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Pat is a National BJCP Judge with mead certification. Pat grew up in Midland Michigan. He has been drinking beer for half a century and from the start he pursued small local and regional brands and anything he hadn't seen before. He brewed his first home brew in the mid 60's - a complete flop and then dabbled a little during the 70s. A three month trip to England (2 weeks) and Amsterdam (2 1/2 months) in the early 70s was an eyeopener to the world of beer. He followed that up with 4 years in Toronto during grad school in the 70s when the major Canadian brewers there produced a much broader range of brands and he drank every one of them. At the end of the decade, a trip to Portland introduced him to the first vestiges of craft beer.
Settling into Minneapolis in 1979 the lack of beer diversity rekindled his interest in Homebrewing and he brewed around 300 batches between 1980 and 1990. By 1990 craft beer had spread enough where he could feed his craft beer habit without spending the entire weekend in his basement. During the 90s frequent road tips through Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan were at times required to ensure sufficient diversity in beer but by the dawn of the new century it required far less travel to find good craft beer.
Pat publishes a monthly newsletter Romancing the Foam about the enjoyment of good beer and has just launched a website at www.romancingthefoam.com. If you do not see him biking around Minneapolis to the various craft breweries and excellent craft beer bars, he is either in his garden sampling craft beer or siting on his computer adding to his website. It is a great time to love beer.
Labatt Blue Citra by FIFCO USA is an International Pale Lager, and was judged as such according to style category 2A of the BJCP's 2015 Guidelines.
This beer has the look of an International pale lager. The aroma is not huge but my first sniff and sip of this and I thought 1970s kit car... Read More
Heavy Seas 25 by Heavy Seas Beer was judged as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer, style category 33B per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.
Savoring the aroma of this bold, over-the-top strong ale reveals some rich caramelly dark malts, traces... Read More
Sumo Sumatra Imperial Stout by Austin Brothers Beer Co. was judged as BJCP 2021 style 30A, Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer.
This imperial stout is rested on Sumatra coffee, cocoa nibs and Madagascar vanilla beans and provides rich, alternating coffee, cocoa and roasty vanilla aromas that... Read More
This beer is reviewed as a BJCP 28B (Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer). This beer captures an interesting Brett at an interesting stage and its worth buying a bottle to participate in the event. Wet leather, light fruit, light cigar box, old basement, traces of balsamic, and a hint of butter aromas... Read More
Dark Apparition by Jackie O's Brewery was reviewed as BJCP Category 20C Imperial Stout. This is an Imperial Stout with a moderate smell – nothing big, no harsh or burnt smells and not harsh or hot alcohol and not oxidized aromas. It offers dark dried fruit, mild alcohol, a hint of prune, light... Read More
Vanilla Chai Bourbon Stout by pFriem Family Brewers was judged as 34 E Experimental beer with base style 33b Specialty wood aged beer, per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.
This is an evening-sipping-by-the-fire, cherishing-with-a-friend type of beer. This deep dense brown beauty’s heft... Read More
