Weekend Brew Review: 8/4/12

We are off to a great start for the weekend.  We have some German guests in town.  It is always fun to introduce them to beer.  Yes, I know what your thinking, and Germany does produce some GREAT beers, BUT they only produce about 6 styles of beers.  For sheer variety nobody can even touch what we have here in the States:

Brau Bros (Lucan, MN) Hop Session:  I must be growing my IPA legs because these beers are starting to taste better with each one I have, or maybe we are finally getting over our need to over hop mediocre beers.  Hop Session is a great IPA with the right color, crisp and bitter.  A little thick on the mouthfeel for an IPA, but is nice and balanced leave a pleasant peppery aftertaste.  Rating:  ** 1/2 (Great)

Deschutes (Bend, OR) Twilight Summer Ale:  Faint apricot aroma, nice thick foamy head.  This beer was extremely muddled.  Light sweetness followed by an empty bitterness.  Hard to tell the style of this beer or where the brewers wanted to go with it.  Not very well done.  Rating:  1/2 (Bad)

Anchor (San Fransisco , CA) Old Foghorn Barleywine:  I have had a few barley wines in the past and I was amazed how hoppy they were.  This barleywine met with my old expectations of what a barleywine should be.  Yes I know I am drinking this out of season, but I really wanted to add this one to the list of beers I have tried.  Dark amber color, light brown foamy head.  Thick sweet aroma, accompanied with a strong alcohol flavor.  Warm caramel flavors even when served cold.  Light hops, with a banana after taste.  Very well done, if you like thick strong beers.  Rating *1/2 (Good)

Lucid (Minnetonka, MN) Surfside 2012:  Dark straw color, nice white foamy head.  Great cascade hops flavors.  Thicker mouthfeel, great overall profile.  The flavors change as they draw across the palate in a pleasant way.  Bitterness is well balanced.  Rating *** (Excellent)

Tyranena (Lake Mills, WI)  Dirty Old Man Imperial Porter (Brewers Gone Wild Series):  Very dark, with a dark brown head.  Very strong alcohol aroma.  Taste have nice coffee tones, very thick mouthfeel but leaves you with a feathery aftertaste.  Very well put together beer.  Rating ***1/2 (Excellent).