Humperdinks Raspberry Blonde

Over the weekend i met up with my family in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to watch my niece play some softball and spend some time with everyone.  While there, i made it over to Humperdinks Brewpub, a place with a little bit of nostalgia for me as it was a joint my dad used to frequent years ago.  To be honest, i think he just enjoyed that they have a beer called Buttface Ale.  My sons enjoyed that too.  And so, after a Buttface Ale for my dad, i had their Raspberry Blonde.  Pouring pink with a light pink and bubbly head, the 4.7% ABV brew smelled of...you guessed it...raspberries, along with some citrus and spice notes.  The flavor was a crisp and refreshing mix of...you guessed it again...raspberries, along with those same citrus and spice notes.  A very pleasant summer beer that may be too sweet for some, but complimented my dinner of fried food perfectly.

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Family Business El Verano Single-Hop Juicy IPA

Yesterday was Father's Day and somehow i convinced my family to go with me to not one, but two breweries out in the Central Texas Hill Country.  My boys even seemed to enjoy themselves at both Jester King (there were goats!) and Family Business (there were naps!), and i had a healthy sampling of brews from both locations.  One of the (many) highlights was the El Verano from Family Business, a single-hop Juicy IPA that pours a hazy, wheaty gold with a white head and smells of orange, citrus, apricot, tropical fruits, and summer.  The flavor is a wonderful mix of said fruit notes with some melon and a slight hint of bitterness.  And even at 6.6% ABV, it was thirst quenching easy drinker for a warm day.  Happy Father's Day to me.

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Real Ale Skullberry Strawberry Milkshake IPA

It was hot as hell here yesterday, a bad omen for the rest of the summer, but at least i had the wonderful and delicious Skullberry, a strawberry milkshake IPA from Real Ale, to cool things off.  The 6.2% ABV brew pours a hazy, unfiltered gold with a solid white head and smells of berries, fruit, mildly dank hops, and maybe just a hint of cream.  The flavor is a sweet mix of berries and hops with a touch of lactose to soften the mouthfeel and a hint of vanilla.  What a fantastic summertime beer.  I imagine i'll be drinking throughout the season.

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Compadre Love Buzzzz Golden Ale

So, a couple of weeks ago, i got this idea in my head that i need to hit up as many breweries as possible over the summer, and i settled on the magic number of 40 (though secretly, i'm actually hoping to do 50).  It's an endeavor maybe, especially with the whole full time job and kids and home ownership and stuff, but i think i can do it.  And i'm giving myself from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend...you know, the summer.  Let's do this!  Anyway, my quest began over Memorial Day Weekend with a lunchtime trip to a brand new brewery in the greater Austin area, Round Rock's Compadre Brewing.  Sampling a few of their wares, the highlight for me was the Love Buzzzz, a 6.3% ABV Golden Ale that poured a nice crisp gold (of course) with a quickly dissipating white head.  The brew smelled of floral and subtle fruit notes with some honey, grain, and hints of spice, the flavor being similar but with a nip of alcohol on the back end, a good lunchtime brew.  Much thanks to Compadre who, knowingly or not, began my stupid quest with me.  Cheers!

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