Oskar Blues Death by King Cake

Oskar Blues is one of those breweries that usually finds a way to pique my curiosity with each new release. They always seem to release something fun & creative on a large scale. When I think of fun & creative recent beers I really enjoyed from them, last year’s Guns-N-Rosé immediately comes to mind. That, and their amazing Barrel Aged Ten Fidy variants. The Hot Buttered Rum was my particular favorite from the series.

What I am trying to say is their expanding catalog is full of great beers that, when available in limited quantities, would get me to call in a favor to my Uncle in Colorado or even drop everything and go chase down a can. Locally, in Western New York their beers no longer require the intense chasing they used to. However their brand new white porter Death By King Cake did give me that urge to chase it down. This happened for two reasons. The first being, I love their Death By Coconut Irish Porter, so playing off of that name is a smart way to get my attention.. The second being, I had never tried a white porter before and I wasn’t really sure what that was.

When I finally got my hands on a can, I cracked it open, poured it into a glass and felt something I wasn’t used to with Oskar Blues: disappointment. Most of the promised adjuncts were missing from the aroma. There was a hint of vanilla, a touch of chocolate and a whole lot of grains, especially corn. The closest comparison I had for the beer is Genesee Cream Ale. That’s why I chose the glass in the picture above. The taste was pretty close to Genesee Cream Ale as well but with a noticeable vanilla creaminess. Call me crazy but nutmeg & cinnamon are fairly strong flavors and I honestly could not find them here. Same goes for the orange peel which is also strangely missing. I got a hint of chocolate but really had to look for it. All I really got out of Death By King Cake was the taste of an inexpensive cream ale in a 4 dollar can.

This is a really disappointing beer from a fantastic brewery. On paper, it sounds like a great idea but the execution is lacking. The price point does it no favors either. I would recommend skipping this one and hope that this was an anomaly in the Oskar Blues catalog.

Overall rating: 2/5

Bells Christmas Ale

With snow on the ground and temperatures barely above freezing, I have found it very easy to make the early transition to winter or holiday-themed beers. Like every year I started with a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada’s winter classic Celebration Ale, then transitioned to some local favorites like Rohrbach Kasey’s Kristmas Ale & Naked Dove’s Nice & Naughty Christmas Ale. After I make my way through the classics I then looked to try something new, which brings us to the beer I am writing about today, Bells Christmas Ale,

Bells Christmas Ale is a 7.5% scotch ale, that pours reddish-brown with a light tan head. Its aroma thankfully did not contain any holiday spices. Not that I don’t enjoy them from time to time(Nice & Naughty), I just prefer a more straight forward approach to my holiday-themed beers. The aroma did contain a lot of caramel, along with a nice touch of peat smoke, a beautiful hint of cherry, raisin, toffee, herbal hops and a warm touch of alcohol. Honestly, the aroma was fantastic. I was fairly certain I would enjoy this beer. After my first sip, I knew my next beer purchase would be another 6-pack of this.

Sweet caramel dominates the flavor throughout. It is the first thing you taste and sticks around through the finish. While that might make it sound like Christmas Ale is unbearably sweet, it is beautifully balanced. Notes of cherry, toffee and peat smoke come through before a warm, herbal finish. The 7.5% is not completely hidden and I feel like that helps the beer. Its warmth pairs beautifully with a cold, snowy evening. The only thing I wish there was more of in the taste is the peat smoke. It comes through a lot more in the nose and if there was a bit more in the flavor, this review would be even more glowing.

I think it’s very clear by now that I really enjoyed Bells Christmas Ale. It’s a fantastic scotch ale and easily one of the best beers from Bells I have had in quite some time. If you are looking for a great holiday beer without the spices, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

Overall rating: 4/5

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

Greater Good Good Night Moon

For this blogger, it’s very easy to like what Worcester, Massachusetts’ Greater Good Imperial Brew Co. is doing. As you may already know, I love big beers and the idea of an all imperial brewery is right up my alley. I am very excited that they are currently getting regular distribution in Western NY and am more than ready to make my way through their catalog. For this blog, I thought starting with a beer that would pair nicely with a cool, Fall evening would be a perfect way to start this journey and Good Night Moon, an 11% imperial milk porter is just that.

