Review: Deschutes Brewery Lil’ Squeezy and Humm Zinger
Two new seasonals designed for summer sipping from our buddies up in Bend, Oregon.
Deschutes Brewery Lil’ Squeezy Juicy Ale – Lil’ Squeezy — a nod to Deschutes’ Fresh-Squeezed IPA — is the Oregon brewery’s stab at a sessionable hazy/New England IPA. It’s nod a bad effort. The richness of the malt and an abundance of hops give Lil’ Squeezy a gravity that few session IPAs can find. There’s ample fruit here — though less perhaps than you’d expect — with grapefruit and lemon the dominant flavors. The finish is more west coast-piney, lightly woody, and a bit floral. And while it’s definitely not the bruiser that many IPAs today are, I would never have guessed it was only 5% alcohol. 5% abv. A- / $9 per six pack
Deschutes Brewery Humm Zinger Kombucha Radler – This is a unique and quirky radler made by combining Humm Kombucha with Cascade hops and pilsner malt. The combination is downright kooky, a hyper-fruity, sweet-and-sour mix of grapefruit, guava, and mango, informed by a lightly bitter edge that keeps the finish zippy and, indeed, zingy. The beer finishes clean and refreshing, a grown-up lemonade and/or a starter sour, depending on your point of view, finishing in a slightly different direction with notes of walnuts and a gentle leather quality. Intriguing (and weird) stuff. 4.3% abv. B+ / $12 per six pack
Deschutes Brewery Humm Zinger
$12
