3rd Turn Brewing Guavasaurus Rex With a deep, bronze body and a viscous foam head, the Guavasaurus Rex is reminiscent of a milkshake IPA. While other varieties of the genre are cloudier and thicker, the Guavasaurus is translucent and beautiful, with a richly fruited nose and vibrant glow. At 6.5%, the guava is front and center, making for a complex body that marries sweet and bitter elements, as well as complexity and approachability.
Against the Grain Brewery and Smokehouse 11 Minutes of Jazz A Bière de Garde-style beer, the 11 minutes of Jazz has a vibe like a Belgium-style ale and saison had a baby, making it playful and exotic enough, without reinventing the wheel. The 11 Minutes of Jazz features an 6.4% ABV and an IBU of 14, with a light-brownish walnut tint for a body. This is a wonderful wild ale with hints of sage and herbs on the front end and a delectable back-end pop. The aftertaste balances the hearty and hale flavors of the brew in a way that leaves you wanting more.
Akasha Brewing Co. Opportunity Cost A red wild ale, the Opportunity Cost is comparable to a Rodenbach or Berlingerweise in style. With a deep burgundy body, the Opportunity Cost is tart brew with a thin body and relatively low 6% ABV. With the back end a little tangy and dry, this is a beer that encourages long, slow sips.
Apocalypse Brew Works Rye of Sauron A deep translucent walnut, the Rye of Sauron is so named for the evil wizard from “Lord of The Rings.” Capped with a soft foam cream lattice, the Rye of Sauron sports a malt-rich nose that pays off for one of the smoothest and beguiling IPAs to hit the local market this season. The hoppy bitterness hits you more at the end with a crisp zing to the back of your throat. That pop serves as a counterpoint to the velvety smoothness of the Rye malts. Edging close to 8% ABV, the Rye of Sauron is a masterpiece.
Bluegrass Brewing Co. Summer Wheat For their spring seasonal, a wheat beer with just a splash of the raspberry meade makes for a nice seasonal brew. Colored a light cherry oak with a frothy foam head, the wheat features a mild fruited nose. At 4.9% ABV, this is an easy drink with an even easier flavor, mellow, creamy and relaxing. With an IBU of 22, this is a vibrant and compelling spring treat perfect for any time of day.
Cumberland Brewery Hard Yes Hefe The Hard Yes Hefe is a cloudy Hefeweizen with a light foam lattice. This is sweet and inviting, a spring classic — easy going down and very mild. At 5.4% ABV, this is on the low end of the scale. Their are subtle, fruited notes at the nose, cut by a malty and mellow pop.
Donum Dei Brewery Saison A light gold body, the Saison is the sunnier equivalent to the ESB, the Saison has a much chiller, almost Belgian bent, warming and with a mild tartness. This is smooth and rich with a creamy and delicious back ends. This leaves you in want of more, and at 6.5% ABV, not overly heavy as a sipping beer. That said, this is entirely easy to drink and quenches your thirst. They represent different sides of the season, but both ideal. This is a day drinker, a hammock or porch beer, and one that goes down smooth and leaves you in want of.
Falls City Brewing Co. Lookout A wine-barrel-aged Peach Saison with lavender, Lookout is a robust spring brew. At 6.2% ABV, it features a bourbon colored body with virtually no head, but a strong spiced nose. You can pick up notes of cardamom and a subtle peach flavor on the front end — complex, but not overwhelming. This is a substantial beer with a lot going on, a beer that will spread cheer irrespective of the season, but one where the sensibilities perfectly align with spring, mild and relaxing.
False Idol Lyra Fast becoming a seasonal tradition, the Northeastern style IPA is a succulent and thirst-quenching quaff. At 5.8% ABV, a cloudy, golden body with soft foam ring greets you, as the mild fruited nose hits you. Those fruited notes are blunted by a hop-forward presence that delights the senses, a floral hardiness that opens your taste buds up, changing from smooth to bitter.