I can’t lie, the idea of an 11% imperial milk porter had me a little worried before I tried it. It had the potential to be unbearably sweet and I knew if that was the case, the remaining three cans in the 4-pack might end up having an indefinite stay in my refrigerator.

As I poured my first can into a glass, I could tell from the aroma this was undoubtedly going to be on the sweet side. I just hoped it would be bearable. The first note that really stood out in the aroma was chocolate, think a dark chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting. I found that to be delightful, along with the notes of coffee, licorice, creamy vanilla, a hint of pine, and earthy hops.

The first sip, like the nose, really brought the chocolate. Rich, decadent milk chocolate, balanced out with roasted malt and coffee. Some creamy vanilla & licorice follow and that rolls right into the semi-sweet, charred finish that lingers on the palate. It is a sweet beer, but that is what you should expect from the style. However, I never thought it was too sweet. I also thought that the 11% ABV was hidden exceptionally well. I could tell I was drinking a stronger beer but I would not have placed it as high as 11%. Good Night Moon is definitely a beer that can sneak up on you, especially if you decided to enjoy a second can.

I am not going to say that Good Night Moon is going to blow your socks off but if you are a fan of a slightly sweeter stout or porter, you will really enojy this beer. I, for one, am relieved I enjoyed it as much as I did. I am fairly certain the 3 other cans I purchased won't see the end of the week.

Overall rating: 4/5

New Belgium Oakspire 2019

Last year, when I tried New Belgium's Oakspire I was a bit underwhelmed. With the market heavily saturated in quality barrel aged beers at the time of its release last fall, I felt my money was better spent elsewhere after trying a single bottle.

I was going to let it pass by this year, but a friend's palate I trust asked me to give it another try. Rarely do I turn a free beer down, so I decided to bring it home and give it a try the first chance I got. I went into this year's New Belgium Knob Creek collaboration with a positive attitude and decided to write about it. It was that positive attitude that gave me hope that this year's batch of Oakspire is better than last year's. That being said, I still was not crazy about it.

Oakspire's appearance is a gorgeous deep amber with a creamy white head. The aroma is full of caramel, vanilla and oak. Hints of corn, toffee, brown sugar, dark fruit, smoke and a touch of bourbon round out the aroma. Caramel and vanilla flooded my palate on the first sip. A strong corn note also came through as well. There were hints of smoke, raisin before a very tannic, bitter finish. This finish lingers and accumulates. By the end of the glass, it is a touch overwhelming. This was by far my biggest complaint when it came to this beer. Another one, since this is a review blog is, it is a bit too thin. A beer like this should have more body to it.

Oakspire is an interesting beer. I definitely think, New Belgium & Knob Creek improved this beer. I am not saying it is going to blow your socks off, but as the weather cools, this is a solid beer to have around before stout season gets into full swing. I hope next year, this beer is even better. A bit more body and a touch more bourbon could earn this beer a regular place in my fridge. A positive thing to come out of me revisiting Oakspire is next year, I will definitely buy a bottle. I might not buy another this year but I am very open to trying next year’s batch. That is progress.


Overall rating: 3.25/5

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Lord Hobo Pineapple Glorious IPA

Shopping for beer to bring on a weekend getaway always seems to take me way longer than it needs to. It has gotten to a point that I can’t do it with another person because they quickly lose patience while I ponder what would work best. I swear, I can switch the beers I am going to bring multiple times before I finally settle on what I consider are the beers to bring. Even when I’m given guidance and am told to bring cheap, sh—ty beer, I can’t bring myself to do it. If I am drinking beer all weekend long and sharing it with friends I want it to be something good.

Before this past weekend’s trip, I spent about a half hour in the beer aisle before I finally made a concrete decision on what to bring. There were a ton of great options but I decided to go with a couple of my local summer favorites: Three Heads Couch Tour Cucumber Sour and Genesee Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale. I love both beers. They are delicious, crowd-pleasing, low ABV session beers with a fantastic price point. I felt great about going with just those beers until I saw Lord Hobo Pineapple Glorious IPA. For some reason, I could not pass that beer up even though there were a few red flags attached to it. The first being Lord Hobo’s catalog is very hit & miss. The second being pineapple beer is also very hit & miss. Seeing “ale with natural flavor” was the third red flag. Then finally the price point for the beer was a bit more than you typically want to spend for a beach beer but I decided to go for it anyway and hope for the best.

