Founder's Breakfast Stout

My second try with the new kid in town, Founder's Brewery. According to their website it is brewed with flaked oats, imported bitter chocolate and Sumatra & Kona coffee. 60 IBU's give it a nice hop hit and the 8.3% ABV makes it a wee bit dangerous. It poured a tarry black, with a beige 1/2 finger head. Pretty strong aroma of coffee right off the bat, as well as some sweet chocolate. As the brew warms up I can detect a bit of cinnamon and some dark fruits as well. A fine sippin' beer for frigid nights.

Jack Stout by Wild Onion Brewing

An ale as dark as night for the year's longest night, Jack Stout by Wild Onion Brewing is a great example of the style. Somewhat sweet, but not as much so as a milk stout, assertive, but not annoying in the hop department. Low ABV makes it sessionable and great for Christmas parties where you have to drive home afterward! Semi-sweet chocolate and dark roast coffee are flavors that come to the fore, but there's a tiny bit of vanilla and even some dark fruit (raisins, figs, black cherries) on the back end. Wish I'd have bought more than one!

Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Another fine brew from the Winter Classics set, Old Fezziwig Ale is a light brown ale, medium hoppiness, spiced with some cinnamon, ginger and orange peel. Very drinkable, dark colored, but not heavy, a good choice for holiday parties.
:::from a 2009 review:::

Old Fezziwig seems to get better every year. It poured a ruby brown (yeah...what?) with a pinky-width head. There's a lot of malty sweetness, with overtones of chocolate and caramel. As it warms up I'm catching some raisins and figs and black cherries. Very complex, but also very approachable. As always, a great addition to any holiday get together.

Budweiser Project 12 North Pacific Style Lager

Like the rest of the gang, North Pacific Style Lager is okay, but not really more than okay. Hoppier than your standard lager, but not enough to make a hop-head happy. Citrus notes round it out and make it drinkable - if you're a beer geek, you'll be disappointed, but a mere mortal could stand more than one.

Founder's Porter

Founder's is another one of those breweries whose arrival the cognoscenti of the beer world have been talking about for months - and finally it's here. The first one that I've tried is the porter. Pours a tarry dark brown with ruby highlights and a frothy tan head. Roasted chocolate and coffee tickle the nose and some hop bitterness, from the 45 IBU's. Some caramel in the aftertaste as well as a whiff of vanilla. Brown sugar and molasses round it all out. Overall a fine porter for the cold weeks ahead and a welcome addition to a holiday table.

Sam Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock

Oh, I agonized over whether to review this one or the last of the three Project Twelves from Budweiser...it's fairly late for a weekday evening and I don't have to work tomorrow, so Cherry Chocolate Bock it is!

This beauty pours as dark as a stout as a porter, and has the heaviness of those styles as well, but the label says it's a lager, so Bock it is! It seems like Bocks, once a common Spring seasonal, have been making more and more appearances in the Winter Beer Season (Samhain - Imbolc [Oct 31 - Feb 1]) and not so much at the tail end of the dark or in early Spring. Maybe it's a marketing thing, maybe the golden Bocks do better  in the warmer weather and the darker ones in the darker months. But I'm not a marketing guy (as Scott Adams says, marketing is just liquor and guessing).

The chocolate and the cherries do dominate the flavors, but there's a little molasses and brown sugar as well. As the brew starts to warm up figs, raisins and dates start to show up as well. This is, if there is such a thing, the perfect Yule beer.

Budweiser Project 12 Beechwood Bock

Not bad. Pours a coppery amber with a two-finger tannish head. the aroma reminds me of some of the European beers like Lowenbrau or Heineken, but without the skunkiness. Lots of maltiness, and more hops than I expected, with a faint, faint hint of chocolate. Not overly complex, but a good example of a bock; this one I'd drink more than one of.

Goose Island Ten Hills Pale Ale

Pretty good pale ale. Pours a light copper with a three-finger head. Good balance between maltiness and hoppiness. Similar in taste to their IPA, but without the astringent hops, but plenty of citrus and pine notes. Very sessionable.

