Ranking Minnesota Breweries (May Update)

I think they opened in January. I give them credit for taking the (harsh) feedback of customers to heart and trying to correct their brewing issues so quickly. That's gotta be hard to do just a few months into a new operation, likely meaning kicking someone to the curb who helped you get to opening.

 

Yes good for them to try and right their beer, but where I was going with that is there are a few other things they need to work on also. For myself the beer is gonna have to be extremely good for me to pay high prices and have crap service. I really do hope they get it all together as its close to me and we don't have many options in the area.

 

Anyone else think Fair State shouldn't be at the top? They are really good, but not that good. Their "sours" to me seem like safe bets that are more one note than anything with depth and flavor. I guess that's what you get with kettle sours though. Don't get me wrong though, I do enjoy their beer, just don't think they are top tier.

 

I think they are top tier. Don't really drink sour beer, so I can't comment on that, but their sacch, and brett beers are world class.

 

I agree, but would put them in Excellent. Their saisons, brett saisons, and hoppy saisons are some of my favorites. The sours though....meh.

 

Same here. Their kettle sours do nothing for me. I would place them in the Good category, not excellent. Every beer I have had from them has seemed thinned-bodied.

 

Of the Best of Best according to this list, who besides Schell's, Indeed, and Fair State even makes sours? That is if sours are what puts a brewery in the topest of tiers?

 

The reason Fair State is my main stop these days is CONSISTENT QUALITY paired with their cooperative/community atmosphere. I have come to learn I will not be let down by off favors or recipes completely out-of-balance. Sure, some sours haven't been "amazing", but the recent Rye Falutin and Wild Rover releases hit pretty hard... I definitely recommend trying them (although I didn't get much "stout" from the Rover, but that's for a different thread).

But if some don't like them that's OK. My palate isn't your palate isn't his palate nor her palate. Drink beer you like and life will be good!

 

If we are not getting technical about the definition of sours, Surly, Fitgers and Junkyard do as well.

 

Yep. They were sub par in the first few months, but have really stepped up their game. They should be up a few notches

 

Well, after hearing that, I might have to make a trek there.

 

After revisiting Able today, I would move them up from poor to mediocre. Barely. Still pretty bad beer, but it has improved.

 

I would drink fair state's kettle sours over the indeed sours I've had any day of the week.

I've heard great things about bemidji's sours but haven't had the pleasure yet.

 

I've had a number of solid sours from Forager also.

 

Thanks for the kind words here. Even as the help, they make me feel warm and fuzzy!

A point of clarification- the Lactobac series, Cromulence, and Roselle are kettle sours with Sacch. ethanolic fermentation following a boil to remove the Lacto. (A cool strain I isolated maybe 4 years ago now). The barrel aged sours (Barrel 5 and 10, wild rover, rye falutin, and many more to come) are barrel fermented and barrel aged. For these beers a much wider array of microbes are employed, and acid production is happening in barrels rather than the kettle.

Personally, I see a role for beers achieving acidity through both kettle souring AND for beers doing similar through barrel aging. They result in very different final products, and I see a place for both. Am I crushing beers on the dock? Pass me another Lacto 12 please. Am I having a beer with a nice dinner? I'll spring for something with a bit more depth and funk to complement whatever I'm eating. (That's not to say that Lactobac beers won't compliment food...but I tend to find it easier to drink 4 pints of Lacto 12, which isn't always what I need while cooking or eating dinner!)

Cheers!