It's been a busy 2009 so far, beer readers. I've had time to sample some new brews, but I haven't been able to tell you folks about them. My humble whatevah. Anyway, here's a review for you. Enjoy with a side of beer. Mission Street's beers are very good. You may recall earlier this month when I discussed their Pale Ale. Well, what's the logical progression? Yeh... India Pale Ale. These beers run you$5.99 a 6-pack. Good recession brew.

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A  fine young beer, friends! And a Trader Joe's-available (in fact, it may be an exclusive... someone research that and get back to me*) beer at that, so we're talking $5.99 a six pack. Most affordable! But let's not muddle around over who paid what for who when and why and where and let's focus on this very decent brew. Mission Street's Pale Ale defines its category: it has a nice golden-amber color beneath a white, medium-thickness head. The body is light and full of active carbonation. The aroma of hops defines its scent---pine and mildly grapefruit hops, to be precise---and its flavor is a lovely interplay of hops bracing a mildly sweet bready malt. It finishes hop-dry and refreshing.

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Yo I said yo. I took this beautiful picture in my studio, I did I did. OK... so... as we have established, the good folks at Sierra Nevada CAN'T MAKE BAD BEER. It's all good. Mostly great, in fact. BUT... I gots me two little issues with this one. First... Early Spring Beer? ESB... that stands for Extra Special Bitter, man. Always has (er... for as long as that specific beer has been produced and denoted as such) and always will (until the sun collapses into a plasma-consuming white dwarf and then ultimately a dying pulsar and then: Pffffwaaugh! Ghosts! Yeah...). And second... this beer... it tastes a lot... hmm... read on...

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