Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb!

Way back in the good old days, when i was still on vacation, my mix of Southern California beers was interrupted by a powerful little brew out of Oklahoma.  Prairie Artisan Ales' Bomb! is a beast of a beer.  Coming in at 13% ABV, this imperial stout aims to put hair on your chest.  The beer pours a dark, midnight black and smells of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and malt.  The flavor combines those aromatic elements nicely, but throws in some ancho chile peppers to liven things up a bit.  The subtle heat from the peppers mixes well with the coffee and chocolate flavors and creates a pretty unique tasting beer, though it is definitely of the post-meal variety.  Skip desert and have a Bomb! instead.

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Mission Brewery Blonde Ale

It's summer.  It's hot.  I spent part of my day yesterday mowing and edging my lawn.  At midday, i was a filthy, sweaty mess, a heap of wet and dusty clothes and reddening skin.  I sure could have used a Blonde Ale from San Diego's Mission Brewery to cool me back down.  The beer is a Kolsch-style ale, pouring a nice and light gold with a dry, crisp body.  Aromas and flavors of fruits and spices prevail prevail in this perfect summertime beverage.  I've said before that nothing beats a Kolsch on a hot summer day, and it turns out i'm absolutely right.

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Back in Black Black IPA

If i'm honest with myself, there really does not seem to be any style of beer that i just don't like.  Sure, there are some that are not my favorite...which is really just a nice way of saying i'd rather not drink them, and there are certainly some i favor more than others, but it really all just comes down to my mood.  That said, i love me some IPA's, and all the wonderful variations of said style.  Back in Black is a black IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery, a collision of styles and flavors that i thought worked together fantastically.  The beer pours a nice black with a tan head and smells of orange and citrus, but with some detectable coffee notes.  The flavor brings together the citrus and some grapefruit notes with roasted malts and some light caramel, the whole thing finishing dry and not overly hoppy, and at 4.9% ABV, it's an easy drinker.  Have one with a friend.

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Mike Hess Claritas Kolsch

Summertime usually means Kolsch-style brews for me, and this summer is no different.  Since loading up on California beers back in June, i was provided with a bevy of different ones to sample.  San Diego's Mike Hess Brewing's offering was their Claritas Kolsch, a light-bodied, golden nectar with aromas of citrus and fruit and flavors of said fruit notes with some sweet malts and spicy hops.  Perfect and refreshing for a hot day spent outside by the pool, or porch, or BBQ, and so on.

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