22. Utepils Brewing
Alt 1848 - Altbier
Utepils is a brewery that sure took its time opening, sheesh. Originally going with the name Bryn Maur brewing after the Minneapolis neighborhood they call home, there was originally a lot of buzz surrounding them when they announced because there were only a few taprooms around at the time, and besides, they had a killer location for a biergarten with their brewery located in a nice woodsy area right along the creek. And plus, they were gonna focus on classic German styles, a welcome change of pace in a market overflowing with IPAs.
But man, it seemed like they were "opening soon!" for years! I guess things got delayed when they got into a dispute over the name Bryn Maur - apparently someone else was using the name, which is why they changed their name to Utepils, which is Norwegian for "outside lager". But oh well, better late than never, I guess.
Oddly enough, I haven't yet made it to their taproom for some reason, but I have had their beer plenty of times - their kölsch is something I reach for in the warm months when I'm looking for something easy drinking. This altbier, tho - I don't believe I'd had it before.
Anyway, taking a whiff gets me a noseful of malt sweetness - graham, brown sugar, yeah lots of brown sugar, kinda reminiscent of butter brickle, to be honest. Taste wise, it's sweet for only a moment, but gives way quickly to bitterness as the hops take over - it's like a bock that transforms into a pilsner as it works its way across the palate. There is a hint of stone fruit towards the end as well, and some almond in there too.
All in all, a serviceable beer - 3/5. I only wish there was a touch more malt presence in the taste to balance out the bitterness a little better, but hey can't have everything - where would you put it?
Two beers left! AAAIIIEEEE!!!