American Pale Ale
5.3% ABV
Slightly hazy, traditional APA with a good vibe. Solid crackery base with a staunch bitterness of pine and grapefruit. Nothing outlandish or unique, just a solid drinkable Pale Ale to help get us through all this mess.
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Beglian-Style Strong Ale
7.0% ABV
Slightly hazed Amber with a small, diminishing white head. Lots of spice on the nose, perhaps too much for my taste. Loads of coriander, some grassy hops, and a bit of spicy alcohol. Lively and bright on the tongue, with sharp carbonation. Starts quite bitter, but relaxes slightly as it warms. Some fruity sweetness emerges near the end. Pretty good, but not exactly balanced. Fun to try.
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Dark (Pseudo-)Lager
5.4% ABV
26 IBU
Not sure what to think about this one. It’s the pseudo-lager bit that gets me. Considering just the liquid, I think it’s a clean, tasty, drinkable dark beer. Not too heavy, good flavor, quaffable. Some chocolate notes, but far from too sweet. There’s a little bite of bitterness to balance, but totally manageable. A little bit roasted, too, but all very nice and restrained. I guess it’s cool that you can get a lager-like profile in an ale. Maybe it’s just the front of the label calling it a “Dark Lager” that gets me. Or maybe I just need to relax and have a beer. Good thing this tasty one is available.
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Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
7.0% ABV
28 IBU
Hazy golden body with a quickly diminishing white head. An interesting hop combination leads to an interesting aroma. A mix of both traditional citrus and pine, but also with some light tropical hints interspersed. In particular, I’m picking up mango, and perhaps some apricot. I feel like I’ve enjoyed other Juice Trials more than this offering. It’s not bad, but I feel a bit like it’s trying to be all things without truly being any of them. Not a true tropical, fruit-forward, Hazy IPA, nor a bitter, bracing American IPA. Oh well, I’ll look forward to the next trial.
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Fruited Gose with Pineapple, Strawberry, and Blood Orange Juices
4.4% ABV
5 IBU
Hazy golden body with a thin, diminishing white head. Big fruity nose, not unlike a juice box, with a soft hint of alcohol just at the edges, keeping it interesting. Not sure I can pick out the blood orange, but plenty of strawberry and pineapple here. Tart, juicy, and tropical. There’s also a hint of unbaked bread, undoubtedly from the wheat and yeast. Smells great. The body is lively, full of bright carbonation. Nicely balanced flavors. The sweetness of the fruit is offset by a decent tartness. Nothing becomes to overpowering. This is surprisingly good, but then again, it sounded quite nice when I read the label.
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Coffee Porter
5.2% ABV
A solid, straightforward beer, and one I’ve always liked. Not overpowering with coffee, nor too sweet or rich. Just a tasty, easy drinking beer. Roasted malts weave with coffee and cocoa before a moderate bitter finish. What more do you need?
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Hibiscus IPA
7.0% ABV
Never was my favorite. The hibiscus adds another dimension to the IPA, but it’s a floral character that doesn’t work for me. This can has what is to me an off flavor of butterscotch that makes me think of diacetyl. Just not my favorite. Oh well, can’t win them all.
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Amber Ale with Pomegrante Juice
6.3% ABV
36 IBU
This is not a fruit beer, but a simple, solid Amber Ale enhanced with a bit of pomegranate juice. Not too sweet, appropriately bitter, clean, clear, highly drinkable, and a relaxing offering early in the calendar.
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Saison
4.7%
A dry nose of Noble hops and with a cracker-y base. Definitely some spice on the nose as well, presumably from the yeast. The aroma is really nice, lovely yeast and punchy hops blend well to provide nice character. Very drinkable and seemingly quite fresh, this is lively and enjoyable on the tongue. Some mild sweetness initially, morphing into the yeasty esters and moderate bitterness on the finish.
This is definitely something right up my alley.
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Double Dry Hopped IPA
7.3%
35 IBU
Not a new offering for me, but it is tasty. Quite fruity, with loads of tropical fruit sweetness up front. Some bitterness on the back end, but nothing too strong. Almost a bit of blend of traditional IPA flavors in a hazy offering. A nice start to the advent season.
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