Every game of Cards Against Humanity requires a great brew by your side. I had seen Left Hand Brewing's Milk Stout Nitro on the shelves over the last month or two and was always intrigued. Nitro seems to be the new buzz word when it comes to beer, so when my friend picked up a six-pack, I was happy to pour one for myself and see just why.

The first thing to note is the deep black color of the beer. It's like a black hole - no light escapes this elixir. Just about one finger of head formed with my pour, and the pillowy whipped cream appearance was stunning. It reminded me of the whipped topping on a cuppa, all frothy and smooth.

The smell was very strong toasted aromas. The first taste was very strong with molasses and coffee. It was a very smooth finish with a slight bitter hoppiness. As it warmed, the rich dark chocolate flavors began to come out to play. The beer started to taste like a hoppy mocha, combining my two favorite things: coffee and beer. It was carbonated with excellence; smooth and silky going down.

I'd love to get my hands on the non-nitro version and conduct a side by side. I would be very interested in the differences in overall flavor, texture and carbonation. I may just have to conduct this little experiment.

I was very happy with this beer, overall. I would recommend it to any stout lovers. The rich roasted aromas with the smooth light sweetness made it a perfect beer for a cold summer day playing cards with friends.

Did I mention that Left Hand has recipes to use this beer in on their website? How do Nitro Oreo Cupcakes sound do you? I wouldn't be surprised if these magically show up in my kitchen some time soon...

Beer: Milk Stout Nitro
Style: Sweet Stout
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co.
ABV: 6%
Served from: Bottle
Rating: 4/5 - This beer hit all the high notes.

Last night we had folks over for the UFC Pay-Per-View. As with any good party, we had to break out some of the great beers to go with the wild fights. Carl, being the meat magician that he is, smoked and steamed a giant brisket all day long. What goes better with a smoked meat than a good smoky beer?

The first sniffs out of the glass are heavy with smoke. You get that burning wood aroma, like being around a meat smoker. The color was a dark brown that was moderately translucent. A thin tan head capped this beer off and dissipated quickly.

I have never really found a smoked beer that I am hog-wild over. Mostly, I think they taste like liquid Slim Jim's. I found this bottle at a store on clearance and knew well enough to just buy it without asking. I was pleasantly surprised.

The first taste is filled with that woody smoke from the aroma. As it washes over the pallet, the more complex flavors begin to shine. First was that meaty jerky flavor. Next came a warm boozy wooden taste. As it warmed and I continued to drink, the nuance began to become more noticeable. The bottle claims a fig, raisin and plum taste. They weren't kidding. There was a very earthy date and fig taste with the mild sweetness of raisins, mostly on the finish.

I was happy with this beer, though it is one I only wanted a bit of and not often. I would love to see this in smaller bottles so that I didn't feel like I wasted so much of something that had such a complex tone to it, overall. It was sippable, not drinkable. Smoke was a beer I will keep an eye out for in the future. As for the rest of the bottle? It just got used to make some beef jerky. Yep, I said it. Stay tuned for that post next week. Never let a good beer go to waste.

Beer: Smoke
Style: Baltic Porter
Brewery: Surly Brewing
ABV: 9.5%
Served from: Bomber
Rating: 4.5/5

Fitger’s Brewery has a lot of nostalgia for me. As a child, my parents frequently drove us up to Duluth, Minnesota to spend time along the north shore and Lake Superior. The wooden boardwalk that lead to the Fitger’s Brewery facility was a favorite trip. While I was too young to drink beer at that time, I do recall the candy store within the pedestrian mall that was attached to Fitger’s.

Fitger’s makes all kinds of fun styles of beers. I was privileged enough to try their anniversary Sour Cherry Mash while visiting on the way up to my brother’s wedding this fall. This review, however, is about another beer I found at the brewery. El Chupacabara.

El Chupacabara is a beer that is a Vienna lager infused with chipotle chili. In my life, I had never hear of such a thing. Naturally, this meant I had to try it. The first sip is very classic to a lager. Smooth, clean and clear. Wait for a few moments and you get an incredibly pleasing warmth throughout your throat and mouth.

It poured a goldish red color, which I attribute to the chili peppers in the brewing. There was not much head, and what head there was dissipated quickly. The nose only hinted at the chipotle taste of the beer. It smelled a bit peppery and intriguing. This beer isn’t too spicy and isn’t overwhelmed by the chipotle used in the brewing process. It was very nicely balanced.

