Hop and sour soup

It's destination Colorado once again today, and some (hopefully) tangy delights from the Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project.

We start sessionably with Double Dry-Hop Sour, 4.5% ABV and offering an intriguing Americo-Kiwi combination of Citra, Mosaic and Motueka. In contravention of the DDH designation, it poured a bright and sunny yellow, clear until the last few drops which carried some cloudy muck into the glass. Citra's uncompromising lime juice and Motueka's apothecary herbs set out their competing stalls in the aroma. The citrus wins in the flavour, but is magnanimous in victory, just lightly spritzy and allowing the base sourness to come through. That too is present but not overdone, and the balance of hops and tartness in a modest-ABV package is perfect. Some funky and peachy Brett notes bring an extra classiness to the finish. It'll be a while before summer al fresco drinking rolls around again, but this is worth having to hand for when it does.

I thought from the name that Do You Even Zest?! would be another sour job but it's just a double IPA with unspecified citrus fruit added. Awww. It's not even all that double at just 7.5% ABV. In appearance it's a completely opaque lemon-curd yellow, with a fine and persistent foam on top. The texture is appropriately dense for a DIPA, though the aroma is severely lacking: vague dankness with an unpleasant pinch of caraway. The flavour is also rather behind the door. The promised zest is just about discernible, but is no more than a parsimonious squeeze. There's a little resin too, but any edge from either of the previous elements is muffled by a thick layer of custardy vanilla. This is a disappointment from top to tail. The name is genuinely what I found myself thinking while staring into the remaining half glass. They should sell it with a sachet of Brett for adding to taste.

Hoppy and sour trumps fruited IPA yet again. No surprise over here.