55/100) New Belgium Basic

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Fat Tire, Slow Ride, Blue Paddle, Snapshot, Somersault

New Belgium. I realized recently that I've tried more of their Lips of Faith series than I had of their staples. In order to rectify that mistake, I picked up one of their Folly 12-packs. Even though I am going back to the basics, I had to have at least one hard-to-get beer. The Folly comes with a special seasonal that only comes in that pack. It would be unfortunate if you didn't like any of New Belgium's beers except that seasonal, because you'd have to get eight beers you don't want just to get four you do.

Fat Tire) A solid amber that for some reason a lot of people like. Me too. I'm pretty sure that if you are reading this blog you don't need to be told about this beer. It's amber goodness and with a touch of nuttiness, and the flagship beer for one of our nation's largest craft breweries. ☆☆☆☆

Slow Ride) As the name implies, it was an easy drinking IPA with slightly subdued amount of hoppy bitterness. Plop into your sofa and cruise through a lovely summer movie as you enjoy this beverage. The picture does depict a sofa with wheels after all. I wasn't hugely taken with it, but it delivered exactly what it said it would. ☆☆☆

Blue Paddle) I still need to find what I think a pilsner is supposed to taste like. This was not what I wanted in a beer. This light beer was refreshing with almost no sourness or bitterness. I enjoyed it, but wasn't wowed. That's all. ☆☆☆

Snapshot) This pale wheat ale has just a touch of tang to its finish. The few hints of wheat present in the finish were masked pretty thoroughly by the hops. As I imbibed more, the wheat got buried even further. I consider this beer confused because it's not a smooth pale, and it only gives a glimpse - or snapshot - of the wheat. ☆☆

Somersault) It's oddly tart and reminds me of a spring day. A spring day where I'm enjoying it but my allergies have acted up. I enjoy it initially, but the more I have of it, like the longer I spend outside on such a day, the less I can enjoy it. I don't want to dislike it, but those first good sips vanished as I had more. ☆☆☆

On a side note, there have been intense trademark issues with the Slow Ride IPA. For those of you interested, I will play tour guide. Here:
http://www.newbelgium.com/slowride/trademarkcomplaint.aspx

54/100) Goose Island (Guys)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Gillian, Halia, Pepe Nero

Goose Island's farmhouse beers tend to have personal sounding names. I'm not sure of the origins behind these choices, but I realized after taking the above picture that I had grouped all the guys together. Regardless, whatever saison/farmhouse base Goose Island uses for these beers is top-notch. Also, all three of these were 2013 bottles, so a touch of aging has been applied.

Gillian) I got a lot of peppery notes on this one, and there were strawberries in the finish. They hide  and weren't there with every sip, but they were fresh and pleasant. The notes reminded me of the syrupy aroma found on sticky fingers following freshly picking a batch of the fruit. The effervescence is strong but not overwhelming. ☆☆☆☆

Halia) There was a light tartness, and just a breath of peaches that lingered on the finish. Like Gillian had strawberry touches, Halia's peach notes may have been the inspiration for the bottle's color scheme. What little bitterness or sourness was in this beer fades on the finish. ☆☆☆☆

Pepe Nero) Smelled lightly of chocolate and caramel but was the harshest and most unusual of the three. In fact, if there was a category for a stout saison or the like, this would be it. It had a lot of the same background saison flavors the other two have, but the malts dominated the up front flavors. ☆☆☆☆

Special) Grimm's Maiden's Kiss

This lager was a VIP-tent only beer at Omaha Beer Fest. I wanted to look into it more so I snagged another bottle...

Maibock - Wait- Helles Bock Lager?

Take a look at the two bottles in the picture. At first glance, they don't look much different, but then you apply your Sesame Street skills (one of these things is...). Clearly, the beer types are not the same, right?

Actually, a Maibock and a Helles bock don't differ much except in name.

The Maibock, or May bock, is perceived as a May beer, as in meant to be drank in that month only. It's not. You can drink them whenever. A Helles Bock, or light bock, is perceived to have a longer season, one that spans about half year. Both beers are light. Both are easy to drink, and both are made for the brighter time of the year.

