Wasatch/Squatters Tuxedo Trixter and Bohemian California Stream Lager 

• Mike Riedel

Wasatch/Squatters - Tuxedo Trixter: So this beer is known as a "white stout"—basically a cream/blonde ale that get its roasty character from coffee or cocoa. This allows the beer to maintain its bright yellow hues while tricking your tongue into believing that's it darker and stout-like. It's essentially a coffee cream ale.

It pours an unfiltered golden-copper-colored body that displays a modest amount of fine streaming visible carbonation. A light one-finger of bubbly white head reduces quickly to a thin film and collar, leaving behind only minimal amounts of spotty lace. The faintly sweet nose consists primarily of fresh-roasted, creamy coffee (provided by Rimini Coffee); a mixture of sweet toasted grains and hints of a darker roast profile follow, while in the background there are traces of caramel and vanilla.

The taste roughly follows, but leads with the sweet, crisp, toasty grains and some additional bready malt. Coffee profiles that dominated the aroma peak around the mid-palate. Slightly fruity, earthy and green coffee beans quickly transition to a robust mixture of freshly-ground dark-roasted espresso, sweetened by generous amounts of cream. Towards the end, mild roasted bitterness builds in combination with subtle earthy, leafy and woody hops, providing excellent balance to the initial malt sweetness. In the mouth, a light-to-medium body and moderately lively carbonation make for easy drinking, giving a smooth and crisp feel. Lingering roast, coffee and hops dry the palate slightly, finishing clean and crisp with a touch of acidic astringency, while subtle traces of caramel, vanilla and creamy lactose in the aftertaste effectively bring the flavor profile full circle, encouraging another sip.

Verdict: This is an excellent beer and an interesting take on the style. The taste is predominately coffee-forward, but just enough of the blonde ale base shows through that it remains hugely well-balanced and easily drinkable. Neither sweetness or bitterness are allowed to step out of line, and at 7.0 ABV, the alcohol is completely imperceptible. Recommended.

Bohemian - California Stream Lager: Anchor Steam is credited with creation of this American craft beer style. California commons, or "Steam Beers," is a type of lager that is fermented at ale temperatures. This, combined with a noticeable degree of toasted malt and/or caramel-like malt character, gives the beer its unique qualities.

Bohemian's take has a frothy and airy, off-white, yellow-tinged three-finger head that lasts for a respectable amount of time. The body is clear and amber/orange in color. Somewhat toasty, the aroma is not malt-heavy, but the balance leans far from the hoppy end of the spectrum; you get a little bit of caramel and a touch of grass, if anything. There is almost nothing going on in the nose, although this improves as the beer warms.

The flavor is among the best of what California Commons have to offer—a rustic earthiness balanced by light fruity esters, although the latter is quite subdued. It's very grainy and mildly papery. The alcohol content stands at 5.0 percent, so as the beer warms, it's no surprise that it rears its head on the nose and palate. For that reason, I enjoyed drinking this beer more on the colder side. It's medium-bodied with a fizzy carbonation that is fine and expansive, bordering on lively, with a mineral-forward texture and a light bitterness on the end to keep things clean.

Verdict: I should've known that Bohemian would brew a really nice California Common/Steam Beer. While it's not complicated, the flavor really does deliver. This is a superior beer and I really hope Bohemian incorporates this into their regular rotation.

Sadly, California Stream Lager is only available on draft at Bohemian; 16-ounce cans of Tuxedo Trixter are available now at Wasatch/Squatters (1700 S. 300 West). As always, cheers!