Utah beers to send off 2022 

• Mike Riedel

Starting that new year's resolution diet, or participating in dry-January? If that's the case, you may as well end 2022 on a high note with these two flavor powerhouses.

Kiitos - Winter IPA: Pours a golden yellow color with a two-finger, bright white head that recedes to a thin layer fairly quickly that persists. There's a slight haze to the clarity, and moderate carbonation bubbling up through the glass; decent lacing is present. The scent hits you with lots of lemon in a hoppy, citrus tang right up front, with plenty of grapefruit, orange and tangerine aroma. Some underlying sweeter fruits mix in—maybe peach or mango—and some fresh, floral notes. A bit of malt breadiness emerges at the very end, with a big, dank hop aroma. Very fresh.

The taste is much more complex than either the appearance or aroma let on; it is also of much higher quality. Initially, you get hit with some sweet, lemon-dominated citrusy notes, accompanied perfectly by just a touch of sweet, biscuit malt. Then a wonderful mango taste chimes in, lingering while it fades into grapefruit and grapes, and finally a bit of astringency that begs for another drink. There is not much bitterness here from the hops outside the aforementioned astringent aftertaste, just fantastic, complex, hoppy goodness.

Mouthfeel is just slightly creamy, and ends up around a medium mouthfeel. The carbonation is great and makes what is already a very refreshing beer that much better. Astringency is perfect to keep the drinker coming back for more, and the aftertaste feel is engaging. It just begs you to remember it with each sip.

Verdict: This one is obviously all about the hops. It should be easy to find if you can get Deschutes in your area, and the price is not on the really-expensive side. The end result is a fine celebration of the wet-hop season. I would recommend picking this one up before it sits around too long.

Park City - Mango Milkshake IPA: It pours thick, heavy and viscous, like a melted mango creamsicle, with minimal head formation. Straight-up haze doesn't allow even the slightest bit of light through. The aroma immediately pops out of the glass with tons of vanilla and mango, like sticking your nose into a tub of mango and vanilla bean ice cream. Hints of citrus—orange, grapefruit, tangerine— and sweet bready malt come out more as it warms, but are definitely overshadowed by the aromas of the non-hop additions. Overall, the nose on this is as pungent as they come.

Whoa—sweet mango coats the mouth up front. Rich vanilla bean closely follows along, with some contributions from the hops. The finish is really interesting, as the ultra sweet, candy-like flavors completely succumb to a surprisingly enjoyable combination of creamy milkiness (from the lactose), dank bitterness, spicy green mango and grassy berries. It's super unconventional, but it works damn well. As the name suggests, it's dense, chewy and ultra-creramy; the addition of oats and lactose truly give it the mouthfeel of a melted milkshake. Carbonation is light, with medium bitterness, yet highly drinkable. It's hard to believe this thing is 5.0 percent ABV; it feels like at least 6.5 percent.

Verdict: Okay, so this may not be for everyone, but it certainly epitomizes the "juice bomb" term that gets thrown around every whichway nowadays. It's one of the most unique beers I've ever tried; they really pull off the combination of lactose, vanilla, mango and intense dry-hopping. I'm super-thankful that I had the chance to try it.

These are both seasonal batches, which means they won't be around very long. Each is exclusive to their breweries and should be enjoyed sooner rather than later. As always, cheers!