The original marionberry Stumptown Tart set a new standard for fruit/beer integration. In addition to being wildly delicious, it was a great “ale” flavor that used the flavors of the marionberry without being too overboard. When the second ST came out, it was a Cherry Wheat. This time, the cherry played a more prominent role, since the wheat element of the beer made for a much lighter beer flavor. This time around, however, good ol’ Stumptown Tart has gone all in with Oregon red raspberry. Or rather, OMG ITS RASPBERRY!!!!

On first pour, the raspberry makes its presence known with a real strong “fresh raspberry” smell. And the first sip? RASPBERRY! This beer has the distinction of being one of the first beers I’ve had that tastes exactly like it smells. Sweet, sweet, alcoholic raspberry. Not the lame “raspberry flavor” you are used to mind you, or even raspberries you may buy at a local Big-E-Mart. This is earthy, fresh, real raspberry flavor, and it’s fantastic.

Now you may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned the beer aspect of this. There’s a reason for that. In what seems like a trend, this year’s ST has even less “beer-y” flavor than the year before. Although it’s made with a Belgian Tripel, they advertise it as a “Framboise”, which in my book defines itself as “Really F-ing Alcoholic Fruit Juice”. And boy is it. In an article on Wikipedia, they make mention that “Framboise is usually served in a small glass that resembles a champagne glass, only shorter”. Stumptown? Nah, that comes in a 22oz. So at 7.7% ABV, you can imagine how high I was flying when I finished my bottle. Just a word of warning.

I now realize that I’ve made in pretty far into the column without ever mentioning if it was any good. For that, I apologize, because it was really good. Crisp, light, refreshing, and wickedly fruity. I imagine it might mellow with age, but for now, drinking it immediately makes me wish to be outside on a warm summer day, instead of watching the rain and hail abuse my patio cover. This beer is perfect for those occasions when you are outside goofing with friends, burning steaks on the grill, and setting your neighbors bushes on fire with a stray bottle rocket. I highly recommend stocking the July 4th BBQ cooler with several of these refreshing beauties. Just be careful not to think that the fun fruit flavor is a tame one. Prost!

Or maybe, its the Dick’s Mountain Amber Ale in my hand. Like the fourth wheel on car, this super tasty brew makes the whole package complete. Smooth, flavorful in a nice way, and a good malty finish.

Ladies and gentlemen, I may have just found my Summer 2010 Easy Drinkin’ beer.

There aren’t any specific things to rave about this Hefe, other than just to say it was good. I enjoy Hefeweizens for those warm summer days, or those general “I want some beer” kind of evenings. When done right, they are worth a pour.

Dick’s Hefe is crisp, tasty and frankly a bit overly bubbly. But a worthy Hefe. Now if only it would get warm out so I would feel inspired to drink lighter beer…

With their third offering in the LTD series, Full Sail has done their best to rescue me from years of therapy required from my previous pilsner experiences. I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my liver, and I can once again drink a pilsner and not have to wear a wifebeater or listen to Larry the Cable Guy.

This stuff is great. Super light, super smooth. Its crisp on the first sip, and knows to back off just in time for you to say “ahhh”.

And what’s more, it has earned a coveted spot alongside Bridgeport Haymaker in the official Frosty Goodness July 4th Beer Cooler. A true honor. Congratulations, and thank you Full Sail. May nary a cigarette butt ever cross your bottle.

All you have to do is get past the horrible wrapper. It took me a few beers to realize that that was in fact not a bear…but a wolf. At least I know that if my current career doesn’t work out, I could have a future in wrapper design.

The company I work for had a BBQ on site last week. As usual with company bbq functions, they coughed up some beer for us. Yippeee!!! When digging through the bucket o’ goodness, I found some Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. Figuring that it would taste OK, I popped one open and took a swig.

THIS STUFF IS UNBELIEVABLY YUMMY!! It’s not overly fruity but it definitely tastes of cherry. It’s a mild wheat bear that’s incredibly well balanced and not too sweet. These guys know their way around a beer!

I need to come clean about something first, when I went to the store I intended to pick up a case of my old favorite, Miller Highlife. However, when I got there I wasn’t in the mood for the Highlife. There was also someone else there and I was ashamed. But as I drink my Skinny Dip, I am glad my shame led me to by it. Light, but with that Fat Tire full-bodied taste, and a burnt-chocolate finish. Very yummy and light too! So I won’t gain any weight, right?

If you’re looking for a light beer that REALLY tastes great, Skinny Dip is it. Prost!

Light-bodied with a somewhat burnt-chocolate finish seems like an oxymoron, but I swear its there. The “Dude” says it is an import-style lager but I’m not buying it. I guess if you’re talking about some lambic, or tripel, this might qualify as a distant cousin but its definitely not your typical “euro-bud” trash (Becks, Heineken, etc).

So, long story short: I dig it… um, dude. I think I’m going to set out to see if good packaging equals good beer. Sounds like a good combo of my two favorite things: good beer and good design. In the end, we’ll see which one deserves the top spot.

The packaging on beer labels and boxes gets more and more elaborate each year. From the local artistry featured on Rogue Ales to the slick Budweiser Select bottles, a lot of thought goes in to the look and feel of your average brew. And there is definitely a “micro-brew look.” If you look closely, you can tell the posers from the real thing.

Bridgeport’s Haymaker Extra Pale Ale is no exception when it comes to the design of the packaging. As a designer, I appreciate the level of branding and illustration. This beer is definitely the product of a highly skilled marketing team. However, it IS the real thing.

The verdict: Bridgeport brings their characteristic hoppiness to a wheat beer. Finishes light and crisp, just right for summer time.