Summit’s latest effort in the Unchained Series is a German-influenced offering from brewer Nate Siats. The beer pours with an amber coloration and a small amount of slightly off-white head. This effort has a malty, slightly biting initial mouthfeel. This set of flavors opens up to a sweeter overall flavoring. Rather than beat imbibers with the sweet side, a significant grain and hop side freshens up palettes.
Golden Brett pours with a very titular coloration, while a small white head that creates some long-lasting lacing. The beer is a perfect introduction into the wild ale style. The golden beer (Belgian-styled) base is the perfect breeding ground for the brettanomyces yeast. With the initial sip, one will be able to taste white wine and citrus (particularly lime) elements, which rapidly shift to notes of pear, grape skins, and…
Full Sail’s ESB pours with a dark-brown / reddish hue and a small amount of persistent off-white head. The beer’s initial flavors link together sweet with a slight amount of hops. Full Sail has pegged their ESB at a level that will keep individuals warm through the spring months while still having enough outward sweetness to include the widest possible swath of imbibers.
Monk’s Blood has a wonderful reddish-brown color and a small tannish head that sticks around for a decent time. The beer has a decent amount of hop flavor that is moderated by a bit of sweetness. These two elements combine to make for a beer that is eminently drinkable despite having a considerable (8.3%) alcohol percent.
Three Philosophers pours with a small off-white head and a vibrant brown / orange coloration. The beer nearly approaches the 10% ABV mark but hides this considerable alcohol percentage with a nice amount of sweetness and a deceptively cloying overall mouthfeel.
Ophelia is a beer that looks to provide some much-needed teeth to the wheat style. The beer is able to have a fairly substantive hop bite while still being approachable to a wide segment of beer drinkers. There are fruit elements brought by the wheat style that are spun in a completely new direction with the inclusion of Mosaic and Palisade hops. The beer pours a hazy gold with a…
Strike Brewing Company is behind the aptly-named Strike IPA. The beer pours with a hazy reddish-brown color and a considerable amount of head. There is a considerable hop presence that pervades all aspects of this IPA, ensuring that those that seek out the most assertive and in-your-face releases will be appeased. Hints of pine, flowers, and other astringent notes can all be discerned, while the beer gradually opens up to…
Harlot is a beer that looks to expand upon what one will desire from the blonde ale / lager style. This Carson’s Brewery effort pours with a very dark, amber / copper coloration. The head that issues forth dissipates quickly and is fairly off-white. An initial sip provides imbibers with a number of twists and turns. The beer has a good amount of sweetness that is moderated with the slightest…
Rolle Bolle is New Belgium’s spring seasonal, and it pours with a very pale yellow. The beer does possess a very small amount of a white head that sticks around a considerable amount of time. We’ve been bottle-aging this release since its release last year, and are pleased to report that the beer has settled I nicely. The beer has a considerable sweet portion on the initial sip, but it…
Allagash has created a Saison that expands the contours of the farmhouse style while imbuing it with just enough alcohol presence to make this into an endearing effort. The beer pours with considerable haze and virtually no head. The head that does collect is off-white and dissipates quickly, owing to the effervescence of the Saison style. The beer blends equal parts malt, hop, and links these sides together with…
Stevens Point has an absolutely dark and evil beer on their hands. A pour will yield little (maybe even nothing) in the way of a head, while the effervescence of the beer disappears for much of the pour. The beer has a good amount of malt on the onset, while a velvety sweetness comes up shortly after that. While the beer has an ABV that is absolutely on-par for other…
Sweet Josie pours with a very dark color and a small amount of tannish head. The ABV (6.1%) provides a small amount of bite, which provides an additional facet to a sweet, dark-fruit heavy set of flavors. The beer goes down tremendously easily, with great quaffs being de rigeur. As the beer continues to warm up, individuals will be provides with a moderation of the sweet elements and further highlighting…
Sympathy for the Lager is a refreshing take on the lager style, as Karbach has provided a considerable amount more hops than would normally be present in the run of the mill lager. This slight bit of bitterness ensures that individuals could use the beer as a palette cleanser, while having enough twists and turns to keep imbibers interested from beginning to end. The balance that exists between the…
Black Cannon is a Black IPA that pours with a very dark (nearly black) head. After further examination, one can faintly discern a reddish color poking out at the edges of the beer. There is a smallish tan head that dissipates shortly after the initial pour. An initial whiff of the Black Cannot yields floral and hoppy hints, while the bite associated with the hops will immediately hit imbibers. At…
Naughty or Nice is a solid contribution to the winter warmer format, with a good amount of sweetness and just enough spice notes to keep the beer varied throughout. The beer pours with a very dark color and a small amount of off-white head. The beer has a small amount of hop presence that provides further complexity to this effort. Naughty or Nice is able to have a lower ABV…
The Upslope IPA is a formidable experience. The beer pours with a small head and with a ruddy reddish-brown coloration. The initial nose of the Upslope IPA is very astringent, linking together citrus notes with hints of grass. Despite a 10% ABV, the beer goes down extraordinarily easy. There is a fairly substantial hop backbone that permeates the beer at all points. What the Upslope does is push the boundaries…
Hi-Rest pours with absolutely nothing in the way of head, along with a very bronze / gold body. The beer is effervescent, and will immediately yield a nice alcohol burn. While there are notes of hops present here, the 111 IBU level of the Hi-Res will not overwhelm the balanced nature of the effort. Hints of caramel, spice, lemon, and sweet malts can all be discerned within…
The golden lager style is one that has been largely ignored by microbrewers. As the dominant style on the macro-brewery side of things, it makes sense that the beer style has fallen out of favor. However, Sly Fox has created a golden lager that is refreshing and tasty while providing a number of distinct twists and turns before the beer is finished. The sweetness of the beer is moderated…
Magic Hat is a brewery that attempts to shake up beer styles and includes some interesting twists and turns with their efforts. Their G-Thing seasonal is a nice blend between a porter and a winter warmer, with a curveball thrown into the mix – a substantial amount of ginger flavor. The initial earthy tones of the ginger are a mite bit off-putting for those that are expecting…
Durty is one of the best Brown Ales that we have reviewed. The beer pours with a very dark brown color, with hints of amber. The lacing of the beer remains long after each sip, while the beer itself has a very bold flavor. Malt begins the effort, while the hop bitterness pushes the effort into a whole other plateau. The 8.4% ABV of the Durty is hidden well by…