Boulder Beer's "Hazed and Infused"

I'm going to attempt to chip away at my backlog of tasting notes and begin blogging about some of the beers that I have tried over the last few months (or year).

Today, we have Boulder Beer's "Hazed & Infused". As you may have guessed from the brewery's name, this amber ale comes to us from Colorado. Boulder Beer's website tells us that they are Colorado's first microbrewery (opened in 1979), receiving the 43rd brewing license issued in the United States. The founders, "Hummer" and "Stick", first opened the brewery in a goat shed. They have, of course, expanded since then, and I can assure you that their beer doesn't taste like goats! You can take a virtual brewery tour on their website.

Back to the beer, "Hazed & Infused" weighs in at 4.85% ABV and is infused, or dry-hopped, with Crystal and Centennial hops. This is in addition to the Nugget, Willamette, Crystal, and Centennial hops used to brew the beer. "Hazed" was a "one-keg" experimental brew (often the best kind!) from 2001, but it was so popular with those who tried it that it became a mainstay.

"Hazed & Infused" definitely had a hazy appearance, evidence that it is, in fact, an unfiltered beer. It had a sweet fruity smell with an undertone of bitter hops. Though the hops were also evident in the flavor, the taste wasn't too bitter. It had a nice citrus fruit flavor and was very refreshing. "Hazed" makes for a good summer beer and is, in a word, "fun".

BeerAdvocate users give it an 85 (824 reviews), and the Brothers give it a 78.
RateBeer users give it an 89 overall and a 91 for style (1116 reviews).
Justin's Brew Review gives it an A-.