Six to Seek: The Best Beers of the Week

CINDERLANDS FALLING PETAL
Cinderlands Beer Co.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
5.4% | Japanese-Style Rosé Saison

A collaboration with Cinderlands’ neighbors at Umami, Falling Petal is inspired by the Japanese restaurant’s shot of cold sake served with a rose-hibiscus syrup. The word “rosé” on the Crowler was a tip off that we could expect a colorful pour, and indeed Falling Petal is a pretty, pulpy pink. We’ve written recently about the rosé trend and thought we had a clue of what would come next, but Falling Petal defies categorization. The nose on the beer was intriguing and unlike any beer we’ve sampled recently: full of jasmine and lavender notes, a bit of pine, grapefruit and pomegranate. The beer comes across as heavily fruited and yet not sweet; it drinks like a grapefruit mimosa, with some gin botanicals thrown in for good measure.

After tasting, a trip to the brewery’s website would reveal the exotic ingredients responsible for such a unique beer, which included toasted rice, Sorachi Ace hops, Norwegian kveik yeast (plus lactobacillus), and hibiscus, pomegranate, yuzu and Kaffir lime leaf. It’s draft only, but if you find yourself at Cinderlands or Umami in Pittsburgh, it’s a must try.

ANYDAY ROSÉ
Anyday Rosé
Paso Robles, California
6.9% | Blend of Cider & Rosé, Hopped w/ Cascade & Citra

Have we mentioned there’s a rosé trend sweeping through the wine, beer, cider and spirits industries right now? As a blend of cider and rosé hopped with Cascade and Citra, Anyday Rosé hits three of those segments at once. A semi-dry rosé leads off, with the sweeter cider keeping things balanced. On the finish, hop-driven notes of grapefruit, lemon and orange come through. Anyday Rosé is light and spritzy, with a refreshing quality that should appeal to drinkers of wine, cider and beer alike.

ECLIPTIC QUASAR PALE ALE
Ecliptic Brewing Co.
Portland, Oregon
6% | Pale Ale

Ecliptic’s Quasar Pale Ale, hopped with Simcoe and Mosaic, returns for the summer. Bright and vibrant notes of lemon, orange peel and grapefruit, with a little pine. The hop character is big, and the bitterness is super low. While that’s the recipe for most of today’s juicy IPAs, this is a very different animal. It’s a heavily dry-hopped pale ale that drinks easily and cleans up remarkably quickly. The fruity notes come through more pithy than sweet, and with a light body this pale ale is indeed well suited to hot summer days.

OUTER RANGE BLOCKS OF LIGHT DDH
Outer Range Brewing Co.
Frisco, Colorado
6.2% | India Pale Ale

Outer Range last month released a double-dry-hopped version of Blocks of Light, featuring Galaxy and Mosaic hops. Sweet peach and juicy pineapple leap forth from the glass, and on the palate there’s more orange citrus. There’s a decent bitterness, and clearly expressed fruit notes without going overboard into a tangy, fruity mess. While this one’s likely long gone at the brewery, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the brewery’s hoppy offerings.

NEW BELGIUM VOODOO RANGER LIQUID PARADISE IPA
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina
8% | Double IPA

New Belgium’s Transatlantique Kriek made last week’s Six to Seek, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t follow up with the newest IPA in the Voodoo Ranger line. It pours bright gold and only the slightest bit hazy–clearly this isn’t meant to be a full-on New England-style IPA. Mosaic Incognito and Nugget hops contribute tropical notes of papaya and guava, with a decent bitterness. Behind the more tropical flavors and floral notes, and a bit of toasted cracker on the finish.

HI-WIRE HORCHATA 10W-40
Hi-Wire Brewing Co.
Asheville, North Carolina
8% | Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla, Almonds, Cinnamon, Lactose & Chocolate

Stouts inspired by Mexican hot chocolate probably aren’t going anywhere, but now more seem to be drawing inspiration from horchata, the spiced, milky beverage popular in Latin American countries. Small brewers across the country are creating these versions, which favor of a subtle sweetness instead of the spicy punch found in many popular Mexican-style stouts. Goose Island Beer Co. even recently got label approval for a Bourbon County Brand Horchata Stout, though the brewery hasn’t officially named it as one of this year’s variants.

Asheville’s Hi-Wire Brewing has put the horchata treatment on 10W-40, adding vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, lactose and chocolate to its imperial stout. It’s that last ingredient that comes through most prominently, with a nose brimming with unsweetened baker’s chocolate. The rest of the horchata-inspired ingredients are there–subtle cinnamon and perhaps a hint of the almond–but they are balanced by the rich chocolate and roasted barley. The lactose adds a little sweetness of its own, making for a creamy and decadent stout.