Budweiser Project 12 Vanilla Bourbon Cask

If this was the first bourbon barrel aged beer that I ever had, I might say that it was pretty good, and taken on its own terms, it is pretty good. Solid lager, vanilla cream soda taste, kind of fun. But here's the kicker: it's not bourbon barrel aged, it's aged on "bourbon staves" and vanilla beans. Sounds like a training wheel version of the good stuff. As I get closer to the bottom of the glass I'm picking up a whiff, a hint of the bourbon, but no more. If trying this gets you to try to really good stuff, the fine, but otherwise fairly unremarkable. They missed an opportunity.

Sam Adams Juniper IPA

I'm pretty sure juniper berries are what gin is made from and I'm not much of a gin fan...but then again, I'm not really sure what juniper is supposed to taste like. This IPA poured a honey gold hue with a scanty head, immediate aroma and taste of piney hops with a kind of oily finish. Little bit of a floral flourish after it warms up a bit, but otherwise a pretty standard mild Sam Adams-style IPA - kind of tastes like a Latitude 48 with some flavoring added. Overall not bad, but not earth-shaking either.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale

7.4% ABV...that should say it all...but it does not! Cream-soda-ey flavor, some caramel, some coffee, even a little fig and fruit cake: perfect for the holidays. It's a dark 'un, not as dark as the picture suggests, but a deep coppery amber, with a weak head. The 7.4% ABV sure packs a punch. A sippin' ale for sure. This is a beer that stands on its own merits without any foo-foo additions to it.  Nice sippin' brew that'll go nicely with those carolers who are even now standing on your steps.

Some additions for 2012: black cherry, apricot and some brandy sneaking in, and hoppier than when I first tried it. 

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Sometimes I surprise myself. I'm certain that I've reviewed a specific beer, remember drinking it, but I can't find a review anywhere. Breckenridge Vanilla Porter is one of those. Like everything that Breckenridge brews, it's a fine example of the style, low in ABV (under 5%), creamy, with very forward notes of chocolate and coffee on top of the vanilla that derives from the vanilla beans. A little thin, but heavy on the flavor. One of the perfect beers for a holiday party.

Schokolade Bock by Millstream Brewing

Pours a deep, deep brown (I was gonna write "mahogany" but I use it too much and it's hard to spell) with a skimpy little brown head, but boy-oh-boy is it tasty! Much to my surprise, there is no actual chocolate in it, but it derives all of its chocolateness from the chocolate malts. So, it's all beer, all the time happening here. A thick, almost chewy, consistency, just like you'd want for a winter beer (although I thought that Bocks were Spring seasonals there seem to be an increasing number of Winter Bocks appearing these days).

Empyrean Carpe Brewem Nibbed in the Barrel Oatmeal Stout

This is a limited edition ale by Empyrean Brewing. We got a taste of it at last month's beer tour. They took their Collapsar Oatmeal Stout, aged it in some oak barrels that previously been the nursery for some bourbon and tossed in some cacao nibs for good measure. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. You can really taste the bourbon, not the oak so much, but a little bit. On top of it all there's the deliciousness of their oatmeal stout. As I'm fond of saying, a nice dark beer for the dark nights ahead.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Now this is some good stuff! Pours a coppery honey color, with a similarly colored head that retains its form for most of the time it took to drink it. Lots of citrus and a little pine as well, making it a perfect winter brew. Very much an IPA feel to it. Lots of hops!

Empyrean's Winter Axis Festiv'Ale

Since one of the nation's monster brewers distributed a drink called "Tilt", Empyrean was forced to change the name of their winter seasonal from "Winter Tilt" to "Winter Axis" - no big deal - it was a new name and I don't think anyone had gotten too attached to it, unlike say, Fallen Angel Sweet Stout. Also unlike Fallen Angel and the other seasonals, the recipe changes somewhat every year. This year the Festiv'Ale poured an apricot hue with a two-finger white head. The aroma and the initial taste are reminiscent of Farmhouse Ales, with that sweet Belgian profile. After the first sip, the hops kick in; not overly prominent, only 41 IBU's, but tart and spicy. Keep drinking and you get ripe summer fruits like apricot and peach with a little pear thrown in. Pretty darn good for the first beer of the winter season. Grab yourself a sixpack!

Preceding is a review from last November, but it looks like they changed the recipe a little from last year. There is very little of the Farmhouse left, and despite the IBU's being the same, it feels hoppier than it did last year. I am still detecting the apricot and pears, but not nearly as prominent. Pineapple and Granny Smith Apple are the tastes that appear most prominent. 

