Firestone Walker 'Easy Jack' Session IPA. 4.5% 45-50 IBU. Gold-yellow color. Clear. Finger of white foamy head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose is tropical, sweet bread, floral hop bouquet, light fruit, distant grapefruit. 

Front taste is bitter floral hops, light malt, botanical herbal on the back end. Aftertaste is bitter hoppy, grain, grassy, vegetal, round citrus, dry finish. Light-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, clean, bright, thin, effervescent.

This is a good category IPA, a true West Coast creation that firmly plants its flag in its subcategory. The floral hop tastes tips the scale over the light malt, with a light body and feel that makes it easy to drink. 

I admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I expected a watered down version of the lawnmower-to-order 805. Instead, a found more flavor here than most beers this sessionable. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"Easy Jack came about when Brewmaster Matt Brynildson went to the mountain top and returned with a vision for a different kind of Session IPA, one that would be brewed and dry hopped with a globetrotting selection of newer hop varieties from Germany, New Zealand and North America. He foresaw a beer that would deliver massive hop aromas, surprising dimension, a signature malt balance and an empty glass before you knew what hit you. And so the newest member of our Jack IPA family was born."

[source: firestonebeer.com]

Samuel Adams 'Rebel Rider' Session IPA. 4.5% abv. 45 IBU. Pale straw color. Finger of bubbly white head. Good retention, fair lace. Nose of clean citrus, faint sweet floral, faint pine. Front taste of citrus peel, herbal hops. Aftertaste of mild bitter herbal hops, grapefruit, pine notes on the sustain. Light body. Mouthfeel is cool, bubbly, dry finish.

This is a good session beer, the lightest of the "Rebel" series. It's meant for refreshment, for easy drinking. Despite what the marketing may suggest, it wasn't meant to be loaded with rich flavors. Not all beers are. If you know this going in, you can enjoy this light brew.  I enjoyed mine well enough at a family barbecue. However, even within this context, there are far better choices out there. Mildly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Bursting with bright citrus and tropical fruit notes of apricot and tangerine, with hints of pine and a slight resinous character, this brew brings a lighter-bodied sibling to our Rebel family of IPAs. This IPA finishes with just enough subtle bitterness to bring you back for another sip."
[source: samueladams.com]

Session Premium Lager. 5.1% abv. 18 IBU. Straw-gold color. Finger of white bubbly head that falls to a sustaining collar. Fair retention. Moderate lace. Nose of grain, grassy, veggie. Front taste of light malt, corn, herbal. Aftertaste is corn, cooked greens, faint herbal hops on the back. Thin body. Mouthfeel is warm, astringent, crisp.

This is a decent lawnmower beer. Full Sail Brewing markets this separately from its other offerings, touting it as a bridge between macro and micro beers, which is another way of saying it tastes like a macro but is made by a micro. Imagine a car that drives like a Ford Fiesta but is made by Ferrari. Is that the car for you?

The appearance, body, taste, and marketing strategy all remind me of Firestone Walker's '805' of which I gave a less-than-glowing review. Their similarity is not necessarily a bad thing, particularly since Session tastes slightly better and is significantly cheaper than 805. Stacked against all beers, I'd pass on this one. Stacked against macros and other micro-macros crossovers, this beer is not the worst. Recommended, if you are going to a barbecue or mowing the lawn.

From the brewery:

"It's all about Session-ability! Session’s not a micro, a macro or an import. It’s a little bit of each. Yet none of the above. Which makes Session a true original. Just about everybody who likes beer likes Session... This is the Session that started it all, with that retro-cool red label and rock-paper-scissors under the caps. The original Session is a classic, all-malt lager that’s crisp, smooth, and refreshing. Winner of multiple gold medals at the top national and international competitions, Session Premium Lager is a beer that truly crosses boundaries, from blue collar to white, red state to blue, cocktail bar to bar-be-que. Session Premium lager is an extremely tasty import-style lager, like the kind of beer made back in the pre-Prohibition days— plenty of flavor that goes down clean and smooth, we like to call it "Session-ability." American and European hops offer a wonderful noble hop aroma, and the two-row barley malt and a touch of wheat malt give a pleasant, refreshing finish. Why have a beer when you could have a Session!"

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

Sierra Nevada 'Nooner' Pilsner. 5.2% abv. 38 IBU. Yellow-gold color. Thick white head with good retention and scattered lace. Nose of light malt, herbal hops, faint grassy. Front taste of floral bitter hops, grain. Aftertaste of bitter hop, slightly buttery, crackers. Light body. Mouthfeel is cool, spiced, dry, brisk.

This is a good pils that offers easy drinking and less hop bitter harshness than many others in its category. The hop profile is flowery, fresh, and ample without dropping off the cliff. A nice sessionable brew. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"A crisp, hoppy take on the original session beer. Gather your friends, pack the gear, and head out to wherever the day may take you. A midday go-to, Nooner is our take on the classic German-style pilsner—one of the original session beers. Nooner is easy drinking yet packed with the big flavor of spicy and floral whole-cone hops. Its brilliant golden color begs you to take a sip and sink your taste buds into an extremely welcoming beer, full of flavor and balanced by a crisp, dry finish."

[source: sierranevada.com]