The Pint Report: Tin Whiskers Barrel Shifter Review

In the grips of a Minnesota winter, many of us crave a nice big beer to warm our bones and dazzle our palates.  Tin Whiskers has put forth a tremendous and unique offering in their Barrel Shifter Porter, an oak-aged porter with plenty of flavor and warmth to get you through these chilly nights.

The Barrel Shifter is a bigger beer at 8% ABV and is very balanced at 48 IBUs.  I tried this beer at the taproom and it is served in a 10 oz. glass.  The beer has a little bit of a head on it and the its obsidian color is incredibly appealing to the eye.  The aroma consists of roasted malt and a slight barrel-aged aroma that is not too overpowering.  My one fear with this beer was that the barrel aging would muddle out some of the other flavors and aromas, but the brewer made sure that all of the flavors and aromas were able to be present in this beer.

As I continued to drink, the head dissipated and clung to the sides of the glass.  This beer drinks very easy and smooth.  The bite from the roasted malt are balanced out by the nice chocolate notes and slight hint of cherry from the wood.  The vanilla, another flavor that can sometimes overshadow other things going on in the beer, is also just the right amount and not too over-the-top.  There is also a slight dark chocolate aftertaste that left me feeling very satisfied with this beer.  All the flavors intensify as the porter warms up.  Beers like this are best enjoyed when you have ample time to do so.  With each delicious sip of the Barrel Shifter, the dread of Monday seemed to dissipate.  I was enjoying a great beer and watching the NFL playoff game along with the rest of the patrons.  What a great way end a weekend!

The beertender said that this beer has been popular with the Tin Whiskers patrons and I totally agree.  This beer is an ideal winter seasonal.  It has a great combination of sweetness from the chocolate malt and vanilla.  When you factor in the balancing component of roasted malt and the slight cherry flavor from the cherry wood that was used in the aging, the beer comes together in a harmonious way.  If you are lucky enough to see it on tap around town, I urge you to try a pint.  However, it will be on at the taproom for a limited time, so head down to Tin Whiskers and try some.  Not only will you be able to stick it to Old Man Winter, but you will be able to enjoy doing so in what is becoming a great place to hang out in Saint Paul and chat with other like-minded craft beer drinkers.  Prost!

How To Talk Like A Beer Geek: Tiny Bubbles!

Today let’s talk tiny bubbles! There are several different means of carbonating beer. Knowing the difference is pretty important as the different ways of carbonating beer can affect your beer drinking experience a TON.


First up, NITRO! We’ve all seen on tap lists a beer we have drank before, but it is listed as “on nitro”. What this means is that the beer is carbonated with a mixture of around 70% nitrogen and 30% carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of just straight CO2. The result is a cascading look to the beer as it is settling and a much creamier beer with a thicker mouthfeel as opposed to the usual sharper carbonation found in most beers. Nitro was typically used just on stouts, but now is also used on IPAs and some Scotch Ales. Give it a try, especially with a good stout!

Next up let’s do a two-fer! BOTTLE CONDITIONED and FORCED CARBONATION. These are two ways that brewers carbonate beer. Forced carbonation is exactly like it sounds. CO2 is artificially forced into a beer vessel which causes the CO2 to be absorbed into the beer. Bottle conditioned on the other hand is more of a natural process. The beer is bottled often with a sugar to feed the viable yeast still in the beer. The yeast eats the sugar and gives off CO2 as a byproduct. Since the bottle is capped, the CO2 can’t escape. As pressure builds up, the only place for the CO2 to go is back into the beer. BOOM! Carbonation!

The final bubbly term is actually not so bubbly, HAND PUMP. A hand pump is a manual means of getting beer into your glass. These are fairly rare as it is a pretty old school way of doing things. Normally it will be some sort of specialty beer that is on a hand pump. The result is a pretty much flat beer, and often not very cold. I have had two beers from two different places from a hand pump. Honestly, not my thing and I probably won’t be giving this a third try. It is a neat novelty, but I like my beer good and carbed up!

There you go, all you need to know about bubbles and the ways they get into beer. Time to go take those fancy tap lists by storm!

