Orkney Skull Spiltter Scotch Ale

I am always looking for something  new to try for this blog. Once in awhile though, I come across a classic beer I have yet to try. That is the case for this blog.

For as long as I have been drinking beer, I have heard people talking about Orkney Brewery’s Skull Splitter Scotch Ale. I always thought it had a badass name and that I should pick it up, but sadly it never went any further than that. I would always tell myself that I would pick it up sooner than later but somehow always forgot about it when it came to restocking the fridge. Well, thanks to a friend's generosity I finally had a bottle in my refrigerator with no excuses. It was time to try Skull Splitter.

From the moment I took in the aroma, I knew I had made a huge mistake by not trying this scotch ale sooner. The aroma was incredibly fruity with notes of dark cherry, plum, dates, figs, toasted bread, caramel, a hint of apple, a touch of earthiness, and a warm boozy reminder that this is an 8.5% beer.

After my first sip. I was astounded by the complexity of this beer. Toasted bread, caramel, tobacco, dark cherry and molasses are the strongest notes to come through. There are also hints of dates, figs, smoke and apple. The finish is dry, spicy, and boozy with a pleasant hint of lemon. The lemon was subtle but a really nice touch. There is so much to like here from this Scottish classic, I wish I had a second bottle to follow this.

It might sound like I am gushing here but I really enjoyed Skull Splitter. This classic scotch ale lived up to its reputation and it will not be long until it finds its way into my glass again. If you are a fan of scotch ales and have yet to try this one, I highly recommend picking it up.


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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Lagunitas Super Cluster & Cherry Jane

One thing I love about Lagunitas Brewing Company is their reasonable prices. As someone who is currently trying to furnish a home, I am looking for values in any place I can find them, especially when it comes to purchasing beer. As hard as it is for me to admit, I find it difficult to justify purchasing several 15-20 dollar 4-packs while sitting on one of two chairs in an otherwise empty living room watching television. If I was in college, I could easily justify this but it gets a failing grade when it comes to adulting. For this blog, I am not so much reviewing beer but offering two great options at more reasonable prices.

I came across Lagunitas' Super Cluster DIPA and stopped in my tracks. Super Cluster is an 8% Citra-Hopped DIPA, priced under 20 dollars for a 12-pack. Without even trying it, that price alone felt like a steal and I could not wait to get home and give it a try. What I found when I did was an excellent West Coast DIPA that is bursting with citrus & pine resin. The first sip does not disappoint, delivering a healthy dose of bright, citrus flavors. Orange, grapefruit, passion fruit and a touch of lemongrass come through at first before a piney, herbal finish. The 8% ABV is hidden fairly well, making this even easier to drink. Super Cluster is beautifully crafted and a steal at its price point.

Another solid offering from Lagunitas is their cherry sour ale, Cherry Jane. The price point for Cherry Jane is around 13 dollars a six-pack which is a touch more than I was looking to spend but I could not resist a beer brewed with Turkish Delight Cherry Juice & Brettanomyces. The Brett delivers just the right amount of funk to the dominating flavor of tart cherry juice. The sourness is not particularly aggressive, it plays as more of a compliment to the cherry juice. I, in particular love tart cherry juice so this beer definitely worked for me.

Both of these beers are solid offerings from Lagunitas. I would highly encourage you to pick up Super Cluster in particular. It is easily one of the best values I have come across in beer that did not have the name "Genesee" on it.



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Thanks for reading. Sláinte! 

Bells Sparkleberry & 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve

Usually when I see a new release from Bell's Brewery, I have to try it. Bell's is just one of those breweries you can usually count on to deliver a well-crafted drinking experience. Recently, they released two beers that captured my attention, Sparkleberry & 30th Anniversary Reserve Cherry Stout.

Sparkleberry is not a new beer but 2018 marks its debut in cans. It was first brewed in 2013 to celebrate Bells’ Sponsorship of Kalamazoo Pride. Over the years, Sparkleberry would occasionally make its way to NY but I kept missing my chance to try it. So as you can imagine, I was particularly excited to give this one a long overdue try. The idea of a Belgian-Style Tripel Ale brewed with Raspberries sounded delicious to me. I also liked the fact that the ABV(8.3%) is true to the style by being on the stronger side. The ABV, the style of beer, and the raspberries made this sound like the perfect summer sipper. As I opened the can, I just hoped I was right.

