Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 375ml/12.7oz single bottle bought at Jackie O's in Athens, Ohio; 2018 (bottled in 2017)

Style/ABV: American Wheatwine, 13.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Make me a beautiful barrel-aged Barleywine. About Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The bottle for the Wood Ya Honey reads: "Wood  Ya Honey is a wheat wine style ale brewed with generous amounts of local wild flower honey. We aged this beer in bourbon barrels for 10 months, elevating the rich caramel and honey character to luscious heights. Dripping honey comb, marzipan, and raisin come together for a decadent experience. Pour into your favorite snifter, let warm, sip, and allow your belly to surrender in the comforting embrace of craft."

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

This is an unexpected, murky ass-affair. This is also DAAARKK. I guess I was expecting something a few shades lighter, since wheat wine and all. I was wrong. The aroma on this is pretty much as advertised on the bottle: rich bourbon, raisins, some wood from the barrel, honey and caramel sweetness, some birthday cake sweetness that transitions into more of a fruit cake, marzipan, and honeycombs.  

This is a weird beer in the sense that the malts totally succumb to the barrel and the bourbon. Wheat malt bases are already paper-thin...and this drinks like something that has been cellared for 4-5 years. It's like that oxidation thinness. Only this doesn't have the sherry and port, but instead is dripping with honeycomb sweetness, mountains of caramel, and bourbon for days. 

I guess this is a vehicle for the honeycomb bourbon. It drinks thinner than I would expect...and again, I kind of attribute that to the wheat malts. It's a REALLY interesting profile. I would contrast this beer to something like Two Brothers Bare Tree or the Bruery's White Oak. Both of those beers tend to lean towards the fruitier side of wheat with more apple notes. Then there are beers like Revolution's Ryeway which are sweet, honey-forward, and thick as all fuck. This is sweet, but in the realm of bourbon/honey/marzipan. And it lacks the malt-T H I C N E S S in other similar beers. Ergo, wheat malts + bourbon. Up front: bourbon, raisins, kisses of wheat; the mids roll into really nice raisins and honeycomb, with some figs, marzipan, and caramel; the back end is a wild barrel ride with lingering bourbon. Palate depth and duration are good, complexity is good. I'm just not sure about the wheatwine thing?

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappies)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This is good stuff, but it falls in a weird category for me. This is not what I look for in a Wheatwine (see my other Wheatwine reviews for what I would consider reasonable style examples). And if I'm looking for a BA Barleywine, I feel like there are a lot of other beers (like Ryeway) that I would rather drink... 

 

Then again, this is a very interesting brew in the sense that it really brings out the barrel, the bourbon, and the spirit. The holy trinity, if you think about it. I wouldn't kick this beer out of bed, I just wouldn't wife it. 

Random Thought: https://youtu.be/QLKX-VKmUM8

Marz Jungle Boogie

Brewed By: Marz Community Brewing Co. in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 16.9oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Pale Wheat Ale, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: 10

Something something Chicago shelf turds. About the Marz Community Brewing Company:

The Marz Community Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois. The brewery launched in 2014, and was a project started by brothers Ed and Mike Marszewski, along with a handful of professional and amateur brewers. The website credits several "members of the Colletive," including Alex Robertson, Mike Marszewski, Pete Alvarado, Johanna Wawro, Michael Freimuth, Doktor Kazys Ozelis, Eric Olson, Ed Marszewski, Mike Redwick, Malread Case, Tom Piekarz, Eli Espinoza, and Tim Lange. This is like a football team or film credit roll, and I'm sure their list of contributors will expand. The brewery's POV is that they are a collective comprised of home brewers, professional brewers, and artists, that have united to make small, artisanal batches of beer. And that's all you really need to know. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Jungle Boogie is an American Pale Wheat Ale brewed with rooibos tea. This pours into a dark red, brownish body...the head retention is impressive, and this is hazy as you'd expect with a wheat beer. 

Marz Jungle Boogie

The aroma is absolutely fantastic. There is an explosion of bright Mosaic hops and huge Rooibos tea that culminates in an explosion of bright tropical fruits, berries, fresh tea, green tea, intense wheat, peaches, fresh pine, and steeped tea. It's an incredibly vibrant and fresh aroma, and the fusion of the tea and hops is spot on. 

This drinks more like a pale ale than an American Wheat Ale, but I see why they are calling it that. There's a lot of bright tea notes and clean wheat notes, but beneath the tea and wheat is a serious punch of Mosaic hops. The hops not only drop pine and tropical fruit, but they also blast some lemon, resinous bitterness, and a little hemp oil. The tea notes also come in on the back end adding some tea-like bitterness. You get lots of green tea, and some earthy shades of medium/black tea. The tea-hop punch really works here.

