Alright, I know. I’ve been super slack this past couple of weeks with my blog…I blame summer express classes. I mean what kind of sadist came up with the idea of cramming a 15 week class into 6 weeks? Evil.

I have many, many reviews to catch up on, but to start here’s a couple I’ve been sitting on.

First off, Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA – I love the packaging on Mikkeller’s beers; I think the font is awesome and the simplicity of their labels is really appealing. If I haven’t mentioned it before, I really am a sucker for a good label. It’s not usually an indicator of good beer on the inside of course, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

Pours a dark orange-ish cloudy glass with a decent sized foamy off-white head that left a good amount of lacing.  Good carbonation.

Aroma is a little on the light-on side. There’s piney hops, with a sweet background of honey and the grapefruity-ness that’s typical of Cascade hops is there too.

The taste is, funnily enough, pretty damn hoppy; the standard cascade piney hop profile is there, as well as some citrus. I also detect another fruit in there which really does a lot to balance out the crazy hop-ness – I think it’s pineapple; yum! The finish is nice and dry with a touch of toasty malts.

Overall, it’s not terribly complex but definitely above average. Solid B+.

ABV: 6.9%

IBU: ?

SERVING STYLE: 12oz bottle.

2010 release of Sierra Nevada’s Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale. I know a lot of people find this one too hoppy and citrusy; me this beer proves to me yet again that I am indeed a die-hard hop head. Not to mention that the Southern Hemisphere is my home!

As you can see in the pic, it pours a simply gorgeous pint. Coppery-gold, very clear with a very good sized head on top which left lovely lacing down the inside of my glass as I made my way to the bottom.

The nose here is lemon zest and pine needle hops. Uncomplicated comes to mind!

Taste is far more rounded than the nose suggests; the malt backbone really stands up to the hops and the citrus. Along with that caramel sweetness comes something earthy and a little spicy. Can’t quite pin it and might need to have another few to figure it out There’s some good carbonation on this one too.

A-, nice job SN.

ABV: 6.7%

IBU: 66

SERVING STYLE: 22oz bottle.

Sunday afternoon the other weekend brought out the new Chatoe Rogue First Growth Single Hop Ale, which according to the Rogue site is a Blonde Ale, brewed with entirely Rogue grown ingredients. Sounds delish.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, my hubby is a big fan of whiskey, particularly scotch…I’m pretty sure that’s how this one got picked up at the store…or maybe he’s just getting wise to the type of beers that float my boat in the warm FL months The ABV rocks in at a perfect sunny FL day 4.8%; awesome!

Upon opening, the bottle made a big whooshing sound, so I was expecting massive carbonation; instead I got a big fluffy white head on top of a pretty golden amber colour glass of beer, with just medium bubbles.

The aroma is light-on, but you have a new and interesting hop profile for a Rogue brew here and a nice earthy malty aroma that’s not too sweet. Even a little of the minerally nose you sometimes get on a pilsner-esque beer…smells like summer to me!

The taste on this one made me do a little dance…finally a craft beer that I can talk my Dad into! The hops are super-balanced and dry and a nice water crackery malt rounds it out. It’s crisp and refreshing with a touch of citrus and apple cider; I can’t wait to drink more of this

Thumbs up from 102 degree heat index West Palm Beach; solid A-

ABV: 4.8%

IBU: 35

SERVING STYLE: 22oz bottle.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my review of Grease Burger Bar in West Palm Beach!