SEC Football is Back. War Damn Eagle

I was going to wait until the of the Auburn-Arkansas game to write this review but a lightning delay pushed it back a good hour plus so I gotta have something to do. I stopped by the Vineyard on the way home from taking Mr. Ben to a birthday party. It might be the start of football season but it was 95 plus today and there’s a bunch of summer brews I still haven’t tried. John told me that the two I picked up are the last of the summer seasonals.
The first is Harpoon’s UFO Big Squeeze Shandy. This canned brew has a slogan at the top that says “Beer + Grapefruit = Shandy.” To be honest I think I just had a grapefruit drink flavored with beer. This is most definitely a grapefruit brew. I think this is a good summer brew. And as strong as the grapefruit flavor is it isn’t super sour or acidic. It has a bit acidic profile considering it does have grapefruit but is has a bit more smoothness than I expected… not to say it is a smooth drink. WAR EAGLE. The game has restarted and Auburn just scored a touchdown. They have a 24 point lead so I think I can breath easy now.
Mrs. Dan had a sip and liked it. Now this is not a brew that pairs up with just anything. We were nibbling on some egg rolls with some sweet dipping sauce and it went pretty good with the sauce. I’ve had other Shandys but they were usually from citrus fruits other than grapefruit. I checked out Wikipedia and they say its a drink that mixes beer and fruit juices or lemonade and usually has a 50/50 mix. This one is most definitely not 50/50. It has a 4.5% ABV. I see on their site that they have a Pumpkin UFO. I need to check that one out for sure.
I found it funny that they recommend that Big Squeeze Shandy draft beer not be repackaged in a growler because its unpasteurized nature could result in a secondary fermentation and risk pressure build up. That would suck to have an exploding growler.
The color is almost an orange juice orange but that’s because it’s so cloudy. UFO stands for unfiltered offering. They have several brews in their UFO series. I had to eat something though before I could enjoy the next brew.
After cleaning my palate I switched to a different flavor profile but one that is not that different.
Highland Brewing‘s Razor Wit, a Belgian-Style white ale is a nice flavorful but light, dry beer for a hot summer day. When I first tasted it I sensed some malt but it was very dry. I could tastes some spices. I was guessing coriander and was thinking there might be grains of paradise which I’ve only tasted in a few brews. I was somewhat amazed that I guessed those two correctly when I checked the label. There’s also cumin, ginger root, sweet orange peel and bitter orange peel.
Here’s what they said “This Belgian-style Wit, or “white” ale, is an unfiltered wheat beer brewed with traditional ingredients and a Highland twist. Wits are conventionally brewed with noble hops, pale malt, unmalted wheat, orange peel, and coriander. We have made this beer our own by adding other unique spices to create complex aromatics, a refreshing taste, and a crisp finish. Light in color with a smooth body, Razor Wit is perfect for hot summer days and sultry summer nights. Razor Wit was recently awarded the 2013 “Grand Champion” by the USBTC in the Wit category!”
This one was in a bottle.
Highland Brewing is celebrating 20 years. That’s a pretty good testament to one of the first craft breweries that popped up in North Carolina. They have consistently made great brews and provided some really nice seasonals that keep people coming back.
This one is light but has a malty start that has a few sharp edges to it but it has a very dry finish. This brew will pair up easier than the Big Squeeze Shandy.
Well the game is over and Auburn won 45-21. Great game. Great brews.