The Beer Dabbler - Minnesota's Outdoor Beer Festival

Beer Reviews

Presented by The Ale Jail:

Beer Review: Bell’s Hopslam Ale

It’s that time of year again-can’t you feel it in the air? No, I’m not talking about the impending Hallmark Holiday, but rather the anticipation surrounding this year’s release of Bell’s Hopslam in bottles. For diehard hop fans this comes as no news, but for the uninitiated, prepare to be wowed by this tasty double [...]

Capital Brewery Winter Skål

A seemingly unusual choice for a winter seasonal, Winter Skal comes to us from Capital Brewery located in Middleton, WI, less than 10 miles from Madison. True to Wisconsin’s Germanic roots, Capital is first and foremost a lager brewery. Their Brewmaster, Kirby Nelson, expresses his frustration at customers that come in looking for an IPA [...]

Boulevard Tank 7 Review

As Craft Brewing has taken off in the states, many brewers have made their mark developing unique beers that fall outside the bounds of traditional styles. However, another trend has been to look to brewing history in Europe and to reinvent previously well-established styles, giving them an American twist. Boulevard has done just that with [...]

Lift Bridge Commander Barleywine

It’s been a year of ups and downs for Lift Bridge, as they were forced to temporarily discontinue bottle sales earlier this year after ending their contract brewing relationship with Cold Spring Brewing Company. While we eagerly await the return of 6-packs in early 2012, Lift Bridge has gifted us with Commander-an English Style Barleywine [...]

Odell Woodcut No. 05

Barrel-aged beers are currently one of the hottest trends in American craft brewing. Many breweries are experimenting with the unique aromas and flavors that extended oak aging can contribute to a beer — Odell is no exception. In 2007, Odell began producing their Woodcut Series, a limited release selection of powerful, creatively crafted, barrel-aged beers. [...]

Surly Abrasive

Surly Abrasive  is a big double IPA. What’s a double IPA? Double India Pale Ales are a strong, very hoppy style of beer with high amounts of malt and hops. Double IPAs typically have alcohol content above 7% by volume. IBUs are in the very high range (60+). I had the intension of having a [...]