Georgia Beer Reviews - August 2020

 

- New Beer Reviews

Remember to grab some take-home beer from your local craft breweries and craft beer stores. These businesses need your support right now! Look below for a few Georgia beers (and a mead) that Owen has enjoyed in the last couple of weeks...       Steady Hand Beer Company Future Mind Porter This dry, delicious American Porter offers notes of dark chocolate, bitter cocoa, coffee, light hops and a wonderful roasted malt character. During the current fad of pastry stouts, it was great to enjoy a well-made dark beer that's not too sweet. This beer would pair well with blackened meats or vanilla custard.        Schoolhouse Brewing She Wore a Raspberry Sorbet This raspberry fruited Berliner Weisse from Marietta's new Schoolhouse Brewing glows with a gorgeous raspberry hue and tastes of wheat, fruit and a balanced note of lactic acid for sourness. Try it alongside chicken tacos with cilantro and pico de gallo. With a tart, fruity drink this good, who needs a margarita?       Monday Night Brewing Cardigans of the Galaxy Definitely one of the best Double IPAs I've tasted in some time, this 9.5% ABV beast packs a big wallop of aroma and flavoring hops, but the wonderful finishing bitterness makes this IPA stand out. Generous additions of Columbus, Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe, Citra, Ekuanot, Mosiac, Comet and Galaxy contribute to this hoppy masterpiece.        Wild Heaven Beer Fig Branca This dark, creamy, 10% ABV, sweet stout brewed with lactose, cocoa nibs, and Fernet-marinated figs goes down smoothly with lingering notes of chocolate, spice and alcohol warmth. If you love complex, chewy stouts, this is the beer for you. Enjoy it with vanilla cheesecake or peach cobbler.    Wild Heaven Beer Fauci Summer Be sure to also try Wild Heaven's Berliner Weisse that's fruited with pomegranate, black cherries and lemon verbena. At only 3.5% ABV, this delightfully tart ale packs an impressive mouthful of complex fruit and herbal character. It's perfect for summer.        Southern Brewing Company Double Fog Machine Hazy DIPA SBC's new Double IPA is filled with luscious malt, oat and cereal notes that are enhanced by intense, tropical fruit and pineapple character from the blend of appealing, aromatic hops. This 8.5% IPA goes down deceptively smooth and would make an excellent accompaniment to grilled seafood.        Monks Meadery Dragon's Nectar  The guys at Monk's Meadery are masters at creating lower alcohol honey wines that still offer fantastic complexity. This 6% ABV mead contains additions of passion fruit, hibiscus and dragon fruit for a symphony of herbal, spicy, fruity notes that highlight the delicious honey backbone.        NoFo Brew Company Reizen Belgian Blonde NoFo stands for "North Forsyth" county, and this new brewery's spacious and attractive tasting room in Cumming pours a range of delightful classic styles, with a few trendy beers thrown in for fun. Reizen Belgian Blonde Ale is made with Pilsner and Vienna malts, Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Saaz hops, and a spicy Belgian yeast strain for a truly authentic taste experience.        NoFo Brew Company Rhine River Doppelbock You guys know that I love malty Doppelbock lagers, and NoFo simply nailed this 7.8% ABV example. Expect a beautiful brown hue with flavor notes of toffee, dark bread crust, toast and hints of dark fruit complexity. This tasty brew goes well with mushroom pizza and mole enchiladas.        Akademia Brewing Helles Lager Akademia took my taste buds back to Munich when I sipped their delightful new Helles. This golden lager is made from German malts and hops and shines with a brilliant clarity, honey-like malt note and floral, spicy noble hops. Lagers don't come much better than this one. Enjoy it alongside warm pretzels with spicy mustard and grilled beer brats.        Twain's Brewpub & Billiards Germantown Pils This extraordinary German-style Pilsner is one of the best I've ever savored. Twain's talented brewer Mike Castagno did an amazing job in creating a smooth, clean, technically-accurate, appealing lager with elegant German malt complexity and light notes of European hops. Head to Twain's Billiards & Tap in Decatur to grab a four-pack before it's gone.       Creature Comforts Brewing Loopulus Hazy Double IPA This glass of hoppy, hazy heaven was brewed originally in 2017 in honor of the Brick Store Pub's 20th anniversary. I'm pleased to see it back on shelves for a limited run. With 8% ABV and a profile of Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops that create notes of tropical fruits and citrus, the malty canvas of this ale offers a chewy softness from cereal grains, followed by a slightly sweet, satisfying finish.        The Lost Druid Brewery Hercynia Bavarian-Style Hefeweizen This interesting German-inspired wheat beer from Avondale Estates boasts the famous clove and banana character typical to Hefeweizens, but Hercynia also includes intriguing, complex hints of a variety of cereal grains, along with spicy, fruity character from the yeast.