The aroma is spectacular. The label says there are Cascade and Amarillo hops in the beer. I'm thinking that a bunch of Amarillo was added at the last to create that aroma.
The aroma was sticky, but not as intense as a IPA. Definitely more floral.
The bitterness was sharp, but not as deep as an IPA. Nice golden body, enough malt to fill my palate.
9/10
Also rediscovered an old friend: Millstream Brewery Schild Brau amber lager from Amana, Iowa. Very smooth lager with healthy body. A dangerous session beer. Drink it quick or it gets skunky when lukewarm...that may conflict with a drinking session as its 5% abv.
7/10 with caveats. A 'right beer at right time' rating would boost the number.
Brau Brothers, out of St. Lucan, MN, has an interesting brown ale. Ringneck brown ale, I believe it's called.
Don't expect a Nukie clone or typical brown ale with a slightly light body and hopping. Oh no. This beer has a toe in porter country. Their malt mix leaves a sweet residue on the palate, to be quickly balanced by a dose of hops. The sweetness is reminiscent of a porter with its dark, almost molasses-like body.
It was interesting, but caught me off guard. Not really a warmer weather beer, but a pleasant surprise after the first drink.
7/10.
Boulevard Smokestack Series Double Wide IPA.
Awesome. 9.5/10.