This isn't the first fusion of tea and hops, but it's definitely the most congruent example I have had. I actually enjoy this more than the Laughing Panda Green Tea IPA, and I enjoyed that beer. This is medium-bodied with fairly flat carbonation, but it is so clean and easy to drink. Palate depth is perfect, with good depth and duration. This also unravels with a fair bit of complexity. The tea and bright Mosiac hop notes up front transition into a wheat-heavy mid, with more fruity tea/hop notes. The back end trails off with the fruit and tea, and drops some earthy green tea and lemony resin. This is dropping some peach notes as I sip on it, and it's just incredibly refreshing. I hope this is around in the summer.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. I'm tempted to bump this up to a 4.5 but I really need to camp out on another bottle. As it stands, this is maybe the best hop-tea beer I have had. I would definitely recommend this, and the food pairings are endless. I would maybe pair this with a fish dish or sushi...but that's me. 

Random Thought: These Marz guys are really coming out the gates strong.

Marz Community Brewing Company Bubbly Creek Yuzu

Brewed By: Marz Community Brewing Co. in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Berliner Weiss, 3.0%

Reported IBUs: 10

Chicago breweries have apparently hit critical mass in the past six months, so I feel obligated to try something new. About the Marz Community Brewing Company:

The Marz Community Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois. The brewery launched in 2014, and was a project started by brothers Ed and Mike Marszewski, along with a handful of professional and amateur brewers. The website credits several "members of the Colletive," including Alex Robertson, Mike Marszewski, Pete Alvarado, Johanna Wawro, Michael Freimuth, Doktor Kazys Ozelis, Eric Olson, Ed Marszewski, Mike Redwick, Malread Case, Tom Piekarz, Eli Espinoza, and Tim Lange. This is like a football team or film credit roll, and I'm sure their list of contributors will expand. The brewery's POV is that they are a collective comprised of home brewers, professional brewers, and artists, that have united to make small, artisanal batches of beer. And that's all you really need to know. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

Marz Community Brewing Company Bubbly Creek Yuzu

The Bubbly Creek Yuzu is a Berliner Weiss-style beer brewed with yuzu. And it pours into a hazy yellow-orange body, kicking up a finger or two of that perfectly white, tightly packed, Berliner Weiss head. It's a good looking beer, with lasting carbonation.

On the aroma: a lot of mild-mannered lactic funk. The lactic notes in here include some buttery/oaky sourness sans the barrel of course, with tons of lemon, lemon tree, lemon tree leaves, wet rain, a faint pineapple note, some fruited candies, yuzu, and light wheat. This smells vibrant for a small 3.0% package.

This is actually really delicious, with simple and clean wheat, yuzu, and lemon profile, running against appreciable lactic funk. The lactic funk is well done, and there is nice griping sourness here, but it isn't too sour or too funky. 

For 3.0%, this has a surprisingly substantial body. I'd go as far as to call this medium-bodied, thanks obviously to the wheat. Despite the appreciable body, this is incredibly refreshing and drinkable. Palate depth is great for the style, and complexity is good too. There's a lot of juicy lemons and yuzu up front; the mids roll into a softer and sweeter fruit, with some candied lemon notes and wheat malts; the back end drops mad wheat notes, with some faint cracker/biscuit malts. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a nice offering from Marz, and I hope they keep this around because I would happily pick this up again. Noice. 

Random Thought: I have a bunch of Deschutes' shelf turds that I'm debating to review. 

Anderson Valley The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose

Brewed By: Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, California 
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Gose, 4.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

This beer was a random purchase, and not something I would normally seek out. But, at the time of buying this beer, I was sick with a cold, and I needed something in a can to bring to a party. You really can't go wrong with a low-ABV Gose, right? About Anderson Valley Brewing Company: 

The Anderson Valley Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Boonville, Cali that was founded in 1987 
by Kenneth Allen. Originally, the brewery brewed out of a 10-barrel brewhouse, until an expansion was needed to meet demands. The expanded brewhouse was built in 1996, at the corner of Highways 128 and 253, a mile from the center of Boonville. In 1998, the brewery expanded again, with construction of a three-story Bavarian-style brewhouse being completed in 2000. In 2010, the brewery was sold to Trey White, and that same year Fal Allen took over as brewmaster. For more info, check out the brewery's website or Facebook page. 

