Thank you so much for bearing with us through last week’s brief intermission!

This week we’re traveling across the state to Mankato Brewery in Mankato, Fulton Brewing in Minneapolis, and Flat Earth Brewing in Saint Paul.

I wouldn’t have thought to grab the Flat Earth bottle (honestly, I didn’t know this particular beer existed) until Ian at The Four Firkins pointed it out to me in the fridge and suggested it as The Hoppiest Grand Finale. How was I supposed to say no to that? The man knows what’s what.

What you may notice color-wise is that this week we’re tasting from dark to light, and least to most bitter. Por que? Because depending on what sort of tasting situation you find yourself in, it may make more sense to taste beers in order of ascending IBU.

For those members of the group who may not be familiar with the term IBU, it stands for International Bitterness Unit. What does the IBU tell us? How bitter a beer is. Bitterness in beer is obtained through hops. The hoppier the beer, the higher the IBU. And that’s what it’s all about.

Mankato Stickum
Mankato teaches us that Stickum is a Sticke-Altbier. It is described as being bitter, featuring malt and caramel flavors as well as “earthy-spicy hop” flavor and a “winey character.”

Kat: This has a beautiful deep red coloring, bordering on maroon. I’m tasting effervescence more than flavor. To the point where the aftertaste is just all fizz to me, too. The malt/hop balance here is just not doing it for me.

Marcus: I feel like there’s a sausage in here – it’s spicy. I can feel hops at the head but they don’t really seem to express themselves anywhere else. There’s a brief glimpse of malt here, but that’s it. The aftertaste leans a bit to the bitter side. Maybe that’s the definition of balance – a little bit of everything?

Mike: My nose doesn’t know what to make of this. It tastes spicy, but in the sense that it’s all you can taste. It finishes a little caramel. A little malty. Very acidic. There are no secrets here.

Fulton Sweet Child of Vine
Fulton explains that this beer is hopped during the boil and late-in-the-game during fermentation. Balanced by malt, it “will keep you coming back for more.”

Kat: I have always thought that this beer has a really pretty, light caramel color. The hop nose is very gentle. For some reason, it almost reminds me of Lemon Lift tea. What I really like is that the hop flavor slow-burns and continues to build as you continue to sip. It finishes easily.

Marcus: I’d call this a burnt orange. The smell of the hops is not as strong as the hop taste. But, once you get that first hit of hops, the flavor lingers pleasantly. I really love hoppy beers, so this is palatable. I could drink a few of them without getting tired of the flavor.

Mike: Orange. That’s what this is. The smell is not overpowering, which is good because while it has a dry hoppy flavor, it’s a fairly plain IPA. I enjoy it as much as the next person, but I don’t taste anything that distinguishes it from any other IPA I’ve had.

Flat Earth Northwest Passage
Flat Earth sings its own praises (and rightfully so) as having the hoppiest IPA in the Midwest with a whopping 115 IBU.

Kat: Color-wise, this is the lightest of the three with a reddish undertone. Give it a sniff and, Hello, hops! This beer has such a strong hop flavor, initially, and it just carries on – it rolls you over. There are definitely some bubbles that hit on the front of tongue. The flavor only intensifies with the aftertaste. Come prepared to commit to this one.

Marcus: Looks-wise, this is dark golden. For lack of a better description, it just smells like a hop pellet. I don’t want to say it starts subtle, because it’s already hoppy, but the hop flavor intensifies as you continue to wade your way through this one.

Mike: This one smells much stronger than Sweet Child of Vine. It has a very even flavor –  it doesn’t start stronger than it finishes. I feel like that’s somewhat rare in beers these days. There is a solid hop flavor throughout or to quote a meme (is that okay?), “Ermahgerd, is this beer strong or does my tolerance suck?” I really taste one note and one note only: HOPS.

Our Preferences…
Bizarrely enough, after a month of tasting, we finally all managed to agree. But just this once, so don’t get used to it. What are we bringing to your party?

1. Sweet Child of Vine
2. Northwest Passage
3. Stickum

Kat Magy has spent a lifetime in Minnesota with a love for beer, traveling Up North, sprinkles and running marathons. She also blogs at Tenaciously Yours, and you can follow her on Twitter @kljwm.

