Banded Horn Brewing Co: Veridian IPA 6%

I'm not a fan of giving bad reviews but if I didn't give my honest opinion what kind of blog would this be so here it goes. Poured out of a 12oz can Veridian IPA was a cloudy yellow with a very tall fluffy head that lasted for a long time. A very strong hop aroma with a slight citrus smell. The taste brings all the flavors back into Veridian IPA with an added pine taste. There was a mild bitterness with a slight aftertaste. Overall I wasn't really impressed with this one. It just didn't do anything for my flavor pallet. I will be willing to try more from Banded Horn in future.  

Gneiss Brewing Company: Weiss 4.8%

I was pleasantly surprised to find this Weiss from Gneiss Brewing Company. A small brewery in Limerick, ME they surely have perfected the art of making a hefeweizen. Poured a cloudy yellow you start to pick up a smell of wheat and clove. The taste brings that wheat and clove back into the beer with an added banana flavor that you expect from a hefeweizen. It had a light crisp refreshing feel to it as I kept drinking it. Overall this is a nice addition to the hefeweizen family. I will definitely be looking forward to another one of these.    

Long Trail Brewing Co: Space Juice 8.7%

Long Trail Brewing produces Space Juice in limited quantities. Brewed with Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, Columbus and Ella hops, the beer is quite hazy yellow in color. It poured with a finger high white head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface. Moderate aromas of piney hops are present in the nose along with notes of tangerine citrus. The taste starts off with flavors of citrusy hops and hints of passionfruit and finishes with strong amounts of piney hops that linger into the finish. There is a moderate to high amount of bitterness. This DIPA has a nice mix of citrus and piney flavors along with bits of tropical fruits.

Avery Brewing Company: Liliko'i Kepolo Passion Fruit 5.6%

When I go out to eat I usually try to find a place that has a good beer list and Yard House is one of those places. I normally head straight to the IPA section but I decided to switch things up this time. I looked in the fruit, lambic, and sour section and found Liliko'i Kepolo Passion Fruit by Avery Brewing Company. Pours a golden hazy with a small white head. This beer really packs all the tropical fruit flavors that I was looking for. Juicy peach, apricot, passion fruit, mango, and pineapple are just some of the smells I picked up. The taste is followed by all the same fruity notes that I picked up when I first smelled Liliko'i Kepolo. It has a little bit of a sour taste to it, but nothing too overpowering. I would say just the right amount with almost no bitterness whatsoever. Overall, Liliko'i Kepolo was a nice switch up to my normal everyday beer choice. 

Down The Road Beer Co.: Seventh Star IPA 6.5%

Currently Down The Road is building a new brewery and taproom in the fermentation district of Everett, MA. It will be right down the street from Night Shift and I cannot wait until they open after having this Seventh Star IPA from them. Golden orange in color, you get a slight strawberry smell with some hops tossed in. The flavor, on the other hand, is all pine. I'm not getting any fruity taste whatsoever. It has a smooth up front taste with a huge bitterness ending. Overall if you're looking for a beer with huge bitter notes this is the one for you.

Zoller :Zwickel Beer 5.5%

Zoller Zwickel Beer is the ultimate lawn mower beer, perfect for a hot day. This beer is golden in color with a big foamy white head and has scents of barley and hops. Zwickel if super light in taste with hardly any bitterness. This is perfect for someone who's not a big beer fan but wants to try something different. Check out your local foreign section at your closest liquor store and pick one up today.

Blue Point Brewing Company: Citrus Plunge IPA 6.5%

Citrus Plunge is an East Coast IPA brewed with orange and honey. Poured from a 16oz can it's a cloudy orange with a tall foamy off-white head. You get major notes of floral hops and citrus. The first sip brings a hoppy flavor with some citrus. I'm getting some orange, lemon, honey, biscuit and earthy notes. This was a very smooth drinker and left a long lasting bitterness on my tongue. Overall the Citrus Plunge was decent. It wasn't my favorite IPA but I would give it another shot to prove it's shelf to me.

Tree House Brewery Co.: Lights On 5.6%

I've heard so many good things about Tree House that I had to try it out for myself. I went with a Lights On and it did not disappoint. Lights On by Tree House Brewery is an American Pale Ale. It pours a super hazy orange with a white fluffy head. As it comes out of the 16oz can you get all kinds of fruity aromas. The first couple of sips brings flavors of papaya, guava, and mango. There was almost no bitterness at all. It had a medium body with a smooth and creamy center. I can't wait to make it out to Charlton to see the new brewery and pick up some cans.

Distelhäuser: Landbier Dunkle 5.1%

This is another German import that Night Shift Distribution brought over and it is a great one. They really did their research when it came to finding great beers to bring over to the US. Landbier is a dunkle with 5.1% ABV. It comes a dark amber color with a small head poured out of the one pint glass bottle. You pick up some sweet and malty aromas as you go to take the first sip. The taste was very smooth with a well balanced flavor of malts, hops, and not really a lot of bitterness.  Distelhäuser has been brewing beers since 1811 and they also won brewery of the year in 2014. Overall if your a dunkle fan or just looking for something new to try I would suggest you go get a Landbier.

