Year of New Beer: Country Western Volume Four, Country Boy Brewing/West 6th Brewing (Lexington)

Written By: Dion on 05/11/2016

In the blink of an eye, another year has passed, and with it comes the dawn of another Lexington Craft Beer Week. It is indeed a good time to be a fan of craft beer in Lexington. If you were to ask, I doubt that four years ago Chris Vandergrift would have expected his little celebration of craft beer to grow into the behemoth that it is today. Nearly 60 events dot the Lexington beer landscape during the week (or 10 days--who's counting?). And, as is now tradition, the week kicks off with the annual collaboration between the Boys on Chair and the folks over on 6th. A different recipe each year, the current iteration is a double IPA with grapefruit. Let's face it...Country Western III may as well have been lightning in a bottle. A nearly impossible brew to top, so I can't blame both breweries for wanting to go in a different direction. I'm a hophead at heart, so I don't mind where they decided to go. There's no mistaking the grapefruit presence on the nose as it comes in tart, as much peel as juice. Light caramel malt adds a trace of sweetness to the aroma. On the tongue, the grapefruit is sharp and pithy on the front end. Hints of honey, orange, and toffee bring a sweet element as additional bitterness takes on a slight pine. Little to no alcohol presence makes it incredibly easy drinking. Am I disappointed that I can't squirrel away a few bottles to enjoy down the road like I did for CWIII? Sure. But I'll certainly grab a couple of these to enjoy in the next few weeks. As always, I'm incredibly grateful for those involved in allowing me to preview this a little early. Bottles will be available in both tap rooms beginning Friday at 3pm. Check out the banner at the top of lexbeerscene.com for all of the happenings during Lexington Craft Beer Week. You don't want to miss out!