Fuel Cafe, Red Chair, Zon and Hop Stoopid

Here's another round of four beers that were all quite different yet good in their own ways. Wit, hops and coffee made up this round of beer goodness. And this time, I took notes!

A few more goodies.

The first bottle I opened was Lakefront Brewery's Fuel Cafe. This was a coffee stout which, after Mother's Winter Grind, I know I really enjoy and was excited to try another. Right off the bat, I noticed the great malt flavor packed into the bottle, then came the coffee flavor. The coffee was a little weak at first but grew to a good level as the beer warmed slightly. Had an excellent coffee aftertaste though. The beer poured dark and thick with little to no head. It's no Winter Grind, but it's a great alternative that I'd like to try again.

My second bottle was Deschutes Brewery's Red Chair NWPA (Northwest Pale Ale). This one had great flavor that was nice and fruity. Had a nice level of hops that didn't have that bitter bite that some IPAs have.Very nice.

Next up was Boulevard Brewing Company's Zōn. I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this bottle but was surprised by a nice Witbier. It was a decent Witbier with a nice balance of coriander and citrus, but it can't quite compete with Hoegarden's Witbier. Still enjoyable and one I wouldn't mind having again.

Finally is Lagunita's Hop Stoopid Ale. I was expecting a lot of hops from this beer simply based on the name, but was surprised by an amount of hops that was just right and balanced well against the malts. It turned out to be very smooth and enjoyable.