Porch Rocker is another of the styles in this year’s Beer of Summer variety pack from Samuel Adams. It’s a shandie, which is a mix of beer and lemonade which is a nice refreshing combo but a style that seems to generally lack a bit when pre-blended before bottling. The flavors just don’t seem to mesh well, and there’s a bit of a back and forth tussle between the sweet lemonade and the malty lager. I’ll give this one a pass in future.
I give it a 1.8 out of 5.
Hoppyum is an American IPA from the Foothills Brewing Company of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It has a big, meringue like head and the nose is predominantly scents of grapefruit. There’s thick pine pitch and more grapefruit in the middle of this medium to heavy weight brew which has that body despite a relatively low alcohol content of 6.2% ABV. The middle starts bitter and fades to sweet with lots of orange and sugar, and then the finish is dry with citrus rind giving a bit of bitterness back at the end. This is a really well done American IPA, and well worth a try.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Continuing my quest to try (and review) every single Dogfish Head beer, today I’m sampling a gluten-free Tweason’ Ale. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that gluten-free beers really just aren’t very good, but Dogfish Head has made a valiant effort with this one by adding several interesting ingredients including strawberries and buckwheat honey. The result is something that’s much closer akin to a lambic than anything else, but without the funk that you get from the wild yeast in a lambic. The head doesn’t hang around long at all, and the nose distinctly strawberry. It pleasantly reminds me of a fresh strawberry display at a farmer’s market, in fact. The middle is tart and fruity, and the warmth of the honey comes through in the finish and adds just a touch of sweetness. The hops are quite subdued and there’s no bitterness in this beer at all, and it has a medium weight body to it. It’s a reasonably decent fruit beer, and one of the better gluten-beer free beers I’ve found, so if you have a gluten intolerance, you might want to give it a try.
I give it a 3.8 out of 5.
Tonight I’m sampling another fine example of the Colorado craft beer tradition in New Belgium’s Rampant Imperial IPA. This is a big, bitter American double IPA, that’s a bit lighter in color than I’m used to seeing, which might be a hint to the fact that the flavor is heavily tilted towards the hop side, with the malt well in the background. The nose is citrus and pine with some floral notes mixing it up. The middle is strongly bitter, with pine and orange rind the predominant flavors. The bitterness mellows in the finish…The rind carries through but it’s softened by some sugary orange and a hint of maple. The alcohol content is moderate for a double IPA at 8.5% ABV, and a medium body means this isn’t big heavy beer, but it’s got enough weight to justify the imperial moniker. A nice solid example of the style.
I give it a 4.0 out of 5.
Farmer Ted’s Farmhouse Cream Ale aims to replicate an early American ale from the Appalachian region, home of North Carolina’s Catawba Valley Brewing Company. To that end it’s a cream ale based on wheat and corn, but with a pleasantly heavy body that you don’t tend to find in beers with such a light flavor profile. The nose is toasty malted grain, and the middle is heavily wheat, with some sweetness from the corn. The finish is mildly sweet as well with a bit of chewy breadiness. This is a nice clean ale, and definitely one to try for someone who doesn’t care for bitterness. It isn’t a light as a summer thirst-quencher, but it’s the next best thing.
I give it a 4.2 out of 5.
The Goose Island Beer Company lost their craft brewers cred when they sold out to Anheuser-Busch a few years ago, but as far as I can tell, it hasn’t affected their beer and that’s all I care about. This is a classic American IPA with hoppy, sawdust scented nose. The body is medium weight, which is a pleasant surprise for a fairly low alcohol beer (only 5.9% ABV) and the middle has a lot of sweet orange, with some bitter rind undertones. There’s some roasty malt in the finish, which is the only place you really get much bitterness, and it’s quite nice. Any feelings about the new owners aside, this is a really well done IPA, and I enjoy it immensely.
I give it a 4.3 out of 5.
Possibly one of the most well known craft beers in all of the United States is New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale. It’s been available in bottles for many years, but its recently been released in cans as well, and this new format has finally induced me to produce a long overdue review. This may be the first craft beer I ever tried, (certainly one of the first) so I have a bit of a sentimental attachment to this beer. The nose is toasty and not particularly strong. The middle has some thin roasty malt, and some spice from the hops, and is a bit watery, to be perfectly honest. The body is light, and the finish is similar to the middle, but the spice comes to the forefront. Overall it’s a reasonable beer, clearly popular with the masses, and a decent standby when there’s not a lot of choice.
I give it a 3 out of 5.
Aprihop is another unusual beer from the off-centered folks from Delaware’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. This beer is an apricot flavored IPA and is the beer that I’ve chosen to wrap up the spring seasonals this year. I’d describe the nose as clean, with strong grassy notes and grapefruit. The middle is almost tropical with apricot, mango, more grapefruit, and a bit of earth. The finish is dry on the tongue, with citrus acid on the palate and pleasantly balanced. There’s just a bit of pine in the finish, but it adds more to the flavor than to bitterness. This isn’t a bitter beer at all, though it does tick the right boxes for an IPA in every other sense, and I think the lack of bitterness is more a testament to how well balanced this beer is than anything else. This is a really nice, refreshing drink, and after a glass of this, I’m lamenting the fact that spring is over.
I give it a 4.6 out of 5.
Trappistes Rochefort 10 is both a certified authentic Trappist ale, and an fine example of a big Belgian Quad. At 11.3% ABV this beer is potent enough to be cellar-able, and the rich, blended flavors lead me to believe that it already has a bit of age on it. The nose is yeasty, sour with fruity notes. The middle is heavy, and thick with sweet cherries, oak, and vanilla. The finish is spicy, with a hint of booze and another of banana. This is a fine, well executed example of the Belgian Quad style and a excellent late evening drink that would pair wonderfully with dessert or a cigar.
I give it a 4.7 out of 5.
Green Man ESB is a lovely malty amber ale from the folks at Green Man Brewery in Asheville, NC. The nose is of toasty, nutty bread. The middle is primarily roasted grain and coffee, so it’s still got a bit of the bitterness that I enjoy in a beer. The finish is mild with further hints of coffee and a bit of pepper. Throughout the flavor isn’t overpowering. It’s a tasty, but unexceptional. A good beer, not a great one.
I give it a 3.9 out of 5.
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