Whitestone Peach Tart Saison

It was a lovely day in central Texas yesterday, sunny and warm with a windy breeze that made for perfect patio drinking weather.  I was fortunate enough to make it out to Cedar Park's Whitestone Brewery with the wife and kids for a crawfish boil, courtesy of Jimmy Vega, and some delicious brews to pair with all the mud bugs and sausage.  I found the brewery's seasonal Peach Tart Saison, a sweet and sour 7% ABV libation, to be a wonderful post boil beverage.  Pouring a cloudy gold with a slight bubbly head, the beer smells of peaches with hints of spice and a little yeast and bread.  The flavor start sweet, the peaches up front, but the sours up with some swirls of citrus and some champagne-like kicks.  I certainly need to get back there soon.  Hooray for beer in the suburbs!

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Deschutes Sagefight Imperial IPA

It's officially spring, which means it's IPA season.  From the always excellent and dependable Deschutes comes the Sagefight Imperial IPA, an 8% ABV tasty and intriguing brew.  The beer pours a cloudy gold and smells of hops, spice, citrus, and juniper berries.  The flavor is a complex mix of citrus and hops swirled with juniper berries and sage, all combining in a delightful punch to the mouth.  This beer is perfect for a cool and sunny day, but can totally sneak up on you if you're not careful.

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Rye'd The Lightning

Austin's Pinthouse Pizza is probably one of my most favorite places to hang out around town.  It's kid friendly, the grub is good, and i absolutely love their beer.  The mainstays are all great, but the real money is in the seasonal releases.  A strong and heavy dry Irish stout, the Rye'd The Lightning pours dark black and think with a minimal beige head and aromas of malts, cocoa, and coffee.  Predominant flavors of roasted malt with notes of chocolate and coffee prevail, though there are some slight hints of vanilla and booze in the mix of this 9% ABV brew.  I would have more, but i'm afraid it's now all gone.  Here's hoping it gets brewed again soon.

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