Alosta & Live's Throwing Copper Ale

In the mid-90s, I was a young kid that enjoyed listening to modern rock radio. At the time I appreciated a few genres of music but nothing was better then riding the school bus home listening to FM radio’s The Nerve 95.1, 95.5. They had everything I loved at the time: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Garbage and a lot of hits from Live’s Throwing Copper Album. Without possessing the album, I found myself constantly singing along to all of Live’s radio hits. “Lightning Crashes” & “I Alone” in particular were huge favorites of mine. The songs were on the radio so much in the coming decades that I would instantly be taken back to my youth every time I heard them on the radio.

Fast forward to the summer of 2009, a good friend let me borrow a copy of Throwing Copper. From the first full listen I was blown away at what a fantastic album it was. From top to bottom, the songs were strong. I found myself enjoying the “deep cuts” just as much as the nostalgic hits.

After 10 years of fondness for the album as a whole, I made seeing Live in concert a huge priority. Once I heard they were touring for the 25th anniversary of Throwing Copper, I made sure I was in a seat to catch a show. I was blown away by what an excellent show they put on and listened to the album frequently in the weeks to follow. It was in that post-concert euphoria that they announced a craft beer brewed by California’s Alosta Brewing Company celebrating the release of Throwing Copper. Without a hint of hesitation, I purchased a 4-pack. For months, I waited for this beer to arrive. Now that it is here, I just hoped the beer inside the amazingly designed cans would half as good as the album. I felt that would have made it a satisfying purchase.

Throwing Copper Ale's appearance was a gorgeous, rich copper with a little but of haze. The aroma was caramel, toffee, creamy peanut butter(uh oh) and earthy, spicy hops. The first sip and every sip after that was rich with buttery diacetyl. There were hints of nuts, coffee, caramel and spice much like the aroma along with an unwelcome vegetal note. To be honest though, the buttery off-flavor stole the show. I wish I could give more insight but to be honest, the beer is barely drinkable. Which is super disappointing, especially when considering the cost of getting the beer shipped to Western NY.

Throwing Copper Ale is a disappointingly bad beer and now I am stuck with a 4-pack of it. As I write this I am staring at a glass half full wondering how I am going to finish it. I certainly do not want to pair this with listening to the album because that would tarnish the experience of listening to the album for me. Honestly, I think this beer is so bad that every time I hear a song off of Throwing Copper from this point on, I am going to think about the great show I saw them put on and how bad the beer they put their name on was. This is without a doubt the worst musician collaboration beer I have had. If you are on the fence about buying a 4-pack, don't. Your money is better spent on literally anything thing else.

Overall rating: 1/5

Last Call for Summer Beer

I seem to complain about this every year but I am not quite ready to drink Fall beer. They are already on shelves and I can't help but think it is way too soon for them, This past weekend the temperature was in the 90's and not once did I think 'man, I could really go for a refreshing pumpkin ale'. So I decided to take a trip to the bottle shop in full defiance mode, looking for light, fruit forward summer seasonals. I left with three fruit forward beers and a couple of fresh IPAs. The latter has no impact on this blog, I just wanted to admit I still could not pass up new hops. For this blog however, I wanted to blog about those three fruit forward beers and let you know whether or not they are worth taking up real estate in your refrigerator.

The first beer is Pineapple Cart from Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the brewery's "Cart" series based on LA's fruit cart vendors. I have not had any other entries in the series but after drinking half a can of Pineapple Cart, I don't think I need to. It is a mess of a beer. While it is a pineapple wheat ale, it is also brewed with strawberries and blood oranges. The latter has basically zero presence in the beer. The strawberry overpowers the pineapple in the nose and left me confused which fruit this beer was supposed to be based on. The heavy graininess of a wheat ale is also very noticeable in the nose. The flavor of the beer is a muddled mess. The pineapple hits up front, is followed by strawberry, lots of grain and a tart, dry, phenolic finish. The whole beer falls apart in the finish. I appreciate Golden Road trying to dial back the sweetness but the end result here is a mess.

Is it worth a purchase? Absolutely not.

