21st Amendment Bitter American
San Francisco, California

An excellent example of beer that does not have to be extreme to be flavorful. At only 4.4% ABV, this low alcohol beer packs more hop and malt flavor into a can than most bitter ales out there. The pale golden colored liquid is achieved using Simpson’s Golden Promise, 2-Row Pale, Munich and Crystal malts. The hop varieties used are Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe and Centennial, which yield a bright, grapefruit aroma with a particularly hoppy bite. Described as an Extra Pale Ale, this canned beer is the most flavorful sessionable beer on the market today. Originally released in the late winter/early spring months, but may soon be available for a longer duration due to its popularity.

Duvel
Puurs, Belgium

An epic beer that is the prototype of the Belgian Strong Ale category. The Moortgat Family developed this beer in Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium over four generations. It was originally created while experimenting with ways to make beer using the light colored Pilsner malts, but with a more dynamic approach. Duvel is bottle conditioned with a very specific yeast strain that leaves a ripe melon quality to this ale. Created using the aforementioned Pilsner malt and Bohemian hops, the light malt gives the liquid its very pale golden color. For a taste that is intense and very complex, this can be deceiving. The hops, snappy and slightly fruity, play over the spicy, fruity effervescence brought about by the Belgian yeast. The most notable feature is the gigantic head that explodes off the surface and looks great in its namesake glass. The head sits cloudlike over a boozy tasting 8.5% ABV.

Orval Trappist Ale
Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium

The story behind this ale goes something like this: Matilda of Tuscany, who was to be betrothed into the royal family of the region, lost her gold ring in a pool of water. She prayed frantically for its return. A trout answered her wishes and popped out of the water procuring the ring in its mouth. The princess promised to build a monastery to commemorate the miracle. The Abbey D’ Notre-Dame d’ Orval was built on the site by the pool of water and is considered one of the seven official Trappist breweries in the world where the beer and its business is still run by monks. The only style of beer produced by this monastery is a hazy-orange, almost copper ale. Orval has a large, rambunctious head that gives off waves of damp, earthly aromas. Apples, blossoms and leather waft upwards on the nose. The taste is slightly tart at first, before yielding to a splendid show of apples, pears and grassy essences. The finish is relatively smooth and creamy. It is hard to pigeonhole Orval ale into a particular style category with its unique taste amongst the normal Trappist beer styles. Orval is balanced and dry with slight earthy, tart notes and a leathery must from the use of Brettanomyces yeast strain. The monks claim the beer will be good for up to five years, and the beer’s character changes radically with aging, becoming even more tart with less snappy hop bite.

Three Floyds Zombie Dust
Munster, Indiana

Formerly known as Cenotaph, Zombie Dust is a pale ale from Three Floyds Brewing Company. Zombie Dust displays the delights of the Citra hop from the Yakima Valley in Washington State, which imparts a piney, grassy flavor over this grainy pale ale. The feel is creamy, and a rocky white head sits atop a yellowish-orange body. The beer is not very bitter, but filled with aromas better fit in a lawn mower bag. Zombie Dust has a slight flavor of pineapple, with a dry, smooth easy drinking finish. This pleasurable ale features artwork of a zombie king on the label drawn by comic book artist Tim Seeley.