Lord Hobo’s Pineapple Glorious IPA certainly delivers the pineapple. The aroma is full of it, along with peach, passion fruit, grapefruit, grass, herbal and floral notes, and bread dough. The first sip was a little disappointing due to the artificial taste of pineapple. The use of natural flavoring does not always get the best results and here is a perfect example of that. It is by no means a drain pour but it’s nothing special either. Peach, citrus, grass, doughy malt, and passion fruit go fairly well with the pineapple flavoring before an aggressive finish of bitter grapefruit rind and black pepper. In future batches I hope they soften the finish a bit.

It took a couple cans but I ended up kinda liking Pineapple Glorious IPA. However, I can’t bring myself to recommend you go out and purchase it at its current price point. I, for one, will probably not buy it again without a fairly dramatic price drop. I also can’t say it’s an upgrade over the base beer Glorious. As I mentioned earlier, Lord Hobo’s beers are hit & miss. Overall, I would list this one as a miss. At 13 dollars a 4-pack, you should expect better.

Harpoon One Hazy Summer

The past few weeks I have been slowing down on writing and that is unacceptable. Summer beer season is in full swing and I need to do a better job helping you sort through what’s on the shelves to find the best recommendations possible.

The main reason I have been behind on my blogs is because my summer beer drinking has become predictable. I have been obsessed with Other Half Brewing being in town and frequently find myself stopping there for cans, bottles & pours. The other beers that have taken up a fair amount of space in my refrigerator are Genesee’s Ruby Red Kolsch & Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale. The latter feels like a response to Natural Light’s surprisingly successful Naturday, a Strawberry Lemonade flavored light lager. It could be my local pride talking here but I honestly believe Genesee’s Lemon Strawberry Cream is the better of the two. Genesee’s Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale is not as sweet as Naturday which is a plus and the fruit flavor is dialed back a bit allowing the base beer to come through a bit more. To keep it short, both beers are good, but Genesee’s is better.

Another great summer beer I enjoyed was Couch Tour, a cucumber sour from Three Heads Brewing. It’s very refreshing with just the right amount of cucumber. If you come across it, I highly recommend trying it.

Basically, I have been drinking a lot of great beer but my drinking habits need to expand. So for this blog, I decided to go with a widely released beer from a craft brewery I have not drank anything from in quite some time. I also really wanted summer to be in the beer’s name, so I decided to go with One Hazy Summer from Harpoon Brewery.

Hazy, hoppy beers that get a wide release tend to be hit and miss. For example, I really enjoyed Hazy Little Thing from Sierra Nevada but found Bells Official to be disappointingly bland. Harpoon’s One Hazy Summer is not going to blow you away but it is a decent pale ale. The aroma is floral, fruity & malty. Biscuit in particular really comes through, along with pineapple, mango, berry and a touch of citrus. The aroma matches the flavor for the most part. The hops compliment the biscuity malt profile, adding a touch of brightness. Mango & pineapple come through the most, along with a touch of berry & citrus before a soft, herbal, dry finish.

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed One Hazy Summer. It might not be as hoppy as I wanted it to be but it works. It’s a light, easy drinking, reasonable priced, session beer that will work nicely as a beach beer, lawnmower beer, camping beer, basically any summer occasion beer. One that I am glad is taking up real estate in my refrigerator.



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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Shiner Lemon Pils

The Shiner brand first got on my radar in 2007. I was sitting in a movie theater watching characters in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof enjoying a beer I had not seen before. At that time in my life I bought into whatever Tarantino was selling. I thought he was the absolute greatest thing to happen to movies and if he put his endorsement on a beer, I had to try it. Product placement worked on me and I began my quest to find Shiner Bock as soon as I left the theater. It took a few years, but I finally came across a 6-pack in Wisconsin. As I sipped it while tailgating a Pearl Jam show later that day, I remember thinking it was a solid beer. It was not the magical libation I thought it was going to be but it was a good beer. Fast forward almost a decade later, and it is still the only beer from the Shiner brand I have enjoyed.