Shake Chocolate Porter

Tastes like a chocolate milk shake. The cacao nibs really overwhelm what might be underneath it all. Don't get me wrong, this is a pretty tasty porter, and I'll probably have it again, but the chocolate flavor really drowns out everything else.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

The last of the four Deschutes beers in my fridge, Black Butte Porter is the best of the bunch. A superior porter, perfect for the cold days ahead. Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights with a two-finger head, there's lots of what you would expect from a porter: coffee, chocolate and sweet malts. Nothing overly complicated, just a good, solid brew. Perfect for after dinner desserts during the holidays.

Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

Finally! Something from Deschutes that lives up to all the hype. Chainbreaker is a White India Pale Ale, sometimes known as a Belgian India Pale Ale. The style is a recent invention, more or less a hybrid of a Belgian style Wit and an India Pale Ale (IPA). What you end up with is a very hoppy beer that also has the sweet smoothness associated with a Belgian. Chainbreaker is an exceptional representation of the style, with the Belgian yeast imputing a lemony smoothness like a lemon meringue pie. There are also hints of coriander, lemon and orange peel and even a bit of pepper in the mix. The 55 IBU's give it just the right amount of hoppiness for an IPA without being to over-the-top. And lest I forget, it pours a cloudy lemonade-hued yellow with a healthy snow white head. Not a bad choice to pair with turkey on Thanksgiving.

Three Philosophers Quadrupel by Brewery Ommegang

Oh Belgian Quadrupel...you are the epitome of beers...the god of ales...and pretty damn good as the final beverage of the day. Poured into an Empyrean ales snifter, Three Philosophers pours the color of maple syrup with a thick bubbly head. Evident but not overwhelming alcohol heat from the 9+% ABV; smooth, creamy consistency; and tastes of a melange of dark fruits. Very much a sipping beer and just as much a late night relaxer. Rated a 9.8 on the IGB scale.

Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale

One of the things about winter warmer, or winter ales, is that the recipe is a little different each year - this could be good or bad, depending on how the change goes! Now I've not tried Deschutes' winter ale before, so I don't have anything to compare it to. Jubelale is a pretty solid offering. I didn't think much of it when I tried it at Oktobeerfest, but drinking it in the comfort of my home, I'm a bit more positively inclined toward it. It poured a reddish brown with a one-finger beige head. Nice piney hoppiness, with tastes and aromas of apricots, dates and black cherries. Heavy bodied with aftertaste of spices, a little nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon. I'd rate it a 6.5 on the IGB scale.

Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

The advent of Deschutes beers in Nebraska came with much fanfare - billboards and large retail displays. Some of their offerings are pretty good, some are exceptional, some, like Mirror Pond are just average. It pours a vivid orange with an amber-tinted three finger head. There's some hop bitterness, tasting more like an IPA than a pale ale, but there's only 40 IBU's and the 5% ABV makes it sessionable, but there's just not that much happening. Not bad, just not living up to all the press.

Goose Island Sixth Day Festive Brown Ale

Sixth Day...six geese a-layin'...get it? Sixth day of Christmas...Goose Island...okay, never mind!

Sixth Day pours a rich, deep mahogany brown with a two-finger tan head. There's an immediate whiff of alcohol/whiskey heat right off the bat from the 8.5% ABV, with strong aromas of figs, raisins, black cherries and dates.  Plenty of piney hops at 55 IBU's, but just enough to balance it out without overwhelming with bitterness.

One of the things I like about this part of the winter beer season is that the winter warmers and Christmas ales are generally brewed with a different recipe every year which really gives you something to look forward to.

Left Hand Milk Stout

I was positive that I had reviewed Left Hand Milk Stout before, so sure that I'm now on the 6th bottle of a six pack that I bought in Kansas City a few weeks ago and only minutes ago did a search and found out that while I had reviewed several Left Hand offerings (including Fade to Black Baltic Porter) Milk Stout was not one of them. As some of you may know and others may not, a milk, or sweet, stout derives its sweetness from the addition of lactose, which unlike other sugars, does not convert to alcohol during fermentation. Left Hand Milk Stout is one of the better sweet stouts out there, with a complex swirl of flavors ranging from coffee and chocolate, to vanilla, sweet cream and hints of molasses. Dig a little and you'll come up with some raisins, figs and black cherries. Smooth as silk and great for an after dinner treat. Too bad Left Hand doesn't distribute in Nebraska any more, but there'll be many more stouts to entice Ill-Gotten Booty and his disciples through the cold months to come.