I think I don't need to explain why the name change helps Grimms Brewhouse to expand their market and sell more. I certainly won't complain. I am placing this beer alongside my Master Thief bottles and plan to keep at least one around at all times.

Now since my beers are actually a year apart, on to a brief discussion of their aged attributes.

Maibock and then Helles Bock. Essentially the same.

Maiden's Kiss - Maibock Lager) First of all, this is the older bottle of the two, even though I can't find a date on it. The pour is very amber with enough fizz to satisfy but not assault. The aroma is spicy and contrasts dramatically with the flavors. I taste a bit ginger with a lot of caramel. ☆☆☆☆

Maiden's Kiss - Helles Bock Lager) Funny... even though the bottles have about a year difference between them, there's only one point on which they taste different. I just get some light fruit esters on this one though. Maybe over time they become the more toffee-like flavors in the older bottle. They both are still very effervescent.  ☆☆☆☆

Event) Omaha Beer Fest 2015 (Saturday)

Saturday, the main day of the Omaha Beer Fest, arrived. A small line of the few hundred VIPers lined up outside the gate. When noon hit, they entered the park an hour earlier than the general admission crowd.

So, you might ask, what are the advantages to paying more for that status?

1) In short, you get time. You get in an hour early which means you get to dodge the crowds for a bit, have only yourself to blame for not sampling some of the rarer stuff, and get some one-on-one time with the reps.

2) There's a VIP tent. You get some special beers, food, and cover. Considering the sun during Saturday afternoon, I appreciated the hideaway.

3) You get a chance to sign up for the hourly events before anyone else does. This is huge because of how fast the sheets filled up. I'm pretty sure the cupcake pairing event was half-filled with VIPs.

4) You get a special glass, and this year, apparently a lanyard. Okay, the lanyard is mostly an "eh," but it allows the volunteers to quickly and easily identify that you are a VIP. The glass, on the other hand, is very cool, and for the geekier of us beer drinkers, considered an essential. You can swirl your beer easier, and the rounded shape traps the aroma so you get an added sensory dimension.

Left to Right: Tasting glass, VIP tasting glass, VIP lanyard

Aside from places to get more samples of beer, there were food trucks from local restaurants, a place selling spent grain doggy treats, and even some games, like Hammerschlagen.

Spirit World showed up to mix it up a little for us. If you brought over a beer, they'd add a bitters to it so you could try the same beer a slightly different way.

Here's one that I did:

Oskar Blues Brewery - Old Chub + Creole Bitters) The aroma changed dramatically and the flavors got a little overwhelmed. I imagine the result would go great with curry and rice though. ☆☆☆

Each hour starting at 1:00, special beers were available in the VIP tent. I made sure to stop in for each.:

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse​ - Maiden’s Kiss) I could sip this one all day. It's a light, refreshing easy drinking beer that I can best describe as somewhere in between a pilsner and a lager. The finish is clean and easy without a hop bite. ☆☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Bouton d’Or) or "Golden Flower" is usually used to refer to "buttercup" in English, but this beer was made with dandelions. To me it tasted like fresh roots and had a lot of very earthy plant-like tastes. ☆☆

Brickway Brewery & Distillery​ - Oak-Aged Imperial IPA) This IPA was oak aged and then dry-hopped post aging to assure it has that proper hoppy punch. If you like hops, you'll love this. ☆☆☆

Deschutes Brewery​ - Pinedrops IPA) The name is lovely match for the beer. Pine resin is the main attribute of this bitter bomb. I even enjoyed it. ☆☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Company​ - Smoked Alt) I do love my smoked beers. I thought this one was lighter and more balanced than many I've had. It didn't just try and smoke me out. ☆☆☆☆

Sprecher Brewery - Beyond Braggot) I'm still not sure how to describe this one. It's like it's a mead, but not. Yet it's not quite a beer either. Regardless of what it is, the result is very sweet, but not thick like syrup. ☆☆☆☆
​

Rogue Ales​ - XS I^2 PA) This one was fun. Instead of a severe blast of IBUs, this beer is full of malty flavors with a variety of aromatic hops working in the background. ☆☆☆☆

Zipline Brewing Co - Rum Barrel Aged Black IPA) Take Zipline's Black IPA and add a dash of spiced rum. On second thought, don't actually do that. The result wouldn't be as smooth. ☆☆☆☆

First pairing at 12 o'clock, second at three, etc.

