Beer of the Week

The beer: I'll Be Your Huckleberry

Brewed by: Idiom Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "We got together with our friends at World of Beer to bring you the perfect seasonal crusher! At 5% ABV, this light, crisp Kölsch received a healthy addition of huckleberries to add a slightly sweet and refreshing finish. Sit back and relax, this brew is the right one for the job!"

Would I buy it again? I've never had huckleberries before, so I can't comment on the taste comparison, but in general the fruitiness and the light maltiness of the beer work extremely well together, without one overpowering the other. Far from tasting like a dense literary journey up the Mississippi River, I would definitely classify this as a pleasant, easy beer to drink on a hot summer day; as such, I'd definitely buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Bird Is The Word

The brewery: Checkerspot Brewing Company, Baltimore, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "A Honey Kölsch inspired by our beloved Baltimore Orioles. Brewed with local honey malt from Bear Branch Malthouse and honey from Charm City Meadworks."

Would I buy it again? Rogue City Brewing makes a honey kölsch that I enjoyed quite a lot, and I feel the same way about this one. It's extremely pleasant to drink, with the honey blending very well with the beer taste. Perfect for the summer or those freakishly warm January evenings that we can apparently count on nowadays. I'd definitely buy this one again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Blackberry Kölsch Ale

The brewery: Ellicottville Brewing Company, Little Valley, New York

Description (from the website): "Brewed with refreshing, mildly dry wild blackberry flavor and aroma.  Light, crisp and delicious. Natural, earthy berry sweetness."

Would I buy it again? This is a wonderfully simple, refreshing beer to drink. Nice and light, with just the right amount of blackberry flavor balanced out by the light maltiness of the beer. It would be ideal on a nice, mid-spring evening, but the middle of January is hardly a bad time to drink this beer. Since I like blackberries (well, the taste of blackberries, anyway), I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for this beer in the future.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Blue Stripe Kolsch

Brewed by: Axemann Brewery, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "Blue Stripe beer is the flagship beer of Axemann Brewery - a bright and clear kolsch-style brew perfected for everyday excellence."

Would I buy it again?: Yes, I would. It's a tasty yet very drinkable beer, definitely better than Yuengling. It's definitely worth the extra cost. In addition, this brewery, if I remember correctly, is owned by a friend of a friend (maybe? I think I'm remembering that correctly) so that helps the cause. Not that it needed help. I wish it was available in places other than State College, I'd buy it all the time.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Honey Kölsch

Brewed by: Rogue Ales, Newport, OR

Description (from the website): "Situated just across from 40 acres of Rogue hops, 119 colonies of bees are carefully kept and fed and the honey is uncapped, extracted, filtered and finally infused into a refreshing Honey Kölsch Ale."

Would I buy it again?: Yes. Actually, this is one of the best summer beers I've ever had. It's got a very nice honey taste, I enjoy the style of beer, and it's not hoppy at all, which is something I like. Not only would I buy it again, I definitely plan to.