It’s starting to warm up. There is pollen in the air, allergies might be kicking in, and I’m seeing ads for Easter dresses and candy everywhere. The days are getting longer, even though the mornings are darker. But as we begin to peel off the layers of winter, it’s time to pull out the lawnmower and enjoy some springtime brews.
These beers tend to be of the lighter variety with floral or herb-like hints, freshly crisp flavors, matched perfectly with garden greens and fruits. Spring brews remind us of rebirth.
While we do not get harsh winters in Florida, we still appreciate the sunshine after the gray and rainy cold, and we love to crack open a wee bit o’ spring.
Dogfish Head’s Aprihop falls between your standard pale ale and IPA. The juicy citrus hop character blends seamlessly with the real (no artificial flavors) apricot fruit and caramel malts. It is also dry-hopped with “irresponsible amounts” of Amarillo hops that give the beer an amazing aroma.
The flavor is sweet malt with excellent citrus hop complexity. There is a risk of fruit beers becoming cloyingly sweet, but the apricot flavor here serves as a subtle enhancement and not as the backbone. The alcohol is a very deceptive 7 percent, so drink this one responsibly.
Blue Point Brewing’s Spring Fling is more in line with the “typical” spring seasonal; copper-colored, light in mouthfeel and alcohol, and ultimately drinkable. Spring Fling pours with a nice foamy head that lingers, and an aroma of light floral and citrus hops. It’s gorgeous in the sunlight.
The flavor is a bready malt with more of the light floral hop bitterness and a hint of lemon zest. It is crisp from start to finish, with a nice light body and a brief but mild aftertaste. At only 5 percent, this is an afternoon drinker on the porch or while planting in the yard.
If you prefer a different style of beer, the seasonal Saison De Lente from The Bruery might be right up your alley. Pouring a beautiful honey-colored hue, the head on this beer is big and fluffy and lingers for days. The aroma is all saison-funk, with grassy barnyard notes, rustic Brettanomyces yeast character, and just the right amount of hops.
The flavor is a very refreshing blend of flowery fruits. It is very delicate and dry, though with more hops and less lemon on the tongue than one might expect from the style. The mouthfeel is light without being watery, with plenty of soft champagne bubbles. At 6.5 percent, the alcohol is low for the style, but it is perfect for the sunshiny days ahead.
I will start by saying that Southern Hemisphere Harvest is probably my favorite Sierra Nevada beer every year. The Harvest concept is their take on the “wet-hopped” stylings. For the Southern Harvest, the fresh hops are picked, dried and shipped from New Zealand within seven days of the fields.
The result is an amazing, once-a-year offering. It pours an orange-amber color with light hints of red. The head is a fluffy egg white in appearance with great retention and size. Aroma is all hops, all day; delicious, spicy, floral, citrusy fresh hops.
And then the taste travels into the mouth, crisp and young with greenery throughout. The malt is just right to maintain a balance, supporting the never-ending hops. Oddly, it is not overly bitter or really IPA-like, tasty without challenging the palate. And at only 6.7 percent, I would drink this one all spring long.
This article appears in Mar 21-27, 2013.