Rambling Reviews 5.2.2106: Strike Brewing's Screaming Hand, Uinta Brewing's Farm Side Saison, and Dogfish Head's Beer To Drink Music To

It's been a full month since I rambled here about any beer. Time to fix that!

Let's start with Strike Brewing's Screaming Hand Imperial Amber coming totally out of left field on Strike's restrained, baseball themed line-up. I alway found Strike beers to be driven by Brewmaster Drew Ehrlich's solid brewing technique and sense of nuance, but this beer almost literally screams. Assertive, strong caramel malt blend well with tropical slightly resinous hops. At 7.5% abv, it tastes a bit "boozy" in a good way. Nice change of pace effort from Strike. Talk to the hand.

Next, we come to Uinta Brewing's Farm Side Saison. They make it with white grape must and gooseberries, which pretty much take over this brew. It's full of sharp, white wine flavors, a fruity tartness that I gather come from the gooseberries. There's just not much there from the neutral malt, and it lacks any real yeastiness. You might call it a white wined-up saison. For those who want some wine with their beer.

Last, we come to Beer to Drink Music to Tripel from Dogfish Head.  What can I say, this is just a wonderful sipping beer to drink music to, or anything else for that matter.  Lot's of aromatic spiciness of cinnamon and clove dominate with a little orange fruitiness, a light sweetness and a slight toffee note.  Just a smooth, effortless combination of strong flavors at 9% abv.

Beer of the Month: Tilted Smile by Uinta Brewing

Haven't we had enough Imperial somethings? The thought certainly crossed my mind as I stood there in a liquor store, looking at a bottle of Uinta Brewing Tilted Smile standing there in the upright cooler, which advertises itself as an Imperial Pilsner. I'm trying to figure out what an Imperial Pilsner would taste like. Budweiser on steroids? That doesn't sound so good.

But I was intrigued enough to try it. Uinta was a brewery I was familiar from a few trips to its home state of Utah, and their Belgian Ale was a slick, nifty brew. I tried garlic ice cream once, never to do it again, but thankful I can tell the tale of the day I tasted it. Maybe trying an Imperial Pilsner would be the same experience.

To my pleasant surprise it was actually a great, unique change of pace beer. It's got a slight heftiness from the malt, with light peach or grape flavors, that's well balanced by savory, sage-like herbal hops. It tastes like white wine that's been dry-hopped, even though that veers into garlic ice cream territory.

Tilted Smile, which checks in a 9% abv, is part of Uinta's Crooked Line series of stronger, experimental beers. It's a bit of a business risk for Uinta, as this Utah brewery can only sell these beers in its home state through the highly regulated Utah State Liquor Stores.

I like breweries that take risks. Just as long as they don't make a Garlic Imperial Pilsner.

The Nanny State Does All Right at the Logan Utah State Liquor Store

I do not profess to fully understand Utah's complex alcohol regulations, but from my vague understanding, you can actually by a six-pack, or a 22 ounce bottle of beer from a supermarket or other private retail location, as long as it doesn't exceed 4.0% abv. Otherwise, you have to go to a one of the Utah State Liquor Stores operated by the Utah Division of Alcohol Control. And trust me, if you're in Utah on business learning SAP installation and implementation, like I was last week, you definitely will need a beer. Or two. Or three. Maybe a lot more than that.

So last week, I was glad to get away for a few minutes during a business trip in Logan, UT to stop by the town's state liquor store. Surprisingly, this government run relic of prohibition actually had a pretty decent beer selection at reasonable prices. I found stuff like Anderson Valley Brewing, Rogue Ales, and tried and true imports like Samuel Smiths or Gulden Draak. I can get that back in the Bay Area, so my main interest was brews from the Utah Brewers Cooperative and Uinta Brewing. And since beers are sold by the individual bottle, assembling your own "sampler six-pack" is not only possible, it's almost encouraged.

According to the Utah Division of Alcohol Control website, liquor sales provided a major source of income to the state's general fund,with gross sales totaling $267 million in 2009, resulting in a net profit of $59 million for the state. Utah state laws restrict the density of state liquor stores to 1 per 48,000 residents, so looks like the state of Utah is leaving some beer money on the table, so to speak. As a Left Coast Liberal from California, I wish they would unshackle the brewing industry from big government regulation, and let free enterprise thrive, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. The State of Utah is one of the least likely organizations you'd expect to run a decent liquor store, but give them credit for doing exactly that.