Provider (Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN)

Steel Toe Provider

Took home a Provider because the sample impressed me.  And, the guy ahead of me bought the last Dissent.  A bit light for my normal drinking, but I thought a growler for week night drinking would be a good test for this golden ale.

Stark white head falls rather quickly in spite of an assertive pour. Hazy sunflower gold ale that's translucent with waves of old gold. Floral scented nose with a slight spice and fresh biscuity malt underneath.  Sweet beer that has a full and filling mouthfeel, which is what really attracted me initially.  In spite of taking up the light, psuedo-macro, lawnmower, everyman spot in the Steel Toe line up, hearty mouthfeel belies its light appearance.  It even warms nicely, again a contradiction to its assumed visual character.  The 5% ABV points to a stronger malt bill, which may explain the perceptual gap.

Overall, a very nice beer and one that I would try a draft, bottle or growler again.  I'm looking for a growler to share at the end of the year teacher party and Provider seems like it would be palatable for a wide range of drinkers. 

Size 7 (Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN)

Size 7 is quickly becoming one of my favorite IPAs and gives me a strong reason to head back to Steel Toe for more growlers.  The attached photo is confusing because I just got my new glass from Lucid for my contribution to the kickstarter program.  No Lucid in the house, so Steel Toe is the inaugural beer.

Fluffy white head lingers to a lace on top of the copper ale that's shiny gold around the back lit edges.  Strong hop nose that's very much in the northwest style.  Heavy citrus, grapefruit with light spice and floral notes.  Sweet, light malt hides underneath an assertive, raw hop bitterness that lingers--a favorite characteristic of mine that I can see why others might find too much in the beer.

My senses of smell and taste are not as acute as some, so I often joke that if I like a beer a lot that it may be out of balance.  Steel Toe's quote on this beer:  If you ever call Size 7 balanced we’ll kick you where it hurts (in the hop sack).

As I finish this post, I'm polishing off the last pint of two growlers of Size 7 that I've worked through during the week.   This is a great daily IPA to satisfy the hop monster, right to the last pint. Drink this beer.

Steel Toe growler run (Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN)

Steel Toe Brewery

Finally, after several weeks of trying, I was able to get down to Steel Toe Brewing to pick up some growlers.  Hours are relatively short and St. Louis Park is a ways away for me.  Initial tastings were very good.

Dissent sample on site
served by Jason

I had samples of four Steel Toe brews: Size 7, Provider, Dissent and Rainmaker.  I had a draft of Rainmaker to end of my day at the Brown Bag Blind Tasting in January and really loved the beer. Oddly, not as excited about the sample on site.  Dissent and Size 7 were my favorites today, but impressed enough with Provider to go home with a growler (in part because they ran out of Dissent).

Got a two second tour of the brewhouse and an impromptu discussion with other beer geeks deciding what to purchase on a very wet Saturday morning.  A nice visit overall, and reviews of the growlers to follow.  You can get a better look at the brewhouse and Jason the owner/brewer on this week's KARE 11 Microbrew of the Week.

Size 7 review

Provider review

Rainmaker (Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN)

Rainmaker is a dark amber ale with a golden highlights on the edge. Off white head piles high and falls to a film. Strong caramel and hop spice in the nose: pleasant and balanced. Big malt backbone that more than supports an earthy, peppery and spicey hop bite. Nice beer to chew through while watching TV. I like the beer more and more as I get to the bottom of the glass. Steel Toe seems to be the real deal for a new Minnesota brewery.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 11-18-2011 01:11:48

Size 7 (Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN)

Golden IPA with streaks of copper through the thicker parts of the glass. Fluffy white head piles high in the glass. Glad it was oversized glass to hold back the rise from the bomber. Rush of grapefruit off the falling head was strong and wets the appetite. Doesn't hang in there through the whole beer, but is still a very nice citrus, lemon, light malt that is very much in the Northwest style, as stated on the website. Lace hangs nicely on the side of the glass as I taste it--hops linger in the nose yet as the soft bread hides below the fruity hop bite that swallows the tongue fully. Lingers nicely and can chew the hops a little. Body is a bit light, but seems to be on purpose to showcase those hops. 7% ABV is completely unapparent, so it's a much bigger beer than it seems on face value. Very good IPA--maybe even one to keep around on a regular basis to drink during the week. Nice hop bite to feed the beast, but light enough to enjoy so you're not kicked in the butt by this Size 7.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 11-17-2011 03:48:35