Sam Adams Octoberfest

Fall is my favorite time of year and nothing says "Fall" like the arrival of the Marzens/Octoberfests. Like most seasonals, Sam Adams Octoberfest is a little different each year. This year I'd describe it as big and robust, malty, yet hoppy. It poured with a tall foamy caramel colored head; the beer itself  is a deep coppery bronze hue. About the only extraneous flavors that I caught was a little orange peel. I could sit and drink several of these on a cool autumn evening .

Boulevard Bob's '47 Oktoberfest

Not that different from your standard run of Octoberfests, but then again I haven't had an Octoberfest that I didn't like! As Octoberfests typically are, this one is a medium malt lager, I would imagine that you could drink this with any kind of food, or just by itself, as I'm doing now. Octoberfests tend to be slightly higher in alcohol content, usual between 5.5 and 5.9%. I've tried a lot of O-fests in the past few weeks, this particular one has a bit of 'toasted' in the taste. A beer for manly men (and womenly women!)

Sam Adams Barrel Room American Kriek

Not available in Nebraska, picked a couple of bottles up at the Sam Adams Boston Brewery. May be on the table at Thanksgiving!

Boulevard Bourbon Oak Barrel Aged Quad

No review yet...we'll be drinking it on Thanksgiving!

Great Pumpkin Imperial Stout by Millstream Brewing

Stopped in to Jake's a few weeks back and found this on tap (it's not there anymore - limited availability) and immediately voted it my favorite pumpkin ale. Great Pumpkin is as dark as any stout or porter, with no coloring to suggest the pumpkin flavor lurking within. It ours deep brown with a frothy tan head and is as heavy as some of the best stouts out there. Lots of auxiliary flavors - coffee, toffee, chocolate all swirl about the pallet and compete with the pumpkin, squash and...hmmm...is that creamed corn?...in the mix. Some spices, notably nutmeg, as well. Overall a complex, but satisfying brew.

Accumulation White IPA by New Belgium

Pours a slightly cloudy, almost neon yellow with a one finger head like an evening snowfall. Citrussy hops and lightness point more to a summer ale than a winter seasonal, but who says you can't drink a lighter brew in the colder months? There's a variety of flavors battling for supremacy, including lemon. grapefruit and even some tropical fruits. Overall a pretty decent adult beverage.

O' Dempsey's Cold One Pale Ale

Another advantage of constantly trolling for new beers - you actually find some. Cold One was allegedly a pale ale, but it didn't have the crisp hoppiness that one usually finds in a pale ale. It almost reminded me of some of those bourbon oak barrel aged ales that seem to be making a comeback. There's some generic fruitiness in there, almost like a fruit punch. Not a bad ale, but very hard to pigeonhole.

As I was checking their website I realized that I'd had one of their beers before: Your Black Heart Imperial Stout. That was good stuff too!

Erdinger Oktoberfest Weißbräu (Hefeweizen)

You learn something new in the beer world every day it seems, and I just learned something new today: not all German beers that are labelled "Oktoberfest" are lagers! Erdinger's Oktoberfest is a  Weißbräu, which means "wheat brew", sometimes known as a Hefeweizen. Erdinger wisely packed their seasonal ale in a brown bottle, better to make the transatlantic trip skunk-free. It pours a lemony yellow, with a fluffy white head. There are notes of apple and citrus right up front, with a creamy finish. Lightly carbonated and balanced just right in the hop department. All around a fine brew.

Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier

Established in 1040, Weihenstephaner is the world's oldest brewery, so without tasting a drop, one can assume that they have the basics down! One of the things that might surprise a regular consumer of American style Oktoberfests is that the German version, that is, the original, does not have the heavy maltiness that we in the U.S. have come to expect. Firstly, it pours a clear straw color, with a fluffy white head, just like the lager that it is. Another thing that surprised me was the lack of any "skunkiness" that you often get with imports, especially the green bottle variety. Now that doesn't mean that you're getting a weak, characterless brew - indeed no! This Märzen is as full-bodied as they come. The main flavor is a sweet biscuit, and I swear that there's some strawberry in there somewhere. The hoppiness is assertyive, but not obnoxious, finishing off crisply and leaving you wanting just one more.

