Lawson's Finest Knockout Blonde

I was unable to obtain any information about this knockout on the brewer's website but its stylistically a blonde ale, or light hybrid beer. I sampled it at the outdoor beer garden at The Farmhouse. I also got a chance to check out their small hop garden on the side, which looks to be coming along beautifully.

Alcohol Content: 5%
IBU: ?
Malts: ?
Hops: ?

Price: $4/ Half; $7.50/ Full (12oz)
Medium: On draught served in a large tulip glass

Aroma: Moderately light malty aroma with a more forward hop presence than I expected. According to the style description, hop varieties are often left to interpretation by the brewer and can demonstrate almost any hop variety. This beer reflects a fruity, tangerine-like hop aroma. Some apparent dried fruity esters but generally clean and no diacetyl.
Appearance: Deep golden with a steady, strong carbonation and generally clear but not brilliant like a lager. The direct sunlight and tulip glass presents the beer quite beautifully. Poured with a moderately large head, of which is long lasting and leaves a brilliant lace. Carbonation follows the rounded edges of the tulip glass.
Flavor: Mildly sweet malty start reminding me of warm bread or light toast. No burnt or other harsh malt flavors. I do not detect any strong wheat character, although this is hard for most people and does not necessarily have to be in this style of beer. No caramel or other strong maltyness. Some light spice and honey sweetness in the background. The initial sip is so light on the palate that I could barely feel the beer until it transcends into a clean bitterness. The middle is matched with mild hop flavors. The finish and aftertaste is slightly resinous, but with no strong hop flavors or fruitiness.
Mouthfeel: A light body combines with moderately high carbonation and delivers a refreshing summer experience. Bitterness in the finish leaves a moderately dry aftertaste, of which can
Overall Impression: This example favors bitterness more than the malt character, which is generally not typical of the style. Very palatable but the hoppy bitterness is perhaps too strong for the style. I still suggest drinking it out in the sun due to its nice presentation and light body. Bitterness in the beer will only intensify spicy foods and will mask the beers very light quality; therefore, stick to something light.

Lawson's Finest Big Hapi

Lawson's Finest Big Hapi  "IBA" is an Imperial Black Ale. As the American craft beer industry continues to expand the boundaries regarding styles it seems anything can be Imperialized, exemplifying bigger and bolder versions of existing styles. May also be referred to as a Black IPA. Once again I found myself at The Farmhouse sampling this and seeing what was on rotation.

Alcohol Content: 7.5%
IBU: ?
Malts: 7 varieties - not specified
Hops: 5 varieties - not specified

Price: $4.50/ half; $8.50/ full
Medium: Small snifter glass

Aroma: Strong, resinous, grassy hops with citrus notes overwhelm the nose. In the background lies a dried fruity character, possibly a combination of both hops and malts. Supporting roasted grain aromas are cocoa-like but not as forward or strong as the hop aromas. Light fruity esters in background.
Appearance: Presents a very dark (black) or opaque under regular light. Towards the end of the session it became easier to see some darker browns and garnet colors. A thick, bubbly, steady brown head billowed up while pouring, combined with lots of lacing. This surprisingly collected around the rim of the glass and disappeared after a few minutes.
Flavor: Bittersweet malts upfront, sort of cocoa-like and/or light coffee roast along with a dried fruit character. This holds up to a very resinous or sticky bitterness reminiscent of tropical fruity citrus. Malts come back around in the finish with a moderately-light roast. The cocoa/ coffee-like character becomes more apparent at this time. Small bite to the finish with some lingering dryness from hops. Favored slightly more towards hops with a nice supporting grain bill.
Mouthfeel: Some sourness or vinegar-like effect, especially on the sides of the tongue. This is accompanied by a drying and warm prickling feel. May also be perceived as oily or moderately thin. On the other hand I get a decent body with even some chewiness to the malt character. Carbonation moderate. Hop resins coat the mouth but not in a deterring way.
Overall Impression: The bartender informed me that the color was derived more from Carafa II malt, which lends less of a roasted or astringent character. An ideal spring beer (or all seasons) due to the refreshing hop character as well as supporting roasted grain flavors and aromas. Savor it with dark, roasted meats or hearty foods to match the alcohol strength and grain character - the hops shouldn't interfere too much.

