Red Horn Poptart Ravioli?

Poptart Ravioli?  It's a kettle soured strawberry milkshake IPA from Central Texas brewer Red Horn Brewing that involves actual poptarts in the brewing process.  The 6% ABV concoction pours a hazy, reddish gold with a white head and smells of tart fruits, strawberry, and vanilla.  The flavor is a sour mix of strawberry, cream, and just a hint of funk.  I like it when brewers get a little crazy, and it's even better when the end product is this tasty.

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Cigar City Florida Man DIPA

If they're calling it Florida Man, you'd think it would be kind of crazy, or at least illegal in other states.  But the Florida Man Double IPA from the fine folks at Cigar City Brewing is a tasty and balanced brew that could sit right in with your more civilized society, albeit in cut-off shorts and a tank top.  The 8.5% ABV beer pours a cloudy orange with a foamy white head and smells of citrus with notes of pine and florals.  The flavor is a wonderful, syrupy, and (probably too) easy to drink mix of orange, citrus, and tropical fruits with some hoppy pine notes and maybe a hint of clove.  Drink a few of these, take off your shirt, and go cause some trouble.

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Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stout

The murder of George Floyd really set off a spark.  And it's a spark that i sincerely hope ignites a fire.  In light of the wave of Black Lives Matter protests all over the nation, the wonderful folks at San Antonio's Weathered Souls Brewing, a black-owed brewery, have been teaming up with other brewers all over the world to craft a collaborative charity brew that raises awareness for the injustices that people of color face daily and helps to raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.  It's a great and important cause and you can find out more about the whole thing here.  In the meanwhile, i was fortunate enough to get to try the version from Family Business Beer Company.  The 9% ABV beer pours black (naturally) with a tan head and smells of malt, chocolate, and coconut.  The flavor is a tasty, roasty mix of malt, chocolate, coffee, toffee, and coconut.  It's a great brew, and i'm curious to give all the other variations a try.

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Whitestone Rated R

There's a lot going on right now.  A lot.  I found myself fighting an oncoming panic attack every other day.  At least i'm drinking more.  Anyhoo, Cedar Park's Whitestone Brewing recently released an insane blended brew called Rated R (the R stands for Ridiculous).  The beer is concocted from 6 different barrel aged brews, as follows:

1. Melted Snowman (winter warmer) aged in Treaty Oak rum barrel for 5 months.
2. Slappin' Da Base Russian Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrel for 12 months.
3. Lovely Day IPA aged in Treaty Oak rum barrel for 27 months.
4. 1431 Amber Ale aged in Madeira wine barrel for 27 months.
5. Boondoggle Brown Ale aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel for 29 months.
6. A different batch of Boondoggle Brown Ale aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel for 29 months.

The 10% beer pours brownish black with an off white head and smells of rum, oak, and vanilla.  The flavor is a complex and boozy mix of rum, bourbon, and oak along with notes of dark fruit, malt, and maybe a hundred other things.  The dark ale is probably not for everyone, but i found it to be delicious and unique.

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