Budweiser 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager

Ever since I started writing this blog, people have jokingly asked me to review Bud Light. Obviously, they were looking to see how I tried to describe in greater detail a beer I referred to for years as “piss water”. I have thought about doing it for an April Fool's Day blog but that has yet to materialize. I know it would make a few people chuckle but it really does not add much to the blog. At this point, if you drink beer, I am sure you have had a Bud Light. The point of this blog is to shine a light on a beer you may not have tried. However, if you have been waiting for me to review a beer with the Budweiser name on it, the wait is officially over..

The moment I saw a commercial for Budweiser's 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager, I knew I had to buy a bottle and write about it. This was not because I was particularly passionate about trying the beer, it was because I know some people will be curious about whether or not it is worth trying. So with the best of intention I twisted off the cap, poured the amber-colored lager into a glass and hoped for the best.

The aroma was surprisingly bold for a Budweiser branded beer which gave me hope that the next 12 ounces might be bearable. There is a lot of caramel malt up front in the aroma. Also, there are hints of toasted bread and nuttiness as well. The hop presence in the aroma is both grassy and herbal. The first sip left me pleasantly surprised. The makers of a watered down “beechwood aged” beer seemed to actually make a beer with a bold flavor. The caramel malt sweetness that dominated the aroma, dominated the flavor as well. Just like the aroma, there are notes of nuts and toasted bread before a grassy, herbal finish. At first it worked for me, it reminded me of Sam Adams Winter Lager without the spices. By the end of the glass however, the sweetness began to wear on me and I noticed a metallic note in the finish. This beer is by no means complex, but I did not really expect it to be. 1933 is a surprisingly decent beer from the makers of “piss water.”

Before I wrap this up, I want to be clear here. I am not saying run out and buy a six-pack of this. I am saying that if over the course of the holiday season, you are at a relatives house that only drinks macro beer, this is the one you should grab from the fridge. Also, you should have brought something better to the party.

Overall rating: 3/5  


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New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve: Mocha Mint Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

The first snow of the season just started falling, which I'm sure you know, is the official start of Stout Season. As I have said before, there is never a bad time to drink a stout. It could be a 90 degree day with 100% humidity and I would still order a barrel aged imperial stout without hesitation. It may not be a refreshing beverage, but no one drinks a stout as a thirst quencher. A well-made stout is something you want to sip on when you are looking for more depth and complexity. That is why they work at any time of year. However, there is nothing better than watching the snow fall and slowly making it through a great stout.

The stout I picked for this blog is a beer that immediately captured my curiosity. That beer is Dragon's Milk Reserve: Mocha Mint Bourbon Barrel Stout. I was stunned to find this beer very accessible around town. Usually we only see regular Dragon's Milk only and never any of the variants, When I saw the Mocha Mint variant I picked it up instantly, not because I am a huge fan of Dragon's Milk, but because I was curious. Dragon's Milk to me is usually a touch thin and a bit hot. It always seems to just meet expectations with me but never really exceed them. Each time I've drank it, it always felt like something was missing. Perhaps the addition of coffee, chocolate and mint will fill in that gap.

The aroma of Mocha Mint Dragon's Milk is delightful. The chocolate is more on the sweet side,  and blends seamlessly with the roastiness of the coffee. There is a refreshing coolness to the aroma from the mint and that almost seems to enhance my enjoyment of watching the snow fall. One thing I didn’t get in the aroma is any trace of the bourbon barrel. I actually had no problem with this because everything in the aroma was already working for me.

Truth be told, I may have built the first sip up a bit too much from the aroma but the first sip was very good. Mint is a fickle thing in beer and too much of it can make it taste medicinal. The mint here is definitely noticeable and to its credit, subdued. It blends fairly well with coffee and chocolate but seems a bit at odds with the bourbon barrel that finally shows up in the finish. I actually can't believe I am saying this but this beer would have benefited significantly by not spending time in a bourbon barrel. It also suffers from being thin, just like regular Dragon's Milk. This is not surprising but I think every time I drink anything Dragon's Milk, I am going to complain about it being thin.

