King Maker Kolsch

I have become a big fan of German-style beers, and Kolsch is at the top of the list. I was so happy to get the opportunity to have a slow pour King Maker Kolsch from the collaboration of Lua Brewing and Fair State Brewing Cooperative!

The slow pour technique gives that extra creamy head on top, which adds to the experience! The bready maltiness upfront with a hint of sweetness finishes out nicely balanced with the Hallertau hops. King Maker Kolsch is a sessionable beer at 5% ABV that has a crisp body.

I love that the glasses are traditional Kolsch glassware called a Stange. The customary way in Germany is you would receive your Stange with a coaster. The coaster serves multiple purposes; one is for tracking how many drinks you have had. A server called a Kobes would carry around twelve of these glasses in what is called a Kranz. When your glass is empty, the server will deliver another beer, and the server will add a mark to your coaster. When it is time to call it a day, put your coaster on top of your Stange. How cool is that!

This Kolsch is easily in my top three! I high recommend visiting Lua Brewing in Des Moines. They have incredible beer and food, along with an excellent taproom atmosphere.

Cheers!

Southern Hopisphere: You Speak-a My Language

Picture this. You are on a remote Australian beach where the quiet day erupts with some Men At Work’s Land - Down Under. That is exactly what you feel when having the first taste of Southern Hopisphere from Kros Strain Brewing!

This tropical New England style IPA is like a vacation in a glass! The aroma is of tropical fruit and some pine. Upfront, there are distinct peach and pineapple notes. The fruit notes fade into a pleasant earthy pine finish. Nice hop bitterness in the end.

The hop profile is made up of hops you would find in Australia including. Galaxy, Vic Secret, Topaz, and Nelson Sauvin hops, hence the name. A nice light, soft body in this 7.5% ABV and 62 IBU NEIPA.

I am so happy to get a chance to try this one! As always, Kros Strain Brewing never disappoints with their IPAs!

Cheers!

Hoppin' West Coast Style

Hopsy was adamant about appearing in this week’s brew review. Hopsy is a true hophead at heart. So when I had A Citra West Coast IPA from Nebraska Brewing Company to review, this frog was all in!

This classic IPA has great citrus notes upfront. There must be a good amount of malt going into this IPA because there is a kiss of sweetness in the middle. The finish is a good punch of hop bitterness that I absolutely enjoy!

A nice level of carbonation really fine-tunes the flavor in this 6.9%, 72 IBU IPA.

If you are ready to lose the haze and see a cleary great IPA, then this one if for you!

Cheers!

Wonder Twins

One of the most aromatic IPAs I have ever had is Wonder Twins from Scratchtown Brewing Company! I remember being at an event when a keg of Wonder Twins was tapped and this rush of grapefruit and citrus aroma hit me. It was intense and unforgettable! Opening the can tonight, I got that aroma again.

My first sip was highlighted with lots of grapefruit notes. I noticed at it warmed a little bit that grapefruit was still there, but now some berry notes were intermixed. I never get tired of the dynamic duo of Citra and Mosiac hops! Wonder Twins takes these two hops to another level.

The finish has those pine and earthy notes as the hop balance kicks in. I didn’t know what to expect out of 102 IBU DIPA! The body is incredibly light for a 7.6% ABV beer.

Just an incredible IPA!

Cheers!

A Royal Treat

Oh, the queen would be proud to serve this lovely Kolsch from First Street Brewing in the palace!

Queen City Kolsch is everything that I love about this style. Slightly malty, crisp, and refreshing. The malt flavor is forward. The middle has a bit of saltiness which I enjoy in a Kolsch. The finish balances out with a nice touch of hops.

The Queen comes in at 5.2% ABV and 28 IBUs. An incredible session beer that I can drink all year round!

Cheerio!

No Spoon Needed PB Puffs

I have had several milkshake IPAs, but nothing as unique as this one from Weldwerks Brewing Co!

What a wild flavor combination. I get peanut butter and chocolate upfront that is pretty sweet. The middle turns into this citrus explosion that finishes nice and dank. A combination that I would have never thought of in a million years!

I love the description of Cereal Milk India Pale Ale. Um, I think you can consider this a breakfast beer! At 7.6% ABV, it will have you saying “Good Morning” for sure.

Cheers!

A Fashion Statement

I must have great fashion sense because yes, I do wear socks with sandals on occasion! German Lagers in my opinion have become extremely fashionable over the last couple of years. So, when you take the two incredibly talented lager breweries in a collaboration, you know it is going to be great!

Site-1 Brewing and Scriptown Brewing Company got together on a Father’s Day collaboration to create Dad Bod Dort. I must admit this is my first Dortmunder Lager, and it is so good! I will try to put into words what I am experiencing.

