Guinness Blonde American Lager

While enjoying a Guinness, how many times have you thought to yourself: I really wish they made a lager? I'd wager the answer to that is zero. But on the slim chance you have had that thought you would find out they made Harp Lager and never think about it again. So when I first saw Guinness Blonde American Lager in stores my first thought was 'why?' instead of 'I've got to try it.' But in the spirit of this blog and the goodwill I have towards Guinness Draught, I felt picking up a single bottle was necessary.

Brewed in Latrobe, PA, Guinness Blonde American Lager pours a beautifully crystal clear golden amber with a fluffy white head. Unfortunately, that was the only positive thing about this lager. The aroma was almost non-existent. I had to bury my nose in the glass for a couple minutes to detect the aroma of a bready malt and some grassy hops. Sadly, much like the aroma the flavor was almost non-existent. There is some initial bready malt sweetness and a light peppery hop finish, but it took almost half a glass to figure that out. 　Frankly, it tasted like someone dumped out ¾ of a bottle of Rolling Rock, filled it back up with water, capped it, slapped a Guinness label on it and charged 10 dollars a 6 pack for it. 　Clearly, Guinness was trying to cash in more on their name value here then providing a quality product.

The first of their new Discovery Series line, Guinness Blonde American Lager disappoints on almost every level. And while I admire their attempt to try to do something new to compete with the expanding American craft beer marketplace, if this is a sign of things to come, I do not expect the Discovery Series to be a success. This is dull, flavorless beer and it’s an insult to the Guinness name. If you find yourself looking for a lager to pair with Guinness, I’d recommend sticking with Harp or looking anywhere else.

Overall I’d rate Guinness Blonde American Lager a .5/5. Overpriced and flavorless, I do not expect to see this beer on shelves for very long.


Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Like many other beer enthusiasts, I am a huge fan of oak aged beer. It’s gotten to a point that nothing will make me pick a beer quicker than seeing barrel aged on the label. I am also a huge fan of fall seasonal beers. The malt and hop profile to these beers seem to compliment the season beautifully. So you could imagine my excitement when I saw Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest. And later my disappointment when I found out that Oak was not used for any part of making this beer. 　In fact according to Firestone Walker's website Oaktoberfest gets its name for the brewery's hometown of Paso Robles or “Pass of the Oaks.” Regardless of whether this beer was oak aged or not, it is still from one of the more reliable craft breweries in the US and I could not wait to try it.

I poured Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest into a glass and immediately noticed its beautifully clear golden amber color and finger thick white head. The aroma was very reminiscent of a German pilsner. It was grainy, bready but there was also a hint of caramel. The aroma of the beer seemed to match the flavor. The bready malt practically mimics the traditional German Pilsner style. But unlike the traditional German Oktoberfest beers, there is only a hint of caramel sweetness in the flavor before a grassy hop finish that washes away clean providing a very light, smooth and easy drinking experience.

Normally at this point, I would begin to write a fairly positive conclusion for this safe but enjoyable beer. Unfortunately I just can’t do it. To me, the point of an Oktoberfest or any style fall beer is to provide a full flavor, slightly boozy, heavier alternative to the light bodied beers of summer. Oaktoberfest does not do that, in fact it is light enough that it seems more like a sessionable summer beer then it does a fuller bodied fall beer. 　But if this was a summer beer I would still feel that it is worth mentioning Oaktoberfest’s 12 dollars a 6 pack price, which is a few dollars higher than many superior alternatives from both summer and fall. Basically what I am trying to say is this is not a bad beer; it just does not work as a fall seasonal beer. And with its high price tag there is very little reason here for a repeat purchase.

　

Overall I’d rate Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest a 2.75/5. It’s a perfectly acceptable beer, just not a perfectly acceptable fall beer.

Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

The Muddy Imperial Stout by Goose Island

I have to admit pretty much anytime I visit the grocery store I feel I have to check the beer aisle. Most of the time I walk out of the aisle with nothing. Nevertheless I feel I have to check because of that exciting moment every beer enthusiast loves, finding something new and exciting. I did just that on a recent visit when I came across The Muddy Imperial Stout by The Goose Island Beer Company. Now if the Bourbon County Series has taught us one thing, The Goose Island Beer Company knows how to make an incredible stout. I didn't think for an instant this was going to be in the same ball park as Bourbon County but I thought there was a chance it was the equivalent of tailgating outside of said ball park. Please pardon the bad sports metaphor but I was very excited about that. Add in the fact that this imperial stout according to the bottle featured “amplified sweetness with licorice notes” I probably could not have gotten it in the cart fast enough. The only question I was left with was, is this beer going to be as exciting as I think it's going to be?

The Muddy poured a thick black color with a dark tan head that went away almost immediately. The aroma was slightly sweet, full of roasted malt with chocolate and a hint of coffee. The aroma was also slightly boozy but with an ABV of 9% that is not completely unexpected. And while The Muddy is a fun name for a stout, unfortunately it accurately described the flavor. The roasted malt was easily detectable initially in the flavor but shortly after that the outrageous candy sweetness dominated my palate. It was so overpowering that any of the subtle flavors that I was doing my best to detect were pretty much “muddied” by this sweetness. The worst part to me was the fact that the licorice was practically nonexistent. As I made my way through the glass I kept hoping the next sip was going to be the one where I tasted the licorice, sadly this never happened.

When I was finished with The Muddy all I was left with was an empty glass and a whole lot of disappointment for this completely missed opportunity by Goose Island to create something new and creative. And it is also a reminder that unfortunately not every new beer we spot is as good as we hope it would be. But it is beers like The Muddy that make us appreciate when we find that good beer that much more.

Overall I give The Muddy Imperial Stout a 1.5/5. While it is not completely undrinkable it reminded me more of an extremely sweet cheap liqueur then it did an imperial stout.

Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!