Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

Brewed By: Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, Louisiana   

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 4.2%
Reported IBUs: 14

And now for some strawberry beers. About Abita Brewing: 

Abita Brewing hails from the state where you can (and should) proposition your hot cousin. I'm talking about Louisiana. Abita was founded in 1986, 30 miles north of New Orleans. The brewery produced 1,500 barrels of beer during their first year, and by 1994, they outgrew their original location and moved to a larger facility. The brewery is privately owned, and operated by local shareholders. For more information, check out the brewery's website or their Wiki. 

The Abita Strawberry is a Lager brewed with Pilsner and Wheat malts, and Vanguard hops. Louisiana strawberry juice is added post-fermentation. Suggested food pairings here include desserts, salads, pastas, and a handful of milder and full-boded cheeses. 

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

This one pours out into a hazy and juicy body. It's the antithesis of most lagers, to be honest. The body has rich gold and yellow/orange tones, with tons of carbonation going up. This one kicks up two fingers of fluffy, white head; probably courtesy of the wheat and pilsner malts. It's a good looking beer, and the hazy and juicy qualities add a ton of intrigue to what could otherwise be filtered and boring.

On the aroma: big strawberry jam, strawberry fruit roll-ups, and fruit by the foot. The "cough drop" note that many reviewers drop is so cliche and overdone, but this one smells a lot like strawberry cough drops and those strawberry candies that come in the red and green foil wrapper. Actually, that strawberry candy note is spot on. REVIEW OVER. That's the aroma. Pack your bags and go home. Delete BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer. I guess you can pluck out some wheat notes in the back as well, but yeah.

The taste mirrors the nose, with a clean wheat and pilsner malt delivery that is upholstered with strawberry notes. This isn't quite as sweet in the taste, for better. I'm getting clean wheat, refreshing strawberry tea, strawberry currants, and hints of the strawberry candy that is so dominating in the aroma. This is somewhat creamy, with pleasant wheat notes on the finish.

This is a delicious fruit beer...maybe a little par the course, as this isn't overly complex and sort of succeeds at doing what it sets out to do without raising any eyebrows. At 4.2%, you can make a 6-pack of this disappear in one sitting. You could probably kill a 12-pack in an afternoon. I mean, you shouldn't, but you could. Palate depth is actually really nice...this is gentle, clean, and refreshing. It's light-bodied and works as a Summer beer. The only knock, again, would be the complexity. But for the style...ehhhh. This starts out nice with clean wheat and pilsner malts, with growing fruit and strawberry currants; the mids roll into strawberry tea, currants, and fruit salad, with some wheat; the back end rides the wheat and strawberry train to a clean finish, with some strawberry candy.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...I was gonna throw an average rating score at this, but this is lockstep with the beer's description and intention. What's commendable here is how refreshing and clean this is...they really nailed a nice balance between the wheat and pilsner malts, a clean Lager finish, and nuanced strawberry notes. I actually recommend checking this out if you want a fruit beer...this is much better than all the lazy malt beverages out there. Skip the Redd's Strawberry Ale and pick this up, you'll be much happier. I'd pair this with patio foods...a barbecue...this is a nice summer beer thing. 

Random Thought: I love strawberries, I couldn't pass up a strawberry beer. Even if it's just a strawberry lager.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Alt Route Altbier (brewed with Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 06/04/14)
Style/ABV: American-style Altbier, 6.6%

Reported IBUs: 50

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

Alt Route Altbier is brewed with Victory Brewing Company. My bottle reads: "Brewers are notorious for refusing to take the easy path. Alt Route is a tribute to the stubborn spirit that drove us to dodge the status quo and build breweries of our own. Together we chased the siren song of beer with this revamped take on an antique beer style."

Alt Route Altbier 

This one pours a dark penny-copper color, producing massive, three-plus fingers of caramel-tinted head. The body is reddish-brown in bright light, with lots of lively streams of carb. The head retention is excellent, and so is the lacing.

The aroma here is a bit of a departure from the rest of the 2014 Beer Camp, with spicy bready notes and caramel sweetness. I'm getting rye, cinnamon, caramel, sweet dark fruits, toffee, Twizzlers, aged Doppelbock notes, and deep bready caramels. The aroma is nice.

This tastes amazing, with bready notes, Twizzlers, caramel sugars, spicy breads, and big spicy hops. The back end is bitter rye bread and rich pumpernickel, fruit bread, licorice, and Twizzlers. 

You would never guess this is 6.6%....it is one of those malt bombs that could go either way: higher or lower ABV. Palate depth here is the only shortcoming, with some watery moments. Otherwise, this medium-bodied banger is super complex with tons of malts and good hop support. Up front: water to malty, transitioning to big bready notes, rye, pumpernickel, Twizzlers; the mids dial up huge Scotch-Ale like breads and malts, more rye, more pumpernickel; the back is balanced with hops. This finishes with lingering bread and Twizzlers. Toasted notes are all over the place. I love this Old Ale/Scotch Ale/Bock thing. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go a Strong Above-Average here. I'd go higher if not for those watery moments...oh well. This was still one of my favorites from the 2014 Beer Camp. Such a fun beer with a small footprint...I guess it's not the size of the ship, right.

Random Thought: I'd pair this one with a pretzel bun burger or a pastrami on rye sandwich. Yum.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: CANfusion Rye Bock (brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado/Brevard, North Carolina)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/03/14)
Style/ABV: Rye Bock, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: 45

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

The CANfusion Rye Bock is a beer brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery. Do you like to get it in the can? My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Oskar Blues, the pioneers of great craft beer in a can, this partnership was a perfect fit - we're mutual members of the canned craft club and North Carolina neighbors. A dry hop rye bock, CANfusion blends features from across the brewing spectrum: spicy rye, tangy wheat and bright citrus-like hops. The complex malt body launches a peppery blast that's balanced by the fruity and floral Australian Ella hop varietal. CANfusion is a true synergy of friends and flavors." 

CANfusion Rye Bock - that's how I roll

This one pours an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous orange color, with two to three fingers of orange-tinged head. The head is hop-fueled, and leaves nice lacing. The body is a hazy orange color, with medium carbonation. The head settles into a nice cauldron effect. 

The aroma here features big tangerine, citrus spice, orange spice, rye, perfumed apricot, caramel, and intense fruity sweetness. There's also big passion fruit, papaya, mango, and tropical fruit. 

The taste here features big caramel sweetness, tropical fruits, and rye. The blast of tropical fruits goes from berries and passion fruit to caramel and Bock-malt sweetness with raisin and apple notes. Nice rye spice comes along for the ride. There's a big range of fruit notes and malt/caramel fruits: cherries, apples, orange, tropical fruits....it's complex. As this warms boozy and bready rye notes come out.

This is medium-bodied and malt driven, with a nice hoppy balance. You do get some booze here, but it's not a bad thing. Good palate depth and crazy divine complexity drives this beer. I would totally buy more of this. Up front: tropical fruits, passion fruit, rye; that rolls into apples, caramel sguars, Bock sweetness; the back end has trailing hops and sugars with fantastic coating on the palate. Wildly complex...truly original.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...almost leaning towards that divine brew. Wow, this is just an interesting hybrid beer that is uber complex. The sweeter hop notes in here would pair with lighter spicy foods, maybe a nice shrimp or fish taco. 

Random Thought: I really like the boom in craft canned beers.