Sparkleberry was a bit of an unexpected drinking experience. I expected the raspberries to dominate the flavor but I also expected them to be much sweeter than they were. The raspberries were initially sweet but some lemon tartness shows up, followed by the flavors you would expect from a tripel, namely clove, pepper spice and banana. The finish is very dry, almost wine like and the 8.3% ABV adds a bit of astringency. Unfortunately, there also appeared to be a hint of nail polish remover as well in it. I really wanted to like this beer but was thrilled I shared the can after the first sip. The fruit flavoring did not blend as seamlessly as I expected with the base beer. It is not bad, but not a beer I would look to purchase again.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

I thought I was done blogging about stouts for a while but the 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve gave me a reason to do a quick review just in case. The beer is dark chocolate-covered cherries in a glass. The cherries are tart and balance the sweetness of the chocolate nicely. There is a touch of smoke along with a woody, spicy finish. The 9% ABV is fairly well hidden which was nice. The cherry and the dark chocolate were bold enough however to dominate mostly everything here. I enjoyed drinking this beer but I wanted it to have a little more complexity. Then again, it delivered exactly what it promised. It was also a much more pleasant experience than the last time I purchased the Bells Cherry Stout. That beer was so metallic I thought I was drinking T-1000 in a glass(hope that reference wasn't too dated). This one is decadent and delicious. If this dessert in a glass sounds appealing to you, I recommend picking it up.

Overall rating: 3.75/5




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!

Two Roads Bergamonster

Witbier is a style of beer I rarely blog about and that needs to change. I have always been a fan of witbiers but tend to typically drink them when the weather is on the warmer side. The orange peel, coriander, wheat & spicy notes pair wonderfully with a hot summer day. Don’t believe me? Drink a Dogfish Head Namaste or an Allagash White and tell me I am wrong. The Allagash White is, in my opinion, the best representation of the style I have ever had. Drinking that beer is an absolute pleasure and if you have yet to try it I recommend making it your next beer purchase. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. I always tell my beer drinking friends that if they know someone that drinks a lot of Blue Moon, they need to give Allagash White a try. Once again, I have gotten a bit off track. This blog is not about Allagash White. This blog is about a fantastic witbier I tried for the first time a couple days ago and instantly felt the desire write about and fill my refrigerator with it. That beer was Two Road's Bergamonster.

I went into drinking Bergamonster with a fairly indifferent attitude. While I have liked most of the Two Road's beers I have tried, none of them have impressed me enough to be repeat purchases. They always seem to be good but nothing memorable. Even with Bergamonster, I was unsure what to expect. I thought it had the potential to be fantastic or it could turn out to be a bit more on the gimmicky side considering it was brewed with an inedible citrus fruit that is primary used only for its essence. I am thrilled it was the former and this unique approach to brewing a witbier really paid off.

The aroma of Bergamonster pulled me in immediately. The citrus notes, particularly lemon and orange popped right out of the glass. The nose was also floral, spicy with notes of clove, coriander and a yeasty breadiness one would expect from the style. The first sip was like a tart punch in the face. The lemon in particular was unexpectedly strong. It caught me so off guard I was not exactly sure what to think of the beer. I then took another sip and while it was tart, more complexity came into focus. Orange, grapefruit, tropical fruit, hearty bread, clove, coriander & pepper spice shined nicely before a pleasantly sweet banana finish that lingered on the palate. The sweet banana finish was by far my favorite part of the beer. It added a nice balance to the aggressive tartness of the lemon and really made for a pleasant drinking experience. While I would have preferred that the tartness was dialed back ever so slightly, there is very little else to complain about here. Bergamonster is a great witbier. From what I stated earlier this might seem like small praise but this is easily my favorite beer brewed by Two Roads. At 6.4%, it is deceptively strong and easy to drink. Bergamonster is a beer I look forward to purchasing again and drinking throughout the summer months. If you enjoy Witbiers, I encourage everyone to give it a try.

Overall rating: 4.25/5 


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!

Founders Dank Wood

Writing blogs about new entries in the Founders' Barrel Aged Series has become a formality at this point. Personally, I am a huge fan of the series and judging by the feedback & web traffic the blogs get, you all are just as curious about the new releases as I am. My favorite of the new releases last year was DKML(Dick Kicker Malt Liquor). The beer was big, dirty and boozy. I found it to be absolutely delicious and loved every single second of drinking it. At the same time, I could also see why someone would absolutely hate DKML for the same reasons I listed. Either way you felt about DKML, the creativity & courage to brew and then barrel aged malt liquor should be admired.

