Equal Parts Three Seashells Summer Pale Ale

Just got back from a long holiday weekend in Houston full of museums, zoos, swimming, family, old friends, and of course...beer.  Three Seashells Summer Pale Ale from Equal Parts Brewing proved to be a great brew to kick off the summer with, a 6.3% ABV pale that pours gold with a white head and smells of hops, citrus, melon, and lemongrass.  The flavor is a crisp and refreshing mix of said citrus and lemongrass along with some spicy notes to keep things real.  May the summer bring me more beers like this one.

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903 Milkshake and Fries

My wife and my kids all do that thing where they stick their French fries into their shakes or Frosties or whatever from the drive thru.  It's not my thing, but i don't judge, especially when i'm buying beer that's essentially a take on that whole process.  And so we have the Milkshake and Fries stout from 903 Brewers, a milk stout brewed with chocolate soft serve and sea salt.  The 10.7% ABV brew pours black with an off-white head and smells of malts and chocolate.  The flavor is a sweet mix of said malt and chocolate with some mild hints of saltiness to balance it all out.  And it never really feels as strong as it is, so watch out.  But also enjoy.

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Odd Side Deleterious

Every now and then i stumble upon a beer that takes me the better part of an hour or more to drink.  It's just that heavy or complex or powerful.  Odd Side Ales' Deleterious, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, is one of those brews.  The 14.6% ABV beer pours a dark black with a tan head and has a general roasty aroma along with some notes of raisin, tobacco, chocolate, and oak.  The flavor is a nice and warming mix of roasted malt, oak, and bourbon with some subtle notes of vanilla, chocolate, and dark fruit.  It's a wonderful drink, a slow-sipper for sure, and a great beverage to close out a weekend to.

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Frontyard Brewing Rye IPA

The past couple of months have seen the wife and i attempt to venture out a little bit into the world.  We both got our second vaccination shot back in March, so we've felt a little more comfortable hitting a brewery, so long as there's plenty of outdoor space to enjoy.  So for Mother's Day, we drove out into the country to Spicewood, Texas to hit up Frontyard Brewing.  Their beer has been circulating around Austin for a couple of years now, but this was our first trip out to their very pretty facility and taproom.  Beers and beautiful views of the Texas Hill Country were enjoyed, and naturally i brought some to-go brews back home with us.  And so we have the Rye IPA, a 9.1% ABV brew that pours gold with a white head and smells of citrus, pine, and a hint of spice.  The flavor is a good balance of said citrus and pine notes and the whole thing goes down smoother than one might expect given the high alcohol content.  A perfect weekend beer.

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903 Java The Hutt Stout

Over the last year+ of COVID inactivity, i have watched a lot of movies.  And i've had my fair share of beer.  And for some reason, nothing hits quite like a double feature of horror flicks and some strong and heavy stouts on a Friday night.  It has become a regular thing.  And one of the more recent brews is an imperial rye stout aged on coffee beans from 903 Brewers called Java the Hutt Stout.  The 12.6% ABV beer pours black with a tan head and smells of chocolate and roasted coffee.  The flavor is a roasty, delicious mix of said chocolate and coffee along with some dark fruit notes and a subtle hint of booze.  It's the perfect libation for watching mutants and untold gore on the screen.  At least for me it is.

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