MPLS - Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery

herman77

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yep, this is from a can. A unmarked, silver 12oz can. Indeed wanted to try out their new canning line before using their own beer, so TH donated a few kegs for "testing" and one was MPLS.

A: Clear, light orange with a white head. Decent lacing.

S: Bright citrus hops and white grapes. A bit of tropical fruits. Don't really pick up anything else.

T: Interesting hop profile. Different, but in a good, refreshing way. It must be the Nelson Sauvin hops. They are juicy, bright and clean. Fairly citrusy with some sweet juicy fruits as well. A bit of pineapple. Fairly clean finish.

M: Medium to ligher body, average to lighter carbonation. Feels smooth.

O: A very tasty, hopped up pale lager. Tastes more like a pale ale, but it is much cleaner. Good drinkability.

Serving type: can

09-23-2012 18:40:25 | More by herman77

GeezLynn

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a light brown adobe shade in the glass, with a substantial off-white head and great retention. Fresh floral hops greet the nose. Citrus and grape aromas in particular, jump out of the glass. I don’t pick up much in the way of malt or yeast.

Flavor is also all about hops. Not as tilted toward the fruit as the aroma. It’s very musky and herbal - with pine, green grass and shallots coming to mind. A potent, but not sharp bitterness lingers through finish. Mouthfeel is dry, with moderate soft carbonation and a light body. Carbonation is a bit on the low side, but the result is a pretty smooth feel.

One of the many great things about Town Hall is their regular featuring of specialty/single hopped beers. This simple lager was a perfect way to showcase this hop and I was personally very impressed with this one, especially the aroma. Impressed enough to immediately place an order for some Nelson Sauvins. Always looking forward to the next Town Hall boutique hop pale ale/lager.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2012 04:14:11 | More by GeezLynn

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Town Hall: Short for Minnesota Pale Lager Style, MPLS is amply hopped with Nelson Sauvin and fermented with a lager strain for a crisp, hop-forward lager.

Had a pint at the brewpub. Yup, that's Nelson Sauvin alright. There's a big, clean juicy tangerine kick with an earthy citrus seed edge and and dry bitter finish. It's an odd hop, an interesting hop, but doesn't quite fill the potential of the beer. There could be more hops to complement the Nelson, or more malt flavor to contrast and balance. That said, it's a cool beer and worth having a pint or two. Find one and see what you think.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 22:57:54 | More by tempest