At three, I attended the Beef Jerky and Brickway pairing. First we had their Hefe with some normal jerky which was good to so-so. The second pairing though was eye opening. Spicy beef jerky goes surprisingly well with their Oatmeal Cream Stout even though the combination contrasted like fire and ice. The third pairing set cayenne jerky alongside an IPL. Pale ales go well with spicy food so it didn't surprise me that a pale lager set up a together well.

The last pairing had a Jim Bean bourbon smokey jerky that was amazing! And they paired it with a dash of Borgata's own whiskey. The bite of the whiskey and the tender smokiness of the jerky made me want more.

And, here are my favorites beers I sampled:

Firetrucker Brewery - Cat in a Tree) This one was likely my most memorable drink from the event. This ginger beer is startlingly clear, and the perfect remedy for a hot summer day. ☆☆☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co - Barrel aged Oatmeal Stout) Confluence showed up with only two growlers of this one and the next beer as well. The oakey backdrop the aging added and the creaminess of the oatmeal stout merged quite well in this beauty. ☆☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co - Dubbel) In my experience thus far, a brewery rarely gets the right mouth feel on a Belgian style beer. They nailed it on this one making for a very good experience. ☆☆☆☆

Here's the rest of the list:

Farnamhouse Brewing Co - Grisette) The aroma reminds me a bit of cornflakes, and this light saison has just the right touch of citrus to be very sessionable. ☆☆☆☆

Storz Brewing Co - Triumph) I tend to prefer my beers rich and malty, but even though this is the opposite, it's rather enjoyable. ☆☆☆

Blind Tiger Brewing Co - By the Tail) This IPA is strong as the name implies. And although it got me by the tongue nerfing my tastebuds for a bit, I thought it was quite smooth and appropriately hopped up. ☆☆☆☆

Firetrucker Brewery - Under Lager IPL) IPLs are so hard to do right. They did. ☆☆☆☆

Firetrucker Brewery - Pumper Truck Porter) I only remember this one being a bit watery. Although that could be a subliminal thought planted by the name of the beer. ☆☆☆

Exile Brewing Co - Beatnik Sour) I jumped into this one thinking it was a sour beer like an oud bruin or the like, but it was a berliner weisse. Pretty representative of the style with a slightly stronger than usual tartness. ☆☆☆

Exile Brewing Co - Hannah) A wheat beer that made my day. The main thing I would say about it is that it was rich, and the wheat was well presented without being over fresh. ☆☆☆☆

Zipline Brewing Co - Golden Strong) Good initially, but it didn't quite grow on me. The mouth feel also wasn't quite there though it was closer than some. ☆☆☆

Upstream Brewing Co - In Bloom) Figs? Yes indeed. The flavors just rebound on you with this one. The linger and the finish were both highlights on this one. ☆☆☆☆


I'll leave you'll with one more thing. Pretzel necklaces are meant to be eaten, not left behind. I hope the wildlife found these and didn't let them go to waste. However, abandoned hanging pretzels certainly make for a cool picture though. Cheers!

The last vestige...

Event) Buzzed for Bees 2015

Just behind beer corner USA on Friday, the Omaha Chapter of the American Association of Beekeepers put on a honey-sweet event. Infusion Brewing Co, Farnam House Brewery, and Moonstruck Meadery showed up with special beers to support our buzzing friends. There was food available and a raffle for various goodies, but I was there for the beers. Well, and the bees.

There was even a special glass for the event:

Beers are as follows from Left to Right. 