Night Shift Brewing: Swell 7.1%

When I found out that Night Shift was coming out with Swell, an American IPA, I knew I needed to try it. The combination of Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hop made me feel like this was going to be a winner, and boy it was. It's from their small-batch series and I really hope they bring it back. Poured from a 16oz can you get a slight hazy yellow color and a big white fluffy head. The first sip brings flavors of candid papaya and pineapple. A smooth beginning with a small bitter middle and a light finish, Swell just keeps getting better and doesn't disappoint. Swell adds a great beer to an already amazing line up from Night Shift Brewing. There might not be any cans left so if you are able to make it out to the taproom I would suggest getting over to Everett to try Swell on draft before its gone.

Jack's Abby Craft Lagers: House Lager 5.2%

Jack's Abby Craft Lagers has really been trying to get their beers out there. Whether it's Fenway, Gillette, or even your local restaurant, you are starting to see more and more of their beers around. This time I was at the  Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton to watch a polo match for a party and saw they had Jack's Abby House Lager so I gave it a shot. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Its a Munich Helles Lager with aromas of biscuits, malts, and honey. You pick up a lot of the same flavors as you start to sip the Helles. Overall it was very smooth with a light sweetness. If you see it out somewhere I would highly recommend that you give this a shot.  

Backlash Beer Company: Citra Salute 8%

I was excited to find out that Backlash was coming out with a citra version of Salute. I've tried a lot of their beers in the past and have been very happy with them. This was not the case with salute this time around. I was kind of disappointed with it. I think it has to do with the fact that I was building this one up in my head to be a juice bomb. I don't know why that is, they never said it was, but in my mind I figured it would be. Overall it was still a decent DIPA. It was a hop forward double with a smooth upfront taste and a slight bitterness finish. I found it to have a bitter aftertaste that would just linger around for a little bit. You definitely could smell some citrus as I was drinking it from the can. At the end of the day I will give Citra Salute another go to try to win me over. 

Aeronaut Brewing Company: Double Hop Hop 8.4%

When I hear people say juice bomb my ears always perk up a little bit. Well that's exactly what Double Hop Hop is. It's a super juicy juice bomb that pack the flavor from the first sip to the last. When I poured it from the 16oz can into the new double hop hop can glass that Aeronaut came out with just for this release it was a hazy yellow orange. You start to pick up aromas of citrus as soon as my nose hovers over the glass. The first sip hit you with that amazing orange citrus flavor that you were expecting. It has a medium bitterness with a very smooth finish. I just want to keep drinking Double Hop Hop. This was the second time Aeronaut has released Double Hop Hop and I hope that they release it again some time soon so I can keep my fridge stocked with it.

Weihenstephan: Original Premium 5.1%

When your slogan is, "The World's Oldest Brewery" you must be doing something right. Weihernstephan has been brewing beer since 1040. This Munich Helles Lager comes out of the one pint glass bottle a golden yellow color with a small white head. It has a grassy aroma with a light and smooth taste. I start to pick up a little lemon flavor as I get a deeper Into this Helles. They have the right combination of malts, barley and hops down to a tee and they should with over 900 years of experience. Overall this was a very smooth and clean tasting beer that would be perfect on a spring night.

Bissell Brothers: Reciprocal 7.3%

Once again Bissell Brothers hits another one out of the park. This Australia double dry hopped double IPA is just pure greatness. It pours a thick hazy orange with a frothy white head. From the first pour out of the 16oz can into an 18oz stem glass you pick up an amazing smell of tropical fruit. The first sip hits you with that same tropical fruit notes that you just want more of. I would say it almost tastes like mango with some peach, papaya and passion fruit. A medium bitterness finishes off this DIPA. This will be one I will definitely be going back up to Portland for.

Night Shift Brewing: Trifecta

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Night Shift was bringing back some of their old beers that they stopped brewing. Trifecta is a Belgian-style pale ale with vanilla beans added, fermented with three Trappist yeast strains. Poured into a can style glass you get a nice fluffy head. It comes out of the 16oz can amber in color and it comes in at 6.9% ABV.  When I take a sip I pick up notes of bubblegum with a little apple and pear. There is a decent amount of spicy notes with some coriander. Trifecta finishes off smooth with very little lingering taste. Overall this was a pretty decent Belgian style beer.

Royal Castle Brewery: Friedenfels Hefe-weissbier

When you go to a packie and see that they are doing a tasting, if you are anything like me you will go over and test some beers. That's just what I did a couple of days ago at my local packie. After sparking up a conversation with the guy in charge of the tasting, I found out that he worked for Night Shift Distribution. Now there's a difference between Night Shift Brewing and Night Shift Distribution. Night Shift Distribution is the company that is distributing all of Night Shift Brewing's beer, and they have decided to bring some beers over from Germany and let me tell you this ... they are some gems. Friedenfelser is a hefe-weissbier that will make you want to travel all the way to Germany. This beer was absolutely amazing and it might have taken over the top spot for my favorite hefe. Friedenfelser comes in a one pint bottle and it's 5.2% ABV. It is a deep golden color with a white fluffy head when poured into a weizen style glass. On first sip you pick up notes of banana, caramel, and a little citrus. Everything blends together well, without being too overpowering. The crisp and smooth nature of this beer makes it an easy drinker. I enjoyed this one so much that I will definitely be going back to pick up some more. 

