**Aroma:** “Fruity, orangey, and dank with a skunky hops aroma (in a good way). Hops are showcased—big resin, slight grassiness, green onion, a bit of pine, and just a hint of biscuit malt.” **Flavor:** “Big earthy bitterness, lightly chalky, resinous but not sharp. Surprisingly low bitterness for the obviously large amount of hops in the beer. Lovely caramel malt sweetness helps round out the finish and offset a tiny bit of astringency. Moderate creamy aftertaste. Lovely! Big juicy oranges and passion fruit. Residual sweetness is welcome and lends balance to the pleasantly bitter finish.” **Overall:** “Big dank, earthy hops bomb with a touch of malt sweetness—this beer smells like it was grown, not brewed. The malt complexity helps add an extra dimension to this fun and fruity example of IPA 2.0, be it session, single, double, or otherwise. A wonderfully drinkable beer.”
**Aroma:** “The aroma—amazing! Flowers, mint, spruce, pine. Great complexity. Citrus, pine, resin, earthy, some fruitiness, almost honeydew/cucumber-like. Floral notes—maybe chamomile. A little grainy sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Big juicy American hops up front with notes of melon, slight orange creamsicle, grapefruit, tangerine, and a touch of pineapple. Bitterness is nice and lingering to carry the hop profile through. Caramel pops up in finish. Some sweetness in background of brown sugar or honey. There is this musty funk that might be a yeast thing—dirt? It’s what it needed to not be cookie cutter bland.” **Overall:** “Close to perfect. All about the hops. Malt stands back and supports. Very good display of the fruit character in the hops balancing the hop bitterness. It had some sexiness to it. It’s fantastic.”
“Orange and grapefruit aromas take center stage, with white grape and pine supporting while the malt suggests a hint of honey. The flavor leans more toward grapefruit. Medium body. Moderate sweetness into moderate bitterness, which fades quickly.”
__Aroma:__ “Dark roasted coffee dominates, with medium roast, light chocolate, and malt sweetness underneath. Cocoa, caramel, and toffee notes are in there, too. There may be a hint of maple, with some sugar sweetness that sits in the back. Dark fruit esters complement the malt.” __Flavor:__ “Smooth and thick, with heavy caramel, big chocolate sweetness, and a high dark coffee flavor. It’s got a big body and light carb. Fruity esters of raisin, spice, and other dark fruits, with strong hints of dark coffee and maple syrup like a sweet iced coffee. A smoky character gives it a bit of a campfire coffee character, too.” __Overall:__ “The sweet chocolate and coffee pair well together, with a light roast toward the end of the sip. It’s a bit on the sweet side, but with the ashy campfire roasted coffee character, all it needs is a side of bacon. It’s enjoyable and big, with rich and satisfying flavors.”
Aroma: “Dank, piney, and earthy hops aromas with hints of onion, cheese, garlic, and green pepper. There’s a moderate lemon citrus and floral rose note mixed with bready malt and honey.” Flavor: “Hops-forward with mostly lemon and rose. There’s more tea-like hops in the flavor as well. Mouth- coating, dank hoppy finish that is both bitter and slightly astringent. Floral, slightly fruity.” Overall: “Kind of old school hops character built around a very light malt bill. The hops are a bit overwhelming to the beer, especially in the bitterness and harshness of the finish. A bit too heavy-handed to want more than a few ounces. More focus on late additions and dry hopping, with more fruit character than bitterness, would make it more attractive.”
“Spicy, floral, and citrus hop aroma dominates with an almost tropical quality. Light, odd grassy and mineral/stone note in the nose. Quite malt-forward, generally moderate biscuit/bread but lacking melanoidins and somewhat oxidized. Hops not as assertive as expected, general balance is quite malt-forward. Good, but not typical at all of Czech styles.”
“Diesel-heavy nose, with a hint of pine sap behind it. Big, sweet malt backbone and marmalade hops in the background. Medium finish. As it warms, more fruity esters come out to play, and a citrus pith is left on the palate well into the finish.”
For Lawson’s Finest Liquids Founder Sean Lawson, his 6-pack of favorite beers is always in flux. Changing based on location and what’s he’s drinking at the time, and this list is heavily influenced by the location of our interview in Nashville, Tennessee.