My feelings on beer from Spoetzl Brewery come from years of disappointment. I keep trying their beer with the hope that I will find one that I enjoy enough for a repeat purchase, but outside of the Bock that has yet to happen. For this blog I wanted to take the time to vent about how I felt about the Shiner brand, but also review one of their latest offerings that I had yet to try in hopes of possibly finally finding a beer from them I could say something nice about.

Shiner’s Lemon Pils lined up with my current drinking habits. It’s a warm weather, sessionable lager with a hint of citrus. I had the hope that it would work as a summer crusher. I had no aspirations that this was going to be a world class beer, I just wanted a beer that would work well as a “lawnmower” or “beach” beer. The nose of Lemon Pils gave me some hope. It had a touch of citrus, particularly lemon, bready malt, grains, and a nice touch of floral notes with an herbal spiciness. While the aroma worked for me, the first sip was not what I had hoped it would be. Lemon Pils is surprisingly sweet up front. Lots of bready malt, and cereal grains before lemon and citrus come in. The finish is spicy and bitter with a lemon rind note that is a bit more aggressive then necessary. There is a disappointing metallic note in the finish as well. Lemon Pils is also extremely watery. Sadly, there is just not a lot to like here and this just turns out to be another mediocre beer from Shiner. I can't even recommend it as a "lawnmower" beer because there are so many better options out there.

Honestly, at this point I am not holding out hope I will find a beer outside of Shiner Bock from the Spoetzl Brewery that is worth purchasing again. I will give anything a try, especially for this blog, but even for blogging purposes my money is better spent elsewhere. I recommend you spend yours elsewhere, as well.


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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Founders Más Agave

Lately I have been all about the lighter, more refreshing beers that are best enjoyed with warm weather. That is clearly reflected in my previous blog on Naturday. For the past week or so, I have been drinking that and Genesee’s Ruby Red Kolsch. Both of those beers are refreshing and great values, and as much as I want to continue to look at lighter beers that compliment the warm weather, I can’t pass up an opportunity to blog about the latest offering in Founders Barrel Aged Series.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile now, you know I am a big fan of the Barrel Aged Series. My favorite part about it is how creative Founders gets with each new release. While I have liked some more than others, I really enjoy a brewery that continues to take chances, especially one on the scale of Founders. 

With the classics(CBS, Backwoods Bastard, KBS) taking up the last few months of releases, Founders’ Barrel Aged Series returns with an extremely fun & creative take on a beer version of a margarita. Más Agave is an imperial lime gose, brewed with agave and aged in tequila barrels. From the moment this beer was announced, I started counting the days until I could get my hands on some.

It’s fair to say I had high hopes for Más Agave and I was not disappointed. The aroma teased that Founders was successful with their take on a beer margarita. Lots of zesty lime on the nose, with agave sweetness and salt, with a touch of tequila & vanilla and spice. On the palate, Más Agave is a touch syrupy. Tart lime and sweet agave dominate the flavor. The barrel comes through as well, adding a touch of oak, tequila and vanilla. The flavors are strong here and leave little subtlety. The finish adds the perfect amount of salt, which brings a touch of balance to the sweetness and really makes this margarita-style beer work.

With a 10% ABV, the latest entry in the Founders Barrel Aged Series is deceptively easy to drink. I personally am a huge fan of it. I plan on making this the first of many 4-packs in my refrigerator throughout the summer. I also think this is the strongest entry(aside from the classics) in the barrel aged series in quite some time. Founders has crafted a fun, fantastic beer here and I highly recommend you pick it up.


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Dogfish Head Super Eight Super Gose

From the moment that Dogfish Head & Eastman Kodak's collaboration beer SuperEIGHT Super Gose was announced, it was only a matter of time until I blogged about it. I am a fan of Dogfish Head's beer and I am the son & nephew of long time makers of Kodak film products. For that reason alone, I could not pass up an opportunity to try this beer as soon as distribution hit Western NY. 

What makes SuperEIGHT fun is that it is a 2-for-1 beer. It is a light, fruited session gose and it also develops Kodak's Super-8 film. It pulls this off by having a low pH which means that SuperEIGHT is going to be a touch acidic but that should work perfectly for the style.