The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose is part of Anderson Valley's Highway 128 Session Series. Their traditional-style Gose is brewed with pale two-row and malted white wheat malts, finished with Bravo hops, and features a kettle soured wort.

The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose

This is a golden, lightly hazy, but filtered looking affair. The beer kicks up two fingers of wispy, wheat-fueled, white head, and there's good lacing and lazy carb.

Having just got this beer into a glass for the first time, I'm surprised at how good it smells. There's a lot of wheat notes, floral aromas, peach, coriander, lemon sherbet, and some minerality.

This is clean and refreshing, with nice griping lemon and peach tartness, without much lactic funk. There is a refreshing, underlying tartness that drives this beer...which is fantastic. You pick up the wheat and coriander in the taste, and there's a kiss of salt and minerality.

At 4.2%, this is incredibly drinkable. This is a really well-done wheat beer that is tart and refreshing without any crazy lactic funk. If you like lactic funk, you might be a bit disappointed, but the beer makes up for it with spot-on palate duration, a light and gently carbonated mouthfeel, and pretty good complexity. This delves into sour lemons and peaches up front; rolls into some stone fruits and tropical fruits in the mids, with coriander showing up; the back end drops wheat notes, salt, light minerality, and a super clean finish. Nice.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. If you want a griping, sour wheat beer...look no further. This is clean, refreshing, and good. I might pair this with sushi tonight.

Random Thought: Somehow, my fridge is full of beer. I'm a happy camper.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Gose, 5.0%
Reported IBUs: 12

Between Penrose and Destihl, Chicago's sour scene is suddenly become more tangible. And that's good for me. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

Bad pun aside, the Here Gose Nothin' is a "Leipzig-Style Gose" that undergoes spontaneous fermentation, and features lactic notes of lemon, lime, and citrus. This one also has some coriander and sea salt added. 

This is a filthy wheat beer, pouring into a cloudy, hazy, unfiltered, swampy, pick-your-synonym straw/wheat color. The beer produces a finger of wheat-tinged head that is wheat beer strong. This looks to be well carbonated, and blah blah.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

The aroma here is really nice, with coriander, ocean sea salt breezes, wet rain, mist, some light lactic acidity, light lemon citrus, some watermelon rind, and a little bit of wheat for good measure. This is an inviting aroma, if you're into little sour bangers.

This isn't overly sour, but it is incredibly funky. This dips into citric acid, tomatoes, tomato juice, unfiltered wheat, V8 acidity, and tons of lactic acid funk. As you dig into the wheat-acid-lactic funk fest, you can pull out some of the coriander and some of the hints of salt. It's more in line with that mist aroma, ocean breezes. As this warms up, it takes a turn towards the more creamy, with that creamy lactic funk coating. I love it.

This is light, refreshing, and incredibly drinkable. The wheat malts provide some sustenance to the body, especially as this warms up, so I would call it light-full. Palate depth is really good, and the mouthfeel here falls on the flatter side of carbonation, which just makes the lactic acid all the more funky. This is reasonably complex. Up front is lactic funk, V8 acidity, coriander and sea salt; the mids roll into more coriander and sea salt, big wheat, lactic funk; the back end gets a little creamy as this warms, and this drops citrus hints everywhere. It's well done. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. I'm really enjoying this, and I would pick this up again. This is one of the best things Destihl has cranked out in a can, and the fact that it is reaching distro up in Chicago is great news for everyone. I'm not really sure if this beer is 100% true to the style, but I don't really care. More lactic wheat beers please. Thanks. 

Random Thought: I always have a hard time with food pairings for something like this. The inherent funk to this style makes me think that pairing this beer with strong cheeses or sushi might have a negative result. Maybe pair this with some Greek Food? 

Blue Moon Winter Sample Pack 2014: Blue Moon Belgian White

Brewed By: Miller Brewing Company (MillerCoors) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin   

Purchased: 12oz bottle from the Blue Moon Winter Sampler 2014 bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Belgian White, 5.4%

Reported IBUs: 9

DAE Macro sampler packs?

Over the past few years of penning horrible blog reviews, I have never actually reviewed one of America's classic beers: Blue Moon Belgian White. I did review their god-awful Grand Cru once upon a time, but how about some of their more seminal releases? I couldn't pass up on the Winter Sampler Pack for 2014. This thing cost about $15, and comes with five unique beers. Well, five really, because who hasn't had the Belgian White? About MillerCoors aka Blue Moon:

Blue Moon was first brewed in 1995 at one of MillerCoors' R&D arms; in a sandlot, in Denver, Colorado, by Keith Villa. Keith Villa is an OG player these days. He's off judging beer, and talking about his PhD in brewing from the University of Brussels. There's a PhD for everything these days. Seriously though, it's Blue Moon. Read the Wiki. 

