The first 1/2 of the 2016 Beer Camp variety show was surprisingly good and now I move on to the darker, heartier side to see how they stack up and crown my “best of the box”.
Pat-Rye-Ot is an “old-meets-new” take on a pale ale by brewers all located in the original 13 colonies. It features rye and apples, which were among the first ingredients used by American brewers in the colonies, alongside bold American hops—hallmarks of our modern craft beer “revolution.”
The Rye Patriot pours a cloudy, light orange color. Very lip smacking juicy. Orange juice and tangerine peel come to my mind before the label promised apples but then again apple juice is used as the base for many juice blends so maybe my taste buds are used to “not” tasting it since it usually hides in the background. The Rye really works with the hops. It is such a great and easy pairing of ingredients. As the beer warms up, the apple juice character starts to come through.
Family Values showcases the cooperation and kinship of Midwestern brewers. It features largely Midwestern-grown ingredients: Minnesota wild rice, Indiana honey, Missouri oats, Michigan hops, and cocoa nibs from Illinois as well as Sierra Nevada’s estate-grown malt. This is our centrally located collaboration celebrating the best of the Midwest.
This is the biggest ABV of the bunch from the Midwest Division of the Beer Camp 2016. Pours a very dark brown with streaks of red and a tan head to it. Big smokey coffee-chocolate notes with a real sweet kick at the end. Very luxurious. Much like the Pat-Rye-Ot there is a lot of lip smacking going on here. bit of a fusel aroma that is a turn-off to me. In the end, too smokey and sweet for me. My least favorite of the six.
Stout of the Union hails from the land of sun, sand, and surf and proves that beach beer doesn’t have to be light colored and delicate. Stout of the Union is rich, roasty and full of deep malt flavor, creating a union of like-minded brewers together through beer.
Saved the SoCal beer for last. Kudos to Beachwood and Smog City for getting in on the Sierra Nevada action. The glass barely contains the big, billowy espresso head of this beer. Gonna be some cool lacing at the end here. Sorta hoppy on the nose but then that first sip is stout for sure. Very smooth. Getting some cigar like qualities off of the taste. Little bit of dried fruit too. Just a tiny touch though. A Christmas-y type of beer.
Now that I have sampled all six beers it is time to crown the winner. It is…..Pat-Rye-Ot! There was no wrong step on this one. Just a lovely beer with West Latitude, the Hibiscus beer coming in second followed by the Sunny South Table Beer.