My least favorite entry in the Barrel Aged Series was Doom. The thought of an Imperial IPA aged in bourbon barrels was intriguing but it just missed the mark for me. It reminded me too much of a less boozy and slightly aged Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. While that's not necessarily a knock on the beer, it just didn't deliver in the way I hoped it would. I remember it being mostly malt and vanilla while I wanted a bit more of a hop bite. Speaking of hop bite, that brings me to the latest release in the Barrel Aged Series, Dank Wood.

From the moment Founders announced the release of Dank Wood I had high hopes for it. Red IPAs are one of my favorite styles of beer. I think it is a style that is tremendously underrated and I hope to see it make a comeback of sorts in the near future. My initial complaint about Doom was that I wanted more hoppiness from it, Dank Wood did not disappoint in that department. The aroma of Dank Wood lives up to its name. It is super dank, full of sticky pine and oak. There are also notes of grapefruit, caramel, toffee, vanilla and earthy, spicy hops. The 12.2% ABV comes through in the aroma as well. The alcohol is so strong in Dank Wood I felt it warming my nostrils. I anticipated the noticeable alcohol content to play a big part in the first sip I took, and I was right.

Dank Wood's flavor is bold and full of booze. The heat from the alcohol provides the kind of warmth one would expect from a beer that came out during the winter months, not the warmer days of late spring. If you are looking for a smooth, easy drinking experience, I would suggest looking elsewhere. Underneath the alcohol, Dank Wood aggressively hits the palate with oak tannins, caramel, toffee, vanilla, grapefruit, spicy hops and loads of pine resin. I did not get bourbon in the aroma but I got a bit of it in the finish and I thought that was a nice touch. Mostly everything about this beer clicked for me. The only thing I would like to see differently is the alcohol scaled back just a touch. I look forward to placing a bottle in the cellar to revisit down the road, as I am very curious to see how this one develops. As for right now though, Dank Wood is big, bold, monster of a beer and much like DKML, I could see it being quite polarizing. I personally enjoyed it and look forward to buying another 4-pack of it. However, I would suggest approaching it with caution. As I mentioned earlier, if you are looking for something easy drinking, look elsewhere.

Overall rating: 4/5


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!

Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale

Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. makes a lot of barrel aged beers. I love barrel aged beers so this should be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, I have yet to have anything from them I really enjoyed. The most disappointed I have been trying one of their beers was the first time I tasted their BA Barleywine. It was thin, lacked depth of flavor, and since I was in Tampa it took away from precious time drinking Jai Alai & Red Tocobaga from Cigar City. Their products make it to NY but I rarely purchase them. I keep waiting for one of my beer enthusiast friends to tell me I have to try one of their beers. That day has still yet to come. In fact I have heard that for the price, try anything but their stuff. I have stuck to this up until the last time I visited a bottle shop. It was there that I came across their Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale. For some reason, I could not pass up the opportunity to try it. It just sounded like a beer I wanted to like, I just wondered if I would.

As I poured Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale, I could not help but notice its similarities to cream soda. It was the same color, had a fizzy white head and had a massive amount of vanilla in the aroma. Due to my love of cream soda, I began to get a bit more optimistic about this beer. There was also a fair amount of graininess(corn) to the aroma as well, with a touch of biscuit. From the aroma alone, I could not tell that this beer was barrel aged. The flavor of the beer pretty much matched the nose. It was very grainy, with a lot of vanilla sweetness and a touch of biscuit. The graininess carried into a finish that balanced the sweetness of the vanilla, with a welcomed amount of hop bitterness, an occasional touch of whiskey and some oak spice. The barrel aging is only slightly there but you really have to look for it. The finish also leaves a fairly unpleasant grainy, bitter aftertaste that seemed to only grow in strength the further I got into the glass.

I was not disappointed I purchased the Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale. I am happy for the opportunity to try it. However, I can safely say that I will not be purchasing it again. Everything seemed a touch muddled here and nothing really flowed together. Also, what is the point of barrel aging this beer for 2 months if there is practically no presence of it in the flavor? That just seems to me like an irresponsible business decision on the brewery's part. I am fairly certain this beer would taste close to the same with or without that short time in a barrel. Either way, it is nothing that special.