14th Star Brewing Company: Tribute

Where to start with this one ... truthfully, I was kind of disappointed with Tribute from 14th Star Brewing. It was off a recommendation from one of the guys that work at the packie I frequently visit. I'm usually a big fan of double IPAs, but Tribute just wasn't doing it for me. It might have to do with the fact that I am picking up a major grapefruit note in Tribute. I happen to not be a fan of grapefruit. As I delve deeper into Tribute I start to pick up a little mango, lemon and pine. There is also a crisp malty base. I would say this is a slow sipper with the big bitterness that is left on my tongue. At 8.4% ABV, the more you drink Tribute the more you know that it's a high percentage beer. Overall I will give Tribute a second chance to see if it can win me over.

Allagash Brewing Company: White

Time to switch it up and go with Allagash White. A Belgian-style wheat beer with 5.1% ABV. It pours out of the tap a cloudy golden yellow color with a small white fluffy head. At first taste I start to pick up notes of light orange and lemon. It's a light beer but also a very flavorful beer with just the right amount of spice. As I run my nose over glass I can smell some citrus and cloves. Overall a very refreshing and enjoyable beer. In 1998, 2010, and 2012, Allagash White won gold at the World Beer Cup. It has also won gold three times at the Great American Beer Festival. When it comes to this beer, it seems like Allagash has perfected it ... so go get one today and try it out for yourself!

Great Rhythm Brewing Company: Wedge

With Great Rhythm's 1 year anniversary party on Sunday, August 13th, now is the perfect time to review Wedge. A 6.70% ABV American IPA, Wedge pours a light golden yellow haze out of a 16oz can into a pint glass. You get a smell of lemon and pine the instant this beer comes out of the can. Smooth up front with a little bitterness at the end accompanied by a dry finish, Wedge hit that spot that I was looking for in an American IPA. You also pick up flavors of orange, lemon, and pine from the use of El Dorado, Citra, and Mosaic hops. I will definitely be going back to Great Rhythm the next time I am up in Portsmouth, NH.  

Troegs Independent Brewing: Perpetual IPA

Available year round from Troegs Independent Brewing, Perpetual IPA is your basic IPA. Coming in at 7.5% ABV it's an easy drinker for a high percentage IPA. It is a straw golden color with a small white head when poured out of the 12oz can into a pint glass. As I take my first sniff and sip I start to pick up notes of citrus and pine, followed by tropical fruit, finishing with more citrus and pine. If you are looking for an easy drinking beer year round, Perpetual IPA is that beer.

Mystic Brewery: Illegal Dance Moves

Here sits Mystic Brewery Illegal Dance Moves on top of the bar at Mystic Station in Malden, MA in its natural habit. Illegal Dance Moves is a DIPA that comes in at 9.00% ABV. It's poured into a pokal style glass. As it comes out of the tap it's a golden yellow color with a medium white head. When I move my nose across the glass I start to pick up smells of peach and tropical fruits. After I take my first sip there's a slight bitterness up front with a juicy fruit ending of peach. Overall this was a very refreshing beer. 

Lord Hobo Brewing Company: Glorious

Lord Hobo Brewing Co. Glorious, that's exactly what this beer is ... GLORIOUS. It's an american pale ale brewed with galaxy hops that comes in at 6.5% ABV. Poured from a 16oz can into a goblet style beer glass you get a hazy golden color with a small head. From the first sniff you pick up notes of tropical fruit and orange. When you take a sip of this you get a slight bitter taste up front with a smooth center, finished with a light bitterness. This beer will surly be making you come back for more.

Brown's Brewing Company: Burst IPA

Burst Valencia Orange IPA from Brown's Brewing Company packs a burst of flavors (no pun intended). This beer comes out of their new revolution series. They add over 66 pounds of valencia orange zest to each batch. Poured from the can it's a hazy orange with a white head. Coming in at 6.5% ABV you pick up major notes of orange/citrus from the first sip. Afterwards you get that hop flavor without it being overly bitter to your palate.   

Pipeworks Brewing Company: Mango Guppy

As you see here we have Mango Guppy from Pipeworks Brewing just hanging out underneath a tree. It is a Session IPA coming in at 4.60% ABV. They brew this gem with citra, mosaic hops,wildflower honey and mango. When poured out of the can it comes golden in color with a slight head. You pick up mango and citrus notes with a soft bitterness finish. 

Bissell Brothers: Swish

Here we have a Bissell Brothers Swish about to go for a swim. At 8% ABV it is an American Double IPA brewed with mosaic, citra, simcoe, and apollo hops. Pours hazy with notes of citrus and floral. It's available at Bissell Brothers from October through April.