Sam Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin

Spotted this yesterday and felt compelled to pick up a 22 ouncer. It pours a deep orange, as befits a pumpkin ale, with a hefty beige head. It's pretty heavy with spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla, as well as hints of dark fruits such as figs, raisins and plums. A very solid autumn brew, kind of like a pumpkin flavored Oktoberfest. The heat from the 8% ABV is very evident, but not distracting. This may be right up there with Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin. Good stuff - I believe that I'll have another.

Goose Island Oktoberfest

Not sure if Goose Island has produced an Oktoberfest before, although they have a great Harvest Ale, but this one is a winner. Their Oktoberfest pours a mapley brown, with an off-white one-finger head. Caramel-sweet malty, but sweeter than a lot of American Oktoberfests. The Hallertau hops impart an earthy aroma, and their are also strong tastes of apricots, figs and even a little cranberry, more often found in Belgian doubles, triples and quads. This is really an exceptional, unique Oktoberfest.

Anchor Big Leaf Maple

"Life is like a variety 12 pack of beer...you never know what you're gonna get."
Hophead Gump

You always know when you're drinking something from Anchor, whether it's their signature steam beer, Christmas Ale or porter, it always has that certain something that says "San Francisco". This newest seasonal offering is a red ale brewed with maple syrup. Now, one might think that such a beer would be ultra sweet, but one would be wrong. There's some maple flavor, but it's subtle, you have to really pay attention to catch it, but once you perceive it, it suffuses the whole drinking experience. There's some IPA-like hoppiness of the piney variety balanced by some caramel maltiness. It pours a copper red, with a healthy three finger head. After about half a glass I notice some breadiness, like drinking a loaf of 12 grain. Good stuff....goooooood stuff

http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beer/bigleaf_maple_red

Sierra Nevada: Flipside Red IPA

Just spotted Flipside yesterday afternoon and picked up one bottle to sample. It pours the color of a well-worn penny, with a light tan head that starts toweringly tall and quickly recedes to a two finger cap. Hops evident right off the bat, with grapefruit and black pepper being the most obvious tastes. Floral and pine notes flit in and out as well. Supposedly 60 IBU's, but coming across hoppier than that. No malty sweetness like you'd expect from a red. Pretty decent IPA.

Guinness Red Harvest Stout

I love how a nitro brew's head fills up the whole glass and then slowly dissipates. Red Harvest Stout's got that little nitro ball that gives it a creamy smooth consistency - the color is a dark coppery red, with the head a dark eggshell hue. Lots of sweet caramel malts, not a lot of hoppiness, some nuttiness on the back end. Not what I'd call a Stout, more like a heavy Irish Red crossed with  Scottish Ale - but who cares? It's a great Autumn Ale. At 4.1% ABV, it's definitely session material: not very heavy, but full flavored.

Odell India Pale Ale

Pours an orangey-amber hue with a minimal head, aroma and taste of grapefruit and pine, very strong hop profile. Pretty sweet for an IPA, with some malty overtones suggestive of caramel hiding under all the hoppiness. Not much else to say...time for another.

Odell's Loose Leaf American Session Ale

In keeping with the extended summer season, I'm temporarily staying of the Fall brews and sticking with some summer ales and IPA's. Loose Leaf is an American Session Ale, sometimes called a Blonde Ale. It's light and refreshing and perfect for the hot, hot, hot, HOT weather. It pours a bright golden color with a three finger snowy white head. There's some subtle hoppiness, and a subdued taste of chamomile and lemongrass, and even a biscuity foundation to all the rest. The ABV is low, so it's, as advertised, a session beer. Cheers!

Weyerbacher Eighteen Weizenbock

Another anniversary beer by one of my favorite brewers, Weyerbacher. At 11.1% ABV, this is a badass beer, it pours a deep brown, and looks like you're pouring maple syrup rather than beer, mainly due to the unfiltered nature of this beauty. A student of fine beers will have noticed the weizen, indicating "wheat" paired with the bock, a traditional spring style. Reminiscent of the heavier Belgians, there's a bit of smokiness, partnered with figs, black cherries and dates. A little bit of bitter coffee and dark chocolate. Creamy texture and a hint of alcohol heat. Great nightcap. Don't bother if you're scared of "dark" beers or don't know the difference between an ale and a lager. This is a drink for beer aristocracy.

