Stranger

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Stranger

• Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company (Colorado)

• Style: American Pale Ale

• ABV: 5%

• IBU: 36

• Pour Color: An amber golden color that lets light thru

      A gold colored amber that can be seen thru easy in the glass. The head wasn't much and didn't hang around to long. The scent off the top is citrus and piney. Not really much of a malt character to the bouquet. The hops give you a mix of granny smith apple, lime, and lemon. You also get a nice spiciness. Alot of stuff going on and a pretty good pale ale.
      I enjoyed what this beer had to offer. A mustache swim in something this complex is always fun. Unfortunately I think they go a little too light on all of these flavors. A pale, to me, should drink this easy and leave such mellow notes on the finish. This being my first Left Hand product I was excited but really didn't find it to be that special.

Rating: ***

Sun Block

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Sun Block

• Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Unfiltered Wheat

• ABV: 4.5

• IBU:

• Pour Color: A hazy yellow pour with a fluffy light head.

      Poured into a typical pint glass and it was hazy and yellow. Light made it through but you couldn't see through this beer. The top had a yeasty sour dough scent that mixed with a slight hops presence. The feel in the mouth wasn't that much different then most summer beers. It has a little more heartiness because of the unfiltered quality. The taste was a bitter sour dough. As you swallow you get a nice wheat character. It's really a drinkable pale wheat beer for summer.
       Another summer beer but this one says unfiltered. So i made sure every bit of that yeast bed came back up. When a company points out an unfiltered beer it's the only thing to do. I also think this was important because it adds to the variety of flavors and textures in the bottle. Those flavors and textures really help add to the uniqueness of this beer. I like this beer a lot and would probably grab six packs again and again in the summer.

Rating: ****

Citra Blonde 2013

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Citra Blonde (2013)

• Brewery: Widmer Brothers Brewing (Oregon)

• Style: Blonde

• ABV: 4.3%

• IBU: 20

• Pour Color: A Golden easily seen thru pour with a nice fluffy head!

      This one was a golden color and had a fluffy head. Seemed a little extra fizzy. The head disapeared quick and left no trace though. The scent off the top was more wheat scented malts then anything else. The citra hops lend a slight lemon scent. The flavor is slightly bitter citrus notes and a wheat malt flavor. Really a typical summer beer that's light and easy to drink.
      Another beer of summer that really just fits in instead of stands out. It's light and not overly bitter or overly sweet. Instead of using the lemon that all the other beers of summer use though they create it with the citra. Refreshing, crisp, and clean and would make a good golf course beer. Can't really see taking a deep in it otherwise though.

Rating: ***

Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale (2013)

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale (2013)

• Brewery: Lagunitus Brewing Company (California)

• Style: Strong Ale

• ABV: 9.6%

• IBU: 74

• Pour Color: A red tinted golden pour that can easily be seen thru.

      The pour came out how I expected. The head was fluffy and left lacing for most the glass. It's see thru and bubbly. This beer has a nice red color. The scent came off the bottle as soon as I popped the top! The sweet caramel malts mix well with the nice bitter hop blend in the bouquet. Somewhere between IPA and ESB in flavor profile. You deffinitly don't get a 9.6% abv flavor off of it. Sweet fresh malts with a nice mix of spicy hops that aren't too over bearing. All around another great beer from lagunitus! 
      Another long name for a really really good beer. It's dedicated to the police that shut them down. Who couldn't love a beer or a company that does that kind of thing. Not as bitter as you would expect though. Strong, delicious, and putting it to the man! If you can't get behind at least one of those things then I would just stay away from lagunitus... Cause this is just what they do and they do it well!

Rating: *****

VooDoo Dounut Chocolate,Peanut Butter, And Banana Ale (2013)

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Voodoo 2013

• Brewery: Rogue Brewing Company (Oregon)

• Style: Fruit/Nutbrown

• ABV: 5.3

• IBU: 25

• Pour Color: A brown that lets a little light thru. 

     The pour came out good. People say the head has no retention and no lacing. That wasn't the case for me. It held it's own and was still round half the glass! The scent off the top is mostly that chocolate banana mix that you would expect. I found more of a peanut not a peanut butter aroma too. The color was a dark brown and makes me think of a nut brown instead of a fruit beer. The taste though was strong. You get the mix of peanut and banana when it's in your mouth. You swallow and get that nice chocolate echo that mixes well with the peanut flavor. I think this beer has what's advertised and delivers it pretty cleanly. NOT BAD AT ALL!
      People seem to be complaining about this ones extract flavors. I don't find the flavors to be that low of quality. Yeah they could of mellowed the banana flavor like a dream weaver but is that the profile of a doughnut? NO! I think as a dedication to a doughnut, and a novelty beer, they knocked it out of the park! It's over the top, it's wild and crazy, and it comes in single large bottles to enjoy with friends! This isn't a session beer, it's a special experience and I enjoyed dipping every follicle in it! My one complaint is that I think it could have been creamier. Still an amazing beer with an amazing flavor profile!

Rating: *****