Beers Worth Mentioning from Saturday

This past Saturday, I visited the Top Ten Wine & Spirits in Woodbury for their Grand Beer Tasting. As usual, it was set up well and there was a great selection of craft brews to sample. I had already tasted many of the beers in the past, but their were also a few that were new to me. 2 of those stood out in my mind - Deschutes Hop in the Dark and Goose Island Fleur. Here are the brewers' descriptions:

• Hop in the Dark - Can an IPA be black? Semantics aside, this noir version adds deep roasted malts to alter the hue and slightly smooth the edges. What emerges is something deeper, less orthodox, and all its own. “We’ve brewed 22 batches of this beer at both our Bend and Portland pubs, experimenting on our customers as we perfected the recipe,” said Brewmaster Larry Sidor. “This beer has subtle coffee undertones born from a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. Classic IPA flavors and aromas are due to courageous additions of Cascade, Citra and Centennial hops.” Take the plunge – a hop, if you will – into this new Cascadian Dark Ale. Many may never even try to swim for shore.
• Goose Island Fleur - A Belgian style pale ale blended with hibiscus and kombucha tea, Fleur is a beautiful, rose-colored ale with an aroma of strawberries and hibiscus flowers. Her flavor balance starts with a hint of sweet, ripe berry and finishes tart.

Both of these beers were quite tasty and I hope to have a session with each someday. I highly recommend giving them a try!