Zephyr

I have to say, Rising Tide makes some darned good beer. They are about as crafty as craft breweries get.

Rising Tide is a small family-owned brewery located in Portland, Maine. The head brewer, much like a lot of craft brewers, started out home brewing before releasing his recipes into the wild.  All Rising Tide beers are hand craft and brewed in small batches.

I love that all of their beers are unfiltered and bottle conditioned. Sediment turns some people off, but I don't mind.  I like the extra character the floaty yeast give beer.  Yum.

Zephyr (7.20% ABV) pours clear amber with rich red highlights.  The foam piles up into a big white fluffy head that leaves behind some seriously nice lacing.

The aroma is lovely. Very floral with enticing whispers of juicy fruits, tart citrus and sweet malt. Nice.

The taste is fantastic.  My first impression was, "this is a wonderful beer."  That about sums it up.

There are so many different hop flavors lending character to this beer; juicy fruit, bitter citrus, aromatic pine.  The sweetness of caramel malt compliments and balances out the flavor very well. The yeasty sediment adds a little something almost savory that harmonizes and adds another layer to the flavor profile.  The alcohol is barely noticeable. The finish is bitter sweet and begs for another sip.

The mouthfeel is medium with a good dose of carbonation to lighten it up.  

Zephyr is one of those beers I didn't want to have to share.  Fresh and tasty and dangerously drinkable.

Overall: very good.