Dogfish Head Lupu-Luau IPA

Dogfish Head's latest IPA, Lupu-Luau, got my attention the minute I first heard about it. A beer brewed with experimental hops, dehydrated coconut water and toasted coconut sounded fun and unique. It also sounded like a perfectly refreshing beverage for a hot summer day. Honestly, to me, it seemed like it would be a perfectly refreshing beverage for any kind of day. Lupu-Luau also continues my fascination with drinking coconut-flavored beers. One of the better ones I have tried recently is Prairie Paradise Imperial Stout. It is a beautiful beer with just the right amount of coconut. The 13% ABV is hidden nicely. Like all of the offerings from Prairie Artisan Ales, the price is a little steep. I assure you, this one is well worth a purchase. This blog however is not about Prairie Paradise, it is about Dogfish Head Lupu-Luau so it is time to get back on track and start the review.

Golden, hazy and bursting with tropical aromas, Lupu-Luau had me excited from the moment I opened the bottle. The aroma of pineapple in particular was immediately noticeable as soon as the cap came off of the bottle. The aroma also had a nice earthy woodiness to it, along with some citrus and some breadiness from the malt. The coconut is fairly subdued in the aroma, which was a bit disappointing and I hoped to get more of it when I took my first sip.

The fact that it was brewed with coconut water is immediately noticeable and quite refreshing. I really enjoy coconut water, so I am particularly geeking out for this part of the beer. The toasted coconut is there as well but I honestly wanted more of it in the flavor, a lot more of it. Pineapple, passion fruit, mango, grapefruit, candied orange, vanilla and a hint of grassiness before a woody, spicy, bitter finish round out what is essentially a solid India Pale Ale. The vanilla helps give Lupu-Luau a subtle creaminess which I really enjoyed. No matter what, after each sip, I kept looking for more coconut and was saddened not to find it. I really think even more coconut here would have made this beer even better. However, nothing here tastes artificial and that is not a bad thing.

Lupu-Luau is one of those beers I really liked that I wanted to love. The coconut water was a fantastic idea and definitely added a lot to the beer. It was a creative touch and I would definitely like to see more breweries give this a try. My only disappointment here is I wanted more toasted coconut it in the flavor. I love the pineapple, passion fruit and mango flavors but I am here for the coconut, so give me it! Still, Lupu-Luau works as another solid IPA in Dogfish Head's illustrious catalog. It may not have hit every note I wanted it to but I am happy I purchased a 6-pack of it. At 7.3%, it might be a little too strong for session drinking but it is perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day.

Overall rating 3.5/5. While I wanted Lupu-Luau to have more of a dessert coconut flavor to it, it is still a good beer that is worth a try.

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. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Freedom 35: Trailer Park Boys Lager

Recently, my father and I headed to Toronto for a U2 concert and to try some fantastic beer. Unfortunately, terrible traffic cut into our beer drinking time, but still we found a way to try some terrific beer. As soon as we reached the city, our first stop was to Bellwoods Brewery. We sampled several delicious beers there but our clear favorite was the Paper Tiger Lager. The beer was everything you would want on a hot day. It was nicely hopped, slightly fruity, tropical with a crisp, clean finish. At 5.3% this could have easily been the beer we stuck with for the rest of the night, but unfortunately there were no bottles to purchase and we could pretty much guarantee this was not going to be for sale in the Rogers Centre.

The beers at the Rogers Centre were the standard macro beers you would expect. Stella Artois, Budweiser and Labatt were pretty much for sale everywhere in the building. I was happy to find a beer I had yet to try something at the beer stand in the General Admission section. That was Mill St. Original Organic Lager. We immediately bought 2 of those and began drinking what was easily the worst beer of the trip. I wish I could remember more about it flavor-wise but U2 came out shortly after and we immediately forgot how terrible the beer was in our hands.

