Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA

In the last issue of Twin Cities Imbiber we mentioned the stout series from these guys, of which the Tres, Fore, and Pleading the fifth have arrived. This particular beer is deserving of special mention though. The Double Crooked Tree IPA is an excellent example of the Double IPA style as it is simply the Crooked Tree IPA recipe doubled with no increase in water, and no additions of honey, spices, or other ingredients.

This particular DIPA is stylistically similar to a big hoppy American Barleywine, as there is an almost overpowering amount of bitterness (98 IBU), complemented by a nice caramel, honey, and passion fruit malty sweetness. The guys at Dark Horse actually recommend laying this beer down for a year or two, and I could definitely see that being advantageous to the flavor, as the astringent hoppy bitterness would be mellowed a touch and the very well structured malt backbone could begin to shine. This beer is available in four packs of wax-dipped 12 ounce bottles, and will not be around long, so grab it while you can.

Bøgedal Bryghus # 101 and #103

Well, here is yet another addition to our already impressive and growing Scandinavian beer scene here in Minnesota. Bødegal is Scandinavia’s only free falling brewery, which according to their website means “The beer runs from cask to cask by help of pulleys and level differentiation… without the use of pumps, and the herb is cooked over an open fire. Because of the delicate methods in use, Bøgedal can produce a nearly clear beer without filtration, thereby retaining many of the important flavours and aromas.”

This Danish brewery does not name beers, instead they just label them by what batch number the beer is. The following is the brewery's description for these beers:

Brew No. 101 - Pale Ale, Pearl, Cascade 5.9%

Light amber, small, compact bubbles and creamy head. Aromatic sweetness with traces of honey, wheat and fine wine. A wonderful latent sweetness and bitterness with a taste of citrus. Good body, balanced and comfortable. Goes well with an informal get-together, but also with classical white meats and poultry, yams, pasta, mushrooms or mature, but mild, port cheeses.

Brew No. 103 - Dark Ale with Northern Brewer, Orange, Brown Sugar 6.3%

Dark-brown beer with a dark-brown head. Smells sweet of prunes and citrus with an acidic tip. It fills the palate with its sweetness, and opens up into a pleasant bitterness. Hangs in the mouth like a dark chocolate with a faint smoky aftertaste. Goes well with venison and chestnuts, blackberries and brussell sprouts, smoked or salted meats.

Vine Park growler sales

Anyone who has been down to Vine Park to brew a batch of beer knows that these guys know what they are doing, and they do it well. Well, now you can take home some of their product, without making it. According to Harley on Beeradvocate, “The growlers will be $5.00 each, then there is a $10.00 filling charge, so your initial investment is 15, after that refills are ten dollars.”

Vinepark is open Tuesday thru Friday from 11 AM until 8 PM, and Saturday from 9AM-4PM