Ranking Minnesota Breweries (May Update)

I take it you haven't been to 10k since around opening time? I felt the same way after going in the first week. They've really stepped up their game since then. They recently had a barrel aged scotch ale on for Batch #50 and it was incredible

 

Cauld Weather, their scotch ale they had on tap this winter was terrific. Hopcromancer was a solid IPA. I think where you ranked them is pretty fair.

 

Thanks for the update. Again, I generally agree with your ratings, especially the almighty Fair State (cough best IPA in MN cough).

Now, I must ask: have you been back to BANG? I have, and for those interested, here are my thoughts:

1) Better hours. Now it's something like 4-10pm on Friday, 2-8pm on Saturday.

2) They used to have 4 varieties on tap. Now they have 8ish.

3) Their beer was originally limited by scarce availability and price of organic ingredients. Now they seem to have access to a wider variety, allowing to branch out and experiment.

4) My first visits and tastes left me feeling as though the recipes needed a few kinks worked out. For example the Pale ale was incredibly dry and bitter, and their special bitter (IIRC) was a touch high in terminal gravity. Upon my return, I didn't feel this way about anything. It could be time or changes to my palate, but the pale ale tasted more balanced. My favorite was the CLUB lager. That was a refresher; dry and crisp, slightly grassy, with a touch of grain!

...
Anyways. I thought BANG was a tad low on this scale, and I still stand my ground. Please take another look at them, and if you already have, please post your recent impressions! If it means anything, I'd compare their quality and vibe to Northgate, and considering NG is "very good", I'd put BANG no lower than "good".

***I am in no way affiliated with BANG, nor am I benefiting from this post. I just like good beer!***

 

I personally would put Lake Monster MANY notches below Bent Paddle, Dangerous Man and Sisyphus.

 

Indeed has slipped a bit for me. I didn't like let it ride this year and their wooden soul beers have not impressed me. They're ok but I expected some improvement.

Fair state has been killing it since they opened. I've loved all their beers and their BA stout is the only beer I've had from them that was just "ok".

Would love to try junkyard sometime soon!

 

When I went up last summer we hit quite a few but didn't hit all those "Best's"... I need to get back to clean up!

 

Not that my opinion means anything, I just thought this would be kind of fun to do. I will only put breweries on here from which I have had multiple beers (more than 2) and mostly within the past year. A lot can change in a year, I know, and there are certainly some I should revisit because it has been too long or I went too early (East Lake and Able, respectively). I also changed the "average" and "below average" categories because I'm a dork and average indicates a mathematical average, to me. Not really a particular order within category, except Best of the Best.

BEST OF THE BEST:
Surly
Town Hall
Junkyard
Schell’s
Steel Toe
Bent Paddle

EXCELLENT:
Summit
Sisyphus
Indeed
Fair State
Liftbridge
Dangerous Man
Fitger’s

VERY GOOD:
Castle Danger
Insight
Fulton (depending on the beer they can span Poor to Excellent)
Lakes & Legends

GOOD:
Hammerheart
Bad Weather
Bauhaus
Northgate
Harriet

FAIR:
The Freehouse
Northbound
LynLake
Lupulin
Day Block
Barley John’s (never had the BA stuff)
Bad Habit
Brau Bros

MEDIOCRE:
Great Waters
Canal Park
Lucid
Bang
Enki
LTD
Red Wing (the pizza, though…)

POOR:
Able Seedhouse
East Lake
Herkimer

 

I wouldn't bother. I was out that way to play poker a couple weeks ago & stopped in to grab a four-beer taster. Nothing terrible, but nothing rose above the level of "That's OK" & all four beers had that uniformity of taste that I find in low-tier brewers. But yeah, it was packed. The Michelob crowd moving one step up, I assume.

 

You absolutely need to get back to Able. To rank them as Poor is ridiculous.

 

I have heard that I need to. Went there a couple weeks after they opened and not a single beer was close to drinkable. My wife and I have both been known to enjoy our beers and we could not finish a beer on the flight split between the two of us. Walked out and went to Indeed. They were the worst beers I have ever had out at a brewery (dethroned Drekker in Fargo, ND). However, I do understand breweries need time and I do plan on revisiting them. It honestly just put such a bad taste in my mouth (literally, I suppose) that I have been wary of returning.

 

Ok, I will keep avoiding their beers in the liquor store.

 

Yeah, I've been a couple of times and found the beer to be quite good.

 

Maybe I just had some really good luck in picking them. The Batch #50 was amazing, Chocolate Moose Nuts was very good, and the Sweet Vanilla Oatmeal Stout with Coffee was pretty good too. They also had a citra beer on for a while that seemed a little better than Xtra Citra. Though I hear that was pretty hit or miss with people.

 

I believe it is hazelnut, yes.

 

Pretty good rankings, Bent Paddle not being in the top category is an obvious mistake though.