Sure Bet

Sure Bet, Pipeworks Brewing Company, Chicago, IL
(Imperial/Double IPA, Rated 97)

Pours a hazy, yellow-orange color, almost looking like a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Aroma is packed with citrus hop juice, grapefruit, tropical fruit, and sweet malts. Flavor opens with mango goodness and citrus tang. Little bready. Finishes with a hop bitterness that fades allowing the tropical fruit to linger. Totally juicy and delicious!

MO

MO, Maine Beer Company, Freeport, ME
(American Pale Ale, Rated 99)

Clear, golden, amber pour with a nice, frothy white head. Pleasant aromas of citrus, mango sweetness, pine, and a grassiness. Tastes of citrus hops, mango, and passionfruit. Has an earthy quality with a slight malt sweetness. Light with a nice dry finish. Another fantastic offering from this brewery.

Citra-Tasm

Citra-Tasm, ZumBier, Waukegan, IL
(American Pale Ale)

Part of ZumBier's Hop-Tasm Series highlighting specific hops. It's citra this time. Pours and amber, copper color with a thick, head. Aroma has an abundance of citra, as expected. There's a juicy, fruity, tropicalness to it. Taste is so juicy. Lots of tropical, floral, and citrus. Has a caramel chewiness and a mild malt backbone. Solid pale ale with lots of hops.

Grand Arbor

Grand Arbor, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
(Saison, Rated 94)

 Golden, yellow pour with a nice finger-thick white head. Aroma is sweet, banana, citrus, biscuity, and light funk, just like a saison should.  Taste is a little complex, earthy, yeasty, almost Belgian-like. Yeast lingers. Mild malt and clove. Maple and spice almost hidden in the background. Nice balance and a dry finish.

Dorothy's New World Lager

Dorothy's New World Lager, Toppling Goliath, Decorah, IA
(California Common)

This is Toppling Goliath's flagship beer. That's according to the commercial description. It's arguable. Only my second California common in this blog, this one pours a nice, light, hazy, yellow.  Aroma is light bread, grassy, with a little banana. Lot of the same in the flavor. Sweet, light earthiness, lemony, nice malty balance with a slight dry finish. Nearly pilsner-esque. A very refreshing lager.

Smoked Coffee Porter

Smoked Coffee Porter, Brouwerij Emelisse, Kamperland, Netherlands
(Porter)

Pours as black as night with a very thin, tan head. Aroma is nearly all smoke. Picking up faint coffee and cured bacon. Taste is dark malts roasted over a campfire, salty, almost like a chicory beef-stick. The coffee is definitely beat down by the smoked flavor. Dry finish.