Infusion Brewing Co - Chocolate Honey Peanut Butter Blonde) My first taste told me this definitely had peanut butter as it filled the backdrop, but the experience finished smooth with a honeyed sweetness. Just don't take this blonde lightly. I assume the chocolate and the peanut butter are to blame, but as I finished my glass of this heavy beverage, I felt full.  ☆☆☆☆

Farnam House Brewery - Honey Grisette) In short, take Farnam House's normal Grisette and add honey. The mix was perfectly balanced with just enough honey.  ☆☆☆☆

Infusion Brewing Co - Honey Chipotle Brown Ale) So that word Chipotle? For a moment, I forgot that meant burn. Being on cask, this beer already started off a bit warm, and the finish ripped into my throat making me temporarily breathe fire. Usually though pepper beers finish me off. Something about the combination of honey though allowed me to do an about face to finish this one off. The sweetness was a bit eclipsed by the heat, but the smoky aspects to the background made my day. ☆☆☆☆

Moonstruck Meadery - Cherry Melomel) Melomel is a subcategory of mead that has fruit in it, and this one has cherry. The initial and mid are honey sweet with a syrupy mouth feel hiding just enough fresh cherry flavors. It's closer to cherry soda than to a cherry cordial.  ☆☆☆

Infusion Brewing Co - Mandarinquat Wheat) Unique. The Mandarinquat is actually a kumquat shaped fruit just large enough to be a baby orange. True to its name, the flavor profile is a merging of both fruits. Now add that to a beer, and you have this one. The orange dominated the aroma, but the kumquat breathed through on the finish. The baseline held true to a light wheat. Solid.  ☆☆☆☆

Event) Omaha Beer Fest (Friday Night)

On the East side of Stinson park, the sun beat down on those of us crazy enough to get in line early. People killed time by chatting with friends or shielding their heads from the heat with tickets, hats, and hands. However, once five o'clock hit we all moved smiling into the park.

Glass in one hand and map in the other, my first fill of the day was water from a yellow cooler. The sun had already set me heading into a hydration deficit, and with so many beers available, the battle against dehydration was looking uphill.

Omaha Beer Fest 2015 Glass

While I sipped my water and looked to rendezvous with friends, I checked out the lay of the land. Yes, there was a map, I know. I had already seen it on the website, and nothing beats actually looking around and seeing everything for oneself. I have a few things that I look for so that I can try the rare, fun, and un-promulgated stuff.

The first is large bombers, especially those with wax tops. Those usually have pretty rare beer and often will run out earliest as the fest progresses.

The second is the tap handles. If you've already scanned the projected list of available beers, you know that some places have TBA beers or ones vaguely identified as "seasonals." Anything that you didn't expect to be there or haven't heard of is worth asking about and probably trying on the spot.

The third thing is swag: Cool key chains, larger stickers, magnets, and coasters. If you have a brewery that you wouldn't mind having these sorts of things from, probably stop by there early. Such items tend to dwindle as the event progresses. Some of the nicer items though straight up vanish in the first hour.

I'm digressing though. My scouting attempt was successful. Brickway had a couple barrel-aged bottles along for the ride. Funkwerks had brought a limited quantity of Raspberry Provincial. And Spilker, the makers of Hopluia, showcased their Sonar, a beer that they plan on changing the hop recipe every couple months. Batches D40 and L15 were both already available.

However, as I knew even before showing up, the real place to be today was under the Homebrew tents. They wouldn't be there on Saturday so there needed to be a definite priority placed on enjoying their brews today. It might be your only chance ever to have some of them.

With my friends we tried a whole bunch. Here's the ones I have notes on:

Railroaders Brew Club - Peanut Butter Jelly Time!) A Black and Tan that indeed tasted like a peanut butter sandwich. I couldn't really detect a jelly-like flavor, but the result was good. ☆☆☆☆

Railroaders Brew Club - Ginger Wheat) I didn't really like too much. ☆☆

Railroaders Brew Club - Grapesaurus Rex Pyment Mead) It's Purple! And it's a mead that tasted like warm grape jelly. ☆☆

Euphoria Brewing - Pineapple Express) A hefeweizen with pineapple that is was refreshing and light on the wheat. ☆☆☆

Mash Hysteria Brewing - Vanilla Coffee Bean) The coffee hit me almost like a spicy pepper and had me asking if they had added capsaicin. They hadn't. ☆☆☆

