9 beers from 9 states worth sipping this time of year

9 beers from 9 states worth sipping this time of year

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Our palates traveled the country for this month's beer-review column. We found nine different beers from breweries in nine states: All but one are 6.8% or less in alcohol. Our column focuses on out-of-region beers each month. As usual, we show the beer for its color as well as its label, and all the ones we try should be available on store shelves throughout Greater Cleveland. We welcome your thoughts on ones you like or don't like. Cheers!

Subtle Tea

Abita Brewing Co., Abita Springs, Louisiana, Golden Ale, 4.8% alcohol

This ale has a light, fresh-tasting lemon taste without tartness. The tea (Earl Grey) is definitely there, giving it a little dryness but not as much as what you would expect. Bonus points for the great name of this easy-drinking beer.

Field Study

Troegs Brewing Co., Hershey, Pennsylvania, India Pale Ale, 6.2% alcohol

Citrus in the nose is no surprise here, considering this IPA is dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado hops. The brewer's comments suggest aromatic notes of mango, pear, melon and ripe grapefruit. Tough to discern. We found pith on the palate and hops rearing up a bit on the back end.

Shiner Brut IPA

Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, Texas, Brut India Pale Ale, 6.8% alcohol

You definitely get a dryness from this style. This ale is made with an experimental hop, a cross between Fuggle and Cascade. The brewery suggests it yields notes of pear and green tea, and that's truth in advertising for this one.

Pear is faint, and the ale is a little yeasty with a tad bit of banana coming through. It weighs in at 45 International Bittering Units, so it's hoppy but not a screaming IPA.

Peach Kick

New Belgian Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina; Sour Fruit Ale, 4.3% alcohol

It's billed as "slightly sour," and that's accurate. Peach is dominant with lemon in the background. It's a bit dry, leans tart but doesn't overwhelm, and is not sweet. Drink while it's still summer.

Slightly Mighty

Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Delaware; India Pale Ale, 4% alcohol

This ale is brewed with monk fruit extract. This was a first for us, tasting a beer brewed with this Asian fruit that grows on a vine. It's billed as a "lo-cal IPA." With a well-named, oxymoronic but accurate term for a session ale, it is a mix of mostly bitterness, some sweetness and a citrus dryness on a long finish. Definitely not a screaming citrus bomb, but it offers a fair amount of flavor with slight pineapple notes emerging.

Rogue Cold Brew 2.0

Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon; Blonde Ale, 5.6% alcohol

One of the more intriguing coffee ales we've tried. Made with regional coffee, it definitely tastes like cold brew specifically, not just an ale brewed with coffee flavors. The light-bodied ale belies its alcohol, and the coffee is very pronounced. No subtlety here.

Bender

Stoneyard Brewing Co., Brockport, New York; New England India Pale Ale 6.5% alcohol

Fresh-lemon notes, dried apricot and a bit of grapefruit waft through in this IPA, which holds back its hoppiness for the finish. Worth trying, and I love the style, but would have preferred a bit more citrus on the palate from the brewery, which was founded west of Rochester in 2008.

Hop Bullet

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, California, and Mills River, North Carolina; Double India Pale Ale, 8% alcohol

This is the only in the bunch that kept us honest this month. (Man cannot live by low-alcohol summer beers alone, right?) Some peach breaks through amid the hop bitterness, but it's the latter than dominates citrus flavors here. Full-bodied, as you would expect from the style, with an ever so-slightly alcoholic taste, also expected from the style. As I have stated before in this column, I am always willing to try beers from this (or any) pioneer craft brewery, which sometimes gets overlooked these days among the many offerings on store shelves.

Glitteris Pride

Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, Cream Ale, 4.4% alcohol

Berry comes out immediately in this ale, made with raspberry and blackberry. Its base is a Cream Ale made with Mandarina hops, resulting in a smooth hoppy ale. It's not an India Pale Ale, but the hops definitely come to the forefront, and the strong berry flavor remains throughout each sip with no sweetness. A portion of proceeds benefits Seattle Pride. The brewery has been around since 1996.