Blue Moon's Belgian White is the classic beer that you can find at terrible chain restaurants like Applebee's and Chili's. You might also find it at TGIFridays. This beer is literally a classic American craft staple, regardless of what people on forums like "BeersAdventures" and "RapesBeers" might say. Blue Moon is brewed with orange peel, oats/wheat malts, and the usual shit you'd find in a Belgian White. This beer is Keith Villa's pride, and Keith Villa is MillerCoors' Stepford Wife. 

Blue Moon Belgian White

For a MillerCoors' product, this beer is vibrant and orange, and hazy and unfiltered. It actually looks like a legit wheat beer, or at least until the head dies off and you are left with orange juice. Then again, this is a Witbier, not a Hefe.

The aroma is all sorts of conflicting. You get wheat, orange, and honey -- but the aroma is very thick. It smells pretty sweet, and takes a turn towards cereal, with some Fruity Pebbles, and fake spice. It's kind of how I imagine an extract batch of a Witbier would smell.

Witbiers aren't really my bag in general, and Blue Moon tends to highlight a lot of the things about the style that I don't love. For 5.4%, Blue Moon is fairly dense and heavy. It's also fairly sweet. This beer dials up the saccharine juices, and reminds me of apple juice. It tastes like something made from extract, or something that could be further fermented out. In the taste is juicy orange, Fruity Pebbles, some bubble gum, artificial clove that is cloying, and lots of wheat. The saccharine edge isn't overly enjoyable, and the fake spice goes over-the-top in ways that rival Hoegaarden. 

Despite some of the flaws that Blue Moon has, it has a full body that is pretty substantial at 5.4%. The complexity is bottom-of-the-barrel, but the saccharine orange and Fruity Pebbles sweetness is obnoxious enough to stand up to the heartburn inducing foods you might find at such chain restaurants like Chili's, Applebee's, etc. This is a fully utilitarian beer, something beyond the monotonous Pale Lagers likely to be on tap wherever you go, but not nearly as interesting as many other beers. I mean, I'd take a Sapporo over a Blue Moon Belgian White 9/10 times. This is truly a MillerCoors product...the saccharine sweetness reminds me of Miller Genuine Draft, and the relatively uneventful transition from orange/wheat, to a spicy/salty middle, to the bubblegum/wheat back end isn't impressive. And yes, Blue Moon is definitely slightly salty in its attempt to do spice. Salty like semen. Yum.

Rating: Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. Blue Moon isn't offensive enough to hit that below-average stride, and this beer actually does sort of pull off the style. It's a bit cloying on the sweetness, but the slight brine/semen/salt note that is probably supposed to be coriander spice actually adds an interesting dimension...oh shit, I'm fishing here. Or phishing. Ha, the jokes on you! Seriously though, I would never go out of my way to buy a 6-pack of Blue Moon, but this is a serviceable beer on tap. I've had this beer while out to many a shitty chain restaurant with family and friends. This is a great beer to shove an orange in, and call it a fucking day. This is my Chili's beer. 

Random Thought: The Blue Moon Grand Cru was hilariously bad. Maybe that's why I don't see it on shelves anymore. 

Stillwater Cellar Door

Brewed By: Stillwater Artisanal at Dog Brewing Co. in Westminster, MD  

Purchased: 750ml bottle (1 Pt, 9.4oz) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 201?

Style/ABV: American Farmhouse Ale/Saison, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is a bit of a mystery...this one has spent some time in my cellar, for no reason other than I shoved it in my cellar, forgot about it, and never got around to drinking it. I realize that this makes me one of "those beer nerds." The guy who puts beer in his cellar, and then forgets about it. I'm not really proud about that fact. The funny part is I never had any intentions to age this beer....I think I picked this one up in 2013? I dunno. About Stillwater Artisanal Ales: 

Stillwater Artisanal Ales are a Gypsy Brewery based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2009-ish, the beer is brewed by Brian Strumke. You can find more info at the brewery's blog or their website. 

My bottle of Cellar Door reads: "Starting with a base of German wheat & pale malts this crisp slightly hazy foundation was then accented with a blend of Sterling & Citra hops that provide notes of herbal grass & tangerine citrus. To pull this all together and to complete the 'cleansing' aspect of my vision, I gently finished the ale off with a touch of white sage, lending a mild earthy spice character to the blend." I'm not sure if this one is finished with Brett, but I hope. 

