Founders Frootwood

I have been writing this blog for 3 years now. In that time, I do not think I have been asked about a beer more than I have about Founders' Frootwood. Whether it's a face to face conversation, a phone call, a text message, an email or a carrier pigeon letter, it seems like everyone wants to know how this maple syrup bourbon barrel aged cherry ale is. I think there are multiple reasons for this, the first being that Founders is a great brewery that makes some wonderful beer. The second being, Lizard of Koz was a surprisingly disappointing barrel aged offering from the makers of CBS, KBS and Backwoods Bastard. The final reason is a maple syrup bourbon barrel aged cherry ale sounds crazy. My initial reaction when Frootwood was announced was a mixture of excitement, confusion and curiosity. Since I was not the only one feeling that way, I picked up a 4 pack and made Founders Frootwood the subject of this week's blog.

I am glad I picked up a four pack of Frootwood because trying to figure this beer out with just twelve fluid ounces was not happening. The aroma was interesting. The cherry is tart, not sweet and significantly scaled back behind oak, bourbon, vanilla, bread and a hint of maple sweetness. I honestly did not know what to think from the aroma. It seemed like whatever expectation I had for this beer was out the window. Then from the first sip of my first bottle to my last sip of my third bottle, I found Frootwood to be one of the strangest flavor combinations I have ever experienced in a beer. The barrel is out front and center. Oak, vanilla, spice and bourbon are on full display initially before giving way to tart cherry and bready malt. The finish is where the maple syrup sweetness comes into play, providing balance to the tartness of the cherry. This might sound very strange and it was, but I liked it. These flavors may not work in perfect harmony together but they do work. I think it was smart to feature the barrel more than anything else here. In Lizard of Koz, the barrel took a backseat to the big sweet flavor of chocolate. That proved to be a costly mistake as I assume you will find 2016 Lizard of Koz bottles on shelves until at least 2020.  Frootwood works because the flavor of the cherry ale is pleasantly subdued allowing the barrel to shine. This is definitely one of the most unique beers I have tried. Founders is off to a great start with their new Founders Barrel Aged series. I am now looking forward to seeing what else they have in store for 2017.

Overall I would rate Frootwood a 4/5. Strange, unique and a lot of fun. A really nice showcase for barrel aging.

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Victory Kirsch Gose

When I was a kid I loved Cherry Crush soda. On a nice summer day I would ride my bike to the local supermarket and buy a six pack or a 2 liter bottle of it and spend the remainder of the day drinking every last refreshing drop. By the end of the day I would have a tremendous sense of accomplishment, a massive stomach ache and a sugar high so big I could barely blink. But one day, seemingly out of nowhere, my desire to drink Cherry Crush completely vanished. I want to say it was because I realized drinking over 250 grams of sugar in a single sitting was a poor life decision but the truth is my palate changed. To me, Cherry Crush became so sweet it was unbearable to drink. For years I have been trying to relive those days with different cherry beverages, but found none that worked with my adult palate. Cherry sodas were too sweet, seltzer waters tasted too medicinal and cherry beers were typically mediocre at best. I had pretty much given up hope on finding a refreshing cherry beverage that worked me, but that changed when I took my first sip of Victory Kirsch Gose.

Victory Kirsch Gose, which according to the label is a “Sour Cherry Bier” that pours a light red, almost pink color with a white head. The aroma is bursting with tart cherries and little else. The flavor is more of the same. The flavor of sour, tart cherries immediately flooded my palate, before the light flavor of salt(which is common for the Gose style) and malt sweetness come in at the finish. I wish I could tell you I detected more subtle flavors but I did not. While I would have loved to see a little more depth in the flavor, I have to admit Kirsch Gose is an example of when a beer doesn't try to do too much and it works. The simple flavor of tart cherries with the perfect amount of carbonation make this a perfectly refreshing beer for a hot day. It's lack of overpowering sweetness and a low 4.7% ABV make it wonderfully sessionable as well. Basically this is cherry crush for adults.

Overall I would rate Victory Kirsch Gose a 4/5. It's simple, delicious and accessible. It just plain works.

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!