Ska and Deschutes Beer Reviews

While out in Arizona last week I was able to try quite a few beers that I normally don't have access to. While on a visit to a store my dad had been raving about for some time, Total Beer and Wine, I was able to pick up a fair share of good beer. The store itself is impressive for its prices and quantity. For example, compared to Minnesota where typical bombers run to $6-7.99, I was impressed to find a lot for $3.99-5.99. I think beer stores are always a grass is greener type of situation. While the aisle of strictly single bottles makes a geek like me drool, the selection was no different than a good store in any area, just that the brands they carried tended to be ones I can't get my hands on locally. With only so many days to drink, and not wanting to be sloshing drunk while visiting my parents, I restrained myself and instead filled out an order for my dad to bring up when he drives up to the Midwest this May.
That said, I still dropped some coin in the store and sampled a fair share of beer. I drank a number of different beers, including some Alaskan, Lost Coast (Raspberry Brown Ale is amazing), and some Lost Abbey. But the two I'm choosing to do extensive reviews are Deschutes Hop Trip Pale Ale and Ska Brewing's Modus Hoperandi.
Deschutes Hop Trip Pale Ale:
Apparently while I was gone last week, Deschutes arrived in the Twin Cities. A very good thing since everything I've had of theirs has been awesome. This pale ale is a wet hop ale, in fact they claim that the coordinate everything so that the hops are picked, put on the truck, and dumped in the kettle in about 4 hours! Pretty cool. This beer pours brilliant gold with a thin white head. Sweat aroma of caramel, malt and soft aroma of pine and citrus. It's sweet with caramel tones, and some nice citrus notes. There's very little bitterness, the hops are sweet and bright and the body is malty. Perfectly balanced. It finishes smooth with some nice lingering hops and malty sweetness. Outstanding pale ale.
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Ska Brewing Modus Hoperendi
This is the first beer I've ever had from Durango, Colorado's Ska Brewing. What a great IPA. What a great name for an IPA. Modus pours caramely-amber with a two finger foamy white head. Great blast of citrusy piney hops right away. Perfect mouthfeel. Creamy and smooth with sweetness up front and a nice bitterness in the finish. Chock full of citrusy hops, grapefruit and orange that is present throughout the beer and balances nicely with the maltiness. The finish is sweet with a great bite. Excellent IPA.
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More to come.
Salud!
Bearded Brewer