Style: India Pale Ale.

Pairs well with your favorite first-person shooter, sports game.

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! This week I am reviewing a beer from Half Acre Beer Company, located in Chicago, Illinois. The beer for this week will be their Now & Then, a juicy India pale ale with lactose.

The history of Half Acre can be found on their site, and it’s a brief excerpt.

“Half Acre Beer Co. has two breweries on the north side of Chicago. We brew classic american micro styles, weighted barrel offerings, and wyld beers that traverse the landscape of mixed fermentation. Our aim is to brew technically raw beer for the collective odyssey.

Built in 2008, the Lincoln brewery is the original. It houses our retail shop, a tap room with a full kitchen , and brewhouse.

Our Balmoral brewery was built in 2015, granting us the opportunity to further our abilities. In September of 2017, we opened the Balmoral Tap Room & Garden ~ with its own kitchen and beer list.”

Some of Half Acre’s mainstays for beer includes their Tuna session IPA, Daisy Cutter pale ale and Pony pilsner. Their more experimental and special release beers includes their Dark Trail saison, this week’s Now & Then and Beer Hates Astronauts IPA.

Their description for Now & Then reads, “Brewed with an English ale yeast on 2-row, Golden Promise, Vienna and Flaked Oats, before a flush of Ekuanot cryo and hits of Citra, Simcoe and Comet. A fully fogged fruit cocktail.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: Right on the nose I get a well-rounded balance of citrus and hops. For me, grapefruit is what’s most noticeable for its aroma. As I take more whiffs, the hops have faded away and it’s exclusively the aforementioned grapefruit. I’m excited for its taste because as a juicy IPA, I’m expecting it to match the aroma in that it’s very heavy on the citrus and the hops are more mild.

Palate: The beer is quite refreshing and it’s fairly juicy, too. The slight bitterness of the hops helps tame the clear grapefruit influence. It lingers on my tongue for a while, but in a good way. It serves as a reminder of this beer’s balance of citrus and hops and it has me excited for each sip. While the grapefruit was heavily present in its smell, it isn’t as strong in its taste. But it’s okay because it’s still great and I appreciate what it is.

Overall: This is a very solid beer! If you’re looking for an IPA with a nice balance of hops and a juicy flavor, this is a great choice. At 7.1 percent ABV and sitting in a pint-sized can, one of these will keep you satisfied. I don’t have much experience with Half Acre’s beers, but I can say the experience I do have has been very positive. It’s another great beer from Chicago and I’d highly recommend this if you’re able to try it.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.

While you’re here, feel free to check out The Spirit Shop NJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and where I currently work, we have dozens of craft beers with new ones coming in weekly! Check us out!