October 21st, 2009
Brewery visit: Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
Last week, I had the chance to travel for work, and it brought me to the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. As we always do when we visit a new place, we scour the area for the best beer bars and breweries. Without much effort at all, a friend of ours, without hesitation, told me that I needed to visit the Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery and, even more impressively, mentioned that I needed to have the Masala Mama IPA. So, on the second night out there, my co-worker and I ventured into downtown Minneapolis and sought it out. Easy enough to find, with plenty of street parking, we pulled up and headed in.
It was impressively busy for a Wednesday night. By reputation, they are a brew and serve on premise only bar… no distribution. What we weren’t expecting were some of the great guest beers they had on tap. To compliment their own wet hopped beer, they had a draft tower that was pouring Surly Wet, two versions of Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA, each with a different variety of wet hop, and Left Hand’s Warrior IPA. My first beer was the Surly Wet, brewed just outside Minneapolis in Brooklyn Center, MN. Here is my review of the beer:
Pours a ruddy dark amber with a brilliant white thick head with good retention. Uber sticky lacing rings around the glass. Body clarity is slightly hazy with little to no activity in the glass. Aroma is of heavily subdued hops with an evident tone of floral notes that seem to want to jump out of the glass but can’t. Without warning, the initial taste is loaded with lip puckering bitterness with a slightly sweet hop taste that mellows slightly towards the finish. Mouthfeel is dry with a slightly creamy texture and some faint carbonation on the tail end.
Long story short on this guy…incredibly bitter and deceptively mellow aroma. Perfect wet-hopped beer.
My second was the Masala Mama IPA, the reason for us sitting in the bar in the first place:
Pours a light to medium radiant amber with a gorgeous pillowy off-white head with excellent retention. Phenomenal lacing as the head slowly dissipates, although it is persistent and won’t fully disappear. Aroma is delicate with a subtle blend of floral and citrus hops, without being abrasive. Initial taste is moderately bitter and is immediately followed by a sweet grapefruit taste that carries through to the finish. The lingering bitterness slowly fades but remains ever-present. Mouthfeel is watery with just a touch of creaminess, and doesn’t end up overly dry. Slight carbonation dances on the tip of the tongue.
It was excellent. My co-worker had the Mango Mama IPA which was, as you’d expect, everything the Masala Mama was, plus a well-done mango addition.
If you’re a fan of craft beer, and you’re anywhere near Minneapolis, I can say, without hesitation, that it will be worth your while to head into downtown and seek this place out. The Mall of America has its place, but the Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery is a craft beer drinkers paradise.