Blue Moon White IPA

What the hell? Despite being a mass brewer (part of Miller Coors) Blue Moon brews are usually fairly good - often a "training wheels" version of what you would expect from a true craft brewer; but there is nothing about this beer that says "IPA"; I can't detect much hoppiness; there is barely anything about it that says "White" (generally "white" means a Belgian-style IPA) - there just isn't much truth in advertising going on here. It's as if Blue Moon is trying to capitalize on the popularity of IPAs without the beer actually being an IPA.

Nah. Who would ever do that?

Now, let's pretend for a minute that they called this beer: Blue Moon Summer Ale. If that was what this was, I would have started this off differently, like so:

Blue Moon Summer Ale pours a pale, nay, even a lemonade hue, calling to mind (since it's Blue Moon) the oft-repeated musical trope, "pale moonlight". The head is magnificent, not one, not two, but four fingers of fluffy white cumulus. What other flavors lurk within? Thank you for asking; we have orange peel, we have coriander, what? we have even have some ripe melon!

Outstanding summer ale...just ignore the label.

Samuel Adams Rebel Rouser Double IPA

Holy carp! (Yup, the fish) 85 IBUs, 8.4% ABV, a big and bold, butt kickin' IPA. You can smell the hops long before the beer gets anywhere near your lips. It pours a hazy burnt orange, with a towering, three-finger white head. Resinous, piney hops framed by citrus notes that dance around your taste buds. A standout in the double IPA category.

Samuel Adams Rebel Rider Session IPA

Apparently there's a "Rebel Family" of Sam Adams IPAs and this is one of them! I've seen the Rebel West Coast IPA but haven't tried it yet. "West Coast" typically indicates "real hoppy", but Rebel Rider, while hoppy enough at 45 IBUs isn't what I'd call overly hoppy. Honestly, while I generally like what Sam Adams puts out, sometimes I think it's just too much and they're stretching themselves too thin. Yes, I know you have to compete, but geez, pick something (or a core group of somethings) that you excel at and stick with it. That being said, even at 45 IBUs, Rebel Rider tastes pretty hoppy. There's some astringent pine-tasting hops, mixed with some citrus and some orange peel. At 4.5% ABV, it lives up to the "session" appellation, and while I don't find it to be outstanding, it's definitely worth a second look.

Zipline Country White

Before I had taken my first sip the aroma of Belgian yeast tickled my olfactory sense. Zipline bills Country White as a sessionable Farmhouse Ale - "farmhouse" being equivalent to "Belgian Wit" or "Saison". Zipline is one of a few up and coming small craft brewers in Nebraska and I can't say theyve ever steered me wrong. Country White poured the color of ripe apricot with a small white head that quickly dissipated. As previously stated, the aroma was strong and the taste was as well. In addition to the traditional farmhouse flavor, I could also detect some lemon zest, a hint of coriander and some pear and apple as well. In the Ill-Gotten Booty Big Book of Beer, farmhouse ales are great for the summer, especially at the end of a sweltering hot day as the sun is going down. Country White s no exception...hopefully it will be available all summer!

Shiner Prickly Pear

I'm not sure what to make of this one. Spoetzl Brewery in my opinion is kind of hit and miss. Shiner can brew the best beer in the world and they also can create the most awful tasting swill. This one falls somewhere in the middle. I'm not sure if they added the prickly pear after the fact or it was part of the whole process, but the prickly pear, a kind of cactus, is prevalent in the mix. And don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good taste and an appropriate add-on for a beer, but the base beer isn't that strong. So, try it for the experience, but I would advise against a six pack.

Empyrean "Carpe Brewem" Imperial Mango IPA

I've had this one on tap a few times down at the restaurant; I brought a four-pack out to Wyoming this week and it was a big hit. It pours a pineapply hue with a dense white head - after the visual introduction the first thing that you notice is the mango aroma. But does it overwhelm like many fruit-infused ales? Absolutely not! The mango sweetness (joined by a chorus of pineapple, pear, peach and passion fruit) is balanced by the tart hoppiness...90 IBU! This a great summer beer: at 7.8% ABV strong, but not overpowering...still good for a couple after a hot day.

