Brewery: Agullons
Brewery Location: Portland, ME
Featured Beer: Runa
Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 5.0%

Runa is proudly left unfiltered and unpasteurized, allowing a completely natural re-fermentation in the bottle. Pouring into a glass it is a lightly hazed, deep mahogany brown color and has a creamy head. For smell you get a rich brown ale aroma with notes of chestnuts, nougat and clean, fresh malted barley. Expect a hint of of multi-grain bread, orange/citrus notes too, blended by a faint creaminess. We found it inviting. This beer is rich and full in the mouth. It's like a brown ale from the early 1990s . You'll notice a fantastic level of carbonation with mild roastiness complete with coffee notes and a touch of bittersweet chocolate too. It’s nutty, with a good deal of yeast expression, and well-placed spiciness; much coming from the hops. Expect quite a bit of nougat character in the flavor profile, just as in the nose.

Overall, there’s a lot of flavor in this beer, yet it remains at all times balanced and poised.

Brewery: Dilewyns
Brewery Location: Belgium
Featured Beer: Vicaris Generaal
Style: Belgian Abbey Double
ABV: 8.8%

Vicaris Generaal pours a clear, burgundy brown topped by a pale beige head. The nose offers plenty of fresh orange, as well as a moderately woody spiciness. Look for other fruity notes to develop along with hints of plum and nectarine. The controlling malts won't be missed, delivering ample wafts of fresh baked bread and biscuits, as well as a gentle sweetness. Look for a faint touch of roasted malt as well. On the palate, Vicaris Generaal is both dry and somewhat roasty. The Belgian yeast spiciness is quite prominent, but not at all overbearing, working wonderfully against the relatively minor sweetness. Look for a floral, hoppy quality to come through as well. More fruits will emerge—we got dark cherry and raisins, supplemented by a soft suggestion of nutty molasses. At nearly 9% ABV, it is remarkable that there’s essentially no impression of alcohol in the flavor or aroma.

Brewery: Anchorage Brewing Co.
Brewery Location: Anchorage, AK
Featured Beer: Galaxy IPA
Style: Spiced White IPA
ABV: 7.0%

Galaxy White IPA pours a pale butterscotch color and nicely hazed with a beautiful white head. It carries an alluring aroma that is very citris-forward and carries a blast of aromatic hops. Look for notes of fresh lemons and oranges, as well as grapefruit-and-pine hoppiness. The hoppiness is intense with a variety from down under. Look for hints of passionfruit, which Galaxy hops are known for, or also the fresh kumquats. The subtle tartness on the nosecould be from the wheat, the Brett, the kumquats, or some interplay between all three. The aroma carries a nice citrusy tartness as well. The brett, is also casting off just a touch of pineapple. There a bit of the coriander coming through as well. This beer is just beautifully melded together.

Brewery: Saint Somewhere
Brewery Location:Tarpon Springs, FL
Featured Beer: Cynthiana
Style: Dark Strong Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 9.0%

Cynthiana pours an absolutely gorgeous copper orange color, dressed with a large, cream-colored head. A truly beautiful beer—hold it up and let it catch some sunlight to really appreciate how beautiful this beer is. Our noses are greeted by a truly welcoming aroma—notes of fresh oranges and lemon zest are profound—sunshine and citrus—a liquid version of old world Florida! There is a richness, almost a creaminess blanketing the scent, and such robust Belgian character, it’s almost as if we’re at a café in West Flanders, drinking a freshly drawn bolleke of Belgian ale. We also got a flash of white wine (think Chardonnay) as it stills, whereas swirling amplifies up the fresh fruit and floral perfume that is at the core of this beer. A bit of sweet dough makes its way out as well. On the palate, the beer is less fruity than the nose would suggest, offering a wine-like dryness, and the kind of gentle bitterness you get from apple and grape skins. Look for a mild tartness and some subtle suggestions of tea with lemon, with a light bite of black pepper. In the finish, there is a nice, cleansing bitterness that approaches lime zest—a wonderful combination of the whole cone strisselspalt hops and the grapes. Finishes with very pleasant, vinous after-breaths and an ever-present citrus zest. This truly is a lovely beer.