We've been having a love affair with Silver City Brewery. Sadly this is a long distance relationship as you can't find their wares on this side of the mountains. Should you make your way west, though, we strongly recommend picking up some of their beer, as it all is pretty damn excellent.
Like the Saint Florian IPA. This hazy, golden wonder is one of the more refreshing IPAs we've had in a while. Its nose literally screams -- literally! -- of citric hops, yet with a whisper of maltiness toward the back. Yes, it's a loud beer, but that's good.
Sip it, and the tongue is gently caressed by a taste of citric sunshine, with the hops revealing themselves at the end. First gently, before they hang on to the uvula, refusing to let go. Indeed these hops come on slowly, but when they appear, they really appear. The malts are there too, mind you, almost cherry like in flavor. The combination is interesting, and, again, the result tastes like summer.
Mouthfeel is heavier than many IPAs, and the Saint Florian really is quite a mouthful. This might a bit off-putting to those who like the thinner IPAs, but I quite liked it. At 6.9% it's not exactly a session beer, but you can at least put one back without hitting the ground.
Heavens, though, anything we've tried from Silver City has been good, but Saint Florian is a great option if you like something that screams summer.