Free Will Citra Pale Ale

I was looking for something bold and intense to enjoy before dinner, so I rummaged through my stock and came up with Free Will's fourth variety, the only one from the box I haven't tried yet, their Citra Pale Ale:

Vittles:

American Pale Ale

5.7% abv

49 IBU

Score:

Appearance: 8/10

Aroma: 21/25

Taste: 35/40

Mouthfeel: 8/10

Style: 5/5

Drinkability: 8/10

Overall: 85/100

Impression:

I started pouring this beer the same way I pour all my beers (I like head, what can I say?), but there was an over-bubbling issue.  Not sure why that happened -- the beer had been sitting for a couple weeks untouched, so it wasn't agitated, and it had been at a steady 40F.  So it took me like 10 minutes to pour the whole bottle, and that kind of sucked.  Hopefully it was a one-off.  Anyway, the beer has an enticing aroma, mainly citrus and biscuit/bread.  There's also a bit of grass and something of caramel in the background.  The flavors were mainly citrus (lemon and orange) and biscuit/cracker, with a more pronounced caramel note.  As the beer warmed, the caramel faded out and grass and a bit of pine came out a bit more, and towards the end of my glass, I thought I tasted some grapefruit as well.  The mouthfeel is medium-light, somewhat creamy, and the higher than expected carbonation added a bit of sting.  The aftertaste doesn't linger as long as I'd expect from a citrus-hop-heavy beer like this.  All in all, I'd have it again.

Cheers!

Free Will Techno

I've managed to sample quite a few non-IPA styles lately, so I figured it was time to try one of the last two IPAs in my stock that I haven't tasted yet.  The third style in my Free Will variety box was their Techno, an American IPA:

Vittles:
American IPA
7.3% abv
55 IBU

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 21/25
Taste: 36/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 87/100

Impression:
I like the burnt-orange color, and the head had decent retention, leaving slight lacing as it went.  The aroma is an interesting combination of bready and grapefruity smells, with caramel, melon, and earthy undertones.  The earthiness gives a bit of balance to the citrusy hops characteristics and adds a nice complexity.  The flavors are about what I'd expect after the nose, though more of the sweet malt flavors come to the front.  It's well-carbonated, medium-bodied, and a little dry.  It's a little sticky on the back end, and that lingers into the aftertaste.  Well done overall.

Cheers!

Free Will Community Kolsch

It's nice having a decent beer stock, but every now and then, I go to pick out a beer, only to realize that most of my selection is somewhat monotone.  Like now, for instance, much of my stock is some version of a pale ale/IPA.  One of the few beers I have that falls outside of that umbrella is the Free Will Kolsch:

Vittles:
Kolsch
4.8% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 21/25
Taste: 33/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 83/100

Impression:
The aroma leads with a crackery/biscuity scent, followed closely by a light fruitiness and a hint of fresh grass.  The flavors have a bit of a grassy bent to them, and the malt and hops are nicely balanced.  The fruitiness is a little more apparent on the tongue than in the nose.  It finishes mildly dry with very little lingering aftertaste.  This seems like a solid, by the book Kolsch.  I could find this beer enjoyable year round.

Cheers!

Free Will Destiny's Wit

I used to live in Bucks County, and I still consider it home, to some extent.  I like to support breweries close to "home," so when I saw that Free Will was from Perkasie, I decided to pick up a mixed case.  The first one I grabbed was Destiny's Wit:

Vittles:
Witbier
5.7% abv
12 IBU

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 21/25
Taste: 33/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 84/100

Impression:
After I wiped the condensation off of the glass, the beer looked a little more brilliant than it does in the picture above.  I picked up on citrus, spiciness, and a yeasty goodness in the nose that intrigues me.  The taste is more citrusy and yeasty, I like the crackery/biscuity malt backdrop, and the coriander stands out more from the spiciness I got in the nose.  The white pepper brings a nice earthiness as well as some mild spice, which makes this a bit more interesting of a wit.  Overall, this is a bit above the average for a wit, and I'd probably get this again.

Cheers!