Upslope Brown Ale

My first beer in Wyoming! Thanks to Andy Nice for providing this fine beer for my beer drinking pleasure. Brown ales in my opinion have tended to be somewhat bland, but Upslope was an exception. Made with (among other things, like snow melt!) brown sugar, adding a touch of sweetness on top of the basic sweetness of the malt. There was also a hint of vanilla nd a faint whiff of chocolate. I'd recommend having a second...which I did!

Boulevard Spring Belle

Billed as a Saison with chamomile, rose petal and elder flowers, I drank it out of a bottle, so I'm unsure of the color and the quality of the head. As all Boulevard beers are, Spring Belle is a quality brew. The distinctiveness of the Belgian-style yeast gives it a refreshing summery quality which the floral additions only add to. I can imagine pairing this with some pasta salad or even a light salad of greens. Apples & sharp cheese would go well also. Pretty darn good beer.

Boulder Beer Company - Emergent White IPA

Of all the myriad IPAs out there, white IPAs are my hands-down favorites. Once again (or still) at Yia-Yia's, trying out another sensational beer on tap. Grapefruity hops, but not overwhelmingly so, with some (surprisingly) melon-y taste. I'm detecting some coriander and orange peel as well. Great Belgian yeast character! Good choice for the (hopefully) upcoming summer

Empyrean Brewing Barrel Aged Porter

Had one of these at Yia-Yia's. It's got everything the regular Dark Side Vanilla Porter has, with a nice addition of high-alcohol heat & smoothness. They are not really clear what kind of barrel this was aged in, but it tastes like some kind of wine. I'll have to ask Jim or Rich the next time I'm down there. The vanilla isn't very evident at first, but becomes more pronounced as it heats up. Not for novies.

Brickway Brewery: Session Series Pils

If these are true lagers and not ales that they are calling IPL and Pilsner, I will be impressed. Mainly because of the difficulty producing lagers due to cold fermentation and the additional "lagering" that these beers need which causes the equipment to be tied up longer. The turnaround is much better with ales.

This particular pils is really good. Nothing fancy, but good, solid drinkability, with a "grainy" flavor and minimal hoppiness.

Brickway Brewery: Session Series IPL

As I was enjoying a delicious craft beer from a can the other day, a co-worker expressed surprise that I was drinking beer from a can - so ingrained is the idea that "good beer" only comes in bottles. But more and more new breweries are using cans. Canning has not only become cheaper than bottling, but the can protects the beer from harmful UV radiation, which "skunks" the beer. Brickway's IPL is a fine session beer, hoppy enough to be interesting, yet with a low enough ABV to make multiple trips to the trough possible. It shows quite a bit of flavor for a lager, while still retaining the crispness and drinkability that one would expect from one. There's some nice bready flavor with some subtle floral notes. Pretty cool for a hot summer day.

Boulevard Tasting Room Series: Red IPA

Yes, my disciples, you have heard me in the past bemoan the tendency to call everything with a little hoppiness to it an IPA; you have heard me decry the crass commercialism of unabashed branding. Well, not today.

Boulevard's Tasting Room series has produced a red IPA that is worthy of the appelation "India Pale Ale".

The thin white foamy head rests atop a reddish-brown body with hoppy fumes emanating from it. Lots of piney hops with a bit of astringency to it. Could possibly strip the paint off your car.

Lagunitas 2015 One Hitter Series: Waldos' Special

I'm a few weeks late on this review. I was in Yia-Yia's on April 20th and they were doing a one-day special on this beer. Apparently this beer has something to do with a couple of stoners both named Waldo, and they release it every year on 4/20. This is quite the beer. Although some reviewers claim to detect a hint of cannabis in the taste and aroma, I didn't notice it myself. At 11%+ ABV, this is one serious beer. You catch the alcohol heat right off the bat and there's hops-a-plenty. Lots of resiny pine, grapefruit, mango, pineapple, caramel and brown sugar - all marching together in perfect cooperation - not vying for individual attention. Too bad it's not available year 'round, although I've gone back twice and found it still on tap.

Boulevard Tasting Room Series: BlondeAle

Yes, I know, Ill-Gotten Booty has been neglecting his beer reviewing duties lately, please forgive me my lapses! Tonight I will be reviewing Boulevard's Tasting Room series Blonde Ale. Like it says on the label: a refreshing ale. It's a good match for hot summer days, watching the sun go down in a haze of mosquitos. Nice mix of citrus and biscuity aromas. Medium hoppiness, about what you'd expect from a pale ale. Keep this on your Christmas-in-July shopping list