Shiner Birthday Beer Chocolate Stout

Ever since I saw the bar scene in Quentin Tarentino's Death Proof I wanted to try Shiner Bock or any of the Shiner brews. But up until a little over a year ago, drinking anything from the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas meant I would have to be traveling outside the state of New York. This made drinking a Shiner beer feel special. Even though the taste of the Bock is nothing amazing, it still felt special to drink one. But now that it is easily available in New York it is often an afterthought when I look through the beer aisle. But recently their latest limited offering caught my eye. Shiner Birthday Beer is a chocolate stout that commemorates the 106^th anniversary of their brewery. With winter still in full swing, trying a rich chocolate stout seemed like a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, Shiner Birthday Beer did not live up to expectations.

Shiner Birthday Beer pours a dark black with ruby highlights and a light tan head. It looks unusually thin for a chocolate stout. but with an ABV of 5% this does not come as a surprise. The aroma is rich with chocolate. The chocolate in the aroma is almost so strong it became a challenge to find anything else. I think I detected some smoke but that might have been reaching. The flavor is full of candy sweet chocolate and roasted malt. There seems to be little to no complexity though. The chocolate dominates the flavor and then it washes away cleanly. The mouth feel doesn't feel right either. A beer like this should be at least a little thicker, Shiner Birthday Beer is so thin it seems like it would fit in nicely with the Michelob Ultra line of beers.

Overall I would rate Shiner Birthday Beer a 2/5. It has a thin one note flavor but delivers if you are looking for a chocolate fix.

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 & Untappd at @ACraftyLook
For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB!

When I was in college I thought the idea of paying 10 dollars for a 12 oz. bottle of beer would have been as ridiculous as it was irresponsible. At that time spending 10 dollars on beer meant buying a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada, Heineken or Sam Adams. And after purchasing one of those, I would spend an evening feeling like I was drinking like a king. This all changed the first time I saw Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA. I was shocked at how expensive it was but nevertheless intrigued by how fast it would fly off the shelves. What made things even worse for my bank account was how delicious it was. Fast forward a number of years later, and I still find the idea of paying 10 dollars a bottle ridiculous. But I, like many others are guilty of trying to find those rare high end beers that come to town. One of those high end rare beers is Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! and recently I was able to find a bottle. So what better way to kick off a new year of reviews then reviewing one of the more complex beers I have ever had?

Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! is an imperial stout that pours a rich, thick black with a dark brown head that does not stick around long. The aroma is very heavy on coffee and roasted malt; as well as sweetness from chocolate and vanilla with a hint of spice. Because this beer was 13% ABV I knew I was going to be working on it awhile and I had no issue savoring every last complex drop. Upon initial tasting I was flooded with the flavor of coffee with a slightly spicy finish. As BOMB! began to warm the flavor of chocolate and vanilla became more noticeable. It got to a point where the delightful flavor of chocolate seemed to move to the forefront, with coffee becoming a complimentary flavor. The spice of the chili peppers also seemed to disappear altogether as the beer warmed. This was about the only thing I can say I was disappointed by. I really wanted to see more spice, but after experiencing such a flavorful beer it does feel like nitpicking.

Overall I was very impressed with Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! It was full of flavor and the 13% ABV was hidden quite well but not altogether. As I was making my way through the glass I knew I was drinking something quite strong. While the price tag is high I think it is a worthwhile one-time purchase. It could be interesting to have it once yearly to see how the beer, as well as your palette evolves, but there are cheaper and easier to find beers for that.

Overall I'd rate Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! A 4.75/5. It's a fantastic, complex beer that lives up to its hype and reputation.

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!