Next up is Harpoon Brewery's Camp Wannamango, a mango infused pale ale. I had this beer in Boston for the first time about two years ago. I remember liking it but it got lost in the fold with all the other amazing beer I drank that week. Revisiting it, I realized I still liked it. It is a very easy to drink fruit forward beer that allows both the base beer and the fruit flavor to shine. The pale ale shines at first, with some caramel, toasted bread, passion fruit before the mango extract rushes in and then finishes with a light citrus, pine, herbal hop finish. My only complaint for this beer is the vegetal flavor towards the finish that is not ideal but does not ruin the beer either. This is an easy drinking beach beer and I see it returning to my refrigerator before the summer is out.

Is it worth a purchase? Yes

And last but not least is Victory Brewing's Limey Gose. When I went into the bottle shop, I had every intention of finding a citrus forward gose. When I saw Victory's latest gose, I knew I had to purchase it for two reasons. One, I love Victory's Kirsch Gose. Two, I wanted to see how it compared to my beloved Key Lime Pie Gose from Westbrook. Before I opened the bottle I will admit I had high hopes for this beer and they were rewarded. It is very tart and very refreshing. The lime flavor is strong and hits aggressively, followed by bread dough, a touch of lemon, lactic sourness, green apple and a saline finish. The flavors do not mesh as well as they do in Westbrook's version but they work really well here. It is very effervescent and very refreshing. I know goses are not for everyone, but if you are going to give one a try, this and Victory's Kirsch Gose are a nice place to start.

Is it worth a purchase? Absolutely

While August usually functions as a "last call" of sorts for the summer seasonals, there is still plenty of summer left and still plenty of great warm weather beer on the shelf. That being said, I don't blame anyone who makes the early shift to fall beer. It is easily my favorite beer drinking season. However at this moment, I am just not ready to say goodbye to beer's most refreshing season. Cheers!


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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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Mikkeller San Diego Traeblod Imperial Stout

As I mentioned in my previous blog, part of me wants to move on from stout season and part of me does not. I am sick of the cold weather but I love how a fantastic imperial stout can provide a bit of warmth on a cold night. Another reason I do not want to give up stouts just yet is I seem to have racked up quite a few over the past few months and now I think it is time to finally sit down and drink some of them.

Mikkeller-San Diego's Traeblod, an imperial stout brewed with coffee and maple syrup is one beer that I dropped everything to obtain when I heard it was hitting town. I am a sucker for a stout (or any beer really) containing maple syrup and I know I am not the only one. When done right, it adds a really beautiful layer to a beer. When it is done wrong it is either undetectable or makes for a saccharine-sweet disaster of a beer. Mikkeller's Traeblod is an instance where it works really nicely.

At 11.1%, Traeblod has that beautiful, full bodied motor oil-esque pour I love to see in my imperial stouts. The aroma is full of maple syrup, coffee, campfire smoke, chocolate, caramel, licorice, roasted malt and a touch of fruitiness. The maple syrup shines as well in the flavor which of course puts Traeblod on the sweeter side, but that was what I hoped for/expected. The coffee is there too but I want it to be a touch bolder. It is sitting in the background at a time I want it to come through like a bold dark roast or espresso. Smoke, chocolate, licorice, caramel all come through with an earthy, slightly bitter finish.

Maple syrup is the star of the show here. I really wish the coffee flavor was turned up just a bit and I feel that would put this beer on a whole other level. Still, this is a much better beer than the last Mikkeller attempt at a maple stout. Maple Breakfast Shake spent more time confusing me than it did providing a great drinking experience. At some points I thought it was fantastic and on other sips, I thought it was unbearably sweet and was lucky if I had a tooth left in my head by the time my glass was empty. With Traeblod, the maple flavor shines nicely but smoky, roasted malt and hop bitterness provide a nice compliment to the sweetness. In short, Traeblod could be better but it is a damn good maple imperial stout that is well worth the money.

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!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Ballast Point Red Velvet Oatmeal Stout

