Beer of the Week

The beer: Lychee Express

Brewed by: RAK Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Brewed in collaboration with Waredaca Brewing Co., Lychee Express is a crisp, ultra-clean rice lager with a delicate tropical twist. Light-bodied and refreshingly dry, this lager was finished with lychee purée added at the very end of fermentation to preserve its bright, natural aromatics. The result is an inviting burst of fresh lychee fragrance on the nose, followed by a very light touch of fruit up front—subtle, floral, and gently sweet without overpowering the beer’s clean backbone. Soft carbonation and a smooth rice-driven finish keep it snappy and drinkable, with just a whisper of tropical character riding through each sip."

Would I buy it again? Turns out, I had one more beer from Frederick hidden away in my beer stash. And it's a good one too. Lychee Express is a wonderful beer. It's light, juicy, and flavorful. A great beer to drink on a warm spring evening. If I ever see it again, I'd definitely buy more.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Strange Beast

The brewery: Nepenthe Brewing Company, Baltimore, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Built on a subtle base of just 2-row and rice, then hopped gently with Sorachi Ace, Centennial, and Motueka. Suddenly bursting out of an otherwise calm Pacific on a cresting tsunami of Ginger Peach Green Tea from our pals at Wight Tea Company. Sweeping notes of juicy peach, fresh sun tea, crisp malt, a touch of herbal funk, and light, zesty ginger rampage across your palate. A pale straw in color and oh so drinkable. Do we know what lies in the deepest places?"

Would I buy it again? Now this was the beer I was really looking forward to when I came to Nepenthe. A beer that was described on the menu as a "ginger peach green tea rice lager." That's a lot of things for a beer to be, and I was certain this beer was either going to be really good or really bad. No in between. And I'm happy to report that it's actually very good. The peach was the key, I think, it added some fruity sweetness and blended all the various ingredients together well. Basically, this is an enhanced, fruitier version of Thick-N-Thin's Kaiju rice lager, which is entirely appropriate, as "kaiju" means strange beast. I'll definitely buy this again if I can ever find it locally.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Neon Dynasty

The brewery: Mobtown Brewing Company, Baltimore, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "A dry and crisp Japanese-style Rice Lager brewed with German Mandarina Bavaria Hops. Slightly grassy and very lightly sweet up front, with a tart citrus zing on the finish that leaves you wanting more."

Would I buy it again? This was an interesting beer. I do usually like the rice lagers, but this one had much more of a fruity tartness to it than I was expecting. And unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of tart beers. I think it's solidly made, but it isn't for me.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Kaiju

The brewery: Thick-N-Thin Brewing Company, Hagerstown, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Light, refreshing, lager brewed with yuzu juice and rice."

Would I buy it again? It's a short, pithy description, which is honestly all it needs to be. This beer is pretty much what it says. Easy to drink, pleasant, it's a fine lager. And since this is now my local brewery, I definitely anticipate buying more of this in the future.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Scratch 452 - Dry-Hopped Rice Lager

Brewed by: Troegs Independent Brewing, Hershey, Pennsylvania

Description (from the can): "Scratch #452 starts with a grain bill of puffed Jasmine rice and two-row pilsner malt. Layered onto this super-crisp, clean, and delicate base are El Dorado's notes of pineapple, stone fruit, and pear. The result? A crispy lager that's hoppy and aromatic but not bitter."

Would I buy it again?: I would absolutely buy it again, but unfortunately this is one of Troegs' Scratch beers, which means it's experimental and not likely to be made again. Which is a shame, because this beer is great. It combines the simplicity of a lager with the hoppy flavoring of an IPA, just without the bitterness. Troegs should absolutely make this one again.