Helper Beer's Night Indoors and Total Rise IPA 

• Mike Riedel

Helper Beer, Utah's newest brewery, hails from the town that bears their name. The small brewery and pizza kitchen want the Wasatch Front to know that they're closer than you think and that their ales and lagers are available in pubs and DABS stores as we speak. Here's a couple of their beers to help you finish off the holidays.

Helper - Night Indoors: It pours a very deep brown to almost black, with some reddish tinge as a showcase; a thick, creamy tan head stands-up against time, not going anywhere until the last sip. A wide range of notes emerge in a nose consisting of dark chocolate, crème brûlée, espresso coffee, cocoa, caramel, dark bread, molasses, vanilla, some oaky bourbon, a little bit of smokiness and deep roast with some astringency. There are also subtle esters reminiscent of black currant and a bit of berries—tart as a complement to add some complexity. It's very aromatic, especially when it starts to warm and open up.

Bittersweet dark chocolate is the most prominent flavor, and it conquered the taste buds at first, then followed and mingled by crème brûlée, espresso coffee, cocoa, caramel, dark bread, molasses and vanilla with quite a bit of astringency compared to the aroma. Hops try to intervene in the middle, with some fruity notes of sour berries and slight black currant. Alcohol heat is there subtly near the end, which is mixed up by its big sweetness, roasted bitterness and astringency that also leave a long tail in the aftertaste. The body is full yet rather syrupy, with medium carbonation that is considered crisp enough and suitable to carry all the things well under the smooth palate, with a very dry finish.

Verdict: This one is very direct and solid, without doubt. Do not underestimate its strength, even if the 12 percent booziness is not fully pronounced, tastefully balanced as it is by its rich, roasted malty goodness. The result is a great sipping brew, perfect to enjoy as the last glass or as the dessert of the session.

Helper - Total Rise IPA: This one draws the eye with a deep haze of gold and peach. Not as turbid as some, the rich visual texture of the beer is solidified by a foamy white cap. A muddled hop array covers bases from citrus to herbal, piney to tropical, grassy to floral and everything in between. Moderately sweet, a malty wheat backbone becomes slightly pastry-like with hints of cobbler and shortbread to the early palate.

Once the ale crosses the middle palate, the full brightness of the hop salad delivers aspects of gooseberry, papaya, mango, apricot, grapefruit and an overall candied citrus taste that all seem of equal fashion, reminding the taste buds of tropical fruit punch and sherbet. Developing an herbal bitterness on the late palate, its botanical flavors display fresh pine, green tea, sassafras, peppery grasses and fresh fruit peels in its final frame. Medium-bodied and trending malty dry, the beer simply cannot resist the crispness and lightly resinous dryness as is the hallmark of West Coast IPA, but its juiciness in hop aroma and taste certainly takes on a radiant and more vibrant character than those of the past.

Verdict: Grapefruit and stone fruit flavor all the way with bread/grain-forward creamy malts that finish somewhat dry and provide an astringency. This is what you drink when you want a 7.5 percent West Coast IPA, but crave something a little fruitier. Don't deny yourself; it's light and fruity, but damn good.

Besides select DABS stores, I've found Helper's beer at The Bayou, Slackwater, Beer Bar and The Beerhive. There are many other locations, but these are pubs I can readily identify that have them. As always, cheers!