Overall rating: 2.5/5


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!

Sam '76

For the first time in a long time, a beer from the Boston Beer Company captured my interest. Then again, the ads for Sam '76 were on my Facebook feed until (and I am totally serious) I finally purchased some. Now, I am not going to go all Fox Mulder on you and suggest something conspiratorial, I am just going to say it was a strange coincidence that the ads finally stopped once the beer took up real estate in my refrigerator. 

Regardless of whether or not I was bombarded by ads for Sam '76, I still would have given it a shot. The Samuel Adams brand is largely responsible for my love of beer in the first place. Like many other beer enthusiasts, their beer was a gateway into the world of better beer. However, over the years their biggest drawback became their lack of finding a way to keep up with other breweries ingenuity. Their approach to distributing an IPA is a perfect example of this. When the market seemed to be leaning toward that particular style, they resisted it until they finally released Latitude 48 IPA. That particular IPA felt more like a halfhearted attempt to appease their customers than a serious attempt at making a good beer.

Over the past decade, I have purchased a fair amount of their new releases but have usually found them to be underwhelming. Their effort at making a shandy(Porch Rocker), was a particularly low point for me with this brewery. Not since my days of giving away their Cranberry Lambic from their holiday mix-pack to whatever unlucky soul was brave enough to drink it have I disliked one of their beers so much. Please don't get me wrong, there is the occasional one I enjoy. One that comes to mind is their Bonfire Rauchbier. That beer was like drinking a campfire and was my gateway into drinking that particular style. A couple of weeks ago, I tried their New England IPA and was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. I am sure I could check my Untappd to find others, but I am here to talk about Sam '76.

The big selling point for me of Sam '76 was the fact that the beer required two active fermentations. They accomplished this by using both an ale yeast and a lager yeast during the brewing process to create a sort of “hybrid” beer. This felt like Boston Beer Company was taking a risk with this beer and it immediately captured my interest. Then again, how could it not?

As I poured a can, I hoped for the best. Scratch that, I was hoping for something unique. The aroma of this slightly hazy, golden yellow brew was doughy, floral, honey-sweet with a touch of grapefruit, pineapple, and herbal spiciness. When I took my first sip, pulled the glass away from my face and puzzled over what I just drank. Up front is a bready sweetness from the malt and a touch of citrus and tropical fruit hops. The hops however are much more prominent in the aroma then the flavor. As soon as you expect the hops to take over and finish like a session IPA, the crisp, clean finish of a lager crashes the party. Each time I took a sip, I tasted a hint of the fruity simcoe hops especially and right when I wanted to taste more of them, everything changed. While, that might sound like a complaint, I actually enjoyed this switcheroo. It was unique, interesting and something that I felt I wanted to buy again. However, this is more of a summer beach beer than a late winter beer. The flavors are light, it lacks body, but it is refreshing and at 4.7% very sessionable. The styles of session IPA and a light lager are blended so well here, it is hard not to look at this as a solid gateway beer and a beer that challenges the expectations of the most refined craft beer palates.

Overall rating: 3.5/5


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!

Evil Twin Bozo Beer

When it came to picking a beer for my latest blog about, I wanted to go big, like really big. For the past week, I have been looking over the beers in my refrigerator and felt nothing really fit what I was looking for. So I decided to go to a bottle shop to look for something that would and that is how I came across Evil Twin's Bozo Beer. An imperial stout with an ABV of 17.2%, Bozo Beer was exactly what I was looking to blog about this week. I believe it is by far the strongest beer that I have reviewed here and I find that very exciting. What might not be as exciting, is tackling this monster of a beer by myself. Oh the things I do for this blog...

When a beer has an ABV as high as Bozo Beer, one thing you can expect it to be is full bodied. In this case that was an understatement. As I began to pour Bozo Beer into a glass, I said “whoa” out loud when I saw how thick, rich and dense it was. I expected there to be a lot of roastiness & booze in the aroma and there certainly was plenty of both, but there was much more going on here. The side of the can lists a lot of adjuncts and most of them show up and stand out in the aroma. Coffee, chocolate, marshmallow, nuts, creamy vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, chili peppers, cinnamon are all present in the aroma.

