Steel Toe Brewing Beer Reviewed

Steel Toe Brewing was a major highlight while I was back in Minneapolis over the holidays. I'd first found their Size 7 IPA on tap at Muddy Waters and immediately wanted to find the rest of their new offerings. Luckily, the fine folks at the Four Firkins had bombers of all four ales. Thanks Alvey.

Provider
American Blonde Ale | 5.00% ABV

4.1/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bomber at the Four Firkins for $5. I should have bought another. It's a simple, but very tasty and well-made blonde ale that borders on the lighter side of a pale ale. The aroma is a mix of lightly toasted pale malt and mild, floral tangerine hops. These carry through to the flavor, where the gentle, floral hops character picks up, reminding me of a for subtle Surly Bitter Brewer. It's smooth, very drinkable and finished with a little kick of pale malt grain instead of hops. Wow, this is a great session beer.


Rainmaker
American Amber / Red Ale | 6.50% ABV

4.15/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Off the bat, it reminds me a bit of Furious, as a big, red, and tasty beer with a huge hops character. Of course, it's plenty different when you get down to the details. Foremost, the Rainmaker has a strong floral component. You could also say it's a touch darker, though both are more red than your average IPA, or close to a double IPA or red ale. The aroma has a piney, pungent kick over the floral undertones. The flavor balances fruity citrus tangerine and grapefruit on top of mild spice, pine and the floral. The body is more drinkable for a double red, but that's fine by me. I'll take another.


Dissent
Foreign / Export Stout | 7.00% ABV

4.1/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cracked open a bottle for dessert. Poured pitch black with a short tan head from my bomber. Mmm, nice chocolate aroma with a fresh coffee background. The flavor has a tasty, clean dry cocoa roast with a bready malt undertone. Hops come in for a big dry bitter finish that's a little more American stout/double stout. This is an awesome stout, just don't expect something on the sweet side like Lion or Dragon stouts.


Size 7
American IPA | 7.00% ABV

4/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint at Muddy Waters on Lyndale. This is a classic American IPA like you'd expect to find in Denver, Boston, or of course, Minneapolis. I liked that it wasn't too thick, there was just enough clean malt to let the hops stand up and shine. The character was rich with floral fruit, lots of citrus, but nothing too biting. It was a big, but smooth bitterness in the finish. I'd like to try this side-by-side with Masala Mama, this is an IPA I'll be happy to see around town.

Drinking & Reviewing Olvalde Farm & Brewing

I'm back in Minnesota for the holidays and have a lot of catching up to do on 2011's new breweries in the state. On the way back from the airport, I swung by St. Paul's Wine Thief and Ale Jail, which has a great craft beer boutique section that will Minneapolis beer lovers of the Four Firkins. Among other fancy beers, I picked up both offerings from Rollingstone, MN's Olvalde Farm & Brewing Company: Ode To A Russian Shipwright and The Auroch's Horn.

Not many breweries brew beers honoring Peter the Great, and even few name Belgian ales after extinct wild cattle (wiki auroch), but Olvalde is far from your average midwestern brewery.

The Auroch's Horn
Olvalde Farm & Brewing Company
Belgian Strong Pale Ale | 10.00% ABV

3.95/5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer doesn't quite jump out of the glass, but it's an impressive US-made Belgian. For the strength, it seems a touch muted, but there's a wonderful mix of soft pale malt and spicy Belgian yeast. Hops add a mild citrus undertone and balance to sweet, toasty grains. Check this out, it's a great example of a subtle Belgian ale.


Ode To A Russian Shipwright
Olvalde Farm & Brewing Company
American Porter

4.15/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An imperial stout porter? Well it certainly doesn't taste like your average imperial stout. For a strong, dark beer, it's a little lighter in body and dials back the big roast. Instead, there's a more interesting mix of cocoa and mild mocha with the spicy rye and herbal spruce. Nothing's overpowering, and nothing's normal - I like that. My only complaint is that I'm pulling a little rubber phenol out of the beer, but it's a minor knock on an otherwise awesome beer. Go find this and enjoy.