Cascade Kriek Ale
Portland, Oregon

Cascade Brewing is one, if not the only traditional Belgian-style lambic blending house in the U.S. Cascade Kriek ale spends about six months aging in small oak barrels with lactobacillus bacteria and lactic fermentation. The ale is then refermented for eight months with fresh whole Bing and Sour Pie cherries before being bottled by hand. This Northwest-style red ale is outrageously tart and bright with sour cherries up front, and a very subdued cherries nose. Sugary, sour flavors overload and envelope the tongue before fading on the back end to a smooth, oak, malt sweetness. Tart cherry flavors linger for a long while on this 7.1% ABV beer, with a taste reminiscent of Sour Patch Kids candy.

Troegs Nugget Nectar
Hershey, Pennsylvania

Troegs releases this masterpiece every February. Nugget Nectar is a perfect balance between sweet, malty flavors and bitter hops. Three hop varieties: Nugget, warrior and Tomahawk, each lend their distinctive flavors to the mix. The base of this ale is Troegs’ year-round flagship Hopback Amber. The malt and hop flavors are intensified by increasing the dosage. Sweet apricot flavors in this amber colored ale wash over the palate before being sliced by a crisp, bitter hop bite. The pleasant and fruity malt back is ever present diminishing the intensity of the bittering hops. This beverage, also known as an Imperial Amber ale, rounds out to a 7.5% ABV.