Take Me Out To The Beer Game...

 The 2013 spring lineup:

Leading off…”Blonde Highlights”:  a 1.040 cream ale that’s a starter beer for Half Hearted.  Hey, sometimes beer is just a beer. Have one.  OG 1.040

Batting Second…”Yeah, I’m Bitter”: A sessionable American/British ale with a quite a bit of floral/citrus hop flavor and aroma thanks to dry hopping with 3 ounces of Glacier before bottling. OG 1.042

Third in the lineup…”Chinitra Pale Ale”: Straddling the line between APA and IPA, very drinkable and very unique. Chinook and Citra play off one another to create a rolling tide of tropical and citrus flavors. A definite early summer sipper. OG 1.052

Hitting Clean up…”Half Hearted IPA”: A larger-than-life American IPA with a hop aroma so thick you can almost see it. American base malt and crystal malt create the big body and supporting residual sweetness, while charge after charge of Centennial hops deliver pronounced bitterness with a dominant citrus aroma and flavor.  Modeled after the famed Bell’s Two Hearted Ale with a twist-an appearance by Simcoe as late addition aroma hops.  OG 1.064

Rounding out the heart of the order at number five…“It’s the Say-Sun for Saison”: A petite Saison and a starter beer for my Rye Saison, this session-strength Saison pervades the air with tangy Belgian yeast and pungent hop aromas; perfect for springtime outdoors. OG 1.041

Batting sixth…”Saison Du Pint”: This farmhouse Saison style is light, crisp and refreshing, perfect after a day in the sun. Orange peel and coriander add a refreshing zest combined with a peppery finish from Grains of Paradise. OG 1.053

Swinging seventh…”The Pauper”: A Belgian Single and a starter beer for the Prince.  This beer is reminder that when brewing with friends, it’s still important to close the kettle valve. Over a gallon of lost wort, some spring water, and some stale light dry malt extract later, I have a beer that hopefully won’t taste as old as the malt extract that got dumped in it.  Target OG 1.047 (Actual 1.043)

In the eighth spot …”Saison Gone A Rye”: A spicy Rye Saison that carries the smell of spicy rye, black pepper, clove, some citrusy tones and sour esters. The taste is spice dominated with the rye, but carries subtle notes of peach and sour apple, black pepper and a full array of estery Belgian yeast phenols. No kidding, Wyeast 3711 is the bomb, this is a sequel. OG 1.060

Bringing up the rear and Pitching some serious yeast…”The Prince”:  A Belgian Tripel. Sweet, tart, and spicy all within the same sip, the addition of clear candi sugar dilutes the malt bill, which helps preserve the golden color and makes the body deceptively light for a beer of this strength.  Before you uncork your first bottle of this ponderous 8% ABV sipper, I’d like to remind you that beer is food – treat your Tripel accordingly and have it for dinner with some artisanal cheese or salumi. OG 1.078