Brew Year's Resolutions: 5 Things To Broaden Your Craft Beer Horizons In 2015

In my opinion, New Year's Resolutions work about as well as two story outhouses.  Get to the gym more.  Eat fewer non-complex carbohydrates.  Eat more riboflavin.  This is what has been bombarding my Twitter Feed and Facebook Page over the past few days and I am sick of it.  Very few of the resolutions that I have seen over the last couple of days have looked appealing or achievable, much less appealing and achievable.  Perhaps even more egregious, very few of the resolutions I saw mentioned anything about craft beer.  So, let me present you with a couple of things to add into the mix in 2015 that up the gravity on your beer geek goals.  Whether you are a Certified Cicerone or just dipping you toe in the craft beer pool, you will hopefully find something to ponder as we move forward and into the new year.



Brew Year's Resolution #1-Try a new beer style.  We all have our favorites.  We are partial to certain qualities of those brews, but why not try breaking into a new direction?  You would be surprised (I know I was) about exactly how many different beer styles and sub-categories are out there.  My own foray into this resolution will be the ESB category.  ESB stands for Extra Special Bitters.  When I first heard of this style, I thought that it meant that it would be very hoppy and bitter.  That is actually not the case and, in fact, this beer style is remarkably balanced and drinkable.  If you are curious about where to find information about different beer styles, start with Beer Advocate or BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) as some great resources.  Not only will you see that there are a myriad of styles out there, there is usually a list of style representations that you can pick up at the local liquor store.  Read up on your favorite beer style and then try something that is similar to it.  You will be broadening your horizons while still staying in a palate and flavor profile that you are comfortable with.

Brew Year's Resolution #2-Order a new beer every time you are out at a bar or restaurant.  This is much easier than biking with a blindfold on and will allow for the same level of excitement.  As more and more bars and restaurants are catering to the needs of craft beer drinkers, they are providing us with more options for enjoying a pint.  Gone are the days where all you see are mainstream domestics on tap.  Both in the Twin Cities Metro area as well as in greater Minnesota, the tap lines are becoming more interesting and diverse.  Some of my favorite places in the Twin Cities are Republic and Muddy Pig.  These places have a great selection of local and regional craft beers as well as staffs that are intelligent and willing to help you pick the right beer for you.

Brew Year's Resolution #3-Try a new taproom.  With taprooms popping up like prairie dogs in a South Dakota summer, this is extremely doable.  The other night I went to Northgate's taproom for the first time and I absolutely loved it.  I got a chance to try their Parapet ESB and that helped me work on my first resolution.  The vibe is great there and with each different taproom, you are introduced to a collection of new and exciting beers.  We have some hidden gems in this state and each one has a vibe and feel that is unique.  There are no cookie-cutter taprooms that I have seen and I have been to my fair share.




Brew Year's Resolution #4-Hit the books.  While there is much beer geek knowledge that can be gleaned from going out and trying new beers in taprooms and bars, if you really want to up the gravity of your beer knowledge, you need to check out some of the great titles that have been written about craft beer.  One of my personal favorites is Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide To The World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher.  This is one of the most accessible books about everything one needs to know about tasting, understanding and evaluating beer.  If you are looking for something more of the narrative variety, Microbrewed Adventures by Charlie Papazian has you covered.  Papazian's writing style is engaging and humorous and you read wonderful tales about his beer travels all over the world.



Brew Year's Resolution #5-Build Your Own 6-Pack.  One of the most common obstacles in trying new beer is the intimidation factor.  I have heard people become hesitant to spend anywhere from 8-12 dollars on a 6-pack of beer they are not sure they will like.  Well, most liquor stores have began to cater to the new craft beer enthusiast and they will usually have a section of single bottles that you can use to build your own 6-pack.  This is a wonderful way to expand your beer geek horizons.  Most liquor stores that have a build your own 6-pack will also be more than willing to help you fill it up with great beer that you will really like.

While the new year can bring a lot of pressure to set goals that may or may not be realistic or achievable, these 5 Brew Year's Resolutions are definitely something that you will have fun attempting to achieve.  Craft beer is not just something you drink, it is a means to social interaction and discovery.  So, get some friends together and try to work on these together.  I will be right out there with you trying to mark these off my list, all the while, having a great time meeting new people and drinking delicious craft beer.  Prost!