We received a few brews from Magic Hat and are pleased to report that each effort has a decidedly different bent than the rest of the line. It is this ability to create unique flavor profiles that makes their flagship (and year-around) beer #9 such a stand-up effort. This “Not Quite Pale Ale” contains an alluring opening that leads forth into a full-bodied flavor. While there is a little…
The Wisconsinite Summer Weiss Beer showcases the essence of beer, tying together fruit and spice flavors with a crisp and refreshing beer backdrop. The light straw head that comes with each pour obscures the light golden haze of the beer.
Wipeout IPA is a heady and nuanced IPA that expands what one can reasonably expect from the India Pale Ale style. The beer pours out nicely with a brown-orange color and a considerable head. The 7% ABV of this beer is moderated nicely by the bite of the hops, which provide imbibers with notes of pine and citrus fruits. Caramel notes dominate the end of each sip; Wipeout…
/ Spoetzl Brewery / http://www.shiner.com/ The Shiner Holiday Cheer, a dunkelweizen (dark wheat ale) is a decidedly different effort than what comes around for the holiday season. This is because the beer is brewed with pecans and peaches, adding lightness to the beer that is refreshing instead of heavy. Shiner Holiday Cheer is a unique effort that pours nicely, giving imbibers a nice head and nose that blends together hints…
Snarling Badger is a “Berliner Weisse” in Grand Teton’s Cellar Reserve Series. The yellow / orange initial pour opens up to a thick white head. The beer itself straddles the line between fruit and wheat, with a little bit of peach and lemon to be had at the nose. The decision to place the ABV at 7.5% allows for a much more complex beer than many of its ilk.…
Berry Horny (Summer Berry) / Horny Goat Brewing / http://www.hornygoatbrewing.com When a beer is touted to have a fruit flavor in its profile, I typically expect to have an inoffensive beer with little more than a touch of the fruit it contains. This usually creates an inoffensive brew that is forgettable soon after one finishes it up. This is not what Berry Horny does. Rather, the beer is able to…
I love the fact that independent and micro-breweries have been able to move their beers to cans. The costs can decrease considerably, while the transportation of cans allows for a wider distribution than would normally be necessary. Abita Brewery is one of the companies that have moved towards the inclusion of cans, and I believe that they have succeeded in getting their name out to a wider audience than…
Newcastle’s unique flavor is something that has to be present in any seasonal effects from the brewery. This IPA variant is able to build off of this unique mantra and provide imbibers with an experience that is unparalleled. Newcastle has provided individuals with a blend of Super Styrian and Styrian Goldings hops. This has the effect of inserting a little bite to the subtle smoothness that exists. This is assertive…
It is hard for a beer company to continually innovate. This is made all the more difficult when it feels that may beer companies are utterly complacent with the beers that they are currently releasing. Samuel Adams is one of the few breweries that are actively changing their efforts in a meaningful way, and this is a great amount of the reason why I find myself picking up a sixer…
In the last few months, we at NeuFutur have received a number of efforts that have been plain boring. This is true even with the independent breweries that are on the map – it just feels as if there is a collective malaise in brewing. Flying Dog shatters that aura of complacency with their Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout. While I was expecting a dark, biting, and coffee-heavy effort, the brewery…
There are a number of problems that I have noticed with the different Amber Ales that are on the market. If they are something like Killian’s, they may have a decent flavor but possess no (or incredibly little of a) bite. However, those that are a little too happy when it comes to including hops may make something that is much too bitter to properly appreciate. Breckenridge’s Avalanche Ale is…
I feel that a great number of the microbreweries that are currently in operation make beer that is ultimately forgettable. However, there are a few intrepid breweries that are able to push forward and create unique beers that should be checked out. Yards Brewing Company has done just that in their Philadelphia Pale Ale. There is a nuanced taste to the beer that will be tremendously compelling to those that…
The beer comes out with a very yellow-orange color and an opaqueness that immediately establishes the effort as pretty unique. The whitish-yellow head that pours out added to the slightly astringent nose provide imbibers with a few hints about the beer, but it does take a few solid swigs to get a better appreciation for the beer. There is some sweetness to be had, but it is moderated substantially by…
Since we have started the beer reviews section at NeuFutur. I feel that our love for the stuff has drastically decreased. This is likely due to the fact that a great number of breweries create efforts that are not too terribly offensive. However, we have received a beer in the 21st Amendment Brewing’s Monk’s Blood that really recreates our love for the stuff. This beer comes out of the can…
This beer begins its pour in a tremendously effervescent way, which will ensure a solid inch-plus head in a pilsner glass, no matter how carefully individuals pour. The continual bubbliness of the beer is a sight to see, while there is little in the way of nose to speak of. The first taste of the Boulevard Pilsner provides imbibers with two distinct sides. First off, there is a decidedly run-of-the-mill…
After we opened up the beer side of the alcohol review section, I found myself in a serious quandary. We were receiving some seriously full-body beers, and were not getting too much in the way of more mild or properly seasonal types of efforts. The Summerbright beer is the perfect middle ground between these tremendously deep and full-bodied beers and the more familiar, macro styles of portable bread. Saying that,…
This beer retails at around $6-7, and it provides quite a kick considering that it clocks in at 10%. Take that into consideration with the fact that it’s a bomber, and one has essentially 4 beers under one’s belt after killing this bottle. The light coloring of the beer itself belies this heavy alcohol content, as the head quickly dissipates. The Reverend comes through with a decently light nose, one…
For those crunchy individuals, New Belgium’s Mothership Wit is the brewery’s first organically-crafted beer. Where it seems like in the last few years that companies have been more than happy to slap an organic tag on a shoddily-produced or crafted good, New Belgium has made one of the best beers that I’ve had this year. The white head and incredibly lightly-colored yellow of the beer itself hide how delectable the…
It just strikes me that a number of IPAs have not been done right in the slightest. The bitterness that I have experienced form some of these efforts nearly put me off to the style, but Avery has done much with their IPA to bring me back into the flock. Upon pouring this beer, there is a clearish gold tint to the beer itself, while the inviting foam of the…
There is a nice, light tan head that pours with decently thick lacing, with a very light nose present outside of the bottle. The initial taste is a blend of toasted coffee and chocolate, having more in the way of bite compared to other stouts. Where the Out of Bounds Stout weighs in as a lighter ABV than a number of microbrewery stouts and heavier than some traditional (English, Irish)…
