Splashes Not Soon Forgotten

Schlafly Tasmanian IPA

Sampled: Nov. 1, 2012

Years have passed since Schlafly release anything that knocked me over, but this Australian-hopped IPA pushes new boundaries. IPA has grown tiring. But Schlafly finds new life in the Southern Hemisphere. IPAs rarely pour this pale. TIPA goes for the lemon end of the spectrum. The orange-lemon nose carries over into flavor. All IPAs have citrus character, but few go to original lengths.

Schlafly shows some serious hops. Some seriously dry upticks in hops spike but never boil over. TIPA finishes clean and with plenty of leafy texture, but without any barbs of that hop payload, which delivers of load of spices (mostly lemon peel and coriander). The orange bleeds perfectly into the hop bitterness, which has occasional oily notes. At 7.2 percent ABV, TIPA crosses out of session ale territory. Any beer fan should find some welcome takeaways here. If Schlafly plans to continue its IPA experimentation, TIPA has set an exemplary standard.

Choc OPA

Sampled: Sept. 25, 2012

Last time I taste OPA, the initials stood for organic pale ale. Choc chooses to salute its home state. I was eager to see how it stood out. Fortunately, Choc Oklahoma Pale Ale succeeds. OPA opens with a nose of fresh citrus, sporting orange, nectarine and fingers of lemon. Some honey textures emerge along with some fresh-brewed tea notes

 The grapefruit of IPA never blossoms. The head imparts a creamy character onto the citrus. Midway across the palate, this hazy brown amber turns resoundingly bitter. Coarse, bitter finish comes as a surprise considering how smooth the ale begins. But it Having only visited Oklahoma’s northeastern tip (Miami),I have no idea what makes it Oklahoma Pale Ale beyond its brewing location. Still, Choc OPA stands out from a crowded pale ale field for being hoppy and multi-dimensional.

Epic Brewing Exponential Series Release No. 5: Straight Up Saison

Sept. 5, 2012

Another first, beer from Utah, which has unshackled its alcohol laws to some degree. Salt Lake City’s Epic Brewing produced 1,800 bottles of Belgian-style ale. This saison pours foamy and pale. Lemon cream and floral notes waft from the glass. Some passion fruit drifts behind the lemon, including the highlights of the seldom-seen guava and a little peach. Orange and lemon are accents. Lemon grains and a pinch of hops sizzles ever so slightly as the creamy finish rises. Too often saison ales stick to triple flavor profiles plus or minus a little spicy character; Straight Up Saison goes in bolder directions with its fruit profile.