Deschutes Brewery Fresh Squeezed IPA

Posted on by Evan

If you mention Deschutes Brewery Fresh Squeezed IPA to any craft beer fan, they’ve had it. It is a widely known IPA from Bend, Oregon. I’ve had it once or twice. But I have not reviewed it. That is, until now. This year-round IPA is 6.4% ABV with Premium 2-row malt, Munich malt, and Crystal 75 Malt. It has hops such as Mosaic and Citra. This beer pours a light copper with a two-finger white billowing head. The aroma is light with pine and citrus sweetness. The flavor is bitter, with juicy citrus notes. The mouthfeel is medium. It has a bitter, fruity finish that fades. The aftertaste is bitter citrus that lingers for a second or two before fading. I see why Fresh Squeezed IPA is popular. I would give this IPA an A-. This beer should have more juicy fruit flavors. I would like more. But I’d still recommend Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. I would go back for more. Please stay, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Zero Gravity Craft Brewery Duck, Duck Juice IPA

Posted on by Evan

I have never heard of Zero Gravity Craft Brewing from Burlington, Vermont. So I purchased Duck, Duck Juicy IPA. This IPA is 7% ABV, brewed year-round with Rahr Pilsner and rolled oat malts. They also use HBC 586, Talus, Mosaic, CP Mango hops, and house ale yeast. This IPA pours a hazy blonde with a three-finger white head. Slow head retention here. The aroma is fruity, juicy, and bitter. The flavor is juicy fruit, light berry, and bitterness. This IPA has a medium mouthfeel. The finish is less fruity and still as bitter. The aftertaste is berry and bitter, but it doesn’t linger long. Overall, Duck, Duck Juicy is a good, solid IPA. It’s an A and makes me want to try more of their beers, which my local Whole Foods stocks. I do recommend you drink this. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Hi-Wire Brewing Anniversary Helles Munich-Style Lager

Posted on by Evan

I was shopping at my local Harris Teeter grocery store when I spotted Hi-Wire Brewing Anniversary Helles Munich-Style Lager in the meat department. This 5.1% ABV lager commemorates the brewery’s 13th anniversary. This Asheville, North Carolina beer uses Epiphany Malt from Durham, North Carolina. This Helles pours gold with a two-finger white head. The aroma is bready and biscuity. It has a light, sweet aroma. The taste is crisp, bready, biscuit, and some malt. This has a light mouthfeel. The finish is a bit sweet and malty, with a light bread note. The aftertaste is faded bread, steady malt flavor, and slightly faded sweetness. But as this Helles warms, it becomes flat. But I still give this an A-. I think this beer should be enjoyed cold. The flavors don’t turn bad as this beer warms. They just become lighter or flatter versions. I’d still recommend this Helles. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Other Half Brewing Co. Oh…toberfest Oktoberfest Lager

Posted on by Evan

This time of year, you’ll see more and more Oktoberfest beers on store shelves. The Other Half Brewing Co. in Beacon, New York, makes Oh…toberfest, an Oktoberfest Lager with Tettnanger hops. It is 5.4% ABV. I have been to their Brooklyn location, which is a good place to visit if you are in the NYC area. This beer pours deep brown with a two-finger beige head. The aroma is dark malt and light sweetness. The flavor is malty and sweet. Not overly sweet, though. It has a bread flavor, crispness, and a spiced note. This beer has an almost full mouthfeel. The finish is crisp and malty with a little spiced note. The aftertaste comes with fading sweetness and lingering malt character. This is a really delicious Oktoberfest Lager, and I give it an A+. Really makes me think of fall. It has the perfect amount of malt flavor without too much sweetness.  I can recommend this enough. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Aslin Beer Co. Johann The Mango Thief Double IPA

Posted on by Evan

Johann The Mango Thief from Aslin Beer Co. in Alexandria, Virginia, is a 9.4% ABV double IPA. It has Mangoes and Madagascar Vanilla. This big can’s label caught my eye because it’s a mango IPA. This IPA pours light orange with a two-finger, lacy white head. The aroma is sweet, with big vanilla and light tropical mango. The flavor is big vanilla sweetness, mild mango, and mild bitterness. I think the idea was to use vanilla to cut down on hoppy/bitterness. They nailed it! This has a full mouthfeel. This beer has a sweet, vanilla, and mango finish. The aftertaste is fading mango with lingering vanilla. There is a small amount of bitterness in the aftertaste. This beer is mostly vanilla with some mango. It’s a C+. More bitterness/hops would improve this for me. But if you like sweet beers with light bitterness, then this is your beer. But I didn’t fully like this beer. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Three Floyds Brewing Gumballhead American Wheat Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