As the can says, SuperEIGHT pours a vibrant red. Besides the beautiful color, the lemon, lactic sour aroma was the first thing I noticed as I poured the beer. The aroma is also very fruity, grainy, and a touch floral with the berries and prickly pear really shining. The pear added a really nice note of watermelon and that is the first thing I noticed and loved about my first sip. Raspberry and watermelon really come through in the flavor before a touch of malt and grain. The finish is very tart, with a touch of salt, bubble gum, green apple and lemon rind. The lemon rind lingers on the palate long after the beer is gone and to be honest is not ideal. Also, I can't say all SuperEIGHT ingredients are noticeable. The mango in particular seems MIA which is disappointing but there is still a lot going on here and this beer is a lot of fun. 

SuperEIGHT is one of those beers where Dogfish Head's unrelenting creativity pulls off something really cool. Sometimes, their use of adjuncts goes a touch a overboard and while this beer is no different, I found myself really enjoying it. With summer just around the corner, SuperEIGHT would serve as a wonderfully refreshing beer to both make and develop summer memories. I highly recommend picking it up.

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Omnipollo Super Size Hilma DIPA

If you have read my blog long enough you know I tend to buy the occasional gimmick beer. Whether it is a beer based on a show or band I like or a beer with an odd adjunct in it, I will give anything a try and hope for the best when I do. For this blog, I purchased one of those beers with a strange adjunct. Omnipollo Super Size Hilma is a double dry hopped imperial IPA with vanilla, crispy French fries, and burger buns. It sounds ridiculous, right? That was what I thought, but I was curious how it would all come together.

The aroma of Super Size Hilma did little to show off the fries & burger buns but gave me hope I was going to drink a fantastic double ipa. The aroma was very fruity, lots of fresh pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, passion fruit, with a touch of grass, bread dough and a light hint of vanilla. At this point I was slightly disappointed that I did not notice the French fries in particular but I felt that I had purchased a really nice beer. I could not have been more wrong. Super Size Hilma is a disaster of a double IPA. The pineapple comes through initially, along with some citrus before sweet, bready malt takes over. This is the most dominant note of the beer. It certainly allows one to believe they are getting the burger bun aspect of the beer. The vanilla then comes through along with some grass before a very hot, saline finish. None of these flavors work well together. As far as the heat goes, letting this beer sit a few weeks might help that a bit. Nothing however, is going to help the salt aspect. It’s not refreshingly subtle like in a Gose, it’s very prominent and frankly does not fit well with anything here. It is also the only indication that French fries were actually used in this beer.

I spent a while trying to find something I like about this beer. It was priced at 7 dollars a can so I was trying very hard. Instead, I found myself pouring it down the drain. I was not expecting a great beer, I was expecting a fun beer, Super Size Hilma was neither.



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Oskar Blues & Cigar City Bamburana

From the moment the Oskar Blues & Cigar City breweries announced Bamburana, a double barrel aged collaboration imperial stout, I had been counting the days until I could get my hands on some. It took longer than I hoped but it finally hit shelves in Western NY. I was so excited to purchase it that literally moments after it hit shelves I found myself in the car going to purchase it. I am a huge fan of both breweries and had extremely high hopes for this beer. Everything about it sounded fantastic and I am pleased to report that Bamburana did not disappoint.

Bamburana gets its name from amburana, a South American wood. It is a wood that adds unique flavors and reduces acidity. It successfully accomplished both in Bamburana. In fact, this is one of the most unique stouts I have had in awhile.

Bamburana spent time in both whiskey & brandy barrels but in both the aroma and on the palate they only play a complimentary note. Dates, figs, chocolate and the amburana wood are front and center here. The aroma caught me off guard in that aspect. Figs, dates, cinnamon, molasses, chocolate, caramel, an earthy woodiness and smoke shine with brandy complimenting the fruitiness. On the palate, the fruitiness of the figs and dates, along with notes of dark cherry and brandy come through initially before savory notes of cinnamon, licorice, molasses, ginger, coconut, caramel, vanilla and fudge. There is also a subtle espresso note, with a touch of whiskey before a tobacco, woody, spicy finish. With each sip, I found myself enjoying Bamburana more and more. It's a full-bodied, velvety smooth-sipper that offers a ton of complexity. In short, I am a huge fan of this beer.