This lager is deeper golden than a Pilsner or Kolsch. Upfront, I can best explain this as a lightly buttered biscuit with a touch of honey. The body is soft and finishes with a little spiciness that is not bitter.

My pour might have been a little aggressive as you can see the bubbles. This is not an overly carbonated beer. It comes out of a can as perfect as it is on tap!

This beer comes in at 5.8% ABV and 28 IBUs. Just what dad needs all year around!

Cheers!

Ferrari Backpack

The answer is Ferrari Backpack. The question for me would be: What is one thing I own and one thing I will never have.

All joking aside, this imperial IPA is so indulging that you think it is probably only available for the rich and famous. Fortunately, they had this one tap and to-go on my first visit to Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.! A great collaboration with Lua Brewing.

The first thing I noticed when pouring this beer is the rush of tropical fruit aroma! My nose is not the best one around, but this was so distinct! The flavor has packed full of citrus and tropical fruit notes in a very nice soft body. The finish is a little dank with a nice balancing hop bitterness.

The hop blend is made up of Riwaka, Strata, Citra, Sabro, and Amarillo hops. That is a lot to take in! The ABV is at 7.8% but doesn’t seem like it. Such a great IPA!

Cheers!

Sweet On Dirty Herbie

Call it a man crush, bromance, or whatever, but I am sweet on Dirty Herbie! Hwy 14 Brewing Co in Albion, Nebraska, has added another very creative beer to their list of many unique and flavorful brews.

This wheat beer has sweet strawberry flavor upfront. The finish is nice and tart, which I absolutely love. This is a perfect beer for picnics, pool parties, or just relaxing on the patio!

This sessionable beer comes in at 5.2% ABV. If you like fruit-flavored beer, this is one you will want to get ahold of this summer!

A quick shoutout to Michelle Olson on the artwork for the label. Very cool!

Cheers!

Bohemsky Amber Lager

I always remember the movie, “Happy Gilmore”, especially this one scene from the movie, where Happy is reminded in order to remove his stress to just picture his happy place. For me Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord, Nebraska is my happy place!

Just this past Saturday, made the drive and enjoyed a gorgeous day on the patio. Great conversation and as we packed up, grab some beer to go. I was able to bring back an elevator. I know you are thinking what is an elevator? Well, it is a place that stores grain. Oh but at the brewery it is 3 silos (crowlers).

Bohemsky is a Bohemian amber lager with that beautiful copper color. A blend of six different malts provides lots of caramel and bready notes up front. The body is very soft, and you can thank that on the fact Ord has some of the best water in the state coming from the Ogalla Aquifer. The finish has a nice dryness and spiciness to round out this lager.

Bohemsky is a very sessionable beer coming in at 5.4% ABV. An incredibly good beer along with the rest of the selection from Scratchtown Brewing. Make Ord, Nebraska your destination this summer!

Cheers!

Espresso Self

Nice and bright with a beautiful head

When it comes to coffee beers, I am always up for trying them out! Monolithic Brewing has created a Coffee Kolsch that will perk up your senses!

The aroma is full of coffee, vanilla, and a hint of hazelnut. For me, I want to enjoy the coffee flavor in the beer, not just have a faint note of it. Espresso Self has a nice medium coffee note upfront that quickly blends with vanilla from the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans. The finish has more vanilla and a touch of hazelnut for an incredible blend of flavors!

A solid Kolsch that is crisp and nicely carbonated and comes in at 5.1% ABV. This was a great collaboration with homebrewer Justin Cadwell and The Mill Coffee & Tea from Lincoln, Nebraska. The Costa Rican coffee is wonderful in this Kolsch. The Mill Coffee & Tea has many excellent coffees to choose from! You need to visit them soon!

This is another home run for Monolithic Brewing.

Cheers!

Sunshine, Flowers, and Haaazy Daaang!

There is nothing like springtime when the weather is warm, the flowers are in bloom, and you have a glass of liquid sunshine!

Zipline Brewing Co. from Lincoln, Nebraska has captured the essence of spring in their Haaazy Daaang! A nice nose of citrus as you raise your glass. The citrus notes, especially grapefruit, start off this wonderful IPA. The next thing that grabs my attention is the light body. It is so refreshing even though this is an 8% ABV beer!

The finish brings in those dank notes and just rounds out this IPA. The bottle talks about Zipline’s hazy yeast strain. Looks like more research for another post!

I highly recommend checking out Zipline Brewing beers!

Cheers!

April Showers Bring May Bocks!

The old saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” seems a little bland when you have the release of a Maibock! The Pete Fest Maibock from Upstream Brewing Company is so timely when it comes to the traditional spring bock.

This German lager has those nice bready, malty notes. This one has just a touch of caramel for me upfront. The body is nice and smooth. The finish is just a bit dry, which makes this one fine beer!

