I’m never sure why the fall season seems to sneak up on me every year…and I’ll admit that while I may still be holding my foot firmly on the summer-brakes, the fall beer season has officially arrived with these releases from Highland Brewing. 
To help start the season off, Highland Brewing is brewing Clawhammer Oktoberfest Lager. This Marzen-style lager is brewed with German malt and noble hops, and it really has the word “traditional” written all over it when you open and sample the beer. Clawhammer pours a bold golden color with really nice malty caramel aromas. Like a classic Marzen, Clawhammer begins with a generous amount of malty sweetness, followed by a spicy hopiness from the Hallertau Mittlefrue & German Spalt Select hops. The balance of this beer is really nice and it was lighter in body (in a good way) and lighter in AbV as well (5%-AbV)…all of which combines with the clean finish to make for a really well balanced and drinkable beer. 
Up next, we sampled a beer I was really looking forward to trying…Highland Brewing King MacAlpin Double IPA. This beer is part of the Warrior Series, and with my fondness for hops, this big DIPA is right up my alley. King MacAlpin is brewed with Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe and Centennial hops and I swear each one of them is a “Warrior” of hops in the aroma of this beer. The beer is double dry-hopped and it is “packed” with 5.5-pounds of hops per barrel. The hoppy nose is followed by a really interesting and complex beer. I tasted canned pineapple (that’s a good thing), with lots of citrus and a bit of lemon up front and loads of resinous and sticky hop flavors late. The finish is piney and slightly dry and at 10%-AbV, you can’t miss the whack of booziness at the end. Despite it’s 90 IBU, I really thought King MacAlpin was a really drinkable DIPA with lots of hops and a depth and complexity that only got better and better toward the end.
Both of these beer are available in 12oz bottles and on draft so get out there and sample them.
Be sure to taste both
for yourself….and as always…when you do….be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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