Preservation - Tonka Beer Company

SortaAmbivalent

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev +13.6%

11-06-2012 14:11:41 | More by SortaAmbivalent

sparx1100

Minnesota

2.25/5  rDev -21.3%

05-14-2013 04:52:23 | More by sparx1100

Lofty

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +31.1%

04-14-2013 00:19:29 | More by Lofty

blackdog1101

Minnesota

2.46/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I was at a buddy's house the other night, and he offered me a Tonka Preservation IPA. It's the first time I really couldn't drink a beer offered to me by someone. I hold to the idea that if someone offers me a beer in hospitality I will drink it, even if it's a Bud Lite. Fortunately my friends know I like good beer and usually it's not a problem. But my buddy bought it because they give their profit over to environmental causes. Anyhow, it sucks donkey kong, and I had to drain pour it. I can't recall when I've had such a bad beer.

A- It looks like beer, a little dark for an IPA

S- I knew we were off to a bad start when the beer didn't have much of a fresh hop aroma. Smells doughy.

T- This is where the train de-railed. This is not an IPA. Perhaps it is closer to an APA. Overly sweet, overly malty, and nowhere near enough hops to balance it out. There is also a metalic aspect to the beer which I didn't care for.

O- I would not drink this again.

Serving type: can

03-23-2013 22:10:37 | More by blackdog1101

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.09/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Appearance: Slightly hazy orange/amber color with a thin off-white head. Didn't expect it to be as dark as it is but still basically average looking for the style.

Aroma: Not much there. A touch of crystal malt sweetness with some tangerine nectar behind it.

Taste: A pleasant, if mild, flavor. Starts with some bitterness that carries on throughout. States 79 IBUs on the can but that seems a tad higher than what's on the palate. By the middle you get some of the sugar coated barley flavor that provides the backbone of many eastern and european IPAs. There's also an interesting sweet overripe mango and blood orange hop character near the end. Unfortunately the flavor gets repetitive and almost metallic at times.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with light carbonation. The sweetness of this beer becomes cloying and hankers the drinkability.

Final Thoughts: Not impressed by this one. Feels like it's missing something and just too overly sweet. Would I drink it again? No, in a scene bursting with new breweries you really need to do better than this to survive.

Serving type: can

03-02-2013 22:19:58 | More by JamesMN

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

1.89/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

473ml can. Another Minhas offering rendered through a holding company, this time in suburban Minneapolis. I already have an enhanced bias against this, as one of the cheap-ass cans literally burst spontaneously in the front seat of my car on the way home from the liquor store.

This beer pours a hazy medium bronzed amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, chunky foamy off-white head, which leaves some nice broken chain link lace around the glass as it lazily sinks away. I've seen this sort of wizardry before, so I am withholding judgement, with extreme prejudice - even though it actually looks like a real, grown-up beer.

It smells of bready, somewhat crackery malt, raw rocky minerals, and a simmering vegetal skankiness. The taste is a trip due south, the sugary, sour, musty unpleasantness that is the trademark of the underlying 'brewer' here coming burbling straight up to the surface, to present at best, a weak-ass, overly sugary amber ale, hopped to the bare minimum. So where does that leave us as far as American IPAs go? Oh, right. NOWHERE! The review should really end here, but I'm not done yet, alas.

The carbonation is no more than innocuous, the body a bland medium weight, and smooth in a nolo contendere manner. It finishes off-dry, of course, the middling, clammy malt really the only real-world player here, as the anemic fruit and wavering musty skunkiness aren't even remotely worth wasting breath or carpal tunnel aggravation over.

Sigh. The marketing efforts on the can are worthy enough, I suppose, lakes being a good thing and all. However, the vector here is solely lacking, as there are so many things for which I might provide support, yet this is hardly a feel-good way into this particular charity, as this resembles nothing even remotely close to a typical Yankee IPA. My impression for this cause sadly fades even further - thanks again, Minhas.

Serving type: can

02-24-2013 05:37:25 | More by biboergosum

jimmah120

Minnesota

2.49/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2

16oz can with no legible date. around $10 for a 4-pack

I'm not one to unfairly disparage beers, but this one was atrocious. It was extremely malty, sweet, and without hops. Tasted like a mix between well water and ribbon candy. I liked their shandy but this is just an utter failure. It's still drinkable but not reminiscent of an IPA whatsoever.

Tonka needs to go back to the drawing board with this one. Would definitely not recommend.

Serving type: can

02-07-2013 08:19:55 | More by jimmah120

arc3636

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +22.4%

02-03-2013 01:32:26 | More by arc3636

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

2.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Penguin3200 for the can.

Appearance: Perfectly clear amber with some pale gold leanings. Head is small, tight, creamy and bright white. Drops to a thin cap with some decent lacing.

Smell: Mild biscuit dough with a mellow earthy hop element. Some citrus rind, mostly orange. Really mild. Some caramel and sweet pale malts as well. Vaguely floral. Really not doing it for me. Slightly salty. Mild and rather unexciting.

Taste: Very malt forward. Slightly chewy biscuit malt and some underlying pale and caramel malt sweetness. Vague underlying fruitiness hits at something akin old mealy pear. Slightly salty. Citrus rind and some slight earthiness. Oddly sweet. Lingering grassiness.

Mouthfeel: Body runs on the lighter side of medium. Moderately light carbonation. Relatively clean and easy drinking.

Overall: Preservation efforts hampered by mediocre beer.

Drinks like a slightly more complex stock ale. Hopping is a mess and the malts are thin and dirty. Not a lot good going on other than an average level of drink ability. Something just didn't click.

Serving type: can

12-30-2012 23:24:31 | More by Goblinmunkey7

morimech

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Attractive looking beer. A clear amber color with just over a finger of head that had good retention. Some lacing is left behind on the glass.

Aroma is bready with light herbal, floral notes. Rather timid smelling IPA.

For a beer that boasts 79 IBUs, where is the hops? Very sweet. Probably the sweetest tasting IPA I have ever drank. Like a Belgian ale type of sweetness. Light floral hop notes. If there is bitterness there, I am not detecting any. A cloying sweetness in the finish. Definately not what I am looking for in an IPA.

The body is good. Nice depth and carbonation.

If I am not mistaken, this is brewed by our notorious friends at Minhas. Tastes about like one of their efforts. At least profits go to a good cause and that is the only reason I bought a 4-pack.

Serving type: can

12-30-2012 20:26:35 | More by morimech

bigbeers84

Minnesota

2.5/5  rDev -12.6%

12-23-2012 04:51:57 | More by bigbeers84

motorhed

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +35.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a fresh pint can into a Carlsberg large pint/tulip glass.

A - Pours a traditional dark golden copper color that looks filtered, light haze to it. About 2 fingers of very white head. Very light lacing throughout the consumption.

S - Floral, malty, some light grapefruit, and tangerine.

T - Light hops upfront, floral and light citrus flavors in the middle, with a very light bitter back- end. Very malt forward IPA with a smooth finish and you can taste a bit of alcohol on the finish. I like it a lot, different than what is already available in the Minneapolis area.

M - Medium mouthfeel with a smooth finish. Some very light lacing throughout the glass. Carbonation feels spot on for this beer.

O - Very enjoyable, malt forward IPA with ample amounts of citrus. Liked it a lot, very glad i got a 4 pack and looking forward to finishing it up. Cheers Tonka, well done! Will buy it again.

Serving type: can

10-17-2012 23:33:10 | More by motorhed