Casa Agria Specialty Ales - Faja de Oro

What: A mixed fermentation sour wheat ale [3.2% ABV].    

How we Had it: Out of a 750 ml bottle into a wine taster glass.

What we Saw: A pale yellow hay colored beer.  A light amount of white foam quickly dissipates to almost nothing; nonetheless, bubbles continued to rise from bottom of glass throughout.

What we Smelled: Beautifully inviting and refreshing nose.  Citrus predominates with lemon, and grapefruit at the forefront.  Reminiscent of sour patch kids.  A soft barnyard funk sits behind the citrus fruit creating a second layer to the nose and displaying complexity.  Notes of melon were present as well.  As the beer warmed the citrus became even more pronounced.

What we Tasted: Tart citrus was front and center as the aroma initially suggested.  The tart yet reserved sour character was very enjoyable.  As with other examples from the brewery, and even at 3.2% abv, the body of the beer was substantial.  This created a wonderful vessel for the tart citrus character of the beer. The noted flavors followed what was detected in the aroma of the beer in perfect order.  Balance and restraint really allowed the beer to shine.

What we Thought:  This beer was incredibly refreshing and enjoyable.  While only 3.2% abv, the mouth feel and body of the beer were substantial and created a beer that could be enjoyed by the pint on a hot summer day or with a nice dinner.  As with other beers I've had from Casa Agria, that mouth feel is silky and body heavy on the tongue.  In my opinion, this is fantastic.  In Faja de Oro, balance and purpose are key features.  The aromas are beautiful and the flavors play with each other in harmony.   The surprise for me was the presence of melon in the aroma and taste of the beer.  While not dominant, that melon character continued to present itself in the background throughout the entire glass.  Casa Agria has presented a wonderfully easy to drink beer which displays complexity on all levels.   For food pairings, consider oysters - the brine and salt would play nicely with the tart citrus of the beer.  

Lord Hobo Brewing Co. Boom Sauce

What: Blended Imperial IPA or "hoppy ale" as per the can; 8% ABV  [blend of 3 separate IPAs]

How we had it: Out of a can into a Lord Hobo tulip snifter within one week of packaging

What we saw: Bright and opaque orange with a one finger white foamy head.  Head quickly dissipates to a light layer of foam over top and a nice thick ring around the border of the glass which remains throughout. Beautiful lacing on glass as well.  Really inviting beer to see in a glass and great head retention.

What we Smelled: An interesting combination of tropical fruit and pine.  A faint bready sweetness trails behind the pronounced resinous hop character of this beer balancing the aroma. The hop profile presents ripe pineapple, mango, earth, and pine, with grapefruit becoming more present as the beer warms. 

What we tasted: An immediate attack of hops.  A pleasant bitterness lingers on the tongue but does not overwhelm the palate - but this is a hoppy beer!  The tropical fruit first noticed on the nose follows suit up front of palate with the bitterness coming next.  A really nice malt presence holds up the hops and balances the flavor and bitterness of the hops.  In our opinion, this malt backbone is crucial to the balanced nature of the beer.  The malt backbone of the beer, accomplished by blending three of Lord Hobo's IPAs, allows the hops to shine while maintaining a flavorful vehicle for the bitterness and resinous nature of the 8 hops found in the beer.  At 8%, the ABV lends to the body of the beer but is not more than a faint character in the flavor profile which adds some more complexity to the beer.  Again, as the beer warms, the tropical fruit character gives way to the grapefruit which becomes the dominant flavor.

What we thought: From start to finish this beer displays balance and purpose.  It's a wonderfully crafted blend of three IPAs, blended to achieve that balance.  Along with that balance, the beer lends itself to the dinner table more so than most IPAs.  If you're looking for an IPA that is nothing more than a hop soda, this is not your beer - but if you're looking for a creative, balanced, and complex interpretation of the style this is a winner.  It's more than just hops and we appreciate it's reliance upon a proper and well crafted malt backbone.  Boom Sauce would go fantastic with heavily spiced foods, jerk seasoning, or Indian food (think hot tandoori chicken).  It's a unique interpretation of the style drawing influence from the staple west coast IPAs which brought the style to the forefront in the first place.  It is definitely its own beer.  Try it fresh and let it warm just a bit to allow the complexity of the beer shine.  

J Wakefield Brewing Hazelnut Coffee La Nada

What: Russian Imperial Stout treated with Hazelnut Coffee

How we had it: On draft into snifter

What we saw: Pitch black motor oil pours thick in to the glass leaving a thin tan/brown head.  The head reduces down quickly in to a ring around the glass and a light tan haze on top of the beer.  Held to the light, the beer is completely opaque.  Very rich and inviting appearance.  A really nice looking stout.

What we smelled: You're immediately hit with a wonderfully sweet bouquet of hazelnut, nutella, dark chocolate, and coffee.  As the beer warms, the presence of coffee softens just a bit and allows the hazelnut to become even more prevalent.  A nice roast is present behind the sweet hazelnut throughout the entirety of the glass.  I found myself continuing to go back to get more and more of the aroma as it really adds to the experience of the beer and sets you for the next sip.   

What we tasted:  Balance.  Perceived sweetness up front followed by a sturdy, roasty, and slightly bitter character you expect from a high quality Russian Imperial Stout.  Again, the hazelnut dominates on the front of the palate giving that very sweet first impression.  The sweetness is balanced on the back of the palate by a roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and lingering bitterness on the tongue.  The mouth feel plays beautifully into the richness of the flavors by providing a viscous, creamy, velvety vessel for the layers of flavor and complexity.  As the beer warms the dark chocolate and roast from the coffee and base beer shine even more.  

What we thought:  This is a fantastic and well-balanced treated version of the JWB La Nada Russian Imperial Stout.  While the base beer is fantastic on its own, the hazelnut coffee treatment shines and adds to beer, which is great from start to finish.  The color and consistency are visually appealing coming out of the tap, as it sits in the glass, and on the tongue.  The aroma is inviting and complex.   JWB is producing some of the country's best stouts - always delivering big bold flavors while ensuring a quality base beer and balance.