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Level Crossing - Cryptoporticus: This double IPA was made using the Philly Sour yeast. It's relatively new to our area, but has seen steady use by Level Crossing already. Discovered by Lallemand Brewing and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Penn., this new yeast was isolated from a dogwood tree growing in Woodlands Park graveyard of West Philadelphia, and gives a sophisticated sourness to beer without the need to use bacteria.

It pours a medium coppery amber, with a fine half finger white head with great retention and lacing. The first whiff gives off some lacto sour notes and stone fruits, then it explodes with a huge amount of dank citrus hops.

First sip is like the screech of a needle on an LP: big sourness, with equally big dankness. Varieties of orange and lemon build on a puckering base; caramel malt pushes out a bit, but for the most part, this is a battle of lemony tartness and hop dankness. Up next comes the stone fruit aspects that I got in the aroma, followed by the yeast, which imparts a slight estery flavor with big sourness. Towards the end come the malts, which show up almost as much as they did in the aroma, imparting all the same aspects. On the finish, the sourness doesn't linger too much, but there is some assertive bitterness from the big hop bill.

Overall: This 8.4 percent IPA will be a tug of war on your palate at first, but once acclimated, your brain will easily be able to bounce back and forth between complexities.

Proper - Wolf of the Eclipse: This Roggenbier, or "rye beer," was made using nearly 60 percent rye malt. This gives it a grainy and spicy flavor with some classic German weizen beer characters of tart citrus, vanilla or bubblegum. This beer bill has enough happening already, but that wasn't enough for the Proper Brewing crew, so they decided to age it in Pinot Noir wine barrels for six months.

You'd think this might be tart or sour by virtue of the Pinot barrels, but nope—it's actually quite balanced. The barrel is present, but not overwhelming, and while the rye is immediately noticeable, too, it's all very balanced and quite enjoyable. It pours a bright copper color with a clear transparency, just a bit of fog to it. Head is a finger of white foam that retains decently well. Aroma is granite, biscuit and cookie wafer with lemon zest and then a hint of green apple, dry pear and dark grapes draped over the top.

What starts as a standard rye lager evolves into a lightly vinous white wine. The flavor profile favors apple, dry pear and green grapes with lemon zest and wafery malts beyond. Punchy dryness meets medium fruitiness, both of which hit quickly and then recede, exposing the underlying rye. Balance is good, with the first hitting just hard enough to be counterbalanced by the rye effectively. Mouthfeel is crisp, with a refreshingly dry and tight effervescence texture through each and every sip.

Overall: Crisp and refreshing, with punching notes that strike outside of the Roggenbier norm, this 6.66 percent beer is a refreshing, complex and unique twist on the style, while still coloring within the lines.

The packaging for Cryptoporticus is quite beautiful, as the 16-ounce can features an image of the dogwood tree from where the yeast was discovered; the rest of the can is various sparkling hues of purple and red. All in all, it's a very attractive presentation. Wolf of the Eclipse features a much more menacing appearance for a beer that is quite tame and lovely, so don't let the Proper's 16-ounce can influence you to the contents inside. As always, cheers!