Mash Hysteria Brewing - Coconut Saison) was crazy sweet, but the coconut tasted good. ☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Barrel Aged Agave) was more or less tequila in cider form. ☆☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Moostache) Chocolate and Cherry mix that was easy to drink, but not with the over-sweetness of a cherry cordial. ☆☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Double Vortex) Hop flows without that ever-present bitterness. ☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Mexican Tecate) Burnt pineapple makes for a weird aftertaste that is almost like a tropical rauchbier. ☆☆☆

Iowa Brewer's Union (IBU) - Templeton Rye Red IPA) The Templeton rye touch goes surprisingly well with the aromatic approach to this beer. ☆☆☆☆

Iowa Brewer's Union (IBU) - Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Oak) The name says it all. Yum! ☆☆☆☆

Iowa Brewer's Union (IBU) - Pom Pom Shaker (Flander's Red)) Solidly balanced. While perhaps not competition for the Duchess, it certainly on the same level as Monk's Cafe. ☆☆☆☆

In between checking out the homebrew fare, we focused our energies on beers or breweries not easily found locally. Does it look like a massive list? Yes, it should, but there's a trick to it. Do not be afraid to pour out a sample you don't like, even if you only disliked it a little. Every ounce of alcohol you put in your body limits your ability to try more. With about 300 options why would you do that?

So, here's some of what I got into:

Blind Tiger Brewing Company - Munich Dunkles) Very easy to drink, and a solid representation for the style. ☆☆☆

Blind Tiger Brewing Company - Cuvee de Renee) The pink color caught me off guard, but the flavors were pleasant. ☆☆☆☆

Blind Tiger Brewing Company - Sour Prarie Dog Brown) I still think Lucky Bucket's Oud Bruin is better, but I enjoyed the change to a sour. ☆☆☆☆

Brickway Brewery & Distillery - Oak-aged Barleywine) I got more oaky barrel overtones than sweet barleywine backdrops. Even I am not sure if that's a complaint or a compliment. ☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co - Des Moines IPA) Not a huge fan of IPAs, but I enjoyed this one. Probably because its bitterness wasn't strong, and it helped beat the heat. ☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co. - East Side Attitude Red Lager) The mouth feel was a bit weak, but the finish was nice. ☆☆☆

Crow Peak Brewing Co - 11th hour IPA) This beer was available Friday-only. It's a malty IPA that was okay. ☆☆☆

Crow Peak Brewing Co - Wobbling Wheel) This beer was available Friday-only. It's a scotch Ale that delivered not only a lovely aroma but a smooth finish. Solid despite the unsteady name. ☆☆☆☆

Funkwerks Inc. - Raspberry Provincial) Limited to two cases for the entire weekend. It's no Founder's Rubaeus, but the tartness goes well with the light raspberry background. ☆☆☆☆

Funkwerks Inc. - Saison) This saison made for a nice interlude and sounding board for me to figure out how dead my taste buds were getting. They weren't gone yet. Still good stuff. ☆☆☆☆

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse - Briar Rose) has not a lot of hops and makes for easy drinking. Perfect summer seasonal. ☆☆☆☆

High Hops Brewery - The Power of Zeus) Exemplary, but I usually prefer more of a floral touch to my pale ales. ☆☆☆

High Hops Brewery - The Honeyed One) The beer was a touch sweet but a decent red. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Dan the Wiser) Enjoyable, but lacked the peppery punch of a Kölsch. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Hiram's Bones) A very sessionable porter. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Devil's Gap Jalapeno Ale) I found this to be well balanced, and the burn nice. ☆☆☆☆

Loop Brewing Co - Loop's Brown Ale) Nothing to complain about. ☆☆☆

Loop Brewing Co - Loop's IPA) Not bad, but had flavors more like a pale ale than an IPA. ☆☆☆

Okoboji Brewing Co - Early Riser Coffee Porter) Somewhat tinny. I didn't enjoy. ☆☆

Okoboji Brewing Co - Veneration IPA) An IPA that I like should probably be a red flag for hopheads. ☆☆☆

Okoboji Brewing Co - Apricot wheat) The apricot was too subdued if not even present. ☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Tailgate Red) A bit straightforward and thin. ☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Pivo Bublina) This Helles bock was easy to drink at least. ☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Percheron) As an american IPA, it wasn't my thing. ☆☆☆