These two amazing breweries have brewed a fantastic imperial stout. Since Oskar Blues contract brews some of Cigar City’s offerings I hope this is the first of many collaborations to see a wide release. That is looking to the future though. In the meantime, I highly recommend picking Bamburana up as soon as possible,


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Jack’s Abby Citra Brau Lager

I am always looking for a great value and Jack’s Abby always seems to deliver just that. Over the years, the Framingham, Massachusetts Brewery has become a personal favorite of mine. The main reasons for that are they consistently push the boundaries of creativity with their lagers and they are always priced reasonably. I honestly can’t recall a single beer from them I have not enjoyed. Granted, there are some of their beers I prefer more than others, but that is how I feel about every brewery. Jack’s Abby consistently makes solid beer at a great price and their latest offering, Citra Brau, reinforces that.

I keep mentioning that Jack’s Abby beer is always a great value, but Citra Brau is the first beer from them that actually gave me “sticker shock”. “Sticker shock" is something that happens to every beer enthusiast at one time or another. It usually occurs when you find yourself paying a bit more for a beer than you expected to. For Citra Brau, a dry-hopped citra lager, I had the complete opposite reaction. A 6-pack of 16 oz. cans is priced around 10 dollars. Once I tried it, I felt like I had found one of the best values currently on the market. 

Citra Brau certainly showcases the citra hop but Jack's Abby balances it beautifully with a fantastic lager backbone. The aroma is super dank, floral, grassy, grainy and very fruity.  The taste matches the nose and as I mentioned earlier it is beautifully balanced. Orange, lemon, peach, melon, resinous pine and grass hit initially before the slightly sweet, grainy, crackery malt profile comes into play. The finish is dry, peppery, crisp & clean. Nothing here is going to blow you away, but this is a really nice, easy drinking lager with just the right amount of hop flavor.

Clocking in at 5.5%, Citra Brau is sessionable and a beer I hope to see year-round from Jack's Abby, especially for the summer. Citra Brau has "lawnmower beer" written all over it. In the meantime, its very reasonable price point could make it a staple in my refrigerator for the foreseeable future. Once again, Jack's Abby delivers another solid beer.


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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!

Lawson's Maple Nipple Amber Ale

I am excited that offerings besides Sip of Sunshine & the Super Session session IPA from Vermont's Lawson's Finest Liquids are getting distribution to Western NY. It feels like only yesterday I was waiting in line for a draft pour of Sip of Sunshine and now I can walk in to any beer isle and find their beers. What a time to be alive! Since I had yet to try their Maple Nipple Amber Ale, I wasted no time in purchasing it once it hit stores. I thought it would be the perfect beer for this blog.

First things first, I am not going to lie. I had a touch of sticker shock when I saw the 17.99 price tag for a 4-pack but figured if it was from Lawson's, it was going to be well worth purchasing. After opening my first can and pouring it into a glass, I took in the aroma. It reminded me of Fall more than anything else. Rich caramel, toasted bread, a lighter than expected maple syrup note and herbal hops greeted me in the aroma. It instantly took me back to October and in hindsight, if it was paired with a crisp Fall night I might have enjoyed it slightly more. 

When I took my first sip, I found myself underwhelmed. The caramel, toasted bread, toffee and spicy, herbal hop finish stand out the most. In a way, this very much reminded me of a stronger Oktoberfest, and for a moment I enjoyed it. The maple syrup is there but there is not enough of it in the flavor for my taste. If you have been reading my blog long enough, you know that when a beer promises maple syrup, I really want to taste the maple syrup. With Maple Nipple, it is definitely there, there is just not enough of it. I found myself disappointed by that and even more disappointed by the green apple off-flavor that I continued to pickup the further I got into the pint. By the time my glass was empty, I felt like the best thing about Maple Nipple was its hilarious can art. 

With some beers, if I feel future batches could improve them, I have no problem revisiting them down the line. That could very well be the case for this one. However, with this beer's price point and the level of disappointment I feel as I write this, I highly doubt I will be picking up again.

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!

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Harpoon The Craic Irish Red IPA

With a snow storm right around the corner, I, like many other beer enthusiasts are preparing for the prospect of being snowed in. Preparation for a storm includes getting all the necessary supplies, and that includes filling the refrigerator with beer. Now, in the past I have had a tendency to just drink beers on the heavier side when snowed in, and while I have plenty of those, this is my first big snow storm as a homeowner and I have been on a quest to find an adequate snowblowing beer. 