Stillwater Cellar Door

As you'd expect, especially with Stillwater: this pours into a hazy, cloudy, golden-yellow body, kicking up two to three fingers of dense, cloudy head. The head settles into a nice centimeter coating, and this is well-carbonated.

The aroma here is spicy and floral. After as long as this has been sitting in my basement, I expect the hops to be dropped off. This smells a little bit like a Witbier, and I'm reminded of Stone's Saison. I'm getting cardamon, clove, sage, banana, wheat, faint lemon, and some fennel. The aroma preferences the spicy aromatics, with a little perfume sweetness as well.

Oh wow....so this non-wild ale has held up fantastically well. This tastes like a Belgian Witbier, with bright orange, coriander/lemon, refreshing wheat, clove, banana, and big apple slaw salad. This is juicy, and punches in this apple and grape note that I can only guess is coming from the sage. The sweetness in here is very toned down, and the spices are also surprisingly mild. This really is all about the grape/apple note, with those faint Witbier backings. 

Wow...this is just refreshing and awesome. I really have to hand it to Stillwater, I don't think Brian Strumke is capable of brewing something not delicious. At 6.6%, this drinks more like a Witbier than a Saison. This is refreshing, clean, attenuated, and well-carbonated. I'm impressed that this has held up in terms of age. This is medium-light bodied with a substantial mouthfeel, courtesy of the wheat malt, and has great complexity. Up front: apple, sage, slaw salad, cardamon; the mids roll into peppery spice, cardamon, clove, coriander, lemon, wheat, faint orange and hops; the back end trails with wheat, and drops lingering sage on your palate. The finish is clean and attenuated. Seriously, this is fantastic.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Fantastic. This could give Unibroue a run for their money, and those guys know a thing or two about making Belgian Ales. This is just incredibly delicious, with apple, grape, and slaw salad notes for days. The subtle clove, cardamon, and coriander spice ices the cake. This is a beer that I would pair with grilled lamb, hummus, a leafy burger, or potatoes with fennel. Sweet... 

Random Thought: Belgian beer....my first true love.

Boulevard Hibiscus Gose

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company (Moortgat) in Kansas City, Missouri

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014 (best by 2014/02/15)

Style/ABV: Gose, 4.2%

Reported IBUs: 11

When you gots to Gose you gots to Gose. About Boulevard:

Boulevard Brewing Company hails out of Kansas City, Missouri. They have a very nice website that is cleanly formatted, informative, and is not loaded with Java and Flash scripts. The company was founded officially in 1989, but began in 1988 when founder John McDonald began construction of the brewery. In 2006 the brewery had a major expansion, which allowed for additional brewing capacity. You can find more info on the brewery's history HERE. According to Wikipedia, Boulevard is the largest craft brewer in Missouri, and the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States.

The Hibiscus Gose is part of Boulevard's Backroads series. This one is brewed with coriander and sea salt during the boil, and steeped in dried hibiscus flowers during the whirlpool. 

Boulevard Hibiscus Gose

If you like radioactive and bright pink beers, this beer is for you. The beer pours into a reddish-pink body, kicking up two to three fingers of long-lasting, pink-tinged head. The beer is slightly hazy, and well-carbonated, and the lingering head leaves lacing. It looks fun, like mimosas and Fridays.

This has a distinctly light aroma, similar to a Berliner, with wet rain and mild lactic sourness. Unique to the aroma here is the hint of sea salt, along with deep floral notes that are fruity and bright. I wouldn't peg coriander in a blind tasting, but the coriander plays off the hibiscus and the sea salt, adding some zest and character to the aroma. There are also some wheat notes backing the whole thing up.

This is respectively tart, with lactic character that leans towards the yogurt side of things. I'm getting a lot of yogurt in the taste, with lemon Greek yogurt coming to mind. The sourness is actually enough to make me pucker so slightly, and this definitely has a salty character. Once you get past the salt and sourness, you find bright floral notes, including hibiscus and rose petals, melon, cherry, wet rain, lemon tea, and some gentle wheat. The coriander is again muted in the taste, but plays off the sour and salty notes subtly.