The first time I laid eyes on Ballast Point's Red Velvet Nitro Oatmeal Stout, I experienced some mixed feelings. My first thought was Ballast Point's transition into a gimmick brewery was now complete. This was particularly disappointing to me because I have enjoyed so many of their beers. In a previous blog, I discussed my love of Grapefruit Sculpin, Victory at Sea, Habanero Sculpin and Calm Before the Storm. I think all of those beers are creative, fun and most importantly taste great. I also think Grunion Pale Ale is one of the better pale ales on the market. If you have not had it, I recommend trying it the next time you see it. My thoughts on Ballast Point took a turn for the worse last February when Ballast Point released Watermelon Dorado, Mango Even Keel and Pineapple Sculpin. Those three beers ranged from mediocre to terrible. They also seemed to open the flood gates for more ridiculous offerings like Cinnamon Raisin Commodore, which is terrible, and Thai Chili Wahoo, which tastes way too artificial. At this point, I honestly look at all new offerings from Ballast Point with mixed feelings. On one hand, I want them to return to the glory days of when I tried Grapefruit Sculpin, Habanero Sculpin and Victory at Sea for the first time. I want to be absolutely blown away by a brewery willing to push the envelope of creativity. On the other hand, I feel like now they are simply flavoring beer just because they can and not because it works. I think that is disappointing, lazy and uninspired. So when I picked up Red Velvet, which is a golden oatmeal stout that uses beets for coloring, I admit I could see the creative potential of what they were trying to do. I even thought the beer would have looked cool in my Valentine's Day blog if I decided to go that route. Even with that optimism, I just could not shake the thought that this beer was going to disappoint like so many of their other recent offerings.

Whether Red Velvet was going to be good or not was irrelevant as I dumped it into my stout glass. I love pouring nitro beers and watching them settle. The fact that this one was a reddish pink in color made it an even more enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, the pour was the last thrill this beer provided. The aroma was interesting, it had some earthy chocolate notes, with some vanilla sweetness which I am guessing is supposed to be frosting. There is a hint of cherry in the aroma as well. My first sip brought some mixed results. The chocolate is there along with an earthy spice. There is also a hint of vanilla and cherry as well. This might sound good but it really isn't. None of the flavors work well together. The fact that it is watered down and thin tries to hide this but it does not work. To make things worse, there seems to vegetal note in the finish as well which does not do it any favors either. The further I got into the glass the more I could see the potential of what they are trying to do. Some of the flavors are quite nice, they just needed to work better with everything going on here. I usually sip a stout slowly to allow it to warm up but I did not see taking my time with this one doing it any favors.

I am disappointed to see another Ballast Point not live up to its potential. Clearly they were more worried about putting out a nitro stout with a cool color than one with a good flavor. I wish I could say this beer has taught me to stay away from Ballast Point but it has not. I am still going to keep trying their new beers hoping to find the one that brings me back to my glory days with the brewery. I know its sad but sometimes drinking bad beer comes with what I do here.

Overall I would rate Ballast Point Red Velvet a 2/5. It is not a terrible beer but aside from its color there is nothing worth remembering here.

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, Instagram & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

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

For my most recent appearance of 13 WHAM's Good Day Rochester: Click Here!

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Marble / Odell / Stone Megawheat IPA & Stone Ripper Pale Ale

For some reason I appear to have a surplus of beer from Stone Brewing Company in my refrigerator. My previous blog featured their brand new Mint Coffee Milk Stout. Like many of their beers I found it to be quite enjoyable. At the time I purchased that beer, I also picked up their brand new collaboration beer. Later that week I picked up a few cans of Stone Ripper Pale Ale as well. I do not know why I picked up so much Stone beer but that appears to be my predicament at the moment. So I thought, why not keep the trend of reviewing Stone beer going for one more blog?

The reason I was drawn to Stone's brand new collaboration beer, Megawheat IPA, is because of one brewery in particular that they collaborated with. Odell Brewing Company is a brewery I have heard a lot of good things about but have yet to try anything from. My uncle moved out to Fort Collins, Colorado and says they are quite popular out there. He has sent me glassware and t-shirts from Odell, reinforcing the fact I need to get to Colorado for a visit and to check out their local beer scene. I admit I do not know much about Marble Brewery unfortunately, but I definitely would like to. From a standpoint of Odell though, if this is my first taste of their beer, I think it is quite good. The huge aroma was noticeable about a foot from the glass. Tangerine, orange peel, tropical fruit and lime seemed to jump out of the glass. The first sip was interesting, full of citrus notes, tropical fruit with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Notes of tangerine, orange, mango and spice gave way to a bitter lemon, lime and boozy finish. I have to admit, the finish was particularly jarring, especially early into the glass. I did not expect it to be as bitter and tart as it was. The lemon and lime flavors were so aggressive that my mouth was puckering. From an ingredient standpoint, the finish is really a showcase of the Motueka hop, which really brings out those flavors. I really enjoyed this beer for it being aggressive and unique. It definitely gives me reason to see what else they are doing at Odell. As far as Megawheat goes, I enjoyed it but at 8 dollars for a 22 oz bottle, I do not foresee myself picking up a second bottle.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