I haven’t had or reviewed many beers. But I’ve never had or reviewed a beer from Three Floyds Brewing. That is, until now! Here is Gumballhead American Wheat Pale Ale. This beer is 5.4% and brewed with white wheat, dry-hopped with hand-selected Yakima Valley (Amarillo) hops. This happens in Munster, Indiana. I hear this beer is popular. It pours a deep gold color with a two-finger white head. The aroma is bitter and hoppy with lemon. The flavor is light on hops and wheat. Lemony flavors are coming through. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side, but I wouldn’t call it light. The finish is lemony with fading hops and wheat notes. The aftertaste is mildly bitter with lemon. This beer was good. I would give Gumballhead a very high B+. This beer needs a bit more hoppy flavor. That’s the only critique. I recommend this pale ale wheat. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Olde Meck Premium Light Lager

Posted on by Evan

Light beer isn’t associated with craft beer. It is a bad word with craft beer enthusiasts. I am one of those enthusiasts. I usually don’t go for light beers. But I heard that the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery was going to brew one. I bought Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Olde Meck Premium Light Lager. This beer is a 4.0% ABV year-round light Lager, using American Barley malt and Noble European hops. This beer pours a very light yellow with a one-finger, thin white head. The aroma is light/clean, and with a very light sweetness. The flavor is light, clean, smooth, with very light sweetness. It has a nice, crisp and light malt flavor. This has a light mouthfeel. The finish is light, with not much else. The aftertaste has a faint sweet/bread aftertaste that quickly disappears. This beer isn’t bad for a light lager; I give it a B. It is better than the macro light beers out there. I wouldn’t say this is perfect. But it is good for what it is. As the beer gets warmer, the flavors fall off. But I would recommend Olde Meck Premium Light Lager. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Bell’s Brewery Octoberfest Beer Märzen

Posted on by Evan

It’s that time of year again: Oktoberfest. We have Bell’s Oktoberfest Märzen. This 5.5% ABV beer spends six weeks maturing in fermentation vessels in Comstock, Michigan. This style is generally seasonal and celebrates the harvest. This beer pours copper with a one-and-a-half-finger white head. The aroma is malty/sweet and clean. It has a smooth, sweet flavor that isn’t too much. This has a light mouthfeel. The finish is less malty and sweet. The finish is smooth and light with a fading malt flavor. This is a good Oktoberfest Märzen, and it’s a B+. It has good flavors that work well. The malt flavors needs to be turned up a bit. I think this Bell’s Oktoberfest is a good session beer. Go and try it! Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Wise Man Brewing Scoop Dogg Golden Ale

Posted on by Evan

Wise Man Brewing brews Scoop Dogg Golden Ale in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This 5.6% ABV golden Ale is named Scoop Dogg because Snoop Dogg said that when he finished rapping, he would open an ice cream shop called Scoop Dogg. From what I found on the can, I think this beer uses Crystal hops. This golden ale pours gold with a bright one-finger white head. The aroma is light malt and corn. It is dry and clean. The flavor is creamy, smooth, clean, and dry. The mouthfeel is light. The finish is clean and dry. It has a light, sweet malt flavor. The aftertaste is dry with corn and malt flavor. Scoop Dogg is an A+, and I found nothing wrong with this golden ale. All the flavors come together nicely, creating a wonderful, delicious golden ale you should drink. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. Heart of Berries Fruited Sour

Posted on by Evan

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. in Denver, North Carolina, one of my favorite breweries, makes this: Heart of Berries. This is a 5.1 ABV fruited Sour. This sour is infused with mixed berries. I don’t know which types of berries they use. This sour pours a red or light copper color with a quickly fading one-finger white head. The aroma is strawberries and raspberries. It is a crisp yet tart aroma. This beer has berry flavors. Light sour, tart, and sweet. The mouthfeel is light. The finish is berry tartness with some sweet notes. The aftertaste is light berry and tartness that does linger as the sweet notes fade. This is not overly face-puckering sour. It’s a B+ sour beer. More berry flavor would be nice, but I’d still recommend Heart of Berries. Royal Bliss did a good job with this beer. Check out all their beers; they are delicious. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!