Balancing bracing bitterness from high alpha-acid hops with honey malt sweetness, Hop Jitsu is a reach into the archives for Beachwood. The last time I recall drinking this beer was on draft only, a full six years ago. Now in cans with a black belt cinched around the midsection, Hop Jitsu is bittered with Simcoe and Warrior with Citra and Amarillo in the dry-hop for a citric tinge.

The delight of a Baltic Porter is that it offers roast without concomitant bitterness, as befitting its lager character. Like its little sibling Schwarzbier, it is also a cunning way to demonstrate that “dark” and “heavy” are not necessarily synonymous in beer. Enegren has introduced a further innovation to this regal style by adding maple syrup not as a sweetener, but rather as a carbonating sugar-source. With a whiff of smoke to top it all off, this is one winter seasonal not to be missed.