Keg Creek Kashmir Kush Double IPA

The Keg Creek Brewing Company is in Glenwood, Iowa. The brewery is named after a nearby creek which was originally named Five Barrel Creek for the illicit whiskey found there in the mid-1800's. This is their 8.8% ABV double India Pale Ale made with hemp seeds.

The beer pours a hazy dark amber in color. There is a short head of off-white to light tan head. The aroma is dank, hemp, with bread and bread crust underneath. The taste is sweet, bready, fruity, plums and orange, with an earthy hemp note, and a fairly bitter finish. The beer drinks smooth with tingling carbonation. This is quite good.

Surly Direct Current IPA

This 6.5% ABV India Pale Ale is from the Surly Brewing Company of Brooklyn Center (and now Minneapolis), Minnesota. 

The beer pours a lightly hazy dark golden and peach. There is a tall, thick, foaming head of white. The aroma is dank, tropical, guava, earthy, musky, fruit skins. The taste follows the aromas, very dank, some tropical, a bit of citrus on the finish. It is dry with a bitterness that starts moderate and then ramps up to tonic water levels. The beer drinks with the perfect balance of refreshing carbonation and pillowy softness.

Keg Creek Mas

The Keg Creek Brewing Company is in Glenwood, Iowa. The brewery is named after a nearby creek which was originally named Five Barrel Creek for the illicit whiskey found there in the mid-1800's. This is their 4.8% ABV Mexican style lager.

The beer pours a lightly hazed golden and yellow. There is an inch of white foam head. The aroma is mild grain, a touch of sweet, with a light, bright fruitiness. The taste is grain, bread, with a touch of crisp apple. There is a bit of sweetness, but the end is mostly dry, with a light grassy bitterness. The beer drinks easy, crisp, and refreshing. This is as advertised, a Mexican-Style lager, and a good one at that.

Backpocket Raygun Vol. 2 DDH

This 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale is from the Backpocket Brewing Company of Coralville, Iowa. It uses Strata, Galaxy, Citra, and Mosaic hops, with a dry hopping of Strata and Galaxy.

The beer pours orange and dark golden in color. There is a short head of white foam. The aroma is citrus, passion fruit and guava. The taste is intensely tropical, massive guava, very juicy. The finish is mostly dry with a light to moderate bitterness. The beer drinks easy, both smooth and carbonated at the same time. This is very tasty!

Peace Tree Get a Little Hazy

This 6.0% ABV hazy IPA is from the Peace Tree Brewing Company in Knoxville, Iowa (and now Des Moines). Their location in Des Moines is in the East Village neighborhood.

The beer pours a hazy straw yellow, with just a tint of orange. There is a short-lived head of white foam. The aroma is big, bright, citrus, tropical. The taste follows the aromas, juicy, blast of citrus, rich tropical fruits. The beer drinks easy with refreshing carbonation. By god, this is a good one!

Carroll Brewing Nightmare on 5th Street

This 4.8% ABV  pumpkin beer is from the Carroll Brewing Company of Carroll, Iowa.

The beer pours a medium brown with gem amber tints. There is nearly an inch of tan head. The aroma is full of spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, over sweet pumpkin and malt. The taste follows the aromas, a pumpkin spiced pastry. There is sweetness, but cut by a fairly dry finish with moderate bitterness. The beer drinks easy with tingling carbonation.

Carroll Brewing Patio Saison

This 4.4% ABV saison is from the Carroll Brewing Company of Carroll, Iowa.

The beer pours dark golden, with nearly an inch of white foam head. The aroma is full of flowers, cloves, bright citrus. The taste follows the aromas, very floral, with cloves, bread, citrus, and light honey. The finish is mostly dry with moderate, floral bitterness. The beer drinks easy and refreshing, nicely carbonated without being fizzy. Enjoy it on their patio or yours. 

Carroll Brewing Kolsch

This 4.8% ABV kolsch-style ale is from the Carroll Brewing Company of Carroll, Iowa. 

The beer pours a pure golden in color with over an inch of dazzling white foam head. The aroma is golden toasted grain, fresh hard crust bread, light hay. The taste follows the aromas, adding in honey and apples. There is a moderately bitter grassy finish. The beer drinks very crisp and refreshing. This is a tasty guzzler!

Bell's Larry's Latest Juicy IPA

Bell's Brewery is in Comstock, Michigan. This is a 6.0% ABV India Pale Ale.

The beer pours a somewhat hazy dark peach in color. There is a very tall head of white foam. The aroma is fruity, citrus, tangy, pineapple and peach. The taste is malty, fruity, with a touch of earthiness and pine. The finish is extremely dry and fairly bitter. The beer finishes with an astringent, carbonated refreshment. This is a decent IPA, but it is not the type of IPA I expected when "juicy" was put in the name.

Odell Peach Stand Rambler

The Odell Brewing Company is in Fort Collins, Colorado. This is a 5.1% ABV blonde ale brewed with peaches.

The beer pours a pure golden with a light haze. There is nearly an inch of white foam head, but not long lasting. The aroma is lightly tart, with a keen peachiness. The taste is like a very mild gose with plenty of peach. The beer has a medium body, the finish is dry with a light fruity tartness. It indicates they brewed with peaches, but the peach flavor comes across as artificial. 

Pabst Blue Ribbon Hard Tea

This 4.0% ABV and 100 calorie hard peach tea is from Pabst Blue Ribbon.