The reason I picked up Stone Ripper Pale Ale is a lot simpler. I wanted to drink a solid, sessionable beer out of a can to drink while watching professional wrestling. Stone Ripper Pale Ale fit that bill nicely by delivering exactly what I looking for. I realize at 5.7%, that is borderline sessionable ABV-wise. Still, its light, easy-drinking flavor can be enjoyed for a duration of time. Juicy citrus and tropical notes work beautifully with Ripper's nice malt backbone. The only thing about this beer that is not ideal is the bitterness in the finish. The grapefruit rind bitter finish lingers for quite sometime. It's not ideal but it's not a deal breaker. If this is a regular part of Stone's lineup, I am looking forward to drinking a few cans of this when the weather gets warmer. For the time being, I think it makes for a great game day beer.

Overall rating: 3.75/5

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter, Instagram & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

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

For my most recent appearance of 13 WHAM's Good Day Rochester: Click Here!

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo IPA & Sidecar Pale Ale

Two beers I will never review here are Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA. The reason for this is quite simple, you should have already tried them. They are both excellent examples of their respective styles. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in particular is one of my favorite stand by beers, it never disappoints. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA is just a solid IPA and an excellent representation of the style. I'm trying to avoid sounding like a commercial but Sierra Nevada Brewing Company does a lot of beers extremely well. Now that I have made my love of those beers known, I think it is time to talk about the beers I will be reviewing. Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo IPA & Sierra  Nevada Sidecar Pale Ale are a brand new spin on two styles of beer they are known to do very well. So would that success translate onto this brand new beers? Or would these beers be disappointing entries into a solid catalog of beers?

I'll start things off with Tropical Torpedo IPA which of the two I was more excited about. I'll admit I have lower expectations for Sidecar Pale Ale because it seems to be playing off the recent trend of fruited pale ales & IPAs. Tropical Torpedo IPA however is not fruited. It gets its big tropical aromas from a fantastic hop blend that includes two favorites of mine, citra and mosaic. The big tropical aroma is mostly dominated by passion fruit. There are also notes of pineapple, papaya and mango. The aroma however does not translate to the flavor. Tropical Torpedo is really a nice showcase of bready malt with some grapefruit hop bitterness. The Munich malt in particular comes through nicely. Actually, I think this is the exact same beer as the 2016 Beer Camp Tropical IPA that Sierra Nevada released last year. Just like last year I was disappointed that the big tropical aroma did not translate into the flavor. Nevertheless, this is still a nice beer. I just wish they brought out some bigger hop flavors.

Overall rating: 3/5

Next up, we have Sierra Nevada Sidecar Pale Ale. The orange that this beer promises is definitely in both the aroma and the flavor. Much like the Tropical Torpedo, bready malt, especially the Munich malt comes through in the flavor. There is also a light hop bitterness on the finish. Everything here tastes fine but it is just a bit too light on flavor. For the most part though, Sidecar Pale delivers on what it promises. It is by no means anything special. It is just an easy drinking pale ale with a tangy orange flavor that would work nicely during the summer. It just seems out of place during the cold winter months. This is the kind of beer you bring to a beach picnic. It is light, easy to drink and sessionable. From a flavor standpoint though, this comes nowhere near the fantastic flavor of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It's also significantly lighter that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I think this would work nicely as an introduction to someone that may be new to pale ales.

Overall rating: 2.75/5

Tropical Torpedo IPA & Sidecar Pale Ale are both underwhelming beers. I am not saying they are bad beers. In fact, I think they are both quite drinkable. Both just failed to deliver a drinking experience in the same league as Torpedo Extra IPA & Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Tropical Torpedo has a wonderfully complex aroma but delivers a rather basic flavor. Sidecar Pale Ale just seems like a watered down pale ale with a lot of orange flavor. I would recommend you give both of them a try, just lower your expectations.

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter, Instagram & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

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

For my most recent appearance of 13 WHAM's Good Day Rochester: Click Here!

