244. Bombshell Starlight Ale

"A crisp, clean, light colored ale, perfect for any occasion!"

Look at that, two posts in a week!  Told you that I was trying to get back on the right track!  I've got another beer here in front of me as I type up this review while idly watching the Bulls beat the Cavaliers.  I'm really not interested in the game, it's just there for background noise.  I'm paying more attention to apps on my phone.  

That said, I was a little torn between beer or root beer, but I've had a good brewski on the mind since this morning, so it won out.  The beer was poured into a Sam Adams' perfect pint.  It poured a pale, straw color with two fingers of soapy, white colored head.  With light retention, the head dissipated to a thin ring on the surface, leaving no lacing on the side of the glass.  Aromas of grass and buttered bread come to the forefront.

The taste is pretty simplistic, as expected.  Light malt flavors with a slight hop presence, providing a slight bitter finish.  I'm used to more flavor forward beers, which makes this one seems watery by comparison.  Light bodied with light carbonation, it's an easy to drink brew.  At 5.0% ABV, it's meant to be pretty sessionable.  I'd gladly take this over your typical macrobrews, but this one was just average to me; nothing overly memorable that would make me go back to it.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $1.67 (12 oz can)

243. Highland Mandarina IPA

"An adventure-loving and aromatic citrus IPA.  Brewed with nuanced German Mandarina Bavaria and Hull Melon hops and bold juicy American oranges, expect intense orange and tropical notes and a crisp, bright finish.  This one is a palate-pleaser!

Highland's name honors the Scots Irish who settled in the Appalachian mountains.  Founded in 1994, we are Asheville's first legal brewery since Prohibition."

Holy crap, I still exist?  I do!  I haven't done a lot of buying or drinking lately as I've needed to cull my inventory a wee bit.  I also was forced on a month long diet where I could not have beer.  And now I've decided to get in shape and run half-marathons, which means that I may drink less.  Lastly, I've got kids and they aren't cheap, which means I have less to fuel my hobbies.  It is what it is, but I will try to do better about posting my fun little tasting exploits.

Right now in front of me is Highland's Mandarina IPA, which is sitting in a Dogfish Head IPA glass.  I know I don't have a post where I mentioned where it came from, but I got a mix-six pack from Lowes Foods, with the plan to get more blonde colored beer since most of my stash is dark.  It poured a nice golden orange color with a finger of white head.  A thick ring of lacing and a thin layer of film is settled down.  Citrusy aromas of orange is prevalent, along with pineapple, a little bit of pine, and butter.

The taste doesn't punch you in the mouth, which was what I typically expect in an IPA.  The orange is more in the nose than in the taste.  It's pretty mild and more akin to orange peel than oranges.  There's a touch of sweetness and a light bitter finish which reminds me more of a pale ale than an IPA.  Light bodied with medium to high carbonation, it's zesty like a soda.  

If this is an IPA, it's definitely tailored to being more sessionable.  At 5.0% ABV, I reckon I'm right.  Definitely appealing, I can see myself having a couple of these on a hot summer day.  Excuse me while I finish the rest.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $1.67 (12 oz can)