I like the novelty of this beer. Fitger’s does not bottle their beer for retail sale. You can only get Fitger’s beers by visiting their gastropub or purchasing a growler to take home with you. I have a growler of this puppy in my fridge, which I enjoy pouring from time to time. I would never want more than one glass of El Chupacabara at once, but that warming feeling has been greatly appreciated as Minnesota winter approaches.

As a side note – This beer would be an amazing Bloody Mary chaser. As an additional side note, AutoCorrect would like to make Chupacabara into Copacabana. And this amuses me. Happy Wednesday!



Beer: El Chupacabara
Style: Vienna/Lager - Chili Beer
Brewery: Fitger's Brewery
ABV: 5.5%
Served from: Growler
Rating: 3.5/5

I like plums. They are one of my favorite stone fruits, next to a good fresh peach. While out building my last “BYO Six Pack”, I happened to spot a can of Tallgrass Brewing’s Wild Plum Farmhouse Ale. And you know what? I like all four of those words. All four of those words put together… even better.

I chilled my brightly colored can this weekend and cracked it open just before dinner. The beer smelled like a beer. Nothing special really popped out at me – maybe a little citrus twang. Poured into my glass, it was very heady and a nice light amber color with a fairly clear body. It still didn’t really smell much like anything more than a beer.

Both pro and retronasal, there wasn’t a lot of pop to a plum flavor, which when the beer advertises itself as a Wild Plum beer made with Fresh Picked Wild Plums… I kind of expect that plum flavor somewhere. I don’t know if it just got lost in the stronger yeast flavors of the beer, but I really couldn’t pick up any lick of plum. Maybe if I thought really hard about at the end. Maybe if I pictured a plum mentally while drinking it.

Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with this beer and I probably wouldn’t try it again. I would probably try it on tap if I were to ever find it, since I think that might be the only thing to make that distinct stone fruit flavor pop out.

I didn’t dislike it, I just didn’t like it. I’d pick it over a non-craft beer any day, but I was really hoping for more of that sweet, juicy plum on my tongue.    


Beer: Wild Plum
Style: Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: Tallgrass Brewing
ABV: 5.6%
Served from: Can
Rating: 2.5/5 - Really, it didn't strike me as anything special.

I have to admit I am in love with the Lips of Faith series. I love the concept and I love the bottles. This is the fourth Lips of Faith beer I have tried from New Belgium (the first being La Folie 2013, the second was Transatlantique Kriek, and the third La Terrior). I have been excited to sample this beer ever since I bought it.

I did not know what Yuzu was prior to holding this bottle in my hand. My sister-in-law thought that Yuzu was only an incense scent. I thought it was just a cool name for a beer. Low and behold, it is an actual thing. Color me enlightened.

 Strap on your learning hat, it’s time to learn about Yuzu!

Other than being a really cool word, the Yuzu fruit is an Asian citrus plant that is found in China, Korea, Tibet and Japan. When looking at a Yuzu, you may think it looks a bit like a miniature grapefruit. That is probably because it does. I could also hear an argument for a yellow orange. The Yuzu fruit is used in plenty of Asian cuisine, but because of it’s very tart nature, the rind is the usual suspect. The juice is normally sweetened and made into a syrup before it is used in culinary products. The flavor itself is orange-y with a hint of that strong bitter flavor of a white grapefruit.

When I cracked the bottle open, the earthy peel scent was already teeming. This worried me a little, since I am hesitant on lemon flavored anything. Especially in beers. I have had too many “lemon” flavored whosiewhats that just end up tasting like lemon bathroom cleaner. I poured four glasses for me and my zombie buddies and we all enjoyed our first Yuzu brewed beer.

The Yuzu poured a very cloudy golden hay color and had minimal head with big, full bubbles. The smell of the Yuzu peel was strong and acidic, but not in an offensive way. It was very light and smooth in the mouth with a really even taste throughout the tongue. The blending done on this beer was superb. Nothing stood out over anything else. It was just very well balanced. You got that bright lemon-grapefruit pop of the Yuzu right away, and then it mellowed out into a very familiar orange zest flavor. I believe that since this beer was brewed with Lactobacillus and Breattanomyces this lets it live in the world of sour beers. New Belgium has qualified it as a Berliner Weisse – and it has all the classic beer qualities of a good Weisse as well. I would certainly buy this one again and keep it around for those long Minnesota winters when the Yuzu’s citrusy flavors will remind me that eventually this harsh cold will end and the beaches will be open once more. What can I say? I have a flare for the dramatic.


Beer: Yuzu
Style: Berliner Weisse
Brewery: New Belgium Brewery - Lips of Faith
ABV: 8%
Served from: Bomber
Rating: 4/5 - I will certainly pick up another!