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout

For the past 2 years I have enjoyed trying to explain Stone's Xocoveza Mocha Stout to people unfamiliar with it. The idea of a beer brewed in the style of Mexican Hot Chocolate always seems to get a fun reaction whenever I try to describe it. The most common reactions I encounter are bewilderment, curiosity, confusion or outright disgust. I find all of them highly amusing. That is mainly because for those a bit more into craft beer, Xocoveza is the kind of beer you drop everything for to grab a six pack of. A winner of Stone's 2014 Homebrewer Competition, Xocoveza boasts an interesting set of ingredients that include coffee, pasilla peppers, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa. If you have yet to notice it on shelves that is because it flies off of them as soon as it reaches them, especially in my Upstate NY market. So with this week's blog I answer whether the 2016 version of Xocoveza will live up to the hype. Or is Xocoveza just another overrated & overhyped beer?

As I poured Xocoveza, the aroma of the coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper spice jumped out of the glass. There is some roasted malt in this “Winter spiced mocha stout” as well, but the spices here are clearly going to be the star of the show. My first sip confirmed this but there was so much more going on. The roasted malt, along with the coffee starts things off before giving way to the cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate and vanilla. The vanilla works well here. Its presence here is reminiscent of whipped cream over a Hot Chocolate. This, along with just the right amount of carbonation attains the right amount of creaminess. The pasilla peppers are there but shine most at the finish to complete a fun and extremely delicious drinking experience. 

There is a lot I like about Xocoveza. Everything here seems to work well together. For me, one thing that always holds this beer back from getting a perfect rating is the use of the peppers. I love the spice they provide, I just wish there was more of it. A little bit of heat from the spice would make this a perfect beer-drinking experience. Still, this is a great beer. It's so good it got me to review a Winter beer in early October. I thought for sure I would see snow on the ground before I did that. Then again, you can drink Xocoveza anytime. For those of you that like to cellar beer, Xocoveza ages nicely. The boldness of the coffee fades a bit, the 8.1% ABV smooths out and the spices blend together wonderfully. If you have patience I highly recommend setting aside a bottle and doing a side by side with the 2017 batch. 

Overall I would rate Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout a 4.5/5. If you see it and it sounds good to you, buy it, you will dig it. 

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, Instagram & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Oktoberfest! Part 1 (Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Sierra Nevada, Left Hand)

Since Oktoberfest actually takes place during the month of September, I can no longer wait to review Fall beer. Up until now, I have done a superb job of ignoring it every time I entered a bottle shop. Just last week, I reviewed High Water Cucumber Kolsch with the sole purpose of ignoring that Fall was coming. Fall is coming though, and the food & festivities of Oktoberfest are coming along with it. So for me the question became, “which Oktoberfest should I review?” The only answer I could settle on was a bunch of them. So over the next two weeks, I will be trying a few different Oktoberfest beers to help you find one that works best for you.

For my first Oktoberfest beer, I feel it would be wrong to start anywhere else other than Germany. Brewed in Munich, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest Amber Marzen, according to the Brewery's website is so popular it is brewed year round. It pours a rich copper with an off-white head. The aroma is everything you would expect with lots of caramel, toasted bread, and toffee with a little bit of fruitiness. The first sip I got all of those flavor notes. The malt profile here in this beer is absolutely beautiful. It is everything you would expect from the style. The malt sweetness is balanced nicely by slightly bitter, spicy hop finish. I want to give this a rave review but unfortunately I cannot. There was a slightly metallic note to the finish that became a bit of a distraction the further I got into the glass. It did not ruin the beer for me but it kept it from being a Fall mainstay in my fridge this Oktoberfest season.

Overall rating: 3.25/5

For our next Oktoberfest I'll be staying in Munich with another year round beer I have a bit of history with, Spaten Oktoberfest. In the fall of 2004, a friend and I were ready to share our extensive beer knowledge with our college campus. The previous school year we had tried over 100 different beers and felt extremely confident sharing our expertise with anyone who would listen. Not to brag(still going to) but we had a solid run. “The Brew Review” went all the way from the irrelevant 5th page of the “Campus Life” section to the very front page. One of the reviews that got us there was Spaten Oktoberfest. At the time we both thought it was an average Oktoberfest beer that we could not give our seal of approval too. It was boring, bland and not worth the price of a six pack. For this review I could not pass up an opportunity to give it a second chance and review it one more time.
Sadly, it turns out I was right the first time. Spaten Oktoberfest is as middle of the road as it gets. As expected it pours a dark amber with an off-white head. As expected, there is a lot of toasted bread in the aroma, accompanied by caramel malt and an earthy spiciness. Finally, as expected the taste brings the bland flavor of toasted bread, caramel, molasses before finishing with a bland earthy, spicy hop flavor that did not wash away clean. Over 10 years ago, I thought this was the definition of a mediocre, by the numbers Oktoberfest. That feeling still has not changed.