Odell's Loose Leaf American Session Ale

This weather has my beer schedule all screwed up; here I was all psyched up for Oktoberfests and Pumpkin ales and the temps climb to 100° - luckily there are still some light summery beers still lurking in the shadows and Odell's has a summer ale 12 pack. Summer Montage contains three bottles each of Odell's 90 Schilling and St. Lupulin, (which I have previously reviewed), their IPA (which I have not) - there is also a previously unreleased Loose Leaf Blonde (or American Session) Ale.

Here's a link to their website for more information:

http://odellbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Montage.pdf

New Belgium Pumpkick

That's right people, it's time for IGB to start in on the Fall beers, including the pumpkin ales. Pretty average in appearance: coppery amber with a snow-white head, but above average in taste. Brewed with pumpkin juice, as well as some cranberry juice, providing a smooth balance between spiciness and tartness. There's also some cinnamon in there as well, evening out the other flavors with its friendly aroma. Behind the Fall flavors, there's some solid beer lurking in there, with some caramel malty sweetness, over and above the sweetness of the additions. This may make the cut for the Joyce Family Thanksgiving.

Empyrean Ales Domino Effect Transition Ale

Apparently a "transitional" seasonal, since we're not quite ready for the Autumn Märzens and the Summer ales are past their time. The appearance suggests the color of ripe pineapple crossed with an apricot, with a quickly receding snowy two-finger head. Very cloudy, due to its unfiltered nature. Weird; the IBU's are only 16, but the first impression that I get is a piney hoppiness; evident, but far from overpowering. Next, there's some peach. It's brewed not only with wheat, which would explain the lightness of the beer, but oats, which in my experience tend to be associated with heavier porters and stouts. The peach flavor persists 'til the end, with some white grape making an appearance as well. I'd recommend Domino Effect for those seeking a flavorful ale who aren't quite ready for the heavier fall brews.

Sam Adams Ruby Mild

The Sam Adams Harvest Collection just showed up, and in Ill-Gotten Booty's book, August begins the Beer Autumn. Ruby Mild is one of the new ones. Pretty tasty I must say; pours a (appropriately) ruby red with a tall tan head. Sweet malty taste, with a maple-y aroma. Toffee and caramel flavors, not much hop presence, but who cares? Hops isn't everything!

Red Hook Audible Ale

Sometimes these brewers just overextend themselves. Not that they produce bad beer, just that beer style after beer style, there's only so many new paths that they can go down. It seems like what they're trying to do is brew an ale that has mass appeal, which isn't really what craft brewers are supposed to be doing. Then connecting it to Dan Patrick...I dunno...yee.

That all being said, it's a fairly decent pale ale and I'd drink it again, but I doubt I'd seek it out.

Blue Blood Brewery 1307All Hopped Up IPA

Fairly new; so new that there weren't any images available. Pretty strong IPA, must be north of 75 IBU's. Pours a coppery hue with a towering head. Heavy on the piney taste, with some orange and coriander notes. A little bit of honey-caramel on the back of the tongue. Fair, but not great.

Zipline Oatmeal Porter

Ooo...porter! This is definitely a porter that I'm going to go back to during the winter months! Pours a deep brunette with a dense, yet shallow tan head with coffee, chocolate and hazelnut notes. Not too appropriate to the season, but definitely a winner.

Zipline New Zealand IPA

Pours a tall white head atop a ripe apricot colored brew. Very smooth and mild for an IPA, with a wild mixture of tropical fruits: mango, guava and pineapple. Pretty well carbonated. Their website attributes the smooth fruity hoppiness (versus a bitter, more astringent hoppiness) to the New Zealand hops. Some berry flavor - blackberry, raspberry and blueberry - on the back end. Very drinkable...yes thank you, I'll have enough!

Zipline Copper Alt

Let's start with the style. An Alt, or altbier is a hybrid style originating in Dusseldorf, Germany. It's similar in some respects to a Kölsch (from Köln - or Cologne, Germany) in that it's technically an ale - top fermenting, but lagered (stored in a cool place) to mature. Zipline's Copper Alt is representative of the style, cool and refreshing, yet replete with subtle flavors. There's coffee, but not the thick, rick mocha that you find in a porter or a stout, but there nonetheless. There's also a distinct nuttiness, but again, subtle. I'd recommend Copper Alt to anyone who wants a refreshing summer brew, but who enjoys the smooth flavors of a fine ale.