Leech Lake Brewing Company Reviews

KAF	2 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA Tuesday, October 28, 2014
HuskerTornado	3.5 Leech Lake Loch Leech Monster Scottish Ale 12oz aluminum bottle poured into vintage Chimay glass. Pours a rich brown color with a small tan colored head that dissipates quickly. Smell is of toasted toffee malt, a bit of chocolate, some dark fruit and smokiness as well. Taste is of toasted malt and smoky peat up front, both flavors remain through the palate, some bitterness comes through towards the finish. Mouthfeel is smooth, not a lot of carbonation to it. Overall, a good Scotch Ale from northern Minnesota. The fresher you get this, the better it is. Sunday, August 3, 2014
islay	3.2 Leech Lake Bitter Cold Imperial Northern Brown IPA Small pour, on draft at Winterfest 2014 in St. Paul, MN. Consumed on 1-31-14. Billed in the program as "Leech Lake Bitter Cold Imperial Northern Brown-IPA" (note the hyphen toward the end of the name). The guys at the booth had just tapped this, and I was the first to sample it. Because it had just been tapped, it poured with a huge amount of head, but it ended up looking great, the best looking beer of the festival in my opinion (that I encountered). Pours a cloudy brown with a huge amount of frothy, thick, long-lasting, cream/taupe head. Boozy smell features a chocolate scent. Unfortunately, the flavor was a mixed bag and ultimately unimpressive. Excessively sweet and really not notably hoppy at all, especially given the name of the beer. There is very little "IPA" about it. I would reclassify this to the catch-all American Strong Ale style (it’s listed in the database as a double IPA as of this writing). There is however some dryness in the finish. Boozy taste. It didn’t taste as bad as I’m making it sound, but it didn’t taste good either. Frothy in the palate. Weird beer, as one might expect from the name/"style," strong in some areas and weak in others. Saturday, February 1, 2014
joeneugs	2.1 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter Bottle from Atom in the Krampus trade. It pours a very dark brown, almost black color with a small tan head. The aroma is kind of acidic with some toast and mild notes of cocoa powder. The flavor is definitely off with some plastic up front followed by some lactic acidity, roasted malt and some caramel. The finish is acidic and roasted with some band-aids. Something went wrong here. Saturday, January 18, 2014
Gridfather	2.1 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter 6/06/13, Served on tap in a shaker pint glass at Famous Dave's Calhoun Square. Very mild aroma. Color is dark as midnight. Looks like a porter should. Very slight carbonation. (Note: This is the second beer ordered at Famous Dave's with hardly any aroma and little carbonation.) Taste is bold of roasted malt, but a bitter and alcohol-y. If Vicks 44 were the basis of beer, this would be it. Weird in a bad way. No more, please. ---Rated via the Gridfather Sunday, November 24, 2013
TheHOFF43	1.7 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Sample at APN, really a poor example of the style. Nothing is good about this to be honest. No hops, no balance, just nothing good about it. Saturday, July 27, 2013
TheHOFF43	1.8 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA Sample at APN. Really wanted to like this but it was a boozy, sweet, mess. No hops, no balance, just not good. Couldnt finish the sample I was served. Saturday, July 27, 2013
XmnwildX12	3.6 Leech Lake Batch 10-56 Witless IPA Sampled at All Pints North 2013 in Duluth, some tangy citrus funk, scent/taste clean finish Monday, July 15, 2013
BVery	3.3 Leech Lake Batch 10-56 Witless IPA Sampled at All Pints North 2013 in Duluth, MN. Orange pour with a small white head. Juicy and phenolic. Pretty good - solid offering from this brewer. Saturday, July 13, 2013
sparx1100	3 Leech Lake Loon's Eye Irish Red Monday, May 27, 2013
csaso	1.2 Leech Lake Minobii ESB Bottle - small foamy head, hazy dark orange copper color, very funky (and not in a good way) aroma and flavor, sour/tart, sweet malt, not good at all - I thought maybe their IPA was just a fluke being so bad, but apprently not - I am 0 for 2 with this brewery and will not be spending any more of my money on their beers, sorry to be that way but just trying to be honest Thursday, April 18, 2013
csaso	2.2 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Bottle - small foamy head, medium copper color, funky (and not ina good way) earthy hop aroma and flavor, sweet malt backbone, kind of reminds me of a cheap hoppy Euro lagerish kind of flavor - was surprised at some of the reviews here and figured it cuouldn’t be that bad, but I am an IPA lover and this one is pretty out there, also compared to some of the other prices listed on here, I feel like I got ripped of for my 5.99 bomber! Wednesday, March 27, 2013
HarvesterOfSorrow	3.5 Leech Lake 150 Feet Deep Stout On tap at Winterfest 2013. Dark brown pour with nice head. Roasted malt and chocolate. Monday, February 4, 2013
HarvesterOfSorrow	3.4 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA On tap at Winterfest 2013. Dark orange pour. Malty and some alcohol, don’t have notes on the hops for this one which is odd considering the style. Monday, February 4, 2013
