Happy Belated 100th Birthday Arizona

It's a rare event when I select a beer with a specific meal in mind, but this beer was somehow one of those.  My folks are in town and because they are possibly one of the five people that read this blog on a regular basis, I thought I'd let them in on the beer blog action. 

It all started when I took my bike in for a tune up and then realized that Whole Foods was right next door to the bike shop.  

DANGER DANGER DANGER.

I am by no means a Whole Foods frequent shopper (I do not own a pair of Crocs, which I am pretty sure is a pre-requisite for being a Whole Foods groupie) but I do love their beer selection and fresh lunch menu options.  So after dropping off my bike I found myself roaming the aisles of Whole Foods.  Low and behold, I ended up picking up a few bombers.  Today I was attracted to beers from the "Official Craft Brewery of the Arizona Centennial."  A bit cheesy?  Absolutely.  But I knew it would a) pair well with all the meat I had prepped to throw on the grill and b) provide a talking point at dinner amongst the grandparents.

Centennial Copper Ale (5.0% ABV) from Sonoran Brewing Company in Scottsdale, Arizona

I pour up a small glass for all the adults and we cheers to our health, jobs, good food, family and green beans.  I didn't get too much feedback but everyone finished their beer.  The "copper" aspect of this beer seemed to present itself only in color and not so much in flavor, although, what does copper taste like anyway?  It was nothing above average which was mostly disappointing because it was dubbed Arizona's official CENTENNIAL beer.  In theory, a beer that only comes along once every 100 years should be out-freaking-standing.  But hey, I'm not ragging on this beer just saying that it was somewhat a let down.

I give this beer a solid 3.5 out of 5.  If it were marketed as a regular beer, it would get higher marks.

Side note:  Apparently I am not alone in my theory. After looking for a bit to see what other beer drinkers think, I came across this review on beeradvocate.com:

"Both beers are refreshing and highly drinkable, yet they're also unexciting, and here's where I draw issue. A Centennial only comes around every 100 years -- why not push the envelope? With outrageous immigration laws, a bat-shit sheriff, public support for a state gun and more, Arizona is known for a lack of restraint or common sense in almost everything we do but beer. Here's hoping the brewers in our next century of statehood get with the crazy."