Pete Fest Maibock is a collaboration beer with the local German American Society in Omaha, Nebraska. A sure favorite of those who like the malty side of craft beer! In terms of the ABV, it comes in at 5.8%, which is on the lower end for Maibocks. Very minimal IBUs of 12.

Springtime is a whole lot better with the Pete Fest Maibock!

Cheers!

Combat Your Thirst With Hellcat Helles

Flyover Brewing Co, out of Scottsbluff, Nebraska knows how to combat thirst! Meet Hellcat Helles.

This bright golden German lager brings out those nice bready notes in a smooth-bodied beer. A malt-forward lager with a touch of sweetness greets and captivates your taste buds. At 4.8% ABV and 17 IBUs, it is sure to be a hit at any summer picnic or event!

Cheers!

Raspberry Fudgelicious Stout

A new K9 Series of beer that Pint Nine Brewing Company is helping to promote various dog charities. The Raspberry Fudge Farm Stout is in support of the MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue.

A light-bodied stout that has a slightly sweet chocolate note upfront. The raspberry is present throughout but not overpowering. The middle has a nice dry roastiness that finishes out with the tartness of the raspberries.

This 8% ABV stout is nice in the way the sweetness and tartness reveal themselves.

Cheers!

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You know how Joe likes his coffee beers. It didn’t take long to fall in love with the Moonshot Coffee Porter from Site-1 Brewing!

Some definitions of Moonshot include longshot. This coffee porter to me wasn’t a longshot but a sure thing! Nice coffee aroma to greet you. The head is very creamy. The coffee is present but not overwhelming. It blends well with the chocolate and toffee notes in this porter. The body is soft and smooth. The finish has a nice coffee note that lingers.

Truly one beer you don’t want to miss! A nice easy drinking 6% ABV porter. If in the Omaha, Nebraska area, stop by Site-1 Brewing in the Farnam Hill neighborhood at around 25th and Farnam. Always a great selection of craft beer on tap.

Cheers!

This Blonde Has Been Cleared for Take Off

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Seward, Nebraska is well known for being one of the best small towns in the United States for the 4th of July! It is only fitting that when this brewery was created, it would be called Bottle Rocket Brewing. It has been so exciting to see them now canning and distributing their brews!

Bottle Rocket Blonde is a crisp, golden ale that is malt forward with subtle pear fruit notes. The body is on the softer side with a lower level of carbonation. A nice semi-dry finish to round out this ale!

Packed with flavor, this blonde comes in at 5.2% ABV and 20 IBUs. A beer that everyone will enjoy.

Cheers!

This Royal Betty Has Nice Legs!

A perfect cold, rainy day that whispers time to enjoy a Little Betty! This imperial stout from Nebraska Brewing Company has been a favorite of mine for several years. It is the base recipe for a whole line of barrel-aged Bettys.

This dark stout has a beautiful, thick creamy head that is visually inviting to what you are about to experience. The rich chocolate notes upfront are incredible! The hint of sweetness in this full-bodied, silky imperial stout fades into a roasty balanced finish. Swirl this stout in a snifter, and you will see some amazing legs!

You would never guess this 9% ABV stout has 83 IBUs! Just an incredible brew that you must experience!

Cheers!

Day Tripper

Beautiful deep golden orange color

Let me introduce you to Day Tripper the Milkshake Hopfenweizen from Upstream Brewing Company. Waiting, waiting … Giving you just a little time to unwind what you just read. Milkshake, hops, hefeweizen, what?

I opened the crowler and my nose picked up on this lemon and banana aroma that was oh so interesting! I was then wondering what to expect for flavor. There was a nice berry and pine note that lasted pretty much throughout. I didn’t taste any banana that you typically get from a hefeweizen.

The hop profile for this beer is Sultana, Belma, and Comet hops. Lactose, pineapple, strawberry, and vanilla added.

The Day Tripper comes in at 5.7% ABV and 25 IBUs. One tasty brew on this sunny day!

Cheers!

Is It Haze Stings or Hastings?

There is an excellent chance that after having the Haze Stings IPA from First Street Brewing Co that you will never spell Hastings, Nebraska correctly again!

This New England-styled IPA has a wonderful melon aroma that is so captivating. The frontend has stone fruit and melon notes with a touch of honey mixed in. The body is soft but has this nice carbonation in the middle to finish, bringing in that balance of hop bitterness. The deep orange color is stunning in this 6.4% ABV and 68 IBU IPA!

A must-visit if you are traveling on I-80 across Nebraska. Take a nice quick trip south of Grand Island to Hastings and stop into this incredible brewery. Every time I get to stop by, it is such a treat! The owners Nathan and Jessi Hoeft are like family! So many great styles of beer that they produce along with Kombucha tea.

See why First Street Brewing is “First in Flavor Grain to Glass.”

Cheers!