Uinta Birthday Suit (2013

We picked up a bottle of Uinta's Birthday Suit when we visited a great little neighborhood craft beer and wine spot. We had gone in to pick up some Founders Doom two days too late. Which, as we've learned, is way too late. It was long gone. They did, however, have many other scintillating selections. This was among them, a tantalizing champagne bottle that called to me from the bottom shelf of the cooler.

What we know about Uinta is that they're from Utah, relatively new to Ohio, and their Hop Notch is pretty darn good. I'm going to assume they're not Mormon,  as this -- gasp! -- contains alcohol. This is a sour brown ale, brewed in celebration of their 20th birthday. Funny, my cat, the very lovely Thatcher, turns 17 this weekend, so I'll put a hat on her, float a candle in my beer, and raise a toast to her. OK, I pretty much just gave her pets instead. I hope that's ok with you. If not, too bad, because she's very pet-worthy. A picture of the birthday girl is now in order, pictured with her much-beloved step-daddy. Sometimes she can make Grumpy Cat look happy. Right here she's not unhappy, but she is shooting me daggers for taking her picture:

So, let's get to the beer. It's a sour brown, so a tulip glass seemed appropriate. Which, in our house, equates to a wineglass. It pours about the color of Dr. Pepper: a medium, faintly coppery brown, with a moderate white head that didn't stick around except at the edges of the glass. The aroma is fairly mild: faint dark fruit, hints of toffee and chocolate, with some bready malts and a bit of acetic sourness. When I taste it, I pick up some of the dark fruits to start with, maybe some underlying chocolate and toffee, a bit of the malts, and then, BAM! Did I just eat a Lemon Sour Patch Kid? Did they sprinkle lemonade Kool-Aid in here? The small, unsweetened packets, of course. Huh. This is good, but the finish on it reminds me of candy, to the point where I've almost killed my second glass of it just trying to nail down those initial flavors. It's fairly well carbonated, and feels slightly chewy in the mouth.

I gave a sip to Phil, who seemed to really enjoy it. I think this is his first sour beer. He gave two eyebrow wiggles and the comment, "Ooh. Pretty good." That's a pretty raving review from him. And don't yell at me because I didn't give him a full glass; he was already into his second glass of wine by that time.

Happy birthday, Uinta! And again, welcome to Ohio.

4.3/5 caps

-Jennie


Tom Fudge-Packing Cruise, how do I write anything after that?

So, mine has been sitting out for roughly an hour while I typed up an email to our producer with show revamping ideas, and while She With Woman Parts took the lead (I meanwhile started playing my new-to-me vintage acoustic guitar). It still has the Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper color, no noticeable head at this point. The aroma is bready, dark fruit and some alcohol tones, which is surprising as it's only 7.4% ABV. The flavor is Wow! I love sour candy. I forget I'm drinking a beer. The flavor is lemony with some pucker-power, with some hints here and of hazelnut and some malts. This is interesting, as the sour takes premise over anything. It leaves a very phlegmy 'oh hey I just ate a Warhead' sort of mouthfeel.

This is a unique brew. Can't say I've had too many sours, but thus far, I'm digging the category.

4.4/5 caps

-Nathan