Beer of the Week

The beer: Gojaira

The brewery: Japas Cervejaria, Louisville, Kentucky and São Paulo, Brazil

Description (from the can): "Meet our monster Gojaira: she is so angry that she won a Dank IPA to make her stop blowing off steam. Distracted people may confuse its aroma with that of a much-debated herb. This aroma is called 'dank,' a combination of resinous, herbal, citrus, and tropical fruit aromas of certain hops. Yes, it's just hops, there's nothing illegal here! Strata, Columbus, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic mix with a smooth malt base for this delicious trip."

Would I buy it again? I hate doing this because I absolutely love the can (that's why I bought this beer), but oh boy, is this beer bad. The initial taste is okay, but the aftertaste is acrid and bitter. If you've ever had Malört (unfortunately, I have), the aftertaste is extremely similar. It tastes like a sweaty sock smells. It might actually be a top five worst beer. I'll keep the can, but never in my life will I buy this beer again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Matchplay IPA

The brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company, Hampton, New Hampshire

Description (from Untappd): "Born on the 19th hole, and made for your next round, Matchplay IPA is a crisp and crushable ale that you’ll never again tee up without. Soft and refreshing, yet packed with bright and bold hops, our newest IPA is a sure gimme on a hot day."

Would I buy it again? The latest entry in my long-running series "Buying beer because there's golf on the can/bottle," this beer is a simple and juicy IPA. Hoppy, but not bitter. Which makes it pleasant to drink instead of a chore. Exactly the sort of beer you'd want on the golf course on a hot summer day. Of course, I don't really drink beer while playing golf, but I'd still buy this beer again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Midday Sway

Brewed by: RAK Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Brewed for easy afternoons and golden hours, Mid Day Sway is a Hazy Session IPA hopped exclusively with Citra. Lush waves of mango, citrus zest, and tropical fruit drift across a silky-soft body with just enough bitterness to keep things balanced. Light on ABV but big on flavor, Mid Day Sway brings the haze without the haze of high gravity."

Would I buy it again? I don't know if I've ever had a session IPA, but if this beer is anything to go by, it's a style I would enjoy. This was a very enjoyable beer to drink, featuring a lot of juicy hoppy flavor without excessive bitterness. It's just a light, easy beer to drink, making it great for those warm afternoons. Shame I didn't have one of those (don't let the picture fool you, it was actually 60 degrees and quite windy when I was sitting outside with this). Still, I'd buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Phrased #22

The brewery: Idiom Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland 

Description (from Untappd): "A juicy and hazy Double New England IPA loaded with tropical intensity. Brewed with Citra, Meridian and Lotus hops, this 7.6% ABV brew delivers vibrant notes of mango, orange creamsicle, and fresh berries, all wrapped in a pillowy-soft mouthfeel and smooth finish."

Would I buy it again? It isn't very often at all that I get in the mood for an IPA. I haven't reviewed one in 8 months, if my reckoning is correct. Considering how many IPAs there are, going that long takes work. But I was out, it was a nice day, and it felt right. Luckily, my decision to purchase a hazy double NEIPA worked just as I hoped, and I got something nice, juicy, and refreshing rather than a over-hopped monstrosity. I'm never going to rush to buy an IPA again, but I'll give this as much of an endorsement as I can. It has its place.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Heady Topper

The brewery: The Alchemist Brewery, Stowe, Vermont

Description (from BeerAdvocate): "Heady Topper is an American double IPA. This beer is not intended to be the biggest or most bitter. It is meant to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness on your palate. Tremendous amounts of American hops will creep up on you, and leave you with a dense hoppy finish in you mouth. So drinkable, it's scary. Sometimes I wish I could crawl right into the can.

Freshness and control have always been my main concern when it comes to our beer. We are committed to providing you with an unfiltered and unpasteurized hop experience. Why do I recommend that you drink it from the can? Quite simply, to ensure a delightful hop experience. The act of pouring it in a glass smells nice, but it releases the essential hop aromas that we have work so hard to retain.

If you MUST pour it into a glass, you may find that some of the hop resins have settled to the bottom -- leave them in the can while pouring. This beer is perishable, and at its best when it is young, fresh and hazy. Keep it cold, but not ice cold. Drink this beer immediately, we are always making more."

Would I buy it again? Alas, I had to commit a great beer crime to get this picture, but this is the second Heady Topper I've had; the first was drunk properly from the can. And my opinion on a beer that's was rated in 2018 as the fourth-best beer in the world and still carries a perfect score on BeerAdvocate? 

I mean, it's good – juicy, hoppy, and pretty easy to drink – but one of my favorites? No. I am not, and never will be, an IPA guy.