Overall rating: 2/5

To go from Germany to the US, the next Oktoberfest is a collaboration between the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Mahrs Brau. Last year, Sierra Nevada collaborated with Brauhaus Riegele to deliver a particularly wonderful Oktoberfest beer. So my hopes were high they were going to once again knock it out of the park. The 2016 version pours a beautifully clear golden yellow with a fizzy white head. The aroma is grainy, bready with a hint of spicy, grassy hops. Crisp, clean and easy to drink would be how I would describe this beer. The bready, grainy, honey malt sweetness up front is balanced nicely by a grassy, spicy finish. This is definitely slightly lighter than the others I have reviewed so far but is stronger than both at 6.0% ABV. Unfortunately I do not think it is not as good as last year. Make no mistake though, this is a good beer. One I am looking forward to having again.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Finally, out of Longmont, Colorado, Left Hand Brewing Company's Oktoberfest. Pouring dark amber with a khaki head, this 6.6% Oktoberfest was quite delightful. The aroma is quite wonderful. It is nutty and full of caramel & toffee. From my first sip to the time my glass was empty, I felt like I went on a journey. At first I was not impressed, but each sip I thought it got better & better. By the time my glass was empty, I was looking for a second bottle. Toasted malt with a strong nut flavor dominates before a spicy, caramel sweet finish that washes away clean. The stronger than normal 6.6% ABV is hidden beautifully. This is a great choice for those cooler Fall Nights. Left Hand Oktoberfest is definitely my favorite Oktoberfest of the week.

Overall rating: 4/5

I'll be back next week with reviews of Ayinger, Bells & more!


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!

High Water Cucumber Kolsch Specialty Ale

As the calendar goes from August to September, one thing is very clear; I am not ready to let go of Summer. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Fall season and everything that comes with it. The leaves changing color; the return of football; Halloween; and most importantly, Fall beer. Now, I understand you might be ready for all that I just mentioned. I however, am choosing to be stubborn because I am not ready to give up the warm weather, trips to the beach, flip flops(although this one I probably should), outdoor concerts, and knowing that snow is not right around the corner. So as you can imagine, when fall beers arrived on shelves in mid-July, I began to feel irritated that breweries were trying to cut my Summer short. This should go without saying, but mid-July is way too early to see anything Fall or pumpkin-related. I decided then, I was going to wait until the start of September to do a Fall review of any kind. Well, now that September is here the weather is still well into the 80's. So, I am not exactly feeling motivated to do a Fall review. Plus I also just picked up a beer that sounds perfect for the weather we are currently experiencing. So I am going to put off switching to Fall seasonal beer for just a littler longer so I can say goodbye to Summer with one final light bodied, fruity, sessionable, Summer-like beer.

For my final fruit-forward beer of the Summer season, I decided to close like how I started, with a cucumber beer. Out of Pittsburg, California, High Water Brewing Company's Cucumber Kolsch is pretty much everything you would want from a cucumber beer. The aroma and flavor is dominated by cucumber and it is refreshing. The appearance of the beer however, leaves something to be desired. It looks murky, like puddle water with a fizzy white head. If the aroma was not as promising as it was, I might have had second thoughts about drinking it. The pleasant aroma I mentioned of cucumber is balanced by grain, honey and coconut. My first sip was just like the aroma. There is a lot of cucumber with a light, spicy coconut finish. The pilsner malt also provides a nice, delicate backbone to the beer. The light coconut flavor also works but it is very light. I think putting “Brewed with Cucumber & Coconut Water” on the can made it sound more interesting that it is. When all is said and done, I do like this beer. It's an easy drinking fruit-forward beer that is definitely worth a try if cucumber is your thing.

Overall I would rate High Water Brewing Company's Cucumber Kolsch a 3/5. It's heavy on cucumber so if that sounds good to you, you will like it. If that does not sound good to you, it might be time to start looking at the 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 & Untappd at@ACraftyLook

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

The Bruery Or Xata

Until last week I had absolutely no luck obtaining a bottle of The Bruery's Or Xata. It just became one of those beers I always seemed to miss. To be fair, I put practically zero effort into obtaining a bottle. I just figured at some point I would be beer shopping and stumble upon a bottle by chance. So for a while now I have browsed The Bruery's bottle section with no luck. Perhaps it's not fair to say no luck, the beers I have tried from them have been pretty great. However, the day finally arrived and I stumbled upon a bottle of Or Xata. After a few days of admiring it in the fridge, I was ready to crack it open and see if it was worth the wait.

