Crown Valley Brewing - Gunslinger

Crown Valley Brewing

Gunslinger - Double IPA

The color of this beer is an orange with a base of brown.  It gives off a nice foamy head, the laces down the glass, and sticks around for a little while.  The beer is faintly see through.  The color is a little dirty, wish it was crisp and more defined.

The aroma of the beer gives off a nice maltiness with hints of lemon and honey.  It is a pretty mild aroma.  The aroma is inviting though, even though it isn't very strong.  The mild sweetness and slight bite from the hops play well on the nose.

On the palate this is a pretty well balanced beer.  The sweet maltiness with a slight caramel, then you notice the honey and lastly a little lemony tang with a clean and a little dry.  The flavor a balanced, more sweet than bitter.  There is nothing amazing about the taste, it is just good.  

Overall this beer goes down easily, which could be an issue since it is 9% abv, but then again, I could just drink it slower.  The color is not my favorite, but the aroma is nice, and the flavors are balanced and pleasant.  This is a pretty good double IPA.  I give it 3.5 out of 5

Barrel House - Local Species

Blue Mountain Barrel House Brewery

Local Species - Belgian Strong Pale Ale, aged in charred bourbon barrels

The color of this beer is a dark copper with distinctive reddish brown look.  It's a translucent beer, that has a slight cloudiness.  The head is white and foamy, and goes away very quickly, and does not laces the glass.

The aroma of this beer is full bodied and gives off a bunch of scents.  You will get a sweetness of candied sugar, citrus, a slight hoppiness and a little bit of caramel.  The smell isn't over powering, but it is full and rich.  

On the palate this beer has a lot going on.  Up front you taste a rich smooth caramel, followed by a nice balanced hoppiness that has a slight citrus taste to it.  There is a slight spice, and then finishes with a slight dryness.  There is a warmth to this brew that you experience during the entire taste.  There is a sense of alcohol, but it isn't strong, but complimentary to the overall flavor of the beer.

Overall this is a wonderful beer.  It's well balanced in flavor and has a nice aroma.  The color is just plain gorgeous, and draws you in from the start. Overall this is a solid beer worth getting.  4 out of 5.

Ithaca - Apricot Wheat

Ithaca Beer Co.

Apricot Wheat - A fruit wheat ale

The color of this beer is is a pale yellow, with the slightest tint of orange.  The beer pours leaving a light head that disappears quickly and leaves no residue on the side of the glass.  It's a beer that looks very light, crystal clear, and leaves you thinking there is no body to the beer.

The aroma given off by this beer gives off a prominent fruit smell.  It smells a little fake, like a candy or even dried fruit.  The smell isn't really strong, but it is there, and hard to miss.  I don't really get any other smells from this beer.  

On the palate it is a light tasting beer.  If you are looking for something that has a ton of flavor, and body to it, then you will not like this brew.  It is very light, the apricot flavor is light and crisp.  It has a mild bitterness in the mild of the taste, but it is fruit up front and finishes sweet.  It finishes clean with little after taste.  There is not much else to this beer.  

Now I know it seems like I am disappointed in this beer, but that is not the case.  It is a beer that is available year round, but I would only drink it in the summer.  It is light, crisp, has decent sweetness, and finishes clean.  It's a nice light beer for warm weather, that if you like the taste of you could drink a few of, but also have no problem switching brews.  Overall it's a decent beer.  I will give it a 3 out of 5.