Anyone looking to try a new brewery should keep an eye out for the beers of Indeed Brewing Company of Minneapolis. Although Indeed has been sold in Madison for about three years, distribution has been rather limited. Initially, Indeed self-distributed here, but more recently General Beverage has taken over distribution and Indeed’s beers have become a more regular presence here.
Indeed is out with a new twist on an IPA for those who enjoy fresh hops. Its Taiga IPA should be on area store shelves by the end of this week or early next week. This fall seasonal beer is not to be confused with a wet hop beer, where freshly picked hops are added to the brewing process as quickly as possible following harvest. It’s also different from the hop pellets that are most frequently used in beer production.
Taiga features whole-leaf Sultana hops, harvested this fall in the Pacific Northwest. They’re then partially dried, baled and sold. This procedure is a bit unusual, but not unprecedented. “The intent is to keep the qualities fresh,” says brewery marketing director Kelly Moritz.
Sultana is known for hints of juicy pineapple, orange and mango. It’s an emerging hop that is beginning to see wider use by brewers. When used soon after harvest they impart sharper aroma and flavor.
Indeed combines the citrus of Sultana with the grapefruitiness of Cascade and Centennial hops, and a bit of the old school, pale ale piney hop bitterness of Chinook. A hefty malt bill helps bump up the strength to 7 percent ABV. All that makes this a nice winter IPA.
The brewery plans to release Taiga in waves, in small amounts, over the next several months. Keeping batch sizes small, and distributing the product regularly, should help maximize the chance of getting the beer when the flavors are at their peak, always a complex endeavor with hoppy beers. This also means that you may see Taiga come and go over the next few months.
Indeed offered a limited release of Taiga about a year ago in the Twin Cities market. Following a strong reception, the brewery decided to ramp up production of six-packs of 12-ounce cans for broader distribution across Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Taiga (pronounced tie-ga) is a reference to the subarctic forest that begins where the tundra ends. “Sultana” is the Athabascan name for Mount Foraker, the second-highest peak in Alaska (and third-highest in the U.S.). Sultana stands next to Denali and is a word for woman; the mountain is also referred to as Denali’s wife.
Indeed Brewing Company began in Minneapolis in 2012. Its beers are now found throughout Wisconsin, and in 2019 Indeed opened a 10-barrel brewery and taproom in the Walker’s Point neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Moritz says that the brewery’s Flavorwave, a juicy IPA loaded with five different types of tropical-flavor hops, and its Pistachio Cream Ale, a pistachio-flavored beer first released in Milwaukee, have created a lot of buzz among beer enthusiasts in the Cream City. “There’s certainly no shortage of places to drink, and no shortages for local breweries, so we are trying to add to the overall experience of what’s available by offering something unique,” Moritz says.