This is light...refreshing...bright. Really, the perfect Summer brew. This is maybe peaking in terms of the season, but it was drinking good a few weeks ago when it was much warmer out. I'm not getting any alcohol here, and this is fairly complex, with a carbonated and light-bodied mouthfeel. Honestly, I hope Boulevard rolls this one out again, because it's a solid beer. Up front: lactic funk, wet rain, Greek yogurt, sea salt; the mids roll into creamy wheat and more Greek yogurt, with some lemon, hibiscus, rose petals; the back end trails with salt and coriander, and finishes pretty dry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is tart and enjoyable, and way better than 99% of the crappy fruit beers available during the Summer. Seriously, this blows your Lincoln-doodles Lemon Candy or whatever out of the water. I'd recommend this for Summer patio adventures. Pair this with Dave Matthews Band, getting rapey, and fruity salads. 

Random Thought: If this beer represents a trend in the future of American brewing (or beers available to the American market), I like it.

Off Color Fierce

Breewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Berliner Weiss, 3.8% 

Reported IBUs: 3

Tonight's beer makes a strong case for why session beers rock. About Off Color Brewing:

Off Color Brewing is a brewery founded in 2008 according to their Facebook, or 2014 according to their website, or 2013 if you follow their release party and the logical timeline. It really doesn't matter, I suppose. What you need to know is that this brewery is the brainchild of former Goose Island barrel guru, John Laffler, and former Two Brothers brewer, Dave Bleitner. The duo are both graduates of Siebel, and share a passion for brewing exotic, off-color beer. For more info, check out the brewery's ABOUT page.

The Fierce is a low-ABV Berliner Weiss-style beer. This beer is brewed with Pils, Wheat, and Flaked Wheat malts; features "a little" hops; and uses some kettle souring for that slightly tart and sour note. More specifically, this features an "overnight kettle souring with our house lactobacillus culture, the wort emerges furious at what we did to it." This one is fermented with saison yeast. 

Off Color Fierce

This pours into a hazy, melon-yellow color, almost like a murky Reisling. It's hazy and well-carbonated, yielding a finger of white, fluffy head that hangs around after the pour, leaving lacing like my loser kids leave their loser friends around my house. If this mash got the clinic, it looks it. Except that it is a Berliner...the kid gloves wheat beer of soured beers.

On the aroma: big lemon, wheat, big straw, funk/barnyard, faint malts in the form of cracker/biscuit, and some nice pineapple. There's a wet rain note, and you get some of that lactic funk, with some definite sour mash coming through on the nose. 

This is fantastic, with lemon-pineapple and wet rain crashing against that lightly funky lactic mash. It's like drinking Greek Yogurt spiked with lemon. The lemon dives into notes of citrus, pineapple, maybe a dash of orange and grapefruit...it's all rounded out with some wheat and straw notes. 

The wheat malts really build as you work through this...they provide just enough density to substantiate the body, but it's light citrusy and incredibly drinkable at 3.8%. Like...it's almost a shame this comes in a 4-pack, but I know that this takes work to brew. This has great palate depth and duration for the style, and it's complex too. Up front is a nice blast of sour mash, sour lemon, lactic punch, wet rain, and big pineapple/lemon; that rolls into wet rain, wheat, straw, some more orange/grapefruit, nice attenuated citrus notes ala a white wine; the back end lays on some nice bread/cracker notes, with malts, and then finishes dry and pleasant. This is really quite nice, and super drinkable and refreshing.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...I love this style and this is a fun, tasty brew. Would buy again. I mean really, at $9 a 4-pack...you can't go wrong with this. And the 4-pack format means you can take this to a party or barbecue and drink the whole damn thing! And you won't even get that drunk. Nice. Food pairings here include fruit salads, maybe white fish...lighter foods. Good.

Random Thought: Dat glass defect, right?

4 Hands Contact High

Brewed By: 4 Hands Brewing Co. in Saint Louis, Missouri

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Whole Foods in Naperville, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Wheat Ale Ale, 5.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Even though the store shelves say otherwise, it is still Summer. About 4 Hands Brewing Co.: 

4 Hands Brewing Co. are a brewery based out of Saint Louis, Missouri. The brewery was founded in 2011 by owner/president Kevin Lemp. The brewery features a number of brewers, including ex-Goose Island guru, Will Johnston. 4 Hands is all about hand-crafted beers, and they feature a barrel-aging program that uses wine and spirit barrels. Exciting stuff. Definitely check out their website or Facebook page.

The Contact High is an American Wheat Ale brewed with "copious amounts of pacific northwest hops and dry hopping with fresh orange zest."

4 Hands Contact High

The Contact High pours into a dark yellow, deep golden body, kicking up a finger of off-white and short-lived head. Head retention exists as a faint coating, and there is short lived cling from the lacing as you swirl the beer. This has moderate carbonation. All-in-all: not a looker by any means.