Renegade Brewing Co - 5:00 Afternoon Ale) A decent american blonde that is simply solid. ☆☆☆

Rogue Ales - Good Chit Pilsner) It wasn't great chit to me, but my friends seemed to like it.☆☆☆

Rogue Ales - Hazelnut Brown Nectar) Not bad. Definitely an interesting take on a brown. ☆☆☆

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Kölsch) A little hoppy, but otherwise easy drinking. ☆☆☆

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Nooner Pilsner) A bit more bitter than I wanted. ☆☆☆

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Hop Hunter IPA) A touch spicy and very aromatic. ☆☆☆

Ska Brewing Co - Decadent Imperial IPA) Is truly decadent. Would make a hophead happy. ☆☆☆

Spilker Ales - Sonar) Batches D40 and L15 were available. Both ☆☆☆☆

Stone Brewing Co - Stone Crime 2013 series Chile Beer) Really quite good, but a single sip preceded to render my taste buds useless for quite a while. The burn was extreme too. ☆☆☆☆

53/100) Wasatch, Nitro Polygamy

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Apricot, Devastator, Polygamy

Polygamy porter on nitro? There really shouldn't be any more incentive needed to get you try Wasatch's beers. Not only is it exemplary of the porter style, but it is just so much fun to confuse your friends by saying "Polygamy's awesome." Of course, you probably mean the beer, but they don't have to know that do they?

Apricot Hefeweizen) The wheat flavors lacked, and though the apricot touch in the finish lingered well, it didn't inspire. When I poured the beer though, it formed a nice thick head, and the aroma made me want to just keep smelling. In fact, I think this beer smells better than it tastes. ☆☆☆

Devastator Double Bock) The back of this beer's bottle says, "if you're going to sin, sin big." Not exactly sound advice, but it does fit Wasatch's unique advertising style. Regardless, this 8% ABV doppelbock hit hard but went down smoothly. I tend not to like bocks if they are too sweet and this one's sweetness presented itself just subtly enough for me to enjoy. Nothing to complain about on this one. It's solid even if it is not devastatingly good. ☆☆☆☆

Polygamy Nitro Porter) The roasted loveliness of the normal polygamy porter was still present. I had worried that it would be masked behind the nitro bubbles. However, that could be because my bottle's effervescence erred on the side of weak leaving me with little to no foam. I plan to find this beer on tap to see how good it really can be. Nitrogen escapes from liquids faster than carbonation so the direct infusion of the tap should give it the intended creaminess my bottle lacked . ☆☆☆☆

Update (7-26-2015): I had a friend recommend that I retry Devastator, but this time at room temp. I did. You should too. It's okay cold, but it is devastatingly good warm. The main flavors grow maltier, and the effervescence accents the smoothness without a single hiccup.  

52/100) Four Travelers

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Grapefruit Ale, Lemon Shandy, Apple Ale, Shandy

Four travelers walked into a bar. Their names were uncanny, and their mustaches unusual. With little to say, and hot and weary from their journeys, they sat down and enjoyed some libation.

Grapefruit Ale) This ale's aroma filled my nose with the punch of fresh grapefruit, but the flavors lacked the tart punch I wanted. I guess that's why this one's "illusive." Not all deception is unpleasant for the recipient though, and I enjoyed this beers light smoothness even though I preferred to smell it. ☆☆☆

Lemon Shandy) The lemon smacked of artificial citrus lemon drops, and the hefeweizen aspects were largely masked. I think instead of getting this one, you should order a shandy at your local bar. The only thing I have positive to say about this curious traveler is that he was at least smooth. ☆☆

Apple Ale) Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit? And the character on the bottle had the creepiest mustache of the bunch. The flavors were a bit too light on apple aspects, and the aroma hit like a green apple jolly rancher. I thought it lacked cinnamon so I added some. The flavor was immensely improved. ☆☆

Shandy) Nailed it. This is a lemon peel and grapefruit shandy that delights. The mix is hard to describe because the flavors are merged. I got hit with both citrus styles at the same time, and I can't complain because the result was a refreshing beverage. ☆☆☆