After the show, we went back to the hotel room and I began searching for nearby LCBO stores. Before we could leave the city of Toronto the next morning, I had to find one particular beer. That beer was Freedom 35, the Trailer Park Boys Lager. I am a huge fan of the Trailer Park Boys show and their podcast. From the moment they announced they were releasing this beer I had to try it. Fortunately, there was an LCBO about a half mile away, so we walked over as soon as the store opened and bought a few cans. I'll admit my expectations for the beer were fairly low. This was a gimmick beer, plain and simple, but I hoped, really hoped, that it would taste good. Regardless of whether or not it did, I had to write a blog about it.

To borrow a phrase from the Trailer Park Boys, Freedom 35 Lager is “DEEEEECENT.” It is a simple lager that is by no means extraordinary. It just works as an easy drinking lager. Its aroma is simple. It is grainy, grassy, slightly fruity with a hint of spice. Now I feel like I am really reaching there, but the beer's nose is basic and simple. The first sip followed suit. Lots of bread, cracker, grain, grass and a light fruitiness. The finish is crisp, clean and refreshing. To put it simply, Freedom 35 lager is an easy drinking session beer. That seems to be the intention behind it. Now, is it worth seeking out while in Canada? Absolutely. The can alone is incredible. I am hoping this is a first in a series of beer to be released with the Trailer Park Boys name on it. I am hoping to see an imperial stout aged in Liquorman's Old Dirty Canadian Whiskey Barrels. If you are asking yourself, 'is that a real thing?' Thankfully the answer is yes.

Overall rating: 3/5. A simple, easy drinking lager with a decent can.


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. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

To discuss this blog or all things beer like my Facebook page

Look for me on Instagram & Untappd and Twitter @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews check out: http://www.acraftylook.com

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

First Impressions of Young Lion Brewing Company

At this point it almost goes without saying that the beer scene in Canandaigua, NY is very exciting. For the past few years, Naked Dove Brewing Company has been one of my favorite local breweries. Their Russian Imperial Stout, 45 Fathoms Porter and Windblown Amber are absolutely incredible. In fact, I love the Windblown Amber so much, it was served at my wedding. With the addition of Three Huskies Brewing, Twisted Rail Brewing Company and the brand new Young Lion Brewing Company, it is going to be a great summer to brewery-hop down by Canandaigua Lake.

As I surveyed the menu of Young Lion beers with my wife Alicia and friend, Paul, I was excited about trying three beers in particular: the India Pale Ale, the New England Style India Pale Ale and the Czech Pilsner. My wife was excited about the Citrose Gose and Paul was willing to try everything. I'll start with the bad news. The India Pale Ale just did not work for me, Alicia or Paul. It seemed muddled and had a lackluster, astringent finish. I will be looking to revisit it down the road but as of right now, I felt it was the weakest of the Young Lion brews available. The New England Style IPA was a significant step up from the IPA. It was dank, citrusy and enjoyable. I am looking forward to seeing how future batches of this beer develop. As far as the Czech Pilsner goes, we all instantly fell in love with it. It is the kind of beer that compliments warm weather and sitting by the lake perfectly. It's bready, crisp, clean, refreshing with just the right amount of spice. At 5.2%, it is very sessionable. It reminded me of Steam Whistle, which is one of my favorite pilsners. Of all the beers we had in the flight, this is the one we all ordered a second round of. From a personal standpoint, this is a beer I could see becoming a mainstay in my refrigerator. 

I also really enjoyed the Citrose Gose and the Double IPA. The Citrose Gose is another light, refreshing, easy drinking beer that did not have nearly the amount of tart or salt that many in the style do and that worked for me, as well as Alicia, who as I mentioned before is a big fan of the style. The Citrose Gose is another beer that is perfect for a summer day by the lake. The Double IPA was a hit for Paul and I. It is nicely balanced and a bit too easy to drink at 8.8%. This beer has a lot of potential to be one of the best double IPAs in the area.

Overall, myself, as well as Paul & Alicia, see a lot of potential for the Young Lion Brewing Company and we are excited to watch them grow. On a personal note, I am also counting the days until I have cans of the Czech Pilsner in my refrigerator as an everyday drinker.

To discuss this blog or all things beer like my Facebook page

Look for me on Instagram & Untappd and Twitter @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews check out: http://www.acraftylook.com

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!