Shades Brewing Aquarius and Uinta Pro Line – My Inner Ian 

• Mike Riedel

Shades - Aquarius: This new raspberry stout was made for Valentine's Day, and does not feature Shades' Kveik yeast strain.

The beer pours out into a standard shaker, a dark brown that looks quite black. There's a light tan head that recedes to a ring, and an irregular island of foam on the surface. The aromas include the chocolate and raspberry blend up front, with just a hint of roasted malt in the background.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose, but with chocolate up front and backed up strongly by the raspberries. There's also a light touch of roasted malt and bitterness from the roast. Mingled into the flavor mix are some fruity sweetness and a bit of tartness from the raspberries; there doesn't seem to be any real hop bitterness showing. The alcohol is well-concealed here, noticeable only from the slight warmth it creates after several sips. The mouthfeel in this 7.7 percent stout is on the full side of medium-bodied, fairly smooth with the small-bubbled light carbonation. The medium-long finish begins as the chocolate and roasted malt recede further into the background, leaving the raspberry, the light sweetness and the touch of tartness to slowly follow them. Finally, in the ending, there is again some dark, roasted bitterness that becomes tinged with a dry hint of the raspberry on the back of the palate.

Verdict: This is a very well-made beer that I'm very much enjoying, and one I certainly expect to be having again. In fact, I think I'll get another can just to have on hand for a special occasion, or for a day that needs to be improved by having a special beer. If you think you might enjoy chocolate-covered raspberries, this is recommended.

Uinta - Pro Line (My Inner Ian): This IPA comes from a recipe that Uinta Head Brewer Ian Fuller has been making for a while, and he was inspired to bring it to Uinta's Pro Line of small batch beers. Like any good IPA, this was a muted apricot color that is plenty hazy and topped off with a nice head of bubbly foam. That never fully subsided as the lacing was quite extensive. Lots of citrus, wheat, jackfruit, candied lime and floral notes engulf the aroma.

Strong flavors of grapefruit citrus, orange citrus, pineapple zest dominate, with some citrus flowers underneath and hints of green melon and coconut. Tropical notes are hidden underneath. It finishes zesty and citrusy, with a floral and piney bite—part fruity, hoppy, and dank. The carbonation was present, but just light enough to let the flavors emerge, as there was some fruit cocktail and heavy lime in the aftertaste. Plenty of body here and a noticeable enough touch of the 8.0 percent alcohol, as it complemented the slightly heavy and full-flavored nature of this beer quite nicely. This is a wonderful take on a style that I've come to love, as it had me wishing to try any future iterations of it. Nice job by Ian Fuller and his team on this IPA.

Verdict: As this one evolves, I'm getting a fantastic citrus flower flavor, with a great balance of hop flavors and drinkability. This is becoming really good. Some standard Citra and Mosaic with the addition of Sabro, and pretty classic flavors with the addition of some sticky pineapple. The coconut notes from the Sabro are fairly subtle. It's also just days-old fresh, so the flavors should evolve a bit over the next few weeks. It could be very good, and should improve as it warms.

These beers couldn't be more different and therefore should be tried side by side to enhance both of their unique qualities. As always, cheers!