Against the Grain - Citra Ass Down

type: double IPA
origin: Louisville, KY
price: $14/4-pack
ABV: 8.2%
NSP: 11.1
website

In honor of the latest Louisville basketball controversy, I think it's appropriate to review a beer from Louisville, and I'm a sucker for DIPAs in the 16oz can format.

So... Against the Grain... never heard of them, but that should no longer be a surprise given the rapid growth of breweries in the US

The amazingness of Heady sent a shock wave through the beer community that I think we're just starting to see reflections of.  This seems more-or-less like an attempt at a Heady clone, but nobody beats the Wiz!  It is damn fine though, and probably ridic fresh at the brewery.  Quite a well balanced offering that does better in the glass, IMO, even if the name has that classic dumb-hop-pun feel.  Its's a bit too sticky sweet at the end to be really amazing, but it's stiff, and hoppy.  I'm down with it FO SHO, plus it's got hella good NSP.

10/10 would crush again

Modern Times Fruitland

type: flavored gose

origin: San Diego, CA

price: $7/22oz

ABV: 4.8%

NSP: 4.5

website

Having been away from San Diego for over a year now, Modern Times is one of a few rays of sunshine that reminds me how great that city is for beer.

The description: "Sour - Cherry - Gose". The color of the beer is very nearly the same as the color on the label, so before even tasting it, you're already thinking of Sour Patch kids, which floods my mouth with saliva. And it's all those things!  I'm amazed that the sour cherry addition doesn't completely overwhelm the delicacy of the gose: it seems they got the mixture correct. I find it pleasing, but perhaps a bit too acidic. I'd like it to be slightly less so I can get through the bomber without dramatically altering the ph level of my body chemistry.

Primes you for this, then tastes like this without all the sugar.

I've railed on their choice of label content before (see Oneida). I don't imagine my words made a bit of difference, but I'm pretty OK with this label. That is -- it doesn't annoy me.

Hey guys, I wanna get weird with you!