Lawson's Finest Permagrin Rye Pale Ale

As the name suggests, the Permagrin incorporates a portion of malted rye in the grain bill which lends a spicy grain aroma and flavor. This beer will typically be found around the 6% alcohol range; the sample I tried at the Farmhouse was said to be 7%. I was intrigued when I found out the wonderful combination of characterful hops used in this batch (see below).

Alcohol Content: 7.0%
IBU: ?
Malts: Rye, ?
Hops: Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, & Centennial

Price: $4.00/ half (~6oz in an 8oz glass); $7.50/ full
Medium: 8oz small, stemmed goblet or snifter appearance

Aroma: Complex fruity and citrus aromas - definitely characteristic of generous amounts of American hops. Spicy grain character is not as heavy as I expected. I found this to be more pleasant and subtle as opposed to forward or overpowering. Darker crystal malts perhaps add depth to the sweet caramel undertones.
Appearance: Moderate degree of haze from dry-hopping. Lingering display of large bubbles on the surface combines with an off-white head. Retention looks great, lacing is wet. Carbonation looks moderately strong (I get a sense of carbonation from the aroma too). Color is of deep golden amber with a reddish glow. Persistent head when sipping from light agitation.
Flavor: As expected, sweet malts start out with hints of darker crystal malts, giving a deeper caramel profile. This is quickly overwhelmed by an assertive hop bitterness accompanied by characterful fruity citrus flavors. The spicy rye character starts to build momentum with the hop bitterness and shines more in the finish, lingering a bit into the aftertaste. Grassy hop notes also become increasingly present into the aftertaste with a small degree of astringency. Favored more towards hops.
Mouthfeel: A moderately-low level of astringency could be from the hops, rye, or a combination of both. The spicy character could also be enhanced by the slight warming sensation from alcohol. Medium-light to medium body. The hops wear out the palate a bit as I finish the 6oz sample. Light creaminess with an explosion of character within the moderately high carbonation.
Overall Impression: I love the bartenders and staff working at The Farmhouse! We discussed items on the menu as being good food pairings and came up with veggie burgers (the spicy bean kind), or other items containing spicy ingredients, regardless of the base. Carbonation seemed appropriate and helped in ridding off the complex hop characters, but I still felt worn out at the end.

Lawson's Finest Double Sunshine IPA

Lawson's Finest Liquids is located in Warren, VT and their beers can only be found near the Mad River Valley. The Double Sunshine is an example of an American Double IPA, also known as an Imperial IPA. This was the second beer sessioned at Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier. I particularly like that all of the beers from the Taproom were offered in the brewery's own special glasses.

Alcohol Content: 8%
IBU: ?
Malts: ?
Hops: ?

Price: 7$ - less than a pint
Medium: Served in a Lawson's I.P.A. glass, smaller version of Magic Hat's Hi.P.A. glass

Aroma: Strong sense of grapefruit citrus with a sort of tropical fruitiness to the hop aromas. Strong floralness probably from dry-hopping. The hop aromas masks the character of malts, but some residual sweetness shines through during the session.
Appearance: Presented an unfiltered or hazy copper/gold hue with an orange glow. Small, frothy white head pour with great retention. Low visible carbonation.
Flavor: Starts out semi-sweet but then immediately turns to a rather "stale" bitterness with a strong sense of floral and citrus grapefruit. The sweet malts bounce back in the finish and balances the strong hop flavors and aromas. The aftertaste is left with only a bit of drying on the sides of the mouth. Overall it feels a little tart/ sour representing a more acidic beer.
Mouthfeel: Lighter body with a very nice mouth-warming effect in the finish and aftertaste. Some resinous feel from the hops. Moderately high carbonation with a light creaminess -  more from an explosion of carbon dioxide.
Overall Impression: Another strongly dry-hopped beer. Delicious in the least but I would suggest switching it up with other beers or pairing it with food to get more fulfillment - savor it (I also couldn't believe it was 8% alcohol!). I picture this with any citrusy seafood type dishes due to its enticing hop aromas and flavors (not necessarily bitterness).