Forbidden Root WPA
Chicago, Illinois
American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6%
The “hard” root beer craze is going strong across the United States right now, and on first look, this bottle appears to be more of that trendy-but-not-quite-drinkable overdone herbal style. Imagine our surprise to find a very mild nose that leads into a slightly sweet but still crisply defined and very pale malt body. Whatever herbs they use are used judiciously to add subtle floral effects, and the bitterness is kept in check so as not to overwhelm that subtlety. The result is a genuinely drinkable beer that we’d be happy to enjoy any time. — Jamie Bogner
August Schell Cypress Blanc
New Ulm, Minnesota
Berliner Weisse
ABV: 7.4%
August Schell is best known for their mass-market Deer Brand lager, but the Noble Star series of Berliner Weisse beers (all aged in 80-year-old cypress wood tanks) lets them flex their craft muscle with some legitimately tart and enjoyable beers. Cypress Blanc pushes that lemony tartness forward with a touch of bitter sharpness and bite, hints of green apple, honey, slight white-wine notes from the hops, and a lingering bitterness that intertwines with the tartness on the finish. It’s highly carbonated with a serious carbonic bite, as expected, and the hazy pale body hides a dirty-laundry funk that fans of the style will enjoy. Crisp, refreshing, creative, and funky. — Austin Grippin
Terrapin Liquid Lunch
Athens, Georgia
Porter
7.7%
If you’ve ever felt let down by a beer that claimed certain flavors on the label but didn’t deliver, Liquid Lunch will restore your faith in labeling. The peanut butter and jelly are here in droves, starting with the dry and roasty peanut nose that leads into overwhelming raspberries in the flavor. A touch of coffee and chocolate dry things out a bit. It’s a polarizing beer—half of our tasting team loved it while the other half did not share their love—but if you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of school lunches or are really, really into peanut butter and jelly, you won’t be disappointed. — John Bolton
Alaskan Imperial IPA
Juneau, Alaska
American Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.5%
Alaskan drops cluster bombs of big fruity hops in this latest installment of their Pilot Series. A pleasant slap of dank, pithy bitterness balances out the rich malt and masks the higher ABV, but it’s just enough to give the beer an edge while those delicious stone-fruit hops notes take over. A bit of malt sweetness in the finish provides a just-right counterpoint to lingering resinous hops and sets us up for the next sip of citrusy goodness. — Steve Koenig
Dust Bowl Therapist Triple IPA
Turlock, California
Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.4%
The savory hops aroma evokes everything from caramelized ramps, mountain juniper, and fresh grapefruit, and on first sip the pine and citrus hops notes lock into a tight tango with the outsized sweetness of the malt. Slightly floral yeast esters push the flavor even deeper—this one’s a big playground of flavor with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. — Jamie Bogner