Steel Toe Brewing - Rainmaker

Tonight I'm drinking a bomber of Rainmaker from Steel Toe Brewing located in St. Louis Park, MN.  If you have been following us over the last month or two you have certainly noticed the high remarks I've had for these guys in our reviews.  Their Size 7 IPA is one of the best I've had.  Dissent is a fantastic dark ale that isn't quite a stout but slightly bigger than a porter.  I have yet to review Provider which is a lightly hopped, unfiltered light ale.  But I have tasted it and it's very good.  Rainmaker is the last of the four brews currently available from Steel Toe that I have yet to sink my beer-craving palate into.

Rainmaker is a double red ale brewed with caramel and dark roasted malts with a big pile of hops added in for good measure.  I wonder what category this brew falls under in our poll?  At 6.5% ABV, I'd say its right between 'maintaining my ability to walk' and 'enjoying a good imperial brew'.  I won't know until I try it!

As I fill my pint I find that the color isn't quite what I had expected.  More brown than red, but still clear and topped off with a voluptuous amount of tan foam.  The citrusy aroma reminds me of a subdued version of Size 7.  This isn't necessarily bad.  It leaves room for some toasted bread and caramel aromas to accompany the grapefruity hop aroma that initially leads things off.  The flavors are very similar to the aromas.  Citrusy hops are at the forefront once again with sweet malt and a hint of mild roast providing a solid amount of balance.  The body is just a bit thin for my liking, but I wouldn't consider it a flaw, just a preference.  Although, as it warms, the sweetness comes through a bit more and mimics some of that extra body I was looking for.  The finish is nice and smooth with some hop bitterness and just a hint of alcohol helping to dry it all out.

Overall - I'd put Rainmaker on the same level as Dissent - a well brewed beer with a lot of good things going for it.  Size 7 is still my favorite of the four available brews from Steel Toe.  It was just so good!  But Rainmaker is definitely a beer I'll go back to when I'm looking for a darker, fully hopped red ale.  I wish all four beers were on tap in my house.  That would make me a happy boy.

Steel Toe Brewing - Dissent

Tonight I'm reviewing another beer from a local brewery that I have just personally dubbed "Best IPA Crafter in the Universe".  That's right, I said it.  You wanna fight about it???

Two weeks ago I reviewed Steel Toe's Size 7 IPA.  It was, hands down, one of the best IPA's I had ever tasted.  I'm simply giddy about the fact that they are within a 10 minute drive from my house.  I can't wait to see their beer on tap locally.  I know they are going to be a big hit.

The bottle of Dissent I'm reviewing tonight was purchased during the same visit I picked up Size 7.  Ever since I reviewed Size 7, this bottle has been staring me down every time I open my beer fridge, just pleading with me to open it.  I know, or at least hope, it's as good as my last Steel Toe experience.

Dissent is an extremely dark brew.  The light from my lamp doesn't even make it through when I hold my glass up to the bulb.  A deep brown foam froths up and hangs around for a while without ever fully receding.  The aromas are prominently roasted malt.  It reminds me of a big porter or schwarzbier.  But the flavor brings me more towards a stout style.  Creamy, medium body, slightly high carbonation, roasty flavors with a smooth finish. Now I'm friggen confused.  Is it a stout? Porter? Schwarzbier? Santa?  Whatever it is, I like it. As it warms further more roasty and dark chocolate characteristics shine through in both the aroma a flavor.

Overall - This was tasty.  BUT, not as good as Size 7.  Sorry Steel Toe, you set the bar really high with your IPA.  I'm not saying Dissent is bad, not by any measure.  It's a great beer with plenty of flavor to appease anyone who is looking for a roasty, chocolaty brew. It's not a stout, nor is it a porter.  It's a hybrid, and a good one at that.  Definitely pick up a bottle if you are a fan of robust porters.

Steel Toe Brewing - Size 7 IPA

Tonight I am reviewing a brand new beer, straight off the brewery floor.  Steel Toe Brewing is one of the newest breweries to bring their craft to Minnesota.  Duns and I are lucky enough to only live about 20 minutes away from Steel Toe.  In fact, Duns went over there to get his own growler tonight!  They just started selling growlers about a month ago and their bottles are hitting store shelves in limited quantities now.  Soon, their kegs will hit our local watering holes and the suburbs of Minneapolis will have another craft beer to choose from.  Steel Toe's growlers have been selling like drug-laced hot cakes since they launched.  I'm excited to jump on this beer wagon and try their beer for the first time tonight.

Currently Steel Toe is offering three beers: Size 7, Dissent and Provider.  Provider is a light ale with a floral hop aroma.  Dissent is Steel Toe's version of a dark ale with oats.  I was also able to grab a bottle of Dissent and am looking forward to trying it as well!  Soon, Steel Toe will roll out a hoppy red ale named Rainmaker.  They are also teasing an oak aged stout and an oak aged barley wine in the future.  Hopefully we see those this winter!  However, tonight I am drinking Size 7.  This is an IPA that has 77 IBU's and weighs in at 7% ABV.  See the trend here?

Light orange, brilliantly clear with a fluffy white head that never quite goes away.  The aroma is akin to pulling a fresh hop cone off the bine, rubbing it between your hands and sticking your nose in the middle of the crushed lupulin and leafs.  It smells amazingly fresh and potent.  Lots of citrus and grapefruit with hints of malty sweetness in the background.  The flavors are intensely hoppy with a bold citrus and fruity hop-forward bitterness taking hold of my pallet every sip.  A subtle malty, bready sweetness helps to provide a semblance of balance this IPA needs.  The alcohol is barely there while the carbonation creates a smooth and crisp mouthfeel.

Overall - All I have to say is Wow!  I am not as much of a hop head as Duns but this IPA would easily make me drink an IPA every day.  Size 7 is floral, aromatic, smooth, bitter (in a good way), flavorful and dangerously easy to drink.  This IPA has earned a full time spot in my fridge.  I'm extremely excited to see what else Steel Toe has in store.  I think Surly may have a real competitor on their hands!