__Aroma:__ “A light citrus note emerges right away, along with some tropical fruits, orange, pear, slight red apple, and lemongrass. Intriguing floral aromas, slightly grassy, and some dank and cellar tones. Moderate notes of pine and citrus show through in the hops. Mild bread sweetness underneath.” __Flavor:__ “Big hops flavors of citrus, lemon, lemongrass, floral, and grassy notes up front, with a medium bitterness. Light bready toasted malt and fruity esters that complement the hops. Well- balanced for the style, hops-forward, with just enough sweetness from the malt that gives way to a fruity hops profile that dominates through the finish.” __Overall:__ “Floral and fruity flavors throughout, with a nice bitterness in the background—the flavors fade as the beer warms, so it’s best enjoyed cold. Nicely balanced and very sessionable, it’s a very pleasant hoppy session ale with clean and bright flavors.”
Aroma: “Assertive orange, grapefruit, and lemon hops. Slightly piney and earthy. Hints of lemongrass, green pepper, and green onion with a background of herbal tea and mint. There’s a touch of bready malt behind the hops.” Flavor: “There’s a lot of hops complexity. Bold citrus with a lemongrass focus. Malt flavors get lost in the shuffle. Light, clean body. Bitter and dry finish with a lingering hops-derived bitterness.” Overall: “More akin to a light-bodied session IPA/dry-hopped pale ale than a golden ale. Still, pleasantly assertive hops aromatics with a bold, hops-forward flavor in a super-light, clean ale. A unique dichotomy of styles.”
“Bright but resinous, a beguiling combination. Woody/piney, just a hint of citrus. Sweet malt flavor, amplified by alcohol. Touch of burn. Big basil note retro (actually in the burp, but retro sounds better).”
__Aroma:__ “Big dank and alcohol nose...some peach and other stone fruit shine through above the toasted biscuit malt that supports. A ‘trail mix’–like aroma, with a strong hint of dried apricots.” __Flavor:__ “A punch of intense hops essences and boozy sweetness that welcome your palate to the party. The flavors are deep and bold, ranging from sweet cherries, orange marmalade, and even Grand Marnier liqueur. A dankness pervades the background of the beer, and the sweetness is tempered by the significant booze and hefty bitterness. It’s bitter, but balanced enough to really enjoy. The malt backbone supports, but does not overwhelm. Light acidity accentuates the fruit notes.” __Overall:__ “A rich, bold beer that has so many layers of complexity that it’s hard to capture all the nuances and intricacies. Enjoy and reflect—one moment it’s fruity and citrusy, and the next bitter and boozy. Wonderful!”
“Dark roast with licorice and chocolate, plus an orange blossom–honey note. Spicy on the tongue, enhanced by strong alcohol notes. Light black pepper notes and some evergreen notes add beautiful distinctive highlights.”
“Complex but unified. Can pick out flavors—citrus, pine, touch of leather, stone fruit, pineapple—or just enjoy the richness. A bit of aspirin at the finish, which can either be off-putting or provide balance.”
“Aroma filled with caramel and toffee with a lower level of toast, dried red fruits, and a sweet maple note. Interesting flavor profile of dusty grain, husky caramel, and earthiness. Maple-syrup sweetness is loud and proud. Settles into an overall dryness that finishes relatively cleanly and invites the next sip.”
Deep purple with a violet foam, this tart treat is a touch sweet thanks to a hefty dose of elderberry. Kettle-souring and a light malt base provide a pleasant pucker that gives way to a clean, refreshingly fruity sip.
A new full-time Hazyjuicylicious IPA joins the Sunshine family, featuring a blend of Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops. This beer delivers a tropical medley of tangerine, clementine, and mandarin-orange hop flavors. It’s soft on the palate, low in bitterness, and a quaffable 5.3% ABV.
The practice of putting beer into cans has been around for the better part of a century, and although cans are ubiquitous today, it's been a slow march to achieve that level of use.
Not flashy but sublime, refreshing, and comforting—especially on a hot day—here are a few of the world's finest wheat beers.
Medium-high roast chocolate aroma with spicy bourbon, sharp and hot, with vinous and dried-fruit notes. Dark chocolate flavor with cloves—sweet, warming bourbon. Low acidic touch.