To be clear though, neither example I had were at their prime, having gone through what my friend described as "refrigerator aging." A polite term for "they've been sitting around longer than I'd care to admit." I mean, free beer is free beer, and you do not turn down a beer with its own Wikipedia page, no matter how old. However, what I did drink was good enough that I would definitely consider buying a fresh one. If it's this good so far past its prime, I can only imagine what its like fresh from the brewery.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The Golden Squirrels

Brewed by: Kings County Brewers Collective, Brooklyn, New York

Description (from EmpireWine): "Pours peachy-yellow haze in the glass and oozing with tropical aromas & flavors of crushed mandarin oranges, pineapple upside down cake, and tangy passion fruit curd. Completely walloped with our hand-selected Citra & Mosaic, plus huge heaping handfuls of Simcoe & Australian-grown Eclipse hops. Melted-creamsicle mouthfeel from the wheat-heavy malt base and a soft, light finish."

Would I buy it again? This is one of those incredibly juicy-tasting IPAs that I actually kind of enjoy. It's also got that tropical fruitiness to it, but it's more sweet than bitter. It's pretty easy to drink, and I think it's a good choice as summer winds down. I'd buy it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The Thing With Feathers

The brewery: New Anthem Beer Project, Wilmington, North Carolina

Description (from Untappd): "Hazy NZ/American Hop Liquid. Motueka, Citra and Nelson. Tropical Citrus Blend with touch of Blanc Grape. Lime, Citrus, Gooseberry."

(Not exactly the most eloquent of descriptions.)

Would I buy it again? This is the sort of IPA I like and appreciate. Hoppy, but with the focus more on the beer's juiciness rather than bitterness. That makes this actually pleasant to drink, if a bit on the thick side. This beer is VERY hazy. I wouldn't rush out to buy more, since I'm not one to voluntarily buy IPAs for the fun of it, but I wouldn't say no to another one.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Super Kashmir

The brewery: Black Flag Brewing Company, Columbia, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Super Kashmir is a revamped version of a Black Flag classic, Kashmir. Featuring Cashmere-Cryo and Cashmere in the whirlpool along with Cashmere and Citra pellets in the dry hopping, this almost velvety haze has tropical hop pairings that seamlessly blend with our signature flaked oat malt build. We’re VERY excited to give you our 2023 retooling of one of our most popular hazy’s to ever hit the market."

Would I buy it again? Unlike last week, the India association with this beer is purely coincidental: Cashmere hops, the geographic region of Kashmir. Not a tremendously clever leap to make. So, what we have is a fairly tasty and juicy IPA. Nothing out of the ordinary, but very solid. No complaints about bitterness or odd flavors, it's just a solid and easy to drink beer, and as a result, I would definitely consider buying this beer again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Space Dust IPA

The brewery: Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, Washington

Description (from the website): "Space Dust balances bitterness with a sweetness of hop flavors. Grapefruit, mango, and orange aromas with a medium body and a dry finish."

Would I buy it again? For better or worse, this is basically the Platonic ideal of IPAs. Juicy initial taste, bitter aftertaste. It's executed solidly as well. Which is all fine, and I wouldn't say no, but this isn't a beer I'd go out of my way to get again. It's just not interesting enough to me.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Earth Day IPA

The brewery: Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Halethorpe, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "This beer is brewed with our whole hearts focused on the importance of sustainability and utilizing local, sustainably sourced ingredients. The barley comes from Harbor View Farms on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, malted by our friends at Delaware’s Proximity Malt. We added a touch of Eastern Shore honey for good measure, from Apex Apiary, along with Citra, Simcoe, and Talus hops. Candied orange and a touch of pine come through in full hop glory, backed up by the local malt."

Would I buy it again? A honey IPA sounded good, but the issue here is that the honey is frontloaded (and frankly the honey taste is fairly minimal). Once you get past that, this beer really only has hoppy bitterness to offer. The aftertaste is very bitter on this one. I'm really not a fan of it, so I would not go for this beer again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Fall to Pieces

Brewed by: Social Project Brewing Company, Bentonville, Arkansas

Description (from Untappd): "This single hazy is loaded with all the Mosaic goodness (Mosaic incognito, and DH w/ Mosaic)! This decadent juicy treat is bursting with dank grapefruit. The midpalate and finish is incredibly juicy with notes of citrus. Incredibly crushable for its ABV."

Would I buy it again? I think I'm appreciating IPAs more and more, because I really enjoyed this beer. It's juicy and citrusy and pleasant to drink. And it's simple. It's a solid beer, and I'd consider buying it again if I ever come across it. Which I won't. A shame, but Arkansas is a long way away.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Sci-Fi Hamster Wheel

Brewed by: Thin Man Brewery, Buffalo, New York

Description (from the website): "One of our core five beers, Sci-Fi Hamster Wheel is packed with notes of orange and dank berry with a fluffy mouthfeel. Tons of citrus in the bright finish. 6.6% ABV"

Would I buy it again? The sci-fi hamsters were certainly busy on their sci-fi hamster wheel inside the can, because it took 10 minutes for me to fully pour this beer out. The head on my initial pour was something to behold. As for the beer itself, it's a citrusy IPA. Nothing spectacular, but certainly not bad. Easy to drink, and I do actually get a bit of that fluffy mouthfeel. And since I enjoy the name, I'd probably be willing to buy this again. Branding matters sometimes.

