Tasting summer

Three whiskey drinkers pretend to be beer experts

Last week we had a beer tasting at Voice HQ, thanks to JoJo Hull at Modern Spirits, who curated a cross-section of his most popular summer beers for us to try. As we popped the first bottle, Tulsa expat and former TTV editor Matt Cauthron, in town for Tulsa Tough, just happened to stop by the office to say hello (or so he claims—we think he could smell the beer), so we invited him to sit down and join us for an impromptu taste-and-rate. 

Disclaimer: Over the course of the tasting we discovered that all three of us prefer whiskey and rarely indulge in decent beer, so take our insights with a grain of salt; we know nothing. 

Anchor Brewing Mango Wheat
4.5%

Joshua Kline: Even with my partially stuffed-up nose I can taste the mango.

Matt Cauthron: I can smell it for sure. [Sips] Oh yeah, there’s the mango.

JK: I think the mango and hops collide to make a sort of grapefruit flavor.

MC: I taste that. Tartness. 

Takeaway: A refreshing summer beer, perfect for the outdoors.

Leinenkugel’s Grapefruit Shandy
4.2%

Liz Blood: It’s good but tastes like grapefruit soda.

MC: I like this like I like the first taste of a Summer Shandy ... tastes like Squirt. 

LB: Or Fresca.

JK: I would definitely drink this with tequila in it. 

Takeaway: Good on it’s own, might be better with tequila. The best of Leinenkugel’s fruity summer beers.  

Shipyard Brewing Co. Island Time
Session IPA, 4.5%

MC: I’m in love with this. I’m not a huge IPA fan in general. I may go get a six-pack of this now, though. 

LB: Smells like there’s caramelized sugar in there. [Sips] Yeah, that
is good.

JK: The hops aren’t overwhelming. Doesn’t have the stingy bitter thing.

MC: I like that it’s not aggressively hoppy. “Island Time”—I wondered how they’d pull it off. It’s smooth.

Takeaway: A muted, refreshing IPA that avoids the typical hops overload.

Avery Brewing Co. Raspberry Sour
5.7%

MC: That’s got a kick. 

JK: It smells delicious, like shoving your face in a pile of raspberries. 

LB: This is a sharing beer…I’m not gonna beer bong this. I really like it.

MC: The aftertaste is pleasant. It’s sour and sweet.

Takeaway: So good we just want to stick our faces in it. 

Evil Twin Imperial Simcoe Slacker
7.5% 

MC: I’ve got to revisit IPAs after today.

LB: Kind of skunky, which I mean in a good way. Tastes like leaves. Confusing name, I thought, what’s a Simcoe? But it is an IPA?

JK: Yeah, it says “IPA” on the side of the can. It’s an IPA. 

Takeaway: Packs a major ABV punch, a good getting-drunk-while-barbecuing-in-your-skinny-jeans beer. 

Flying Dog Heat Series: Ancho Lime Paradise Lager
6%

LB: I like this because the chili isn’t super present.

JK: Oof. Kinda tastes like when you’re standing too close to a sweaty person at a concert and they back into your face. 

LB: That makes me not want to drink it. It is kind of dirty. I think the fance-smance word is “terroir.” 

MC: [was originally planning his exit after this beer] I can’t leave on this one. 

Takeaway: Definitely a beer for the pepperheads. Great if you’re into that sort of thing.

Crazy Mountain Amber Ale
5.25% 

LB: I love the artwork.

MC: I like that. But it tastes like autumn and winter, not summertime.

JK: Yeah it tastes like toasted…

MC: Toasted is a good word.

JK: It’s got a cereal thing going on.

LB: Definitely a Colorado summer beer. 

Takeaway: More of a up-in-the-cool-mountains beer, basically where we want to be that isn’t Oklahoma in the summer.

[Cauthron abandons us for Tulsa Tough pre-gaming.]

Boulevard Hibiscus Gose
4.2%

LB: This smells so good. Makes the backsides of my tongue twitch.

JK: I’ve always liked this beer; along with Tank 7, the best thing Boulevard makes.

LB: It’s bright! Like a just barely ripe strawberry.

Takeaway: Salty, floral, sour, pleasant. (Did we mention we’re not beer experts?)

Kona Lemongrass Luau
Lager, 5%

JK: Kona is the most popular beer in Hawaii, right? 

LB: It smells like my favorite Thai restaurant. 

JK: [reads label] “…brewed with lemongrass and natural ginger.”

LB: What is natural ginger? This taste healthy. Like an elixir.

JK: Reminds me of stir fry. The ginger kind of overwhelms the lemongrass. 

LB: Yeah but the lemongrass cuts through it. 

Takeaway: As a lager, it’s super light but herbaceous. Probably a pairing beer, sorry we can’t tell you with what. That’s not our field.

Oskar Blues Pinner
Throwback IPA, 4.9%

LB: I’m happy to be seeing so many IPAs in the 4-5% region. Mm. That’s my kind of IPA. Kind of sharp but then it rounds out.

JK: I have nothing eloquent to say about this but I like the way it hits my tongue.

LB: Ok, “on the tongue.” Oskar Blues describes it as “crushable.” I agree. 

Takeaway: We like the way it hits the tongue.

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager
4.2%

LB: On first pour, it smells like movie theater popcorn, which is probably not what I’m supposed to be getting. I mean, it smells awesome. 

JK: Yes! It smells like butter. Like strawberry shortcake or something.

LB: Jelly Bellies.

JK: It’s very inoffensive, like a gas station lager with an injection of strawberry essence. Definitely tastes like a lower point beer. I feel like I should be bowling while drinking this.

Takeaway: Good for bowling, baseball games, or just after jumping out of Chandler Park’s swimming pool and burning your feet on the concrete. 

Anchor Brewing Meyer Lemon Lager
4.5%

LB: If you’re at the lake and want a little flavor…

JK: Yes, this is a great lake beer, for sure. 

LB: I like it. Anchor can do no wrong by me. I love all of their beers. This one’s pretty simple.

Takeaway: Take it to party cove, but don’t drink and dive.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Ale, 8%

JK: I like it.

LB: If I had a dollar for every time you said that… I’d have like eleven dollars.

JK: Super hoppy but doesn’t make you pucker your mouth.

LB: It’s kinda malty. 

JK: Pleasant bitterness. My taste buds are also numb right now.

LB: Beer tasting is not easy.

Takeaway: Has a porch swing vibe, somewhere in the shade, tastes authentic and lived-in.

Smirnoff Ice Electric Berry
Malt beverage, non-carbonated, 5%

LB: I could be convinced this is Powerade.

JK: Apparently they put electrolytes in it.

LB: So this is a hangover drink.

JK: But it’s also a nightclub drink, right? It’s blue. It’s called “Electric Berry.” 

LB: It’s pretty good.

JK: I like that it’s not carbonated. It tastes like blue pop-ice, melted, with alcohol added.

Takeaway: Good hair of the dog, a great iteration of the party girl malt beverage. Better than Zima.