for a day when a review wasn’t going to be rushed. This brew...
Mendocino White Hawk Select IPA
I hate cheap beer! I love this cheap beer. I picked up a six pace of White Hawk IPA for $5.99. Not for a minute did I think that’s cheap beer so don’t buy it. I had had another Mendocino brew and felt confident that this would be acceptable. It was more...
New Holland Imperial Hatter IPA
It poured amber. Nice amber if you know what I mean. Clear, fresh, inviting. Good lacing on a white head but it was the aroma that drew me in. Hops. Lots of hops. Grapefruit to the max. This rivals my favorite beer. I love dark beers that say “relax” and I...
Boulevard Single-Wide IPA
I found this while roaming up and down the mirco-brewery aisles with a beer rating app in hand. I didn’t want to buy another beer that would be disappointing so I tapped into other’s opinions and found a good one without ever hearing about this brewer. The...
Mendocino Eye of the Hawk Select Ale
Eye of the Hawk Select Ale is a fascinating beer. Said to be the “The Harley-Davidson of American beers” tells you a lot about the character of this beer. Coppery, red and amber in color this beer has a luxurious caramel malt flavor. You will note it from...
Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA
This beer has more awards than Michael Phelps. After you try it you’ll know why. Especially if you love hops. It poured a beautiful color. Deep, rich amber that is inviting all on its own. A one finger head hangs around longer than normal and leaves a curtain of...
Samuel Adams Black Lager
I am not really a lager guy but a friend of mine won a 12 pack of SA and didn’t want to waste his alcohol consumption on beer. Since he is a wine snob I gladly accommodated his request to take a brew off his hands. I opened the bottle on a gray fall day where it...
Lake Superior Mesabi Red
The Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region is rich with history of mining, drinking, Kevin McHale and Bob Dylan. At one time all were doing well. Today McHale lives in the Twin Cities and out of the public eye, Bob Dylan left long ago and...
Lagunitas Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale
First let’s get the name right. Lagunitas is pronounced “LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS”. I hate mispronouncing beers but do it all the time. Say “LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS” with me. Now let’s turn to mondo. Mondo means huge right. Not a lot of Swedes...
Southern Tier 422 Pale Wheat Ale
Let me admit right up front I am not a wheat beer drinker. From my first wheat beer to today I don’t appreciate them. In fact I wouldn’t be reviewing 422 unless it came in a Southern Tier variety pack. I buy ST for the pale ale and 2xIPA. That being said I...