Floyd County Brewing Co. Bavarian Hefeweizen With a frothy foam crown, the Bavarian Hefeweizen sports a fruity nose and a bouquet of floral aromas, inviting drinkers in. At 5% ABV and with an IBU of 11, this crisp brew crushes your thirst, leaving you with a juicy back end. This is brisk brew that will perk you up in the best ways, a bright, springtime treasure.
Goodwood Brewing Co. Tequila Barrel Aged Gose Tequila Barrel Aged Gose’s sports a 5.7% ABV and a low 7 IBU, making for a succulent and drinkable gose. This is a sweet beer with a tangy nose and sweet finish. The tequila adds a strange feel to the brew — a bright and sour front end, with a bold finish. The body here is translucent blond, with a slight foggy figure, and thin foam head.
Gravely Brewing Co. Pineapple Debaser You can guess by the name that this is a subversive beer style. As such, you can get the pineapple at the nose and even more so in the body. This is a bold beer with a delightful body, a 7% ABV that will sneak up on you. This is sweet, but never cloying, with the IPA dankness and pineapple sweetness merging in perfect harmony. This is a beautiful beer with a lot to offer, juicy and easy to drink.
Great Flood Brewing Co. Hibiscus + Peach Saison Featuring a burnt, golden body and mild foam ring, the Hibiscus + Peach Saison is a delightful spring brew. You can smell the blended adjuncts at the nose, a mellow and sublime scent comparable to an essential oil, calming and laid back. Fortunately, those flavor agents serve only to color — not overwhelm — the brew, making for this an ideal companion throughout the season.
Holsopple Brewing Zitrusweizen As you might be able to ascertain from the name, the Zitrusweizen is a Hefeweizen style with a citrus twist. With a 4.4% ABV, the Zitrusweizen is a sunny day-drinker, featuring a cloudy, golden body and a deep hue of blonde, capped with a thin foam veneer. You can catch a sweet nose at the head, although it’s not an overwhelming distinction, and certainly not one that is readily identifiable. Drinking it, you get notes of grapefruit and orange zest.
Mile Wide Beer Co. Moxie A Northeastern Double IPA, the Moxie has a cloudy blonde body and a gentle haze. This is super juicy and incredibly drinkable — dangerous at 8% ABV. This is bright, but cut with nice hoppy back end. Still, there is a mildness here, balanced by the crisp front end that takes you on a journey. Drink this with your feet up and the windows down on a warm day when you can catch a breeze.
Monnik Beer Co. Jacuzzi Jets of Judgment A play on a Helles Bock style, there is a careful blend of hops and malts here that makes for a beer lover’s brew, the slight bitterness cut by the juicy malts. At 7.2% ABV, this is definitely one that will leave you satisfied and rosy.
New Albanian Brewing Co. Frankensteiner The Frankensteiner is a mellow Hefe with a mild front end. You can catch the fruited notes in the body and at the nose, but they are so subliminal that they’re almost imperceptible, blunted by the wheaty base. At 4.5% ABV with a 12 IBU, this goes down with no fuss and leaves you satisfied. This is a day drinker, a session beer with a lot of heart.
Old Louisville Brewery Springfest Maibok Featuring a tawny, caramel hue and virtually no head, the Springfest Maibok is a seasonal gem. You can get a malty warmth at the nose and an almost creaminess to the body that carries a toffee-esque scent. At 6.8% ABV, the Springfest Maibok is light and creamy, with a lot of character in the body. There are elements of a traditional fall amber, but one that is surprisingly fitting for the Spring, light enough to match the atmosphere, but heavy enough for a night time gathering on a porch or around a fire.
Red Foot Brewing Charlie’s Hefe The Charlie’s Hefe features a viscous foam cap that may blunt the nose somewhat. Still, you get aromatic notes of fruits and spices. At 6.8% ABV, this is one beer best approached with a dubious caution — not only for the strength of the brew, but because it rewards repeat sips with deeper nuance.
