We decided to have a little fun with this review and trade some bottles of beer. Since one of us lives in Maryland and the other lives in Virginia, we have had some problems finding the same brands since the liquor distributors and laws vary between states, and even counties. We each picked beers easy to find in our neighborhoods that we liked and hoped the other would enjoy just as much.

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Beer me

• Dogfish Aprihop
• 7 percent alcohol by volume
• Rehoboth, Del.
• www.dogfish.com

Melanie says: This brew is so sweet, but very good. It’s dark red in color. This batch must have had slightly too much carbonation, though. It’s a little bit overwhelming. It seems very strong, too, I feel like I can taste the alcohol. It’s syrupy sweet though and quite tasty with lots of hops. It’s a good choice for a spring/summer beer.

Meredith says: One sip and I’ve burped three times. Classy. Melanie’s right — this batch is super carbonated and super sweet. But you know what else it is? Super good. You can really taste the hops in this India Pale Ale (IPA), and the apricot taste is just right. This brew is very light and is definitely a spring or summer beverage — perfect for a lazy afternoon in the backyard or an evening barbecue on the deck. I could drink several bottles of this beer — it’s that good.

• Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster Imperial Red Ale
• 8.75 percent alcohol by volume
• Athens, Ga.
• www.terrapinbeer.com

Melanie says: This sweet hazy beer looks like liquid copper when poured. It has a surprising hint of coffee at first but perhaps that is just because this brew is so malty. It’s like a malty caramel creamsicle. I like it very much though. I taste the centennial hops right away. This is a pretty strong beer, too. Just a few drinks and I’m a little bit buzzed.

Meredith says: Melanie is right, this brew is incredibly malty, as well as smooth and creamy. It smells a bit like coffee and caramel and is very drinkable and full-bodied. I expected a little more hops than I got — probably since it’s got “big hoppy” in its name — and I love me some hops, but this beer didn’t disappoint. Thank you, thank you Melanie for introducing me to an imperial red I’ve never been able to find at my local beer joint.

• Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale
• 7.25 percent alcohol by volume
• Baltimore
• www.hsbeer.com

Melanie says: This is a very easy drinking beer. It’s quite pale, and I’m not really sure what style this brew is. It’s stronger than regular pale ale, but not quite as strong as IPA, but has quite a hoppy kick. This slightly citrus, tasty beer seems to be in a category of its own. It’s light and has a great flavor. It has no aftertaste and is pretty refreshing. I could easily drink several of these in a sitting. At the risk of completely losing my waistline, I will resist. But thank you Meredith for bringing me three of these!

Meredith says: Love, love, love this bold American IPA — it has hints of grapefruit and orange and pine. It’s sweet like malt, bitter like hops — perfectly balanced. It’s very smooth, creamy and not too carbonated, and I could definitely drink a few. This is an unwind-after-a-long-and-stressful-day type of brew — one, OK, two, (along with some Massive Attack  and Zero 7  and my dog) took the edge right off. Plus — bonus! — the label has a pirate on it. And who doesn’t love pirates?

Beer me not, Beer me:

• Harpoon UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen
• 4.8 percent alcohol by volume
• Boston
• www.harpoonbrewery.com

Melanie says: I’m sure I have expressed my feelings about raspberry in previous blogs, so to summarize — I am not a big fan. This beer scared me at first pour. It’s ruby red and the fruity smell is super strong so I anticipated a strong raspberry flavor and I was not let down. This beer is light and has lots of carbonation and that’s all I really noticed. I could not get past the raspberry flavor and only had a few sips. I appreciate Meredith trying to expand my appreciation for raspberry, but I just can’t get past my distaste.

Meredith says: Very crisp and refreshing — perfect after a long day where you just need a light pick-me-up and not a place to drown your sorrows. The taste of raspberry is very slight, and not overwhelming. This is perfect for a late happy hour on your back deck, and is a great beer for non-beer drinkers because it doesn’t have a very strong beer taste. If you’re craving the taste of hops or malt, this is not the beer for you. And, if you don’t like raspberry, you’re not going to like this. I should have remembered that Melanie doesn’t dig it.

— written by Meredith Williams & Melanie Kramer

Here’s where to find some of the brews reviewed in this post:

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