Brau Brothers Brewing Company - SheepHead

Brau Brothers calls SheepHead an "American bitter", a combination of styles melding the deep and round maltiness of a British bitter with fruity and zesty American hops. With a big 77 IBU dose of American hops and an ABV over 7%, it could easily be considered in the IPA/Double IPA family, or the somewhat catch-all American Strong Ale category. Featuring the classic duo of Centennial and Cascade, the aroma of this light amber brew offers a touch of citrus, some floral overtones, and a slight grassy and herbal spice note. A mixture of crystal malts along with touches of Aromatic and Special B are the basis for the grist, with a bag of wheat malt added for body and head retention. On the palate, we enjoyed the beer's excellent balance between the firm hoppy bitterness and the touch of residual sweetness from the malty core. Look for notes of grapefruit and orange rind, and light touches of fennel and anise, with deeper notes of bread, toffee, baked sweets, and dried fig. Pair this tasty brew with spicy Asian fare or pasta with a robust tomato sauce. Pork and wild game will stand up to the size of this beer, as will peppery barbecue. Cheers!

Straight out of college in 1999, Dustin Brau and his wife, Mary, bought a restaurant in the small town of Lucan, MN (approx. 200 residents), which they named BrauHaus. In order to attract more of the local population to come enjoy a meal in town, the duo decided to begin offering their very own BrauHaus beers made on-premises, thus turning their homebrewing hobby into a legitimate microbrewery. Their tiny 2-barrel system was barely enough to keep up with the demand of their restaurant, so in 2006 they moved their beer production to a larger building in Lucan. It was at this time that Dustin's brothers, Trevor and Brady, joined the enterprise, and their father, Dale, joined in to help too. With space to brew more beer, the team could now take the business to the next level. Brau Brothers Brewing Company was officially founded. A bottling line was installed and their beer began flowing out of the town of Lucan to retail accounts throughout the area. Additionally, they began farming their own hops and barley on a few acres of nearby land.

In 2013, an even bigger step was taken when Brau Brothers moved to an even larger facility in the city of Marshall, several miles to the west. BrauHaus was closed in order to focus entirely on the brewing company, which now enjoys 37,000 square feet of space, 3,500 of which is devoted to barrel-aging, allowing Brau Brothers to produce a wider variety of beers, including sours, not to mention their own line of sodas. The brewery's Tap Room offers over two dozen taps and, in addition to providing tasty pub fare including burgers, pizza, and sandwiches, also offers growler fills so visitors can take plenty of beer home with them. For more info, contact them at 507-929-BEER, or visit www.braubeer.com.