Maui Brewing Company - Coconut Porter

American Porter, 6% ABV

Appearance: The beer is opaque black, with minimal head and very little residual lacing.

Smell: Predominantly coconut and chocolate.

Taste: Rich, creamy chocolate, coconut, mocha (yes, I understand that chocolate, already mentioned, is a component of mocha, but I guess I felt that rather than distinct chocolate and coffee notes, the expected coffee taste is tempered by the chocolate -- thus, mocha) and hazelnut.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with nice pricks of carbonation to lighten the overall effect.

Overall: This is a lovely, lovely beer. It needs to be warmed after taking out of the fridge to get the full range of the creamyness and toasted malt. I've mentioned before on my personal blog that drinking this reminds me in a way of Double Rainbow's Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream. It has the same rich decadence, but unlike a pint of ice cream, the texture and mouthfeel is lent levity by the carbonation. I don't really know anyone who wouldn't enjoy this.

5/5

Dogfish Head - Aprihop

Apricot IPA, 7% ABV

Appearance: Dark copper, rust, with a thick head that recedes quickly, leaving little lacing on the glass. Carbonation is not visible, and the beer is cloudy.

Smell: Sweet from the malt, apricot, a bit of musk, and a hint of citrus.

Taste: Apricot, obviously -- would be kind of disappointing if we didn't get this, right? The apricot is throughout the body of the beer, bolstered by a honey malt base. The hops come in with a kick at the end.

Mouthfeel: It's light to medium-bodied, but due to the extra sweetness in the taste it's nice to not have too syrupy of a texture.

Overall: One of the first beers I remember enjoying was an apricot ale (Pyramid, I believe) and when I first sampled Aprihop, it was love at first sip. One thing I've noticed over the many times I've had this is that serving temperature is very important. When I've had it on tap at the perfect temperature, I get a lot more subtlety than I've ever been able to get from the bottle, though I've gotten pretty close to the right temp here at home. Above about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the malt becomes overly dominant, but too cold and you lose nearly everything except the hops. I'm on the upper end of temperatures today, so it was not too sweet but I suspect I may have lost some of the character. I have more of this, so I may have to revisit this review at a cooler temperature and report back.

It's still an overall favorite, and a standby I like to turn to when I see it around.

4/5

Eagle Rock Brewery - Equinox

Young Sour Ale, 5.4% ABV

Appearance: Light straw in color, clear, minimal head/lacing -- possible that some carbonation has been lost in the growler that would have provided a thicker head.

Smell: White wine, funky, green apple, vinegar

Taste: Apple really comes through -- apple cider vinegar is a close approximation taste-wise but the beer is actually light and not harsh at all like drinking vinegar would actually be. As it's a "young" sour, it is not very full-bodied, but for beginners to sour beers this may be a good introduction, as it's light, mild, and very drinkable. Not a lot of malt character, which is nice here because for me I think too much sweet/sour would have reminded me of Warheads candy or SweetTarts.

Mouthfeel: It's very refreshing, and if the beer has at all gone a little flat from growler transport/keeping, it does not affect the mouthfeel at all. It's light-bodied.

Overall: This is a nice, clean, refreshing beer that Eagle Rock is smart to market as a "young" sour, since understandably it's a bit thin in complexity. It's a great beer as we transition into summer from spring, and I'd easily imagine myself drinking it on the beach.

3/5