Birra Amarcord - Nero's 1st Century Double Dark Malt Ale

This beer was bought on a whim at Trader Joe's for $2.99.  TJ's described it as "toffee and caramel, with floral and citrus notes; double dark."  It comes in a cool swing-top bottle - like a bottle meets growler.  Its 500ml (1 pine 0.9 fl oz) and 8% ABV.  Nero's is brewed by Birra Amarcord and brewed in Italy.

It pours dark caramel brown with very little foam.  Despite the.e lack of head its actually fizzy on the tongue.  It's very malty on the nose, then a little bit of a sweet flavor, and then it has a bitter and chalky aftertaste.  It has a slightly spiciness with the caramel flavor.  It's medium bodied - its lighter than you would think for a double dark beer, but it's still filling.  Caramel is definitely the overriding flavor, but it is inconsistent in the taste on the palate.  I disagree with whomever made the Trader Joe's description - I did not taste any citrus notes, but maybe a little dark fruit.

Overall, it was an interesting beer, had a cool bottle, not too expensive, but probably not something I would buy again.

Utah Brewers Cooperation - Wasatch Raspberry Wheat

Utah Brewers Cooperation is a partnership formed in 2000 by Wasatch Beers (originally in Park City, and then they moved their brewing operations to Salt Lake City) and Squatters Beer (from Salt Lake City -- check out my review of Squatters from last year).  On a side note, check out my review of Unita's Cutthroat Ale where I get into Utah's funky beer laws/regulations.  Wasatch Beers was founded in 1986 and has consistently been growing from a tiny operation to a brew pub to a brewery with a high speed bottling line.

Wasatch Raspberry Wheat is courtesy of Kiki by way of a 10 craft beer sampler she bought me for my birthday.  This beer won a silver medal from the North American Brewery Association.  As you can see, it's a golden straw color and pours with little head.  It smells slightly sweet.  This is a subtle beer in many ways -- it's 4% ABV, it's lightly carbonated, it has a light body, and it has a light raspberry flavor.  Fruity beers can be hit or miss -- but this one is definitely a hit and I'm not just saying that because raspberries are my favorite fruit.  This beer really is a great summer beer (it also would be great after hitting the slopes in Park City) because its refreshing and the flavors are well balanced.  If I can find this in stores I would definitely drink it again.  Cheers!