Organ Grinder
Mankato Brewery

Organ GrinderOrgan Grinder
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From:
Mankato Brewery
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #284
ABV:
5.6%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,571
Avg:
3.54 | pDev: 9.32%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
77
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 17, 2023
Added:
Oct 06, 2012
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  18
The malt is the key to Organ Grinder with the hops taking a break. Much like its German inspired relatives, you see its brilliant amber color and smell its rich malt base. The flavor follows the aroma, and is toasty with a touch of sweetness and a slight noble hop presence.

30 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz can exp date 4/13/23 into a nonic 1/2 pint glass.
L: Pours iced tea colored w a very light yeast haze, a 3/4" light tan creamy head, VG carbo, good head retention to a thick skin, webby lacing w some light sheeting.
S: Caramelized malts, lightly fruity, a suggestion of wood, light molasses, figs, raisins.
T: Sweet caramel malts, toasted grains, lightly fruity, herbal/floral hops, a hint of bitter fruit zest bordering on being resinous, plum, a hint of peat, a touch of yeast, brown bread, lightly nutty.
F: Slightly tawny med-soft body w a med-fast lightly drying glassy smooth finish.
O: Malty, toasty, earthy, herbal hops, soft feel. It's a beauty. Very EZ drinking and pleasant tastes make this American Amber Ale very good to excellent in its style.
Mar 17, 2023
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I tried this beer off the tapper at the brewery as part of a four sample flight whilst visiting Mankato, Minnesota for my daughter's gymnastic's meet at Gustavus Adolphus. It poured a clear amber with white ring head that is left some lace. The scent had sweet malt notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with sweet malt base and bittering hop presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.
Feb 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Jul 18, 2022
Photo of gatornation
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona

3.69/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz can . Pours a clear light copper color with a off white head.Smell is fruity, malty and bready. Taste has grapfruit and oranges with baked bread caramel malts. A dry and semi bitter moth feel ..
Jan 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.1 by fiveiron from Minnesota

Oct 31, 2021
 
Rated: 3.53 by Drewpalmquist from South Dakota

Aug 19, 2021
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.71/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is clear amber in color. It poured with a short light beige head covering the surface.
S: Light aromas of brown bread and toasted malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of dark bread with notes of raisins and hints of toasted malts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer tastes like a hybrid between an American Amber Ale and a German Bock.

Serving type: can
Aug 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.61 by smithj4 from New York

Aug 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.48 by dbrauneis from North Carolina

Aug 02, 2019
Photo of Mindcrime1000
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

3.71/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a tulip.

Pours amber/auburn, with a moderate tan head and good lacing. Just a shade of haze.

Strong toasted malt aromas and yeast immediately present on the nose, with caramel, biscuit, bread, dark fruits (fig, raisin, plum), molasses and brown sugar. Some earthy pepper notes as well.

The flavor is more muted but still excellent, if a bit sweet even for the style. Toasted malts very forward. The tip of the tongue is greeted with caramel, toffee, molasses and brown sugar. The mid-palate arrives with dark bread, biscuit, and nutty flavors as well as doses of dark fruit, pear, apple, and spicy yeast. The brew finishes with excellent earthy and herbal warmth.

This brew is solidly medium-bodied but with good carbonation.

Overall, an excellent, sweet yet earthy take on this style.
Jun 16, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got in a trade with The-Adjunct-HIppie. 12 ounce can into pint glass, best before 6/4/2019. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy medium orange/amber/light copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and creamy/rocky cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, nuts, brown bread/crust, raisin, plum, peach, pear, and red apple; with lighter notes of roast, wood, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, light-moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, nuts, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of roast, raisin, plum, peach, pear, red apple, wood, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, floral, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, nuts, brown bread/crust, light roast/fruits, wood, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, fairly sticky, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 5.6%. Overall this is a delicious amber ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Great soft feel. Nicely clean/rich dark/Munich malt complexity; with solid noble hop presence/balance, and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering bitter dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressively well made style example. A bit more English feeling than expected.
May 15, 2019
 
Rated: 2.87 by beerholder98 from Minnesota

Jun 22, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
not a bad glass of amber here, a robustly malty beer, old school and very flavorful, not entirely safe in a style that usually bores me for that reason. it has a deep brick red color, a frothy almond colored head, and a cool aroma of kilned type malts, european to some extent, faint smoke and peat even to me, maybe a little oxidation, i didnt catch a can date, and a mellow earthy sweetness, quite appealing to me in that its balanced and a little different. the flavor is a little more streamlined without any of that light smoke i smelled coming through, but a dried fruity note, nutty at the same time, almost a port wine flash in here if i am being generous, but at the very least its a sturdy malt base and a good warming baked complexion, lingering a bit in the finish and having some sort of mineral thing happening at the end, intentional or not i like whats all there when this one concludes. nice full medium body, fine carbonation, and less sugary to close than a lot of its peers. better than its ratings i reckon...
Apr 09, 2018
Photo of ZAP
Reviewed by ZAP from Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Russet Brown colored....nice sweet malty aroma of caramel candy....taste follows suit with a touch of earthy hops to add a sense of balance. I love a good malty amber ale and this definitely fits the bill. Not cloying but some may find it too sweet. I like it.
Oct 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by yat282 from Minnesota

Sep 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by patches from Minnesota

Jul 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.62 by Haybeerman from Colorado

Jun 21, 2017
 
Rated: 2.75 by WaveDragon from Minnesota

May 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by matt56007 from Minnesota

May 17, 2017
Photo of TX-Badger
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear reddish amber color with white head. Grass, malts, cereal, and some earth tones on the nose; follows onto the palate. Medium bodied. Finishes with a mostly malt focus, a little grass sneaks in.
Feb 03, 2017
Organ Grinder from Mankato Brewery
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 77 ratings