Based on the Spanish/Latin American beverage Horchata(which is typically a spiced creamy rice and/or almond beverage), The Bruery's Or Xata pours gold with a white head. The aroma is absolutely wonderful with sweet breadiness, vanilla and cinnamon. Aside from the malt, the aroma left little evidence that this was beer. When I took my first sip, I realized that was exactly the case. The wonderful flavors of cream & vanilla start out bold before finishing with a beautiful hint of cinnamon. I do not want to understate how creamy the mouthfeel of this beer was. It was so creamy, I had to keep looking at the glass to verify it was beer. As I write this I am still not sure it was. Another great thing about Or Xata is how well balanced the vanilla and cinnamon are. Both are bold but they are bearable. The makers of some pumpkin & holiday beers should use this as an example on how to properly use cinnamon.

I may sound over the top in praising this beer. That's because I genuinely think it is that good. The only real drawback here is to me is this does not taste much like beer. It tastes like a fantastic dessert beverage, that I could get used to having after a meal. Another reason this does not remind of me of beer, is the 7.1% ABV is virtually undetectable. That makes this a dangerously easy to drink, deceptively strong adult beverage. It also makes this a beer I can't wait to stumble upon again.


Overall I would rate The Bruery's Or Xata a 4.25/5. It does not taste much like beer, but it is super delicious.


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!

Ballast Point Calm Before the Storm Cream Ale

Since my first sip of Grapefruit Sculpin, I have been a fan of Ballast Point Brewing Company. I found Grapefruit Sculpin to be delicious, fun and unique. It instantly became a summer favorite of mine. I had a similar reaction during the winter when I tried Victory at Sea Imperial Porter. It was rich, full bodied and showcased the coffee & vanilla in it wonderfully. Victory at Sea was something I felt I could drink year round but the fact that it is full bodied, complex and strong(10%) does not always pair well with a 90 degree humid summer day. So when I first heard Ballast Point was making a warm weather alternative to Victory at Sea, called Calm Before The Storm I became instantly excited. It lived up to the hype when I tried it last summer and I hoped to see its return this year. When I finally saw it again last week, I realized I was not as excited as I wanted to be. This is because my feelings towards Ballast Point Brewing Company had taken a turn for the worst. This change of heart occurred over the past year when they started drowning the base beers in their catalog with flavoring, leading to mixed results. While I admire them trying something different, I feel like saying mixed results is being very polite. For example, the Pineapple Sculpin is a huge letdown compared to the base beer and the Grapefruit variant. The Mango Even Keel tastes like candy sweet mango soda. And the Watermelon Dorado is completely undrinkable. The Thai Chili Wahoo was fun but not something I am looking to have again anytime soon. Basically what I am trying to say is if my feelings towards Ballast Point have changed, would my opinion of Calm Before the Storm change with it?

I pondered that thought as Calm Before the Storm poured a beautifully clear gold with a fluffy white head. Upon closer inspection there was a light amount of sediment floating in the beer but it is barely noticeable. The aroma is slightly sweet, toasty, with coffee standing out. There is a light vanilla in there as well, along with very little hop presence. After my first sip, I realized Calm Before the Storm Cream Ale was just as good as I remembered it. There is a light toasty malt, coffee, a hint of cream and vanilla before a clean, refreshing finish. The coffee is showcased wonderfully without being overwhelming. It reminds me of the refreshing feeling of enjoying an iced coffee on a hot day. The light vanilla only reinforces this. There is no real noticeable hop presence and it is not needed here. This is a cream ale that works well.

While I may not agree with overusing fruit flavoring in beer, I admire the creativity Ballast Point Brewing Company continues to display. Beers like Grapefruit Sculpin, Victory at Sea, Calm Before the Storm, Indra Kunindra and even Habanero Sculpin offer something different and unique to beer drinkers. While the beers they have released recently, that I mentioned earlier have been inconsistent, they are consistently trying to create something different. That alone is what makes trying their beer fun. I look forward to seeing what is coming out next from them.

Overall I would rate Calm Before the Storm a 4/5. This beer is a must try for summer iced coffee drinkers.


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!

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!