April is a great month for beer across the board. Spring is in full swing. Backyard barbecues are getting dusted off and fired up. The days are longer. The sun’s out. That means it’s time to crack open a great beer.
Below, we’ve compiled a shortlist of some of the best beers being released and available this April. Some of them are easier to find, with larger distribution; some you’ll have to travel for and do a bit of sleuthing to uncover. Either way, a good beer is always worth the trouble!
Happy hunting!
Dry-Hopped Brett Saison — Upslope Brewing Company
Boulder’s Upslope Brewing is quickly becoming one of the best microbrews in the country. Their Lee Hill Series is a testament to great suds and craftsmanship. They just released Vol. 15 of the series, a saison beer: Dry-Hopped Brett Saison.
The beer is a wonderful balance of sour and micro funk. There’s a nice amber brightness to the beer that goes down almost too easily. If you’re interested in getting into sour beers, this is a great place to start.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbIpCIkldAH/
Pipsqueak Penguin Pale Ale — Trillium Brewing Company
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg3tG8VhoaE/
Trillium, up in Boston, is another heavy-hitter in the microbrew world. Their American pale ale, Pipsqueak Penguin, is a mellow balance of hops with a little malt breadiness in the background. The hops shine with a floral and fruity vibrance of lime, pineapple, grape, and hints of clementine. It’s zesty, sharp, and delicious.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg1biinj2Br/
Blood Saison — Border X Brewing
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHnQoQ2g1R9/
Down in San Diego, Border X is brewing some seriously great brews with a tropical and Mexican twist. Their recent release, Blood Saison, takes a funky and sour beer and drops in some hibiscus and agave to mirror the essence of aqua de Jamaica (a hibiscus drink). It’s a uniquely Mexican-American take on the Belgian classic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgw11hKHcEh/
Cowboy Breakfast — Põhjala Brewery
Põhjala is brewing some of the best beer in… Estonia. And, if you look hard, you may be able to find some choice bottles stateside. Their Cowboy Stout is a 12.5 percent ABV bourbon barrel aged masterpiece imperial stout. It’s smoky and spicy with a fire roasted coffee and very dark chocolate feel. There’s a nice, mellow sweetness that leans towards dark berries and bourbon caramel.
It’s a fantastic addition to your collection… if you can snag one.
Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout — Stone Brewing
Sticking with stout, Stone just released their Russian imperial and it’s a doozy. Totalitarian has a beautiful balance of dark berries and chocolate with nice hints of black coffee and an almost airy texture. It’s a big beer that doesn’t way you down while you sip.
Superfuzz — Elysian Brewing
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgwzzi5h4YV/
Up in Seattle, Elysian’s Blood Orange pale ale, Superfuzz is about to drop. The ale is wonderfully balanced between tart hops and mellow, toasty malt. Blood orange rinds are added to the beer to make it pop. If you drink one beer named after a guitar effects pedal, let it be this one.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgpLzDNBv3N/
EDITOR’S PICK:
Hand of the Queen — Brewery Ommegang/ HBO
The fun thing about the Brewery Ommegang/ Game of Thrones collabs is that everyone involved is actually trying. Merchandising megahits is often a phone-it-in-and-wait-for-the-paycheck sort of deal, but these beers are crafted with care (both for the ingredients/ technique and the show itself). It’s a testament to the brewery — which didn’t need GoT to be successful — that they pay such great attention to detail with all of their releases.
This barleywine ale is named for Tyrion Lannister, but the dark fruit, malt-funk mix doesn’t strike me as a Tyrion drink. Instead, this feels perfect for those surprisingly cold spring nights, heading north on the King’s Road. The fruit notes can balance mutton pie or horse shank stew like nobody’s business. The 11% abv warms you, as your mount whinnies nearby. Finally, the beer has a dried apricot-molasses finish that’s both complex and playful. The sort that makes you want to sing with a honey-voiced soldier, even if he’s potentially headed north to subjugate your family.
The Ommegang beer finder is super handy for tracking this one down. The beer, that is, not the soldier. He has a website of his own.