BVery	3.4 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA Tap at Winterfest 2013. Malty, bold booziness, and quite sweet. Brownish-orange pour. Sunday, February 3, 2013
BVery	3.6 Leech Lake 150 Feet Deep Stout Tap at Winterfest 2013. Very dark pour, big foamy brown head. Mild roast and slightly sweet. Solid brew. Sunday, February 3, 2013
FrostyTiger	3 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA Saturday, February 2, 2013
n00bface	2.9 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter Bottle from South Lyndale Liquors (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 21/1/12) Some roasted malt, but not much in the aroma. Dark brown with almost know head whatsoever. The palate somewhat confirms: light bodied, thin texture, and a very flat carbonation. Taste is almost totally tart. Bottle is definitely infected. Still, it wasn’t a terrible infection.... Monday, January 21, 2013
BillHick420	2.9 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter Pours black with brown head. Thin mouthfeel with hints chocolate and coffee. Overall decent, but minus for not being thick enough, and the aromas could be more robust. Monday, January 7, 2013
WisconsinBeer	1 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter Bottle. Deep brown/black color. Minimal head. Taste is.....apple cider vinegar. Something is very wrong with this beer, this tastes nothing like a porter. Infected? Will try to re-rate at some point, but for now this one has issues. Sunday, November 18, 2012
BillHick420	3.5 Leech Lake Loch Leech Monster Scottish Ale Pours brown with a tanned head. Nose of dark malts. Aroma of sweet malts with a dark hint of chocolate. No bitterness. This one was good. Tuesday, October 16, 2012
burgy	3.1 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Definitely did not have any quality issues with the beer. Just a lighter than expected IPA. I enjoyed it and at $3.49 a bomber I’ll buy more! More hops next time though. I need a little bit extra bitterness on the back end. Saturday, October 13, 2012
burgy	3.4 Leech Lake Minobii ESB This is a great start to this brew! At 7% it tastes a little water heavy, but that makes it a nice summer easy drinking brew. Taste is still really solid. It was balanced just a little to clean for me. I will definitely buy this again. Great start to a "newer" MN brewer! Thursday, October 11, 2012
Atom	2 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Bomber pours a clear amber/brown with a small white head. Aroma its malt forward caramel, toffee, and cocoa, with a slight fruit and hop spice. Taste is a bland maltiness into some weak citrus and scotch tape hops, ending with a slight bitterness. Boring and bland, I can see why this was marked down below $4. On a side note, I noticed on each bottle "TBTG," and didn’t think much of it until I went to the website were there is a link for "TBTG." It means " Thanks Be To God," and goes on to say stuff about their God given talent. Yeah right, a God given talent wouldn’t produce beers which I would rate from horrendous to forgettable. Another reason I’ll never drink Leech Lake again aside from the bigger reason of them making crap beer. Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Atom	3 Leech Lake Blindside Pale Ale Bomber pours a copper/orange with a small white head. Aroma of caramel and toffee malts, with slight citrus and hops. Taste similar to aroma malt forward with a slight sting hops towards the finish. Not bad but forgettable. Tuesday, July 17, 2012
jmikolich	1.6 Leech Lake 47° North IPA 22oz bottle which is infected seems to have a qualLity issue with the brewery Tuesday, July 17, 2012
bluemooner	3.1 Leech Lake Loch Leech Monster Scottish Ale Tap. Pours a dark amber with a small beige head. Aroma is biscuits, caramel, and chocolate. Flavor is malt, chocolate, caramel, biscuits, and some sweetness. Light body with medium carbonation. Nothing special. Wednesday, June 20, 2012
bluemooner	2.9 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter Pours a dark brown with a small beige head. Aroma is basically roasted malt and smoke. Flavor is roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, and resin. Light body with medium carbonation. Not a great porter. Wednesday, June 20, 2012
deyholla	3.3 Leech Lake Loch Leech Monster Scottish Ale On tap at SPSBF. Pours a cloudy amber brown with a brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has some roasted malts with a bit of dark grain and underlying dark fruit. Flavor has a lot of dark grains with a hint of roast and an underlying note of toffee and dark fruits. Tuesday, June 19, 2012
deyholla	3.8 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA On tap at SPSBF. Pours a hazy deep amber with a yellowish brown head that dissipates slowly to the edges. Aroma has notes of citrus and bitter grapefruit with backing sweet malts. Flavor again has citrus and grapefruit for the hop profile and has a subdued sweet grain backing. Tuesday, June 19, 2012
deyholla	3.7 Leech Lake Pineapple Summer Pale Ale On tap at SPSBF. Pours a hazy orange gold with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a bit of pineapple that is slightly tart with a bit of backing citrus and underlying earthy sweet grains. Flavor is has nice sweet citrus that is slightly bitter with a nice grain backing. Tuesday, June 19, 2012
BVery	3.2 Leech Lake Minobii ESB Sampled at St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. Hazy gold pour, white head. Sweet light fruit, caramel, and a bit astringent. Sunday, June 17, 2012