Beer of the Week

The beer: 600 Golf Balls NHIPA

Brewed by: The Flying Goose Brew Pub and Grille, New London, New Hampshire

Description (from Untappd): "A hazy, pale IPA bursting with hop flavor and aroma reminiscent of ripe melon and stone fruit brewed with Waimea, Simcoe, Bitter Gold Mandarina Bavaria and Bru-1 hops"

Would I buy it again?: For the name alone, yes. Golf-themed names always get me, and the beer is quite good. Hoppy but not too bitter, juicy, easy to drink, a fine IPA, and proof that names matter.

Three Cheers For The Craft Lager Boom

When it comes to craft beer, it's still an IPA world, and probably always will be. Microbreweries will probably always favor IPAs, with a minority going hard into sours, with a few heavy stouts mixed in. We're talking big, bold beers with equally bold flavors. Traditionally, there hasn't been a place for the relatively humble lager, but in the past couple of years, that is actually changing. Pretty much any brewery you go to nowadays has a lager on tap, if not multiple. And while I'm sure they're not best sellers, they are often cheaper than their IPA brethren (and always cheaper than a stout or sour). 

There will always be the kind of beer people who stick their noses up at a lager, preferring their IPAs and sours. But for many of us, sometimes all we want is a beer that tastes like beer, and the market (finally) seems to be realizing that. Maybe now we can see some lager experimentation; I know I would personally love to see more doppelbocks floating around. It's too fun a style to have so few examples out there. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Nuclear Smile

Brewed by: Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Nuclear Smile is exploding into this universe in a haze of glory. A 10% bomb, this hazy IPA has notes of tropical fruit and a hint of coconut. We would say it's going to blow your mind, but really it's going to blow your tastebuds."

Would I buy it again?: I was really kind of surprised how much I liked this beer. It's really, really good, hoppy but not bitter, and definitely fruity and juicy. I would absolutely get it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Spellbinder

Brewed by: Wren House Brewing Company, Phoenix, Arizona

Description (from the website): "Brewed with oats and Grain R&D AZ grown Sonora white wheat. Hopped exclusively with Cascade throughout the whirlpool. We then heavily dry hop this beer during fermentation with ludicrous amounts of Citra and Mosaic. Super bright aroma of tangerine peel marmalade, overripe strawberry, and pungent dank pineapple. 7%"

Would I buy it again?: Well, it's an IPA. I don't know about heavy dry hopping with ludicrous amounts of hops though, this wasn't any more hoppy than any other IPA. So it's fine, but like the Alaska beer a couple weeks ago, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this one again. I have my Arizona beer, and that's good enough for me.

Beer of the Week

The beer: It's OK, I'm here

Brewed by: Anchorage Brewing Company, Anchorage, Alaska

Description (from Tavour): "To craft 'It’s OK, I’m Here' NEIPA, the world-renowned Alaskan brewers at Anchorage used loads of Phantasm Powder to accentuate the flavors of the beer’s Nelson and Mosaic Hop profile. The powder’s made from freeze-dried Sauvignon Blanc grape skins, which contain a lot of thiols — the same stuff that produces the fruity characteristics in hops!"

Would I buy it again?: One would imagine it would be equally difficult to get a beer from Alaska as it is to get one from Hawaii. This is very much not the case, however, as there are multiple Hawaiian breweries (two is still multiple) available here in Maryland, but Alaska? Anyway, the beer: It's got a fairly typical IPA taste, but it's a fair amount juicier than your average IPA. Maybe that's the grape skins. It's pretty good, but considering all the rigmarole I went through to get it, I wouldn't buy it again. It's not that good.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Cryo Dank

Brewed by: Tall Tales Brewing Company, Parsonburg, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "India Pale Ale with coconut. Made with Sabro Mosaic cryogenically frozen hops and Nelson regular hops."

Would I buy it again?: I'm not entirely sure what cryogenically frozen hops add to the beer, but it sounds cool, doesn't it? There was some coconut, but not a huge amount. More of an aftertaste than something you notice as you first drink it. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I wouldn't mind having this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Mira Red Hazy IPA

Brewed by: Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "A Red Hazy IPA with toasty bread crust and biscuit malt flavors and a flash of bright citrus."

Would I buy it again?: I was fully prepared for a typical IPA, since they're all basically the same, but this was a pleasant surprise. Okay, it didn't depart too far from the IPA taste, but there really was a bready, malty feel to this beer, and I appreciated that. So yeah, I would buy it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Double Canister India Pale Ale

Brewed by: Antietam Brewery, Hagerstown, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "A West Coast IPA brewed for the Frederick Civil War Medical Museum. Piney and citrusy hop profile over a solid malt backbone."

Would I buy it again?: I'm sure there are people who can really tell the difference between various IPAs, but I'm not really one of them. They all taste fairly similar to me, so I thought this was fine and easy to drink. I would buy this one again simply cause it's a special collaboration between Antietam Brewery and the Civil War Medicine Museum in Frederick, and I think it's cool that this beer exists. I wish it was a bit more unique like the Flying Dog collab beer I reviewed a few years ago; an IPA isn't exactly anything special. But it's the thought that counts.