When I took my first sip, I prepared to get a hot mess of a beer. What I got was a lot of roastiness, marshmallow, vanilla, coffee, chocolate and molasses initially, with the almonds & hazelnuts coming in to compliment all of these flavors nicely. The cinnamon & chili peppers come in late and are fairly understated but add a nice touch. The warmth from the alcohol follows but is not nearly as aggressive as I was expecting. I guess it is safe to say almost nothing here is quite what I expected it to be. Usually, when a beer has a laundry list of adjuncts, it is never quite as good as you want it to be. A lot of adjuncts get lost in the fold behind more dominant flavors. For example, I expected to taste almost no marshmallow and I expected to complain about it here. That was certainly not the case, as marshmallow was right up front and center. This beer is way better than I thought it was going to be and I am thrilled. Bozo Beer is a rich, creamy, decadent treat that is so much smoother than I expected it to be. The only thing that would possibly make this beer better is some barrel aging, and if I ever come across a BA version of Bozo Beer, Evil Twin Brewing could not take my money fast enough.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

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!

Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan

I enjoy brown ales. That really is not the most exciting way to start a blog, but I feel brown ales are a style of beer that has gotten lost in the fold over the past few years. I commonly hear friends of mine tell me they just don't like brown ales. That always surprises me because it is a style of beer I have enjoyed since my early days of beer drinking. However, I also know that when you find a bad brown ale, you do not forget it. I still have not forgotten how much I disliked DuClaw's Dirty Little Freak and Magic Hat's Snow Roller. Those are brown ales I wish I could forget but serve as a reminder to help me understand why so many seem to avoid this style.

The reason I enjoy the style dates back to somewhere around a decade ago. I was sitting in Alternative Brews in Amherst, NY, drinking their Hazelnut Brown Ale from CB Craft Brewers(or at the time Custom Brewcrafters) while enjoying a cigar. It was a tremendous experience and it was that beer that got me into bottle shops and breweries seeking out more brown ales. Like every other style of beer when you find the right one, it is a fantastic drinking experience. Some favorites of mine that come to mind are: Telluride's Face Down Brown Ale, Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Cigar City Vanilla Maduro and my all time favorite, Hill Farmstead George. All of the beers I mention are well worth seeking out but one that is not is the one I am writing about today. That beer is Southern Pecan from Lazy Magnolia.

Boasting it is the “Original Nut Brown Ale”, Southern Pecan is the kind of beer that would unfortunately reinforce someone's dislike of a style. From the label, I thought I would love this Mississippi brewery's take on a nut brown ale but unfortunately as a whole, it fell flat. I knew something was off right away when it did not have that rich, nutty aroma I have come to expect with the style. Instead it smelled more like an adjunct lager with a lot of bread, grain with a slight nuttiness and hints of chocolate and caramel. The first sip matched the nose. The typical flavors one would expect to experience are pushed to the background. The big grainy flavor of cereal and bread are right up front with a light nutty flavor requiring some seeking out to find. The finish finds the chocolate and caramel one would expect from the style. There is practically zero hop presence in the beer, which does Southern Pecan no favors. The finish is clean and the beer is refreshing on a hot day because there is practically nothing going on here. I keep searching for something positive to say about it but I keep arriving at the same conclusion. Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan is a thin, watery, bland version of a nut brown ale.

If my blog does anything today, I hope it steers you away from this particular brown ale and into looking for a better one. To some, brown ales might not be the most exciting style to seek out these days but when you find a great one, you find an excellent drinking experience.

Overall rating: 1.5/5

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!

Breckenridge Stranahan's Well Built Burton Style Ale

Breckenridge Brewery's Vanilla Porter is a beer everyone into craft beer should try at some point. If you have yet to try it, do so, you might not be blown away by it now, but understand that beer was a big deal several years ago. I remember trying it for the first time and being absolutely loving it. I revisit it from time to time and it brings back fond memories, but it is now overshadowed by better local offerings in my area. The whole point in drinking it now is to “respect the classics”. I tended to stay away from many of Breckenridge's other offerings because a lot of them are average or completely unpleasant to drink. Recently, I sampled their Salted Caramel Brown Ale and could barely get through 3 ounces of it. Their Breck IPA is as uneventful as it gets. Their Oatmeal Stout had a decent flavor but was incredibly thin. I honestly can't remember anything else I have had from them outside of this. Recently, my Uncle Jeff(thank you!) brought me an incredible amount of beer from Colorado. Most of it I had never heard of, but I am extremely excited to try all of it. In the incredible amount of beer my Uncle brought to NY, he brought a Burton Style Ale aged in Colorado Whiskey Barrels from Breckenridge Brewery. This sounded creative, exciting, and if I was going to try a memorable beer from Breckenridge Brewery, it was going to be this one.