What made New Holland's Mocha Mint variant of Dragon's Milk even more interesting to me was how I perceived it on two different nights. Watching the first snow of the season, I thought this beer was something I immediately needed to run out and buy more of. It seemed to perfectly capture the holidays and winter in a glass. The second night, I drank it, I was not blinded by the weather and I found the beer less harmonious and the mint more aggressive. The thoughts I shared in the above paragraph seemed to fade further and further from my mind. Each of the flavors seemed to become muddled instead of nicely complimenting each other. That wasn't all, it was also cloyingly sweet to a point I could almost feel cavities developing. This was extremely disappointing because while I loved the beer at first, I found it does not hold up well to additional nights of drinking it. The sweetness begins to take its toll almost immediately and the mint seems more and more aggressive. In retrospect, I wish I only bought two bottles of this, because that turned out to be more than enough. New Holland's Dragon's Milk Reserve: Mocha Mint Bourbon Barrel Stout is like a movie you only need to see once, after that it only gets worse.

Overall rating: 2.75/5 and fading


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Pipeworks Blood of the Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale

When I first started drinking craft beer, I loved being asked the question, “what are you drinking?” I always enjoyed letting people know about beer outside of the mainstream macro beers. One day, I elicited a different reaction when someone asked me, “what are you drinking?” and I responded “Arrogant Bastard Ale”. People would laugh and think I was kidding, but then they laughed even harder when I showed them the bottle. Years later, there are so many wonderfully creative beer names out there, nothing really gets a reaction anymore. However, the beer I am writing about today did stop a few people in their tracks and make them chuckle when they asked what I was drinking next. That beer is Pipeworks Brewing's Blood of the Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale.

Chicago's Pipeworks Brewing has a ton of creative beer names and amazing can/bottle art. To name a few there is Lizard King, War Bird and the wonderful double IPA, Ninja vs. Unicorn. Blood of the Unicorn, though, is my favorite at the moment.  As I opened a can of it, I realized how much I wanted to like this beer. Not just because the name of it is amazing but because I feel like it has been a long time since I have had a truly great red ale.

Red ale is a style of beer that really got me into craft beer. I loved the balance of malt and hops. Ithaca Brewing's Cascazilla, Bear Republic's Red Rocket Ale, Great Lakes' Nosferatu and Cigar City's Tocobaga are a few that come to mind that I enjoyed at different points over the years. Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve used to be a red ale I looked forward to every year but perhaps as a sign that red ales are not as popular as they used to be, Rogue changed that beer to a fruited Belgian strong ale. Perhaps later in the season I will blog about it once I am finished pouting about the fact that one of my favorite holiday beers is gone for the year. Basically the point I am trying to make is, I love a good red ale, but it has just been a while since I have tried one that I really loved. I hoped that would change once I tried Blood of the Unicorn.

The aroma of Blood of the Unicorn was exactly what I hoped it would be. Caramel, biscuit, grapefruit, mango, pine with a solid amount of herbal spice shined in the aroma. My first sip was glorious and immediately reminded me of why I loved this style so much. The malt was showcased wonderfully. The caramel and biscuit malt were the first thing I noticed here. They provided a beautiful backbone to mango, lemon, pine, candied orange, herbal spice before giving way to more pine and grapefruit rind finish. The finish was a touch astringent but that is a small complaint. It is a touch on the stronger side at 6.5%, but I will admit it goes down very easy. This is a beautiful red ale that provides a nice touch of warmth on a cold night.

When I think about what style of beer I want to see become popular again, the answer from me is a hoppy red ale. It is a style I fell in love with very early into my beer drinking years and I love finding a great one I have yet to try. Pipeworks Brewing's Blood of the Unicorn not only has a tremendous name, it is an absolutely delicious red ale. It is so good that if it was in my area more, it would be a regular addition to my refrigerator. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5 

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!