4th Tap Paradise Lost Guava IPA

It's been over 100 degrees for several days now here in Texas, and across much of the southwest as well, and aside from staying in the shade and drinking copious amounts of water, the only other thing i can really think of to beat the heat is...wait for it...beer.  And the delicious Paradise Lost Guava IPA from Austin's 4th Tap Brewing has really made a case to be this year's summer beer preference.  Pouring a hazy gold with a white head, the 6.25% ABV beer smells of citrus, tropical fruit, and guava (of course), with some nice subtle notes of dankness as well.  The flavor is sweet, the notes of fruit and citrus hitting the palate first, but then finishes more on the bittersweet side with just a hint of funk.  What a lovely brew to have this scorching weekend.

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Innis & Gunn Vanishing Point 01 Imperial Stout

There sure is a lot of bullshit going on out there.  So as it is, so as it has always been, so as it will continue to be.  And every so often, you have to take a breather for a moment, for meditation or reflection...or maybe just to have a beer.  One of the pleasures of this world is enjoying a strong brew at the end of the day, sitting on the sofa, the kids in bed, the world turned off for just a few minutes.  Vanishing Point 01 is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout from Scotland's Innis & Gunn Brewery, and i will say that this 11% ABV concoction was the perfect libation to close out a weekend.  Pouring dark black with a creamy tan head, aromas of roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and oak abounding, the brew was slightly sweet, a smooth and creamy mix of said flavors with some very subtle dark fruit notes and an all around pleasant booziness.  Lovely.  I guess it's back to the real world now.

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Uncle Billy's Knuckleballer Kolsch

It has been way, way too long since i've been to a baseball game, and drinking the Knuckleballer Kolsch from Austin's Uncle Billy's Brewery is just making that much more evident.  The beer tastes like the ballpark in a can.  Pouring gold with a frothy, creamy white head, the 5.4% ABV brew smells lightly of fruit, yeast, and spice.  The flavor is similar, the subtle notes of apple or pear mixing well with the malts and hops in a crisp and dry finish.  It's wonderfully refreshing on a hot day, and demands another.

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Circle Fanny Pack Kolsch

The other night, we lost power for a few hours right after dinner.  Within a few minutes, the house started to get hot, and it wasn't long before it was actually cooler outside than in.  So, we sat out front on some patio chairs with a couple flashlights and some toys/activities for the boys, who were way more amused by the whole situation than their parents were.  Anyway, accompanying me on our little exodus was a few cans of Fanny Pack Kolsch from Circle Brewing, a crisp and refreshing 4.8% ABV brew that went down all to easy as the moon came up.  The beer pours a wheaty gold with a slight white head and smells of malt and spice with a hint of fruit.  The flavor was slight sweet with occasional notes of spice and a dry finish.  This is a great and sessionable summertime beer, with or without power.

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