This IPA from Ska Brewing in Durango, Colorado is an American IPA, which is noticeable in that there’s a fair amount of sweetness balancing out some of the traditional hoppy bitterness.  There’s a creamy velvety head that adds a nice texture, and notes of grapefruit and pine in the nose.  The middle is bitter with lemon zest and grapefruit rind, followed by sugary sweetness from the malts, and finishing with pine.  I didn’t really didn’t have any expectations for this beer coming in, but even so, I’m pleasantly surprised.   I’m not generally a huge fan of American style IPAs, as they tend to be too sweet for me, but this is a really nice beer.  I like it a lot.

Hazed & Infused is a dry-hopped pale ale from the Boulder Beer Company, Colorado’s oldest microbrewery.  It’s not as characteristically sharp and bitter as a prototypical pale ale.  It starts off with scents of orange citrus and yeasty bread.  The middle is heavy sweet bread that fades into the finally characteristic piney hop bitterness in the finish, but even then it’s balanced, and not overwhelming.  There’s really a nice balance to this beer, starting sweet and finishing bitter.  It isn’t necessarily what I’d grab when I’m craving the bitterness of a pale ale, but it has a bit of everything and is a well balanced and well executed ale.

Due to a somewhat recalcitrant AC unit, despite the fact that I’m writing this well into the evening my office is at a fairly  toasty 86.4 degrees Fahrenheit  so I’m in need of refreshment.   What I’ve found in the fridge is a bomber of Dogfish Head Black & Blue, which should hit the spot.  Black & Blue is a Belgian Golden Ale brewed with blackberry and blueberry puree.  It’s a beautiful red copper color in the glass, with a full, frothy light head.  The nose is Belgian yeast and the middle is sour fruit: raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, some orange and cherry, that fades to a heavy, sweet malty finish.  This is predominantly a sour beer, with some strong sweetness, and no bitterness that I detect.   If you like sour fruit based beers, this is a good one from Dogfish Head, and I have to say, I’m definitely feeling refreshed.

This is a big, rich beer.   You know it from the the beginning, from the heavy pour to the dark copper coloration in the glass.   There’s oak, sweet caramel, a hint of earth and maybe I’m detecting a bit of citrus.  The oak explodes in the middle, like whiskey, with pine and alcohol.   The finish is nicely balanced between sweet vanilla and the bitter hops, neither overwhelming the other.   This is a huge, strong, heavy beer and is probably best paired with a big heavy rich dinner.   There’s a bit too much oak for my liking, but as usual, it mellows into a more balanced profile as it warms.   This is a beer to drink with a big ribeye steak, and it’s one of the best for that task.

A farmhouse ale with a classic Dogfish Head twist.  In this case, loads of spice.  There isn’t much of a scent…What’s there is clean, and a bit yeasty.   The middle is packed with orange and peach, and then the spices (this beer is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) kick in, and they’re quite pronounced but not out of balance or overpowering.  Finally, there’s more orange in the finish. This is a light, hoppy ale, and you can trust that Dogfish Head has made it as just as interesting and unique a take on the style as they always manage to do.  It’s a good refreshing beer.

Stone’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale is a big, dark black ale.   There’s a lot of complexity in the beer, and a lot of malt that’s balanced out by massive quantities of hops.  The scent is cedar, and the middle has brown sugar and sweet orange balanced with bitter orange peel and pine, and the finish is more orange and pine.   I had expected this to be a maltier beer, but it’s not only balanced by hops, it’s definitely more of a hoppy, bitter beer offset by the malt in the background.   Definitely not a beer for those who don’t like some bitterness.   I, however, love it.  One of the best I’ve had in quite a while.

Black Raven is a Black IPA from North Carolina’s Olde Hickory Brewery.  It pours pitch black, and the major notes are roasted malt and heavy hops.  The nose is roasty, with some faint chocolate, but there’s no sweetness in this brew.  The middle is bitter roasted pine and a bit of grapefruit rind.  The bitterness concentrates in the finish, with some additional grapefruit notes on the side.   You need to be a serious fan of bitter beer to get into this one.   It could use a little more balance in my opinion, but it’s really unique and I’m enjoying it.

The Milk Stout from Left Hand Brewing Company is interesting in that it isn’t biased toward sweetness, as is typical with milk stouts, but instead it shows off huge amounts of coffee instead.  The scent is that of fresh coffee beans, the middle is a silky smooth, fairly heavy body with the flavor of espresso, with a little milk and sugar in the background.  The finish is sweet, fading back into a last bite of bitterness.  This is a superb, complex, well-balanced beer.

I give it a 4.6 out of 5.

Bitter American is a seasonal pale ale from 21st Amendment Brewing, and the name pays homage to the typically bitter nature of a pale ale.   However, I found this beer to be better balanced than a typical pale ale, particularly after it warms a bit.  The nose has orange and lemon in it, and the middle has some of the traditional bitter piney hops, but balanced with an equal amount of malts that lend the flavor of sweet bread.  The finish is sweet orange, and a bit of lingering pine.  This isn’t a standard bitter pale ale, but a very nicely balanced beer.  At only 4.4% ABV, it’s also light on the alcohol, making it a nice refreshing drink.  This is a nice beer.

I give it a 3.8 out of 5.

As I work through my mixed-pack of Flying Dog brews, Tire Bite Golden Ale is up next on my list.   I had to work quickly to get the pictures, because what little head it had was disappearing in a hurry.  Honey in the nose, a bitter middle without any particularly signature hoppy flavors, other than maybe a bit of grapefruit rind.   The finish is more of the same.   I enjoy bitterness in beer, but the weak flavor is really letting this one down.   Not one of my favorites.