Refreshed from my final all nighter at BBC 13, I cracked open a trio of beers from Sixpoint Brewery. Luckily these cans made it past TSA in my travels back home. Some of my loot from my East Coast beerventure included their Righteous, Sweet Action, and Resin. My favorite of the three, by far, was the Resin. Any ale that boasts over 100 IBUs gets my attention. Whether it was my thirst for hops or my overall love of this 9.1 percenter, I wished that this twelve ounce can lasted all night.
One of the many beer styles that I came to appreciate at the Beer Bloggers' Conference was the Saison. A style that originated in Belgium during the 19th century, it was one that, over the years, I haven't exposed myself to. My recent trip opened my eyes to this Farmhouse style ale. What I loved about Ovila was the combination of pepper and mandarin oranges. The sweet funky finish was delightfully sippable. As it warmed to room temperature, the complex palate just kept going and going.
What says summer more than a cider with hops? Anthem prides itself in making "true cider", pressing whole apples, and using some of my favorite apple varieties: Honeycrisp and Fuji. So when you put my favorite apple in a hard cider and then hop it up with one of my favorite hops, you get a winning combination. Dry hopped with Cascades for about three weeks, this hophead might have just found a new breakfast favorite.
On the last day of my Summer Beer Month, I found myself in Yakima, WA. Regardless of what needed to get done that day, beer was on the agenda. After a quick pint at The Beer Shoppe, I headed over to Yakima Craft Brewing. My eyes must have lit up when I saw that they had Heather on tap. Ok, I know, I might be a bit partial. This ale had a mild honey sweetness that just popped with the addition of Heather tips. So much so, that it was decided at that very moment to make a Heather ale of my own. Maybe even barrel age it. All Heathers get better with age, right?
Anthem Cider is incredible. If you get the chance, try the Cherry and Pear varieties as well.
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