The drink pours, not surprisingly, the color of iced tea. It is fairly well carbonated, but does not keep any kind of head. The aroma is full of peach, not fresh, but more like peach Jolly Rancher's. I expected the taste to be nothing but overwhelming fake peach. However, there is a good blast of ice tea flavor, then the peach comes in, much less intense than the aroma. It is relatively sweet, but the tea flavor keeps it on the drinkable side. This tastes like a moderately carbonated decent peach iced tea. It is what it said it would be!

Boulevard Hustle Up!

This 4.0% ABV and 100 calorie blond ale is from Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri. 

The beer pours a deep and dark golden. There is a tall, thick head of white foam. The aroma is grain, crust of French bread, a touch of sweet, a touch of floral and fruit. The taste follows the aromas, a base of grain, with a touch of flower and peach on top. The finish is moderately bitter, grassy, bringing a dry end. The beer drinks crisp and refreshing.

Lion Bridge Oktobot 3000

This 8.5% ABV Imperial Oktoberfest style beer is from the Lion Bridge Brewing Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is aged in rye whiskey barrels.

The beer pours a very dark amber, dark brown, burnt orange. There is a relatively short and short-lived head of tan foam. The aroma is big, malty, lots of rye whiskey, sweet, vanilla, cherry, oak. The taste follows the aromas, big caramel malt, spicy rye whiskey, cherry fruit, with a fairly bitter finish, dry with oaky astringency. The beer drinks with a medium body, not heavy, but big enough to hold up the big and bold flavors.

Lion Bridge Off Grid IPA

This 6.6% ABV India Pale Ale is from the Lion Bridge Brewing Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It uses Galaxy, Citra, and Sabro hops.

The beer pours a cloudy, juicy dark yellow. There is a half-inch of thick white, foamy head. The aroma is citrus, dank and musky, earthy yet fruity, the peels of tropical fruits. The taste follows the aromas, very dry and earthy, yet tangy and fruity, citrus and pineapple on the end. The finish is moderately bitter. The beer drinks soft and easy, with intensely tingling carbonation.

Lion Bridge Beer at Work

This 7.0% ABV Australian-style IPA is from the Lion Bridge Brewing Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The beer pours a cloudy dark yellow and light orange juice. There is a short head of white foam. The aroma is dank, musky, tropical fruit and citrus, mango peel and passion fruit. The taste follows the aromas, very fruity, very juicy, very musky. The finish is soft, but with fairly intense bitterness. The beer drinks smooth and easy.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2020

This 6.0% ABV beer is Sierra Nevada Brewing's 2020 take on the Oktoberfest style. The last several years they have been collaborations with German breweries, probably killed this year by the coronavirus.

The beer pours a deep and dark golden that near light amber. There is nearly an inch of white to off-white head, not particularly long lasting. The aroma is toasted and cracked grain, fresh bread, lightly floral sweetness and outdoor herbal note. The taste is toasted bread, a touch of sweetness, and then grassy bitterness. The beer drinks with a medium body and moderate carbonation.   

Guinness Baltimore Blonde

This 5.0% ABV is brewed at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery that is located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 

The beer pours a deep and dark golden. There is an inch of white foam head. It is very carbonated without being fizzy. The aroma is grains, hay, grass, crusty bread, with a hint of sweetness. The taste follows the aromas, nice lagery grain, and then a bright, fruity hit of hops. The finish is crisp, refreshing, with a moderate bitterness. The beer drinks easy and thirst quenching. This is very enjoyable.

Keg Creek Oktoberfest

The Keg Creek Brewing Company is in Glenwood, Iowa. The brewery is named after a nearby creek which was originally named Five Barrel Creek for the illicit whiskey found there in the mid-1800's. This is their marzen style Oktoberfest beer, coming in at 6.0% ABV.

The beer pours a deep yet bright amber in color. There is an inch of off-white to light tan head. The aroma is malty, sweet, caramel, nutty. The taste follows the aromas, perfectly malty for the style, with caramel, toffee, and a bit of nuttiness. There is sweetness, but the finish is semi-dry, with a lightly to moderately grassy bitterness. The beer drinks easy, not overly carbonated, but still very refreshing.

Toppling Goliath Dolphin Sparkles Double IPA

The Toppling Goliath Brewing Company is in Decorah, Iowa. Originally brewed as a collaboration with Barrel Theory, this is a 7.3% ABV double India Pale Ale.

The beer pours a hazy deep golden with a hint of peach. There is a tall head of thick, white foam. The aroma is dank, mango, fruit peels, a bit of peach. The taste follows the aromas, fruity, juicy, dank, musky, tropical. The finish is dry and moderately bitter. The beer drinks easy, soft, smooth, but with pleasant carbonation. This is delicious.

Founders Oktoberfest

This 6.0% ABV German-style marzen beer is from Founders Brewing of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is always one of my favorite times of year to start seeing the Oktoberfest beers again.

The beer pours a light amber in color. There is an inch of off-white head. The aroma is malty, caramel, a bit of sweet potato, a bit of nuttiness, and a bit of peat smoke. The taste follows the aromas, malty, nutty, caramel and toffee, sweet. However, it does have a fairly bitter and dry, grassy, finish, not too abrupt, allowing some of the sweetness to linger. The beer has a medium body and refreshing carbonation that is not too strong.