Stranahan's Well Built Burton Style Ale poured a deep reddish amber with a thin white head. The barrel aging in particular shined in the nose. Oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, spice, raisin, brown sugar and hint of cherry greeted me and continued to raise my hopes that Breckenridge had made something special here. Unfortunately, when I took my first sip, things started going downhill. A big hit of dark fruit, bourbon, vanilla, caramel and toffee greeted me immediately before giving way to a dry, oakey, astringent finish. At first, I liked it but held off on judgment until it started to warm. As it warmed, the flavors started to became disjointed and the astringent finish began to wear on me. On paper, the maltiness of Well Built should have blended nicely together with the barrel aging. Instead the beer and the barrel seemed to be at war with each other. Drinking Stranahan's Well Built felt like more like I took a shot of whiskey and then used a malty beer as a chaser to wash it down than anything else. Even more unpleasant, the more it warmed, its thin, oily mouthfeel only enhanced my dislike of everything going on here. It is a shame because the base beer alone might not have been bad and the whiskey aged in the barrels might not have been bad. Together however, they left me not wanting to try either.

This beer may have been named “Well Built,” but I assure you it is not. This is a messy barrel aged beer from a brewery that aside from their classic Vanilla Porter, seems to offer very little for a repeat purchase. I really wanted to like this beer. There are some nice things going on here initially but if you treat this like a sipper and you should, it all falls apart. I really want to find a beer from Breckenridge that justifies their national distribution but I am not holding my breath that I will.

Overall rating: 2.25/5. Stranahan's Well Built is another forgettable offering from Breckenridge with a higher price tag.

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!

Horseheads Pumpkin Ale

For the most part, pumpkins beers suck. For over a decade, I have been trying to convince myself otherwise but I feel it is time to admit the truth. Many other beer enthusiasts have not only felt this way for awhile, they practically scream their dislike of pumpkin beers the second they start showing up on shelves. The reason I have held out so long from saying this is, there are some pumpkin beers that I really enjoy. Southern Tier Warlock and Pumking for example are two that I look forward to every year. Another pumpkin beer I really enjoy is Cigar City's Good Gourd. Still, for one of those pumpkin beers I enjoy, there are another twenty on shelves that are better off being poured down the sink than consumed by anyone.

A terrible pumpkin beer in particular that stands out in my mind is Shipyard's Pumpkin Ale. Drinking that beer practically traumatized me from not only pumpkin beers but beer in general. Shipyard's horrible base beer was not only masked by spices, it was obliterated by them. The beer is so bad I am offended whenever I see it return each August. Don't get me wrong, there are many other terrible pumpkin beers on the market but that one, to me, is by far the worst one. At this point you are probably wondering if I think pumpkin beer is so bad, then why am I writing a blog about it? The reason is, most people reading this blog are probably going to buy some pumpkin beer this fall season. Instead of wasting money on terrible ones, I want to use this blog to recommend one that I think is exceptional.

You might not have heard of Horseheads Pumpkin Ale but if you enjoy the style you should pick it up immediately. At the same time, if you don't understand why people like pumpkin beers, this one is so good it might change your mind. The aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, pie crust, pumpkin and caramel can simply be described as autumn in a glass. The taste matches the nose but what makes everything work here is balance. The spices compliment the pie crust and caramel malt, they do not over power it. The mouthfeel is also pleasantly creamy, enhancing the dessert-like feeling to this beer. Everything about Horseheads Pumpkin Ale works and works well. Nothing seems out of place and no one flavor overpowers another.

Horseheads Pumpkin Ale, in my opinion, is the best pumpkin beer on the market today. If you enjoy the style and have yet to try it, do yourself a favor and buy a bottle. If you are on the fence about the style but have just not found a good one yet, give this one a try. Or if you hate the style, I still think you might be pleasantly surprised. Horseheads Pumpkin Ale, plain and simple, is a well-made pumpkin beer. It turns out there is such a thing and I highly recommend giving it a try as the weather starts getting cooler.

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

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!

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!

Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose

The Gose is a style of beer that I admit is underrepresented here in my blog. Admittedly, I do not typically seek them out. When I do buy one, I buy it to drink with my wife or just for her to drink. The first gose I recall trying was Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose. I heard a lot of positive word of mouth about it, so I bought a 6-pack of it to share with the wife. She instantly loved it and I looked at it like it was on the same level as Bud Light Lime or the retired Miller Chill. I thought it tasted cheap and for some reason it was slightly salty. After paying more attention to the style, as well as realizing the saltiness was part of it, I found some goses that I liked. Now what I mean by that is, I liked them, but not enough to want to drink on a regular basis. That all changed once I came across Westbrook's Key Lime Pie Gose. I do enjoy the Westbrook Gose but the Key Lime Pie Gose is on another level. With one sip, that beer reinforced to me everything I tell other people about sampling beers. Which is that sometimes you have to keep trying a certain style of beer, because eventually you will find one that you love. Well, spoiler, I absolutely love Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose.

As soon as I got my first whiff of fresh, tart lime, Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose instantly pulled me in. There is a hint of bread and salt as well, but the lime beautifully dominates the aroma. The same goes for the flavor. The sourness of the lime stands out in the forefront, with a hint of bread, coriander and spice. The finish is salty, crisp, clean and refreshing. The saltiness in particular provides a beautiful compliment to the tart flavor. Normally, that is the part of the Gose I am not a fan of. In Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose it works perfectly. There is nothing here I would change. Unfortunately, when I went back to buy more it was long gone. If it was more readily available I would make it my go-to beer for the next couple months. It would serve as the perfect beach beer.

This is an excellent example of a fruited beer and of the gose style. I would highly recommend giving this a try if you are lukewarm to the style. It is certainly the best one I have had yet. It also has me looking forward to trying more of them in the near future.

Overall I rate Key Lime Pie Gose a 5/5. I absolutely love this 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. 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!

Grimm Double Dry Hopped Tesseract DIPA

June has arrived and with it comes the best month to be a beer enthusiast in Rochester, NY. The Rochester Real Beer Week is full of amazing events and incredible tap lists. I look forward to this week every year and this year is no different. So for the month of June, I want my blog to mirror how big this month is to “The Flour City”. I am going to be blogging about some of the most popular and sought after beers in my hometown. To do this, there is perhaps no better way to start than reviewing a beer from Grimm Artisanal Ales.

The popularity of Grimm, especially the IPAs and Stouts in Rochester is undeniable. I recall going to a bottle shop without the thought ever crossing my mind that a Grimm IPA was about to be released. When I arrived, the parking lot was full and the line to buy beer was practically out the door. Needless to say, I did not buy beer there that day and sought out another place for a readily available six-pack. To get a can of Grimm IPA in Rochester, you have to look in the right place at the right time. If you are not able to find a can, your only real chance of trying it is looking for it on tap.

I have had a lot of Grimm IPAs. Some I think are fantastic and some I think are worth a lot less than 5 dollars a can, to put it nicely. My favorite one from them is Tesseract Double IPA. I know I am not alone in thinking this, it seems to be the most challenging one to acquire. When I read that they were releasing a Double Dry Hopped version of Tesseract, I basically started drooling. I had to come across a can, I just had to. Lucky for me I was able to find one. When I got home, opened it, poured it and after a moment of staring at it lovingly, I took in the aroma. The aroma was big, dank and piney. There was also a hint of lemon and tropical fruit. The first sip was delightful, resinous, tropical and light on bitterness. After the initial hint of resinous pine, Double Dry Hopped Tesseract softens with the flavors of mango, melon, pineapple, and gummy candy before a nice dry finish. At 8%, this is dangerously easy to drink. The alcohol is hidden wonderfully. This is the kind of beer that can sneak up on you. One minute you are thinking, 'sure I could open that second can.' Then you do and the lights start getting just a little bit dimmer. These things happen when a beer is this well-made.

Much like the Tesseract I know and love, this beer is fantastic. Due to Grimm's unpredictable brewing patterns, it has been a while since I have had Tesseract. I wish I could do a side by side to better explain the difference between the two a bit better. I can say I do not remember the aroma being as big or as dank as it is. However, I do remember it tasting juicy but not as tropical and soft as it is here. Then again, the point of dry hopping is to add to the aroma and flavor without adding to the bitterness. Well, mission accomplished here, Double Dry Hopped Tesseract is a beautiful beer that you should seek out immediately(or during the biggest beer week of the year).

Overall rating 4.5/5. A Grimm beer that lives up to the hype.

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!