Many of the beers I discuss on these pages are not the everyday run-of-the-mill beers simply because most of the people who only drink domestics and things like that already know what they like and they’re content, which is fine by me. I prefer to write about more interesting beers that people may not have heard of, and most of that list consists of styles which are more extreme, like stouts and sours and even IPAs. That being said, there are always beers which are, in my opinion, better versions of the more well-known and generally popular beers out there. Those other versions may be a little more expensive because they’re made by a smaller brewery, or harder to find because these smaller craft breweries aren’t able to ship out to the entire country, but that’s no reason not to try one if you do come across it. One such example would be Calabaza Blanca by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Jolly Pumpkin is simply the name of the brewery and has nothing to do with pumpkin beer, although I do believe they actually make one. For all the rest of their lineup, they focus mostly on farmhouse ales and other similar styles. This Calabaza Blanca is actually a witbier, however, meaning it’s the same style as a Blue Moon or Avery White Rascal if you’ve ever had either of those. The Blanca has the same citrus and coriander notes, along with the spices classically found in a witbier or a hefeweizen. It’s crisp, light and smooth, along with being very drinkable, and the oak barrels it’s aged in give it a unique funkiness at the tail end of the sip. All around a great light and wheaty beer that I recommend to anyone who is already a fan of Blue Moon or any witbiers and is willing to try something a little different without having to jump into the deep end of crazy beers.
I was lucky enough, I mean charming enough, to get my hands on a newly released beer from Abomination Brewing Company called The Harvester. There are actually multiple versions of this beer using different combinations of fruits like gooseberry, mango and blueberry. The one I tried was the version with blackberry, red raspberry and pomegranate, and let me tell you it was a banger. This sour ale is what my boss referred to as a “juice bomb” and I won’t fault him for it, because that’s pretty accurate. The Harvester (at least this version) has a fair bit of acidity to it, putting it in the mid-range of sour level. It’s not going to squeeze your face, but if you’re into sour beers, it’s got something for you. The fruits are all there and I was able to pick each one out of a lineup. It’s well balanced, the flavor is powerful, and it’s just tart enough that I could drink a couple of these and not so tart that I’d be mad at myself later.
Valentine’s Day is, of course, this month, and to celebrate, your BG Mellow Mushroom is putting on a special lambic from the Lindemans Brewery out of Belgium. Lindemans has been open for over 200 years now, so let’s call a spade a spade: If a brewery (or any business, really) can survive for 200 years, they probably have a solid grasp on what they’re doing. Many lambics and other Belgian-style beers released in the last decade or two are considered lower quality because of the use of fruit syrups becoming more common, but Lindemans has been doing this for much longer than that and by using fresh juices their product is undoubtedly higher quality than some of these more recent attempts at the style.
What Mellow Mushroom is putting on for Valentine’s Day is the Framboise, which is a lambic style beer with raspberry juice added in. The fruit gives this beer a natural fruit aroma and a beautiful pink shade when poured into your fanciest glassware. The taste is fresh raspberries which are expectedly tart. There is no bitterness to this beer, which is a pleasant surprise, allowing the focus to stay on the fruity aspects of this smooth, classy beer. It doesn’t come off as the type of drink you would imbibe large quantities of in a sitting, but more of a dessert drink after the meal, or something to share with another and sip on while you gaze longingly into each other’s eyes and think to yourselves how good this beer is.
-by Josh Helton
