It will come as no surprise to anyone that I try a lot of different beers. Happily, blogging regularly is enabling me to put this tendency to good use.
Sometimes, I happen upon a beer that's so perfect for the season or such a well-executed example of a style that I can't help but pass it on.
This week, that beer is Hop Valley's Sir Orange A Lot. As the name implies, it's heavy on the citrus, both from the hops and from the added orange peel. The peel also adds some nice vegetative bitterness that compensates for the low IBUs (20, in this case). At 5.9%, it's a bit too strong to be sessionable, but for the style, it's right in the sweet spot, having just enough body to achieve a medium mouthfeel.
Beyond the standard characteristics, this beer just tastes like summer to me. When the mercury climbs to 90 and higher, citrus is such a refreshing flavor, and I've rarely had a better citrus-infused experience. If you're in the area, make sure to stop by and grab a pint while it lasts.
(For those who prefer lemon to orange, Hop Valley's also got a very good wheat beer on tap at the moment with a pronounced lemon flavor, called Wheat Doctrine #1. It's also tasty, but I feel Sir Orange A Lot embodies the ideal summer beer more closely. Your mileage may vary.)
Well, google ate my first comment. Meant to say the Citrus Mistress is nice as well
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