Alaskan Fireweed Blonde

As it gets hotter and hotter here, i'm always finding myself reaching for something more refreshing and easy to drink.  And so i've got the Fireweed Blonde from Alaskan Brewing.  The beer pours a nice clear gold with a frothy white head and smells of flowers, honey, and spice.  Light sweet notes of honey abound, and at 4.5% ABV, it's an easy backyard drinker.

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Alaskan Pumpkin Porter

The average temperature around here has finally dropped about 20 degrees over the last week, so i feel comfortable and compelled to proclaim that i love, love, love the Alaskan Brewing Company's Pumpkin Porter.  It's like dessert.  Or candy.  I can't stop drinking it.  The brew pours a dark brownish black with a nice tan head.  The aromas of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked malts, and chocolate are immediately evident...and that's the flavors you get too.  There may be a little clove in the mix as well.  This beer will probably go best as a post meal option, but i'd probably drink it any time.  I'm going to be a sad panda when pumpkin ale season comes to a close.  I give this beer my highest possible recommendation.

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Alaskan Troppelbock (Pilot Series)

Here's a sweet one.  The cats at Alaskan Brewing never disappoint, and their Pilot Series Troppelbock is definitely a treat.  The beer is a nice reddish amber, and the aromas of dark fruits, malt, and hints of vanilla are detectable immediately.  The head is pretty light and dissipating due to the light carbonation therein, and the flavors consist primarily of the aforementioned dark fruits and molasses.  There is also a real alcohol smell and taste to the brew, like it's been aged in barrels.  Though very sweet, at 10.5% ABV, this beer is not to be trifled with.  Delicious but with a punch, best served after a meal...let's say steak.

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Alaskan Black IPA

It's been so wonderful the last year to have the fine beers from Alaskan Brewing Company available here in Austin.  They're really top notch, and something i'd been missing since i visited the northwest a couple of years ago.  Which brings us to their Black IPA.  It's dark and malty, looking more like a porter than anything else, but then the citrus and floral aromas and flavors hit your senses, and it's evident that you're in IPA country.  The hops work nicely with the light coffee and dark fruit flavors in the beer, and it's never too overpowering.  Strangely enough, the brew feels like a combination of a good winter ale and a hoppy, springtime IPA...and it works.  Kudos to the boys and girls in Alaska.

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