The festival was a hoot last year, and it looks like it is going to be even better this year. They have upped the ante by adding more artists and big name musical acts like Big Wu & Nicholas Mrozinski (Contestant on “The Voice” on NBC)

Let’s not forget the beer. There will be a ton of great Harriet beer on tap, including the featured seasonal Rauchfest, a smoked Märzen-Oktoberfestbier.

Badger Hill Brewing has announced that its flagship craft beers MSB & Three Tree American Rye are now available in 12-oz bottles. Its Foundation Stout, will be bottled later this fall.

“We are extremely excited for this next step in our growth at Badger Hill Brewing,” says President Brittany Krekelberg. “We have been working hard the past 2 months to get our bottling line up and running. Our fans can now enjoy a Badger Hill MSB or Three Tree in the comfort of their homes, and we can also introduce ourselves to a new audience.” Badger Hill, which debuted in June of this year, will support the launch with tastings at several liquor stores throughout the Twin Cities.

According to Krekelberg, Badger Hill’s alternating proprietorship agreement with Lucid Brewing was a key factor in the launch of 12-oz bottles. “Our relationship with Lucid has allowed us to really focus on high quality. We have been able to invest additional capital on better equipment, such as advanced controls for our fermentation and brite tanks, and have purchased a new bottling line. It is important for Badger Hill to put out the highest quality product, and our new bottling line ensures that quality.”

Where to find Badger Hill Brewing six-packs? Retail locations that carry the12-oz bottles will be available on Badger Hill’s website along with bars and restaurants that carry them on tap. “Finally, we can now answer the question we most often get asked” says Krekelberg, “‘Where can we purchase a six- pack of your beer?'”

Beer Details

MSB (Minnesota Special Bitter): Style – ESB, Extra Special Bitter

A brew made in the tradition of English Special Bitters. The use of English malts such as Marris Otter and Crystal 60 provide a smooth malt backbone with small caramel undertones, medium mouthfeel and hints of biscuit flavors. The traditional ESB yeast adds complexity to the beer yet allows great clarity. The use of 4 English and American hops throughout the brewing process, including dry-hopping, provides traditional excellent hop flavor and aroma, with a bitterness that is evident but balanced. Finishes slightly dry. (ABV 5.7%)

Three Tree American Rye: Style – American Rye (Roggeinbier/Pale Ale hybrid)

Extremely complex, yet dry and refreshing. The blend of seven Belgian, American and German grains give this beer a profile that is hard to match. The bready, spiciness of Rye is complimented by subtle saison and sweet caramel malt flavors, and true balance is achieved by the use of one unique American hop throughout the brewing process. A hybrid German yeast finishes the beer very dry yet subtle with hints of banana and clove. (ABV 5.2%)

East Side Neighborhood Services is hosting the second annual Nordeast Big River Brew Fest outside the historic Grain Belt Bottling House on the corner of 13th Ave. NE and Marshall St. NE in Minneapolis on October 13, 2012 from 1-4 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the programs of East Side Neighborhood Services.

Fest goers will be able to sample from an exciting and diverse array of over 200 international, micro and craft brews. Local beers from Summit and Grain Belt will be there. And, this will be your first chance to taste the beer from the brand new Northgate Brewing.

Tickets to the event are $25 per person in advance or $30 at the door, which includes a commemorative event mug. Commemorative mugs are limited, so get your tickets today!

The event is being held outdoors this year to accommodate a larger audience. They are anticipating an attendance of around 1,000 people.

Great beer, great food, great friends and support for the community. It sounds like the 2012 Nordeast Big River Brew Fest is getting done right!

To purchase tickets online, visit www.esns.org/events or call 612.781.6011 for more information, or to become a sponsor. Tickets are also available at ESNS, Stanley’s, Surdyk’s, River Liquor and Sentyrz; who are all supporters of the event.

The trio first gained notoriety when they began looking for investors. They made national news with their community based investment plan.  They offered locals a chance to invest in the their dream in exchange for beer for life, and the idea paid off.  Not only did they meet their funding goal, they have dozens of neighbors that are invested in making sure their new local does well.

With beer for life, a full menu of smoked food, a community based operation, and a location that won’t quit, the wait could definitively be worth it.  Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another 10 years for the next great Brewpub.

Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub

Grand Opening: Thursday, September 20th

Hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am

Address: 2716 East 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406 | 612-328-1450