Beers in Review: Three at random

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I didn't have much of an intro for today's post, but that was before Squarespace (my web and blogging platform) deleted the first two beers from my in-progress post. I wrote the first two earlier tonight, and when I came back to write the 3rd, poof! I had already deleted my notes, so the Oasis and the RJ Rockers are both from memory. Please bare with me.

Leading off is the Pale Ale from Oasis Brewing Company. This Pale Ale pours a nearly crystal-clear gold color, and does a great job of malt/hop balance. The first half of the beer is quite malty and has some fruity notes, as well. This leads into a nice, citrus hop profile in the 2nd half of the beer. There is no bitterness from the hops whatsoever. Just citrusy goodness. This Pale Ale was a bit surprising in make-up and brings unique qualities to the style.

Next is the flagship beer from RJ Rockers Brewing Company that is well-made for South Carolina summers. Their Son of a Peach wheat ale pours exactly as advertised: peachy-orange and hazy. Similarly, the flavors overall are on point, with sweet, fruity notes leading the way throughout the sip. The sweet peach note is mild but prominent--they do a nice job of having the fruit notes present without overpowering the beer, as can be common in fruit beers. Additional notes include a hint of graininess as well as something a bit bitter or funky at the very end, though it's not really off-putting.

Finally, Tale of the Shony Scottish Ale from Church Street Brewing Company. I'm sorry to say that this beer was...problematic. It poured a pretty brown color with some red hues, but this beer, or at least this bottle, has issues. I'm typically not one to pull a ton of aroma, but in lifting the glass up to my nose, I got a ton of artificial butter to butterscotch notes, which suggests this beer is overrun by diacetyl. Now, diacetyl is a by-product of standard fermentation practices, and the buttery note can be considered an acceptable part of certain beer styles. But it should not overwhelm the beer, and I'm fairly certain that in this style, it should be minimal/non-existent. For example, Church Street themselves say the beer should have "notes of sweet caramel and mellow roast", and based on the style, I might also expect some other sweet food notes and a hint of alcohol/booziness. Unfortunately, except for a mild cola note, this beer is overrun by the buttery note and a pretty nasty aftertaste. I have a couple more bottles of this beer, as well as a couple of their Hefeweizen (though, none cold), and I hope they are better drinking experiences than this bottle was.