>by Paul Marko

Our friends at CBW have been crafting single hop varietal IPAs for sometime now and their latest to hit the taps features one of the hottest hops on the market today—Citra. Citra is famously used as the prominent hop in cult classics (ie. hard to find) such as Citra Double IPA from Kern River Brewing and the coveted Zombie Dust from Three Floyds Brewing. You can find Citra in more commonly available beers too—Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo and Victory Headwaters are good examples. As the name implies, Citra is loaded with citrusy flavors, ranging from tropical pineapple and passion fruit to peach and lychee fruit, depending on it’s usage and freshness. When used correctly it yields a layered, well rounded IPA that is both flavor intensive, yet paradoxically smooth. Despite it’s young age—Citra debuted in 2007—it’s the hyped hop ‘o the day and CBW has coaxed the most out of it’s tasty limits here. The brewery lists Singularity-Citra at 7.2%, putting it on the doorstep of a double IPA, but this beer is so smooth and drinkable that the alcohol is easy to miss. One thing you can’t miss, however, is the intense floral aroma that greets you as you take your first sip. As with all Singularity beers, Citra is a limited release, but it is currently available at the brewery as well as the best beer bars and tap stores. Act fast, this zombie killer will surely not be stalking around for long.

>by Chris Groves Certified Cicerone ®

Sierra Nevada continually fails to disappoint. Someone over there surely has a sense of humor to call a beer Nooner. Urbandictionary.com is your friend if you don’t know... You know what else is not disappointing? The fact that it’s May and we have actual warmth heading our way. It’s tee shirt weather and it’s time to celebrate! If you’ve been reading this page of beer reviews for the past couple months, you may have picked up on my admiration for the subtle, wonderful qualities of real Pilsners. They’re perfect for your afternoon canoe picnic up the Buffalo River, your day hike at the gorge or while working tirelessly in your garden. When the sun reaches its high point...its Nooner time! Nooner joins the ranks of superb, American made German-style pilsners with its effulgent golden straw color, spicy hop nose and clean, crisp finish. This beer is not excessive; it’s naturally beautiful with just the right amount of everything to keep you interested. While German Pilsners aren’t do-all food beers, they certainly work with a wide variety of dishes typically associated with summertime and those wonderful evening dinner parties. If you’re looking for a beer to cool your Jerked Chicken, Nooner fits the bill. Salmon, scallops, spicy chorizo, andouille all work exceptionally well. Do yourself a favor...put your pilsner in a tall slender glass. It will retain the head on your beer and enhance it’s effervescence, plus you’ll look cooler.