The aroma, on the other hand, does catch your attention. Right up front, I'm getting HUGE orange zest. The orange zest is beefed up with big hop notes that include iced tea, crushed aspirin, honey, pine, lemon, lemon tree leaves, and huge dank citrus and citrus zest. I'm reminded a bit of Pipeworks' MariLime Law brewed in collaboration with Tired Hands. 

You get big orange zest in the taste as well, with punchy orange juice and orange zest showing up with assertive authority. This is refreshing and juicy, and reminds me of seltzer water and orange Fresca. The hops in here pull towards orange and pine, with some hints of iced tea and wet leaves. 

This is light, refreshing, and simple. At 5.0%, this is incredibly crushable. Canning this was a good idea, and reinforces the portability of this brew. It's not complex at all, and the palate depth feels a bit one-dimensional. As far as how this stacks up: orange zest up front; more orange and lime zest in the middle, with citrus juice, orange juice, and some hints of citrus hops; the back end drops some iced tea and leaves, with lingering orange juice. The bitterness here is mild. It really reminds me of orange soda. 

Rating: Light Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. I'm a little conflicted...in this instance, I think the orange zest might actually detract from some of the potential hop flavors you can get out of a beer using just hops. I look at something like Zombie Dust and think to myself, "now that's a Pale Ale." Even the Akari Shogun has this one beat, with ease. It's a preference thing for me, but yeah. This works as a fruited beer though, and I love the 6-pack format. In cans nonetheless. I agree with the suggested food pairings: spicy foods that benefit from a hint of lime or citrus would pair wonderfully with this beer. So would poultry, and also fish or seafood, I think. Maybe a ceviche? I can't complain. This isn't a bad buy, not at around $10 a sixer.

Random Thought: Another year, another forgettable season of Food Network Star...

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.

5 Rabbit Gran Missionario

Brewed By: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Bedford Park, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer, 8.3%

Reported IBUs: 25

I know I keep saying I need to drink more of 5 Rabbit's stuff, so here we are. About 5 Rabbit Cerveceria: 

5 Rabbit Cerveceria is an Illinois-based craft brewery launched in 2011. The brewery has a unique perspective, focusing on Latin-themed craft beer. The company is lead by CEO Andrés Araya, Creative Director Randy Mosher, and brewmaster (and former Goose Island employee) John J. Hall. For more info about the brewery, check out their Facebook or their website. 

The Gran Missionario is a "Double Wheat Beer fermented with muscat grape must & pear juice." The bottle reads: 

"Missionario celebrates the intersection of cultures that occurred in the missions set up all along the Pacific Coast of the Americas. 

Wheat and muscat wine grapes were among the plants brought over from Spain, being tasty as well as essential for church services. In honor of the many other crops grown in Mission gardens, we’ve chosen pears for this version of Gran Missionario. It is creamy, dry and fruity in a most comlex way, with aromas of flowers and spice.

It is a sophisticated beer capable of complementing a wide range of foods from crab tamales to sheep cheese to apple pie."

5 Rabbit Gran Missionario

The bottle says this clocks in at 8.3%. This one is brewed with US Pilsner, flaked wheat, and oats malts. This uses Muscat of Alexandria grape must, and pear juice. This also features Northern Brewer, and Hallertau Blanc hops (Floral and fruity with passion fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, grape and lemongrass overtones...yum).

The beer pours out a hazy, straw-like, golden-yellow color, kicking up two fingers of lightly gold-tinted head. The head is fluffy and thick, and looks to be the product of rich wheat and oat malts. The beer looks much the same in bright light, with some orange tones present, and nice streams of tiny carbonation bubbling away. There's lacing and nice head retention.

On the aroma: wheat, straw, barnyard and farmhouse funk, apple slaw salad and pears, pear juice, grapefruit, and big, juicy, musty grape/pear. I'm getting some pear skin...it almost smells like pear tannin...with subtle white wine, grapes, and green pepper notes. It's a complex aroma, for sure.

This is impressively dense and juicy, with huge waves of creamy pear juice and grape juice mounted on those giant wheat and oat malts. I feel like I'm a kid again, with the juice box apples and pears popping here. I'm getting big apple juice, pear juice, creamy white wine foam, white sugar/clove, perfume and seductive alcohol a la a Belgian Strong Ale, apple and slaw salad, and citrus fruits (grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple). This sort of reminds me of the amped up and huge Pineapple Bling. 