BVery	3.1 Leech Lake Loon's Eye Irish Red Sampled at St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. Hazy brown pour. Sweet malt, maybe some light fruit in here. Enjoyable. Sunday, June 17, 2012
BVery	3.2 Leech Lake Blindside Pale Ale Sampled at St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. Hazy orange pour, white head. Grassy hops with some citrus. Pretty solid. Sunday, June 17, 2012
BVery	3.1 Leech Lake Loch Leech Monster Scottish Ale Sampled at St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. Brown pour, smaller head. Caramel malt forward, with a touch of smoky peat. Decent brew. Sunday, June 17, 2012
BVery	3.2 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Sampled at St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. Hazy orange pour with a big white head. Grassy hops and some citrus. Not bad. Sunday, June 17, 2012
Travlr	3.6 Leech Lake Blindside Pale Ale Bottle. Hazy amber color, large tan head. Aroma of caramel and grass. Taste is bitter grass and light spice. Sunday, June 17, 2012
XmnwildX12	4.1 Leech Lake Blindside Pale Ale Super nice citrus floral notes, has a nice bitter citrus hop taste, super smooth after taste. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone Saturday, June 16, 2012
northropfrye	2.7 Leech Lake Loch Leech Monster Scottish Ale This is very difficult to rate. It’s the second beer I’ve had by this brewery that was sour, and I don’t think that’s intentional given it’s a Scottish Ale. I enjoy sour, I just don’t get why this beer would be sour. The appearance was dark brown, aroma of roasted malts, but flavour is first sour, then some sweet malts. There’s no expiration date on the bottle to help me figure out if this bottle was expired, or perhaps infected. Saturday, April 28, 2012
ElGaucho	1.2 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Bottle. No hops in the nose, just some funk. Murky orange body with white head. Pretty color. Flavor is awful. Tastes similar to the Minobii. Something really wrong happened here. Sunday, April 22, 2012
ElGaucho	1.4 Leech Lake Minobii ESB Bottle. Sweet and caramelly aroma. No hops in the nose and a medicinal quality. Slightly hazy, copper body with a quickly dissipating head. Flavor is salty and astringent. Not at all to style. Flawed. Sour. No discernible hop profile. Unfortunately a drain pour. Wednesday, April 18, 2012
arminjewell	3.5 Leech Lake 150 Feet Deep Stout Pour on tap at Winterfest 2012, aroma brings notes of caramel, chocolate, coffee notes, hints of slight fruity notes from the yeast with an earthy and spicy quality as well. Taste is fairly nice and balanced, full bodied with dark chocolate and coffee notes, hints of slight fruit and spice, slight hints of caramel, finishing fairly dry and slightly bittering. Pretty good! Sunday, March 18, 2012
arminjewell	3.2 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA Pour at Winterfest 2012 is hazy orange with white head, aroma has notes of slight pine and grass, touch of grapefruit notes with a hint of biscuit. Taste is a mix of caramel and toffee, slight grassy and pine notes with a touch of citrus, finishing fairly dry and bitter. Just ok, the alcohol shines through a bit as well. Sunday, March 18, 2012
dellis	2.4 Leech Lake 47° North IPA Very grassy, earthy IPA. Definitely not a West-coast style. It just doesn’t do much for me at the cost. Friday, March 2, 2012
cards04	2.9 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter some dark roasted notes on the nose. More of the same with some chocolate covered cherries as well. Interesting porter. I enjoyed it, although it could have been more flavor intensive...just a bit too watery for me. Sunday, February 26, 2012
northropfrye	2.3 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter An odd porter. Dark brown with brown head - attractive beer. Sweet aroma. But the taste is strangely sour, a little sweet. Having read other reviews I wonder if there was something off with this beer. The label description doesn’t say anything about being sour, either, and it’s not normally a characteristic of a porter. Unfortunate. It looked nice, and was still drinkable. I’d like to try a better bottle, though. Saturday, February 25, 2012
northropfrye	4 Leech Lake Blindside Pale Ale On tap at JL Beers, Grand Forks. Orange colour with white head. The aroma is fruity. The flavour is perfectly balanced between fruit and malts and bitter hoppiness. This was a great beer. Saturday, February 18, 2012
DasBierChef	2.6 Leech Lake 3 Sheets Imperial IPA Very very mild for a supposed IIPA. I would say closer to a PA. If that. Hopefully this brewery can turn their act around. Saturday, February 4, 2012
DasBierChef	2.2 Leech Lake Driven Snow Porter This is one of the worst porters I have had. lack of decent flavor, lack of decent everything. Saturday, February 4, 2012
portableparty	3.4 Leech Lake Blindside Pale Ale Bottle. Pours clear amber with good carbonation that leaves a soapy foamy white head that dissipates to a creamy foamy film and shows signs of lacing. Aroma is stale malt and earthy hops. Taste is more stale malt with short signs of caramel, but has decent bitter earthy hops which remind me of soil and cardboard caramel. Palate is medium with decent carbonation and finishes chalky and dry. Wednesday, February 1, 2012