Bel-Air Sour: 2.0 – It’s like a halfway between a beer and a sour but spectacularly failing at both. It’s honestly like a warhead that someone’s washed off all the sour – with like their mouth.
Price Average: $20 for mixed 12-pack
Website: https://brooklynbrewery.com/
Big Wave: 6.0 – There is a nice sweet aftertaste here that makes it easy to recommend to others. Overall it’s an okay golden ale – and does little aside from the pineapple-esque taste to elevate this beer into something great.
Price Average: $3
Website: https://konabrewingco.com/
Longboard Island Lager: 5.5 – The ‘island’ adds nothing to what is an otherwise fine and forgettable lager. We really don’t have much to say other than we wish this lager had something else going for it.
Price Average: $2
Website: https://konabrewingco.com/
Alright, week 2 of Herradura (which we still can’t say in a non-derpy voice). This time we have the reposado, now while the silver was light and unique – this is smoky and unique. The main difference between the two though is that additional time aging gives this a character that actually shines through a cocktail – which is a good thing.
Hopback: 5.0 – It’s an okay amber ale, the flavor of the hops is nicely malted but not super bitter. Overall though it’s fairly benign, and it’s not much to write home (or on this site) about.
Price Average: $10 for 6-pack
Website: http://www.troegs.com/
Cerise Cassee: 7.0 – One of our contributor reviewers stated this as ‘cocaine of beers’. It’s simply so sour but just intensely powerful. There’s just so much going on it’s like walking up, saying hello to you SO, and then running a fucken marathon. Of course, the tart, the wheat, the spice, the other 17 things make this something actually quite difficult to go through, but get yourselves a sample or half pour, or share it with someone you secretly want to kick in the teeth.
Price Average: $16
Country: 6.5 – It’s a nice pale ale with a fair amount of flavor and hops going on. It really helps make it unlike other blander pales. An overall just good beer.
Price Average: $16 for 12-pack
Cherry Wheat: 5.5 – It does have a wheat and cherry flavor, but the cherries feel odd? It doesn’t have that tart so you get more of that sort of vegetal cherry-like flavor that feels slightly candied with some sugars. It’s not what you would typically expect going into a cherry beer, but it’s good.
Price Average: $9 for 6-pack
Website: https://www.samueladams.com/
Walawang W12: 6.0 – Japan‘s craft beer scene is nascent, so it’s a little unfair to expect things to blow you away. This barleywine though…it doesn’t really have much going on. You get the taste of the alcohol upfront, and then a strong sugary flavor (like concord grape, or plum), and then…that’s it. It’s drinkable, but not terribly exciting or interesting. At ¥600 (about $5.50 USD) it’s just not a good value proposition.
Price Average: ¥600
Website: https://www.rakuten.co.jp/hopstar-walawang/kaiso.html
Little Cascara: 5.5 – Overall a bit underwhelming for a sour with any lack of fruit, tart, or definition. There’s a bit of nice maltiness, but the ‘Cascara’ tea really has mellowed this out making it otherwise forgettable, but not awful.
Price Average: $6 draft
Website: https://www.redemptionrock.beer/