I’ve had a can of Nordic Swell in the Frigidaire since February, but I’ve been a bit intimidated by the 9-percent ABV. Turns out it was a limited edition. It’s May now, so you might have trouble finding it in stores the farther you are from DuClaw’s Maryland home base.

The big selling point for Nordic Swell is the Norwegian yeast called kveik. Brewers in Norway have passed down their yeast through the generations, so genetically, it’s branched off from the rest of the world. Some of the differences are technical – like faster or hotter fermentation – but some stand out in the flavor. Kveik supposedly tastes more tropical or orange with hints of gingerbread or clove.

The aroma on the pour is surprisingly not that hoppy. You mostly get the fruity, sweet malt. It’s very orange copper in the pint glass with an every-so-slightly amber head. The first sip does have a bit of that hoppy resin bitterness, but it’s carried away by the sweet and the malt.

It’s a bit thick, sweet but not cloying. As I read the label, there are three honeys in there (wildflower, clove, orange blossom) as well as chamomile tea. That 9-percent ABV doesn’t come off as “hot.” I’d say everything is working in balance so it’s not too sweet or too bitter, too heavy or too floral. It might be better enjoyed on a Maryland winter than a warm Florida spring, but that was DuClaw really wanted in the first place, wasn’t it?

When I first heard that Yuengling was brewing up a fruity beer, that caught my attention. The company’s image is America’s Oldest Brewery and they stick to pretty traditional varieties – a lager, a pilsner, a porter. I went looking for this Yuengling mango beer and it’s a new product positioning for the brewer. It’s called “Raging Eagle” and has a logo like a football helmet.

Raging Eagle Mango Beer is also not available in bottles – just 24-ounce tall boy cans – or what some lovers of big beer cans call a “silo.” Yuengling’s other brews run between 4% and 5.5% ABV. Raging Eagle Mango hits 6%. This new Yuengling might not be aimed at the traditionalist and more at folks who want to get some beer in them quick and easy.

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I drove through Tennessee a few weeks back and picked up a six-pack collaboration between Yazoo Brewing and the candy bar that’s the pride of Nashville – Goo Goo Cluster. The original Goo Goo is a patty of caramel, marshmallow, and peanuts – covered in milk chocolate. So, Goo Goo Ale is a brown ale steeped with vanilla beans, peanut butter powder and cocoa nibs.

On the pour, Goo Goo Ale looks like your standard brown ale – reddish-brown with a head of tight bubbles that quickly fades. The aroma is roasty with a definite vanilla note. If you’re worried Goo Goo Ale is going to be syrupy, it’s not. Sure, there’s a bit of sweetness, but I’ve also had cloying brown ales that aren’t based on a candy bar.

To get the most out of Goo Goo Ale, make sure that it’s not too cold. When I tried a can in my hotel room back in Nashville, I definitely got the vanilla, peanut, and chocolate. Back home, I just got the vanilla at first and then just the roastiness of the grain. After the glass warmed up to about 55 degrees, the peanut and the chocolate reappeared.

Is this going to become a beer anyone drinks all the time? I’m sure somebody out there will hoard Goo Goo Ale, but most of us just won’t want three or four vanilla/peanut/chocolate beers in a night. Think of Goo Goo Ale like the weirdo OREO flavors I wrote about. It’s fun to try, but once is enough.

Goo Goo Ale is a limited-edition beer from Yazoo Brewing in Nashville, TN and is 5% ABV. It’s available in cans and, as I write this, at the Yazoo Taproom in Madison, TN.

Living in Florida, it can be tricky to find new up-and-coming regional beers. Since most of the state is a peninsula, beer trucks can’t just drop off in Orlando and continue on to Missouri or Virginia without a big u-turn. Don’t get me wrong. Florida is not a beer wasteland, but some smaller distributors just don’t find it cost efficient to drive the same roads in and back out.

Orlando does have at least one advantage for beer fans though – Brew Hub in Lakeland. Brew Hub partners with smaller regional breweries who have more demand than supply – or brands wanting to see if their stuff will sell along the east coast. Canebrake is a good example. It’s a wheat ale, sweetened and flavored with cane syrup, created ten years ago by Parish Brewing in Broussard, LA.  It’s now Parish’s biggest brand, so while bottles are still brewed in Louisiana, the same recipe is canned in Florida.
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I’m not going to waste your time with beers I don’t like – unless I spend a lot on it and the review proves it was a business expense. Big Swell IPA from Maui Brewing Company is one of my favorite semi-nationally available IPAs. Bell’s Two Hearted and Cigar City Jai Alai are nice too, but today, we’re talking Big Swell.

Big Swell is dry-hopped, meaning hops are added after brewing/boiling. That helps cut down on the bitterness that makes some folks hate IPAs. It’s still very “green”, but more delicate. Wine drinkers talk about notes of leather or cherry. Big Swell tastes tropical – orange, pineapple, peach. It also has the malt sweetness to take off the edge. If you absolutely hate IPAs, you might not like this one either, but it’s very balanced between grassy resin and barley. At 6.2 percent alcohol by volume, Big Swell can also sneak up on you. By comparison, Bud Light is about 4.2.

I’ve visited Maui Brewing Company’s production brewery/restaurant in the Kihei area of Maui and would recommend the tour. The brewery there is “off the grid,” 100-percent powered by solar and biodiesel. They even toast the coconut for their Hiwa Porter on site. On the other hand, the other national Hawaiian beer brand, Kona Brewing, is produced in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington state, and New Hampshire.