Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.
This week: Todd the Axe Man
Surly Brewing Co., Minneapolis/Brooklyn Center, Minn.
It’s not very often I get to write about a beer with my name, so I had high hopes for Todd the Axe Man India Pale Ale.
The beer is named after Surly’s head brewer Todd Haug, who also enjoys playing heavy metal guitar. My initial cheer was tempered when I read on the label, “Beer to shred your face in a can.” Such boasts are like hot pepper sauces that guarantee to burn out your insides — they never have any flavor, just the burn.
But this collaboration between Surly and Amager Brewery in Denmark turned out to be a tasty and unusual IPA through its use of Mosaic and Citra hops. Yes, there is a healthy dose of pine and grapefruit hop characteristics, which are well-balanced, but also strong tangerine and peach flavors and aromas.
The few beers I’ve had with these unusual hop flavors, which also have included orange, pineapple, melon and white wine, seem to complement malt better than pine and grapefruit, and I’m surprised more breweries aren’t producing beers with these hop flavors.
Todd the Axe Man is a peach color and hazy from not filtering out the yeast. The peach and tangerine flavor are prominent in the taste and enhanced by some caramel sweetness. Despite the claim on the label, the 7.2% ABV IPA is not overly bitter, though it has a slight lingering harshness at the finish that is actually pleasant.
Surly distributes in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The brewery’s Beer Finder link is here.
Magic Hat Brewing Co., of South Burlington, Vt., has released a new beer called Low Key Session India Pale Ale.
A Session IPA should have more hop flavor and malt presence than an American Pale Ale, but less alcohol than an APA or American IPA.
Low Key does its job well. It had a good pine and grapefruit balance, along with subtle notes of other fruits such as tangerine, though not nearly as noticeable as with the Surly ale.
What I most liked about it was the fresh grain aspect in both the aroma and flavor, which is not common with most hoppy beers. There also was a slight lemon tang in the background. The body and mouthfeel of the 4.5% ABV IPA were not thin, but not quite medium, either.
Low Key is available in a canned Spring Fever variety pack and bottled IPA Playlist variety pack. Magic Hat’s beer finder link is here.
Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability by mail. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns, click here.
