Flying Fish - Farmhouse Summer Ale

Flying Fish Brewing Co.

Farmhouse Summer Ale - An American Blonde Ale

The color of this beer is a crystal clear straw yellow.  The head came and went very quickly and left no lacing on the glass.  

The aroma of this beer is faint, nearly nonexistent leaving a slight biscuit aroma.  There is also a mild sweetness, from fruit, maybe lemons.  It is difficult  figure out since the aromas are so muted.

On the palate the barely there carbonation leads the way for a beer that is light, crisp, and lacking flavor.  The biscuit flavor from the malt gives way to a grassy, lemon flavor.  It doesn't have much else going on.  There is a little bit of muddled flavors as an after taste, which doesn't make me want to keep drinking.

Sadly I feel this beer falls flat.  While it is easy drinking, there is no aroma, and the flavors are disappointing.  There isn't much going on.  I will only be drinking the rest of this because I don't want to waste it, plus I took the picture of it.  I give this beer 2 out of 5.

Cigar City - Jai Alai

Cigar City Brewing

Jai Alai - India Pale Ale

The color of this brew is a wonderfully rich orange/copper.  It leaves a mild head that quickly dies down to a subtle coating on the top of the beer.  There is a good depth to the color, you and make out different hues of orange and copper.  The beer is transparent, letting a decent amount of natural light through, but there is enough body to it to only let the light through.  

The aroma gives off a scent of hoppy bitterness that is accompanied by grapefruit.  There is also a caramel sweetness to the scent that helps to balance out the bitter.  It is a very nice aroma that welcomes you to taste the brew.  

On the palate the light but slightly prickly carbonation leads you to a beer that has a nice transition of flavors.  Upfront you get hit with a mild fruitiness, that gives way to that caramel malt.  The beer then transitions again, leaving your tongue tasting grapefruit and some bitterness.  The beer finishes with a slight drying effect on the tongue, obviously this was done to make you drink more.  If you like IPA's, you definitely will drink more.

Overall I would say this is a flavorful IPA that does a good job at remaining true to itself.  It's balanced, but let's you know that the bitterness is here to stay.  It has a wonderful color, and it smells great.  I would recommend this beer to anyone that likes IPA's.  I give this beer a 4 out of 5.

Deschutes - Hop in the Dark

Deschutes Brewery

Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale - An Americam black ale

The color of this beer is DARK.  It's a solid looking beer, the almost black, but you can see a hint of brown color is rich and mysterious.  The light brown head goes away at a medium pace, and leaves some uneven lacing as it goes down the glass.  No light can get through this brew, it is way to solid for that.

The aroma of this brew gives of noticable scents of roast malts, a bitter chocolate and coffee aroma is also present in this beer.  Hiding amongst the other flavors you will also get hints of piney hops.  It's a pretty interesting aroma, that is pleasant and intriguing.  It's a smell that makes you want to take a sip.

On the palate the mild carbonation delivers a beer full of wonderful flavors.  The maltiness gives a nice backdrop to the hops that arrive and linger on your tongue long after you have finished your sip.  The piney flavors, with semi sweet chocolate flavor play well against each other.  There is also a hint of citrus the produces itself the more you drink it.  The beer finishes a little dry, and there is the slightest hint of alcohol, but not enough to add a warming sensation to the mouth and throat.  

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  There is a lot of flavor, the beer goes down very smoothly, and it has a nice aroma.  The color and aroma entice you to drink it.  I would say Deschutes did a nice job with this ale.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Go and get it.

DuClaw -Sawtooth

DuClaw Brewing Co.

Sawtooth - Belgian white ale

The color of this beer is a nice cloudy gold, with a little tint of orange.  It's a translucent brew, that allows you to almost see through it at the edges, but it's only a tease.  There is a nice depth to the color, as it is deepest in the middle and then gentle fades as it approaches the edge of the glass.

The aroma of this beer is mild but has some layers to it.  I notice a yeastiness that gives way to a little bit of spice that smells like coriander, and you also get a nice light citrus scent.  It's a pleasant overall aroma with a nice mix of aromas that play well with each other.

On the palate there is a barely there carbonation that is very fine.  The flavors of this beer are blended together to make a crisp, refreshing beer.  You definetly notice the yeast, but at the same time you get some spice and citrus.  The lasting sweetness of the beer is pleasant as an after taste.  There is also a little bit of spice that remains after you finish your taste.

Sawtooth is a crisp refreshing beer that is nice for summer.  This beer finishes nice and light, and it isn't heavy and has a lower ABV for those who don't like a stronger beer.  This beer is worth a try, and is the type of beer you can have several of without filling up.  

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.