Red Betty, Red Racer, just call it good...

Red Betty IPA, Central City Brewing Company, Surrey, British Columbia

6.5% abv. Served from a can. Half inch head with a dark orange amber color. Piney and sweet grapefruit hop aromas. This is a smooth drinking and reasonably balanced IPA. The hops are certainly dominant, but it has a solid malt profile as well. Pineapple and other sweet tropical fruits. Grapefruit and floral hops flavors with touches of pine.The fact that a beer this good comes in cans is very useful for outdoor summer activities...summer BBQs, for the golf bag, hikes, and by the pool.

Called Red Racer in Canada, but Bear Republic won a recent lawsuit and they now call it Red Betty in the US.

Chocolate and coffee = yum...

Blackwater series. 11% abv. Made with Jamaican roasted coffee and bittersweet Belgian chocolate. Cellared for about 6 months. Smells like a chocolate covered donut dipped in a cup of coffee. Certainly a dessert beer to be consumed on its own or paired with your favorite chocolate dessert. The chocolate flavors seem to dominate slightly more than the coffee. Sweet and flavorful, but it finishes dry with a slight astringency from the big malt profile and coffee and bittersweet chocolate. Alcohol is well-masked at times, but there is a touch of booziness to it. Wide range of flavors including caramel, bourbon vanilla, molasses, citrusy hops, and just a touch of black pepper spicyness. Slight warming on the back of the throat and gums. This beer is really a combination of their Jahva and Choklat beers. I am a big fan of this series and this brewery.