Oktoberfest, the latest from Milwaukee’s Sprecher Brewery, pours with a dark brown to mahogany coloration. The beer has a small amount of off-white to tan head that is fairly persistent. Oktoberfest’s nose yields hints of sugar and toffee while the first sip of the beer has good amounts of grain and malt present themselves to imbibers. Dark fruits (figs, prunes) are prevalent while the toasted character of the beer provides…
Cape May Brewing Company’s Devil’s Reach pours with a hazy, goldenrod to yellow color and a small amount of wispy head that dissipates quickly. There is a small amount of carbonation and a tart nose that issues forth from the beer. A good amount of grain and a sharp alcohol note make for a complex array of flavors; the crispness of the resulting brew is one that will keep individuals…
Exit 4 American Trippel is a complex effort that pours with a clear golden color and a good amount of white head that laces itself down the glass. The beer has a small amount of sweet and malt that can be discerned from its nose, while the first sip links together grain, malt, bananas, and figs before a stronger alcohol burn sneaks its way in. The Exit 4 is well-balanced…
There are not a large number of breweries that actively put out beers in the Wee Heavy style, but San Clemente’s Left Coast Brewing has crafted a massive effort in their Get in My Belly. The beer pours with a mahogany coloration and a small amount of off-white to tan head. There is little in the way of carbonation to this effort, while the mouthfeel is thick and luxurious. There…
Saint Archer’s Mosaic IPA is a masterful blend of strong Mosaic hops with enough malt and alcohol burn, creating an eminently drinkable beer that bursts forth with additional flavors at every turn. The beer pours with a golden-yellow coloration and a good amount of creamy white head. This head laces its way down a glass, showcasing the progress that one has made on the beer. Citrus fruit and tart elements…
Blue Moon is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a brewery and has created a congratulatory beer in their Tripel White that is boozy, fruity, and will keep the party going into deep into the night. The Tripel White pours with a hazy gold coloration and a fair amount of whitish head; the initial nose of the 20th Anniversary Ale ties together hints of yeast with a tart fruity ending. Lacing…
Citrus and grapefruit elements can oftentimes be experience in an India Pale Ale (IPA). However, Magic Hat has created in Electric Peel a beer that is unmistakably grapefruit-heavy. The beer pours with a dark yellow to gold coloration and a hazy white head that laces its way down a glass. The nose of Electric Peel is equal parts wheat and grapefruit, while the first sip an imbiber takes comes forth…
Rahr & Sons Brewing’s Bucking Bock pours with a golden-yellow coloration and a small amount of off-white head that sits on top. There is a good amount of wheat flavor that pokes through on the initial sip, while having a decent amount of malt that concludes the initial pull. As Bucking Bock continues to reach room temperature, the more sweet tastes become prevalent. A smaller amount of hops have been…
Heavy Seas have created a new iteration of their Red Sky at Morning and have made an intense effort that will impress imbibers with a depth of flavors. The initial nose of the beer links together wheat and sweet elements, inviting one in with an alluring nose. Red Sky at Morning’s first sip crashes upon individuals, with spicy (black pepper), candi sugar, grain, and hints of malt all discernable. After…
The Barrel Aged Epeteios from Left Coast Brewing Company pours with a dark-brown to black coloration and a small amount of tannish head that laces its way down a glass. The initial nose of this imperial stout ties together hints of toasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. The beer balances the alcohol burn of the 10% ABV nicely with a sweetness that links together equal amounts sugar, cream, and butterscotch. The…
Pygmy Owl is a session IPA by Big Sky Brewing that pours with a light yellow to gold coloration and a small amount of white head; no lacing exists when poured from a can. The nose possesses large hints of wheat and dank, oily hop elements, while the initial sip is needed to gain a full appreciation of what the beer brings to the table. This first quaff provides imbibers…
Make It So is the latest contribution to the Unchained Series by St. Paul’s Summit Brewing, linking together the British Extra Special Bitter (ESB) style with Captain Picard’s favorite beverage, Earl Grey tea. The beer pours with a medium brown to a copper coloration and has a fairly straightforward malt nose. When one takes their initial sip of Make It So, the presence of the tea becomes evident. There is…
The 2015 2XONE ties together Superior Pale malt with Equinox hops to make for an intensely bitter beer that possesses just enough in the way of sweet to create a solid balance. The beer pours with a yellowish-tan color and a small amount of off-white head that leaves a decent amount of lacing. The malt side of 2XONE inserts hints of nuttiness and yeast into the mix. The alcohol burn…
Smooth Sail is an eminently drinkable effort that makes the lawnmower beer format into something that can have a wide array of flavors, refreshing as well as impressing with each subsequent beer. The initial nose of Smooth Sail hides many of the twists and turns that will follow, requiring one to take an exploratory quaff for an introduction. This first sip yields wheat and citrus flavors along with just enough…
Great Raft Brewing has created a black lager in their Reasonably Corrupt that is able to provide further variety than what is typically expected from the style. The beer pours with a mahogany / dark red coloration and possesses a malty nose with slight bits of wheat. The initial sip that one will take of Reasonably Corrupt interlaces a small hop bite with grass and malt flavors, before ending with…
Asylum is Left Coast’s Belgian Triple, and the brewery has barrel-aged this beer and infused the effort with coffee beans. What results here is a very complex effort that will provide imbibers with a different constellation of flavors with each subsequent sip. The coffee flavors are front and center here, but this is a more moderate, sweeter brew (light roast). When coupled with the notes from the barrel-aging, there is…
Petrus Oud Bruin pours with a dark brown to ruby red color and a good amount of light tan head. The overall nose of the Oud Bruin will provide individuals with a slightly oaky and lightly tart nose, before yielding to an initial sip that has a small amount of tart, wheat, and black cherry, dark fruit, and malt all present.
The Petrus Aged Pale pours with a crystal-clear coloration and a decent amount of frothy, white head. The initial nose of Petrus Aged Pale is equal amounts tart and sweet with spicy and wheaty elements poking through at points. There is an intensity to the tartness that will immediately hit imbibers the second they sip the Aged Pale which dissipates as immediately as it began. Lemon and grain provide the…
Rahr’s Visionary 2015 is eminently drinkable and is able to balance a considerable alcohol presence with a good wallop of smoke and just enough sweet to push things into a higher plateau. Done in a rauchbier style, Rahr’s yearly Visionary beer is able to avoid the twin issues of overwhelming smoke and a strong alcoholic bite to create something that is only get better with age. Visionary 2015 pours with…
Trumer Pils, a classic pilsner pours with a light yellow coloration and a small amount of off-white head. The effervescence of the beer is considerable, while there is a moderate amount of grain / grass present in the notes. The beer is able to have the crispness of other pilsners along with having a sweeter element that will ensure that individuals come back for more. The small amount of hops…