Sunday Beer Blog: Grapefruit IPA

Arkose Brewery is a favorite of Derek’s and mine. It’s located in Palmer and has been open since 2011. It was nice to see them get a shout-out in my beer club selections from La Bodega. Included was Mandarina Moose Grapefruit IPA.

“Austin and I proceeded to knock back a couple of Ketel One and grapefruit juices, which happened to be my drink of the moment. Someone told me that grapefruit was a great detoxifier and I decided I wanted to start cleaning out my liver WHILE I was having a cocktail.”  -Chelsea Handler

My husband, Derek, doesn’t care for citrus beers, so I knew I’d get the lion’s share of this one. On this particular occasion, he was out of town, so I left all beer-drinking guilt behind and popped the top of what I hoped would be a citrus treasure.

ArkoseEdit

When poured, there was a lot of white, fluffy head that quickly diminished. It was such a lovely burnt orange color I had to hold it up to the sun and take the picture you’ll see below. There was a strong grapefruit smell, but the taste was not overwhelming. A bitter zing hits the back of the throat, and is balanced by a sweetness which hits the tongue and cheeks. The mouthfeel consisted of a light coating and medium carbonation. I didn’t love the finish, but it was a really solid IPA…with a twist.

Arkose2Edit

(See what I did there? Snicker. Snort.)

 

 

 

 

Brewer: Arkose Brewery

Stlye: IPA

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: 72

Purchased: La Bodega (beer club)

Sunday Beer Blog: Full Sail Session

 

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Sunny Skies

Let me begin by saying we have had many really bad summers lately in Alaska. REALLY bad. Think sun on two days, and then zero sun. On the day I tried Session Tangerine Twist, we were having a 70 degree, sunny day. I am 100% sure this affected my judgement. Be warned.

Derek and I were arguing over whose music would play through the speakers as we sunned on the deck. He wanted classic rock, and I wanted my eclectic music mix. Sun makes married couples crazy! Derek caved and went to go add lavender to the hefeweizen we’ve been brewing. (More on that to come.) I took a winner’s sip of the Twist.

It was so freakin’ good. It was a smooth beer with an equally smooth citrus kick. I’m not sure how kicks can be smooth, but this one was. The smell, to me, was beer. The taste was a refreshing ale with a yummy tangerine finish. I’m not sure about the head as I was sipping directly from the bottle.

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Session Tangerine Twist

When Derek got back to the deck, I asked him to try it. He said there was a notable scent of citrus, and we figured my allergies were keeping me from smelling things properly. He also said it was “tangy”. He wasn’t as crazy about it as I was, but he has never been a lover of citrus beer. (He had a bad experience with a grapefruit once.)

On the whole, we both enjoy Full Sail’s session offerings a lot. I hope they keep giving us more delicious 11oz bottles to try.

 

 

 

 

 

Brewer: Full Sail Brewing Company

Style: Session Ale

ABV: 5.2

IBU: 20

Purchased At: Brown Jug Anchorage