It’s the end of the summer. Are you going on vacation? Everyone seems to be going on vacation this weekend. You deserve a vacation. You need a break from the daily grind. Vacation! Beer! Peaks and Pints hopes you get to go on a vacation, even if it’s just for one day, even if it’s just in your mind, you know? We’re vacationing in our mind as we write today’s craft beer flight, the one you are reading or having read to you by computer robot voice. We’re enjoying a lovely vacation can of beautiful tropical craft beer, but we’re writing, so we’re not drunk or anything, mostly because we have an unwritten and nonbinding contract (don’t sue) with you, Peaks and Pints Pals, to provide you with a daily craft beer flight. We can’t be drinking a lot of tropical beer and writing this, because if we drink another beer, that basically makes us want to drink more beer, and then we’re not writing the daily beer flight, you dig? We take our profession seriously, man. Anyhoo, if you don’t have the cash, time or ability to fly out of town for a tropical vacation, we suggest you visit us today for Craft Beer Crosscut 8.24.17: A Flight of Vacation. We’ve constructed a flight of tropical craft beer to whisk you away, in your mind, to a far-off island. Cheers!
O-Town Tropical Cream
5% ABV, 24 IBU
The American cream ale style emerged prior to Prohibition as brewers looked for a beer to compete with the emerging popularity of American light lager. Cream ale is light and easy drinking. It’s often overlooked among craft beer enthusiasts because it comes off as a little too “big brewery,” with its clean, non-offensive personality, which some mistake as bland … unless it receives the O-Town Brewing treatment. O-Town’s Tropical Cream is just that, with coconut, key lime and mango plus a smooth mouthfeel and finish.
Avery Liliko’i Kepolo
5.4% ABV, 10 IBU
The Liliko’i Kepolo (hard to say, easy to drink) from Avery Brewing is an unexpected delight! We don’t typically expect witbiers to be this interesting, original or surprisingly tart. It looks like your average Wit, with minimal, fine white foam over a hazy straw body, but lean in for a whiff and up wafts strong passion fruit, a little citrus and banana, coriander, and some creamy wheat malts. To taste, there’s an underlying spice throughout, but it starts off with a tart, citrusy bite, possibly due to the Bravo and Sterling hops. The passionfruit is evident, though not as heavy as on the nose, and the fuzzy mouthfeel reminds us of biting into a peach. The Liliko’i is a delicious, fun, and unique diversion from home.
Maui Brewing Coconut Hiwa Porter
6% ABV, 30 IBU
Brewed with hand-toasted coconut and six varieties of malted barley, the Coconut Hiwa Porter is a very dark, almost impenetrable, black coffee color. The aroma recalls baked coconut macaroons or, on the other end of the spectrum, coconut suntan lotion. The coconut flavor i present, but not overwhelming in the mouth, along with other roasted earthy lactose flavors.
GoodLife Secret Stash #004
6.5% ABV, 50 IBU
A highlight at the 2017 Oregon Brewers Festival, GoodLife Brewing released its latest Secret Stash Experimental IPA series beer, Secret Stash #004. It’s a tart IPA with big up front hop aromas followed by a refreshing and thirst quenching tartness due to the souring of wort with Lactobacillus. This experimental IPA is brewed with 2-row pale, Pilsner, Vienna, and a handful of Caramel malt. Mosaic, Meridian and Galaxy give the beer intense hop aromas of citrus and tropical fruits.
Silver Moon Maui Wowie Double IPA
8.8% ABV, 90 IBU
Brewed as a tribute beer to Silver Moon Brewing’s friends at Latitude 45 Hops, a small hop farm located in hot, sunny Madras, Oregon, Maui Wowie is a double IPA bursting with hop character. The double IPA has morphed over the years, dropping the Summit hops from its Chinook, Centennial and Citra hops punch. It’s still a high gravity copper colored ale with intense resinous, sweet pine, pineapple and citrus flavors and aromas. Medium bodied and dry finish equals dangerously easy to drink.