I'm a big fan of this beer, really nice stuff. This is a fantastic fusion of juice and wheat/oat malts. I'm not getting any alcohol here, except for some perfume booze. You don't taste the 8.3% at all. Palate depth is fantastic, and this is fairly complex. The wheat and oats give this a medium-full mouthfeel. Up front: creamy wheat malts, big pear, grape, and apple juice, passion fruit, citrus; that rolls into big oats and wheat malts, clove, white sugar, perfume alcohol and Belgian funk, white wine, grapes, yeast; the back end trails with some bitterness, wheat astringency, lingering passion fruit and citrus, perfume spice, and nice dryness. This is really fantastic stuff....slept on, really.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is fantastic; just an incredibly, big, juicy wheat beer. This is a nice fusion of wheat, apples, grapes, and pears. I could see myself pairing this with goat cheese, poutine, or something more delicate. Maybe a pasta or dumpling dish. I'd pick this up again...I hope they brew it again.

Random Thought: I need to type up a thoughtful rant about this year's Beer Camp, but I'm really lazy. 

Perennial Artisan Ales Tart Hopfentea (brewed with Hopleaf)

Brewed By: Perennial Artisan Ales in St. Louis, Missouri  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at the Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Bottled 5/2014)

Style/ABV: Berliner Weisse, 4.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

Perennial is one of the big dicks in the room thanks to their Barrel-Aged Abraxas, but these guys also make other good beers that aren't Abraxas. I think. I'm popping my Perennial cherry with a collaboration brewed with Chicago's Hopleaf...seems appropriate. About Perennial:: 

Perennial Artisan Ales is a brewery based out of St. Louis, Missouri. The brewery was founded in 2011 by Brewmaster Phil Wymore (formerly of Goose Island and Half Acre), with the help of Cory King (who is balling with Side Project). Perennial focuses on brewing Belgian and American craft inspired beers, with the addition of premium ingredients like fruits, spices, and wild yeast strains. They also have a barrel aging program, including the internal start-up, Side Project. Definitely check out their website for more info. 

The Tart Hopfentea is a collaboration brew with Hopleaf. This beer is a Berliner Weisse brewed with a tropical tea blend. The bottle reads: "A wave of tropical fruit and spice brighten this lively, tart wheat ale, taking the German Berliner Weisse tradition on an island run. Hopfentea pairs well with light appetizers, fish, and high humidity."

Perennial Artisan Ales Tart Hopfentea (brewed with Hopleaf) 

This beer pours into a radiant, melon-pink color at first, but once the body fills into the glass the beer takes on more of a hazy orange body. The beer produces two fingers of the most dense and beautiful head I have seen. I'm not one to gush about a beer's appearance very often, but this beer is simply stunning to look at. The head is white and dense, and retains well with nice lacing. Bright light confirms that this is very much a hazy orange beer, with a white head. 

The aroma here is really nice, with assertive tea, tropical fruits, and hops standing out on the nose. I'm getting lemony tea, iced tea, peach and melon tea, floral/peach/earthy hops, and big flower notes. I get some big rose petals here, and mild hop spice. I don't know what hops are used here...maybe Saaz or something? As this warms up a bit, a huge papaya note emerges, with big papaya tropical fruit.

This is more tart than I was expecting, especially based on some of the reviews calling it mediocre and lacking lactic character. I'm finding this to be quite tart up front, with moderate lactic pull. I'm definitely getting some sourness pulling on my gumline. Along with the nice lactic character is some really nice tea notes. The tea notes are floral and lemony, with rose petals, flowers, iced tea, lemon, and some peach. The papaya note from the aroma shows up as well, which is super refreshing and nice. The back end has that wheat density, and despite this being sour/tart, it cleans up nicely. 

I'm really enjoying this. This is super drinkable at 4.2%, with a refreshing, light-bodied mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is tart and lactic-driven up front, but finishes with some nice creamy wheat towards the back. This has good palate depth, and is fairly complex. I don't understand the reviews ball-busting this. I think this accomplishes what it set out to do: this brings nice tea notes and tropical fruit notes to the style. Up front: lactic funk, sourness, tropical fruits, papaya; the mids roll into big tea, with flowers, rose petals, iced tea, more papaya; the back end is lingering tea and fruits, and then some of the creamy wheat kicks in to round things out.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a simple but elegant beer. This beer would pair great with papaya, mango salsa, fish, lightly seasoned fish tacos, fruit salad, and sushi. I'm a huge Berliner Weisse fan, and I'm a huge tea fan. I think this is a good fusion of the two, so ignore the haters and check this one out.

Random Thought: I need to go and pick up more beers from Perennial.