For this particular storm, my snow blowing beer will be Harpoon’s The Craic Irish Red IPA. The reason I chose this beer is because it walks the line between a Red IPA & an Irish Red Ale. One style reminds me of some of my favorite holiday & Winter seasonal beers and the other reminds me of Spring and the warmer weather to come. The Craic does a really nice job of balancing both. 

The aroma of toasted bread, caramel, and toffee instantly made me think of St. Patrick’s Day. I then picked up the herbal, pine & citrus notes from the hops. The taste matched the nose for the most part. The malt profile shines nicely before the hops add another welcome layer of complexity. The hops add a nice amount of spice, along with grapefruit, orange and pine. The malt profile was nuttier than I expected but only enhanced my enjoyment of The Craic. The only thing I was not crazy about was the finish. It was earthy, dry, piney, bitter and provided contrast to the malt sweetness but it did not work as well as I hoped it would. This is a small criticism though, this is a really nice beer and has me really looking forward to seeing more Irish Red Ales on the shelf soon.

The Craic is also one of the best beers I have had from Harpoon in a long time. I usually pass on beers from the Boston-based brewery because they are usually average at best. This one however is a lot of fun and will definitely get a repeat purchase from me. It will also make for a nice reward after multiple trips outside clearing snow.

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Stay warm!

Samuel Adams Bavarian Lager

These days, I do not drink many new beers with the Samuel Adams' name on them. It is a shame because the Boston Beer Company played a huge role in me falling in love with craft beer. Occasionally for the sake of this blog, I pick up a new offering from them, but aside from the surprising Sam '76, I have found little outside of the classics(Boston Lager, Winter Lager, Oktoberfest etc.) that I want to purchase again. I decided to pick up their latest release, Bavarian Lager, for the sake of this blog, but I will admit I had higher hopes for this beer than other recent releases. This brewery has made classic lagers and I was hoping that Bavarian Lager would take its place among them.

True to the Helles-style, Bavarian Lager pours a pale golden-yellow. It is unfiltered and the aroma of bread dough stands out along with fruity, citrusy, grassy hops. The flavor matched the nose for the most part-- bread dough with a touch of honey sweetness, with a hint of fruit, orange and grapefruit. The finish is grassy, slightly spicy and a touch metallic. The metallic note did not ruin it for me, it is fairly subtle. Overall, I actually I enjoyed Sam Adams Bavarian Lager a lot more than I thought I would. I think it is a huge upgrade over the subpar Fresh As Helles Lager they first released in 2017. Actually, it is an upgrade over most of the beers I have had from Sam Adams recently.

Sam Adams Bavarian Lager is an easy-drinking, crowd pleasing lager that has a satisfying amount of  body for the colder months ahead. I want to be clear, this is not a beer that is going to blow your mind, it is just a well crafted beer from a legendary brewery. It is also a beer I am happy to say I look forward to buying again, sooner than later.

Overall rating: 4/5



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!

New Belgium Brut IPA

For a New Year's blog a champagne-like beer seemed appropriate, so I decided to take a look at New Belgium's Brut IPA. The Brut IPA puts a fun champagne-like spin on the style. It's wonderfully effervescent, super dry, light on hop bitterness and very refreshing. After some deliberation while beer shopping, I decided to purchase New Belgium's Brut IPA for this blog. As a fan of New Belgium, I was particularly excited to see their take on the style.

As I started pouring Brut IPA, I found myself enjoying the sight of a light golden, clear IPA. I am by no means tired of hazy NE-IPAs but this was a nice change of pace. The aroma is tropical, citrusy(zesty lemon, grapefruit & orange), and a touch white wine-like, with herbal tea notes. The first bubbly sip was enjoyable with grapefruit, lemon, white grape, pineapple, grass and herbal tea. The hops are a dialed back a bit as expected with the style but what is there is really nice. The finish is where things took a turn for me. While a dry finish it is what you should expect from the style, in New Belgium's Brut IPA's case it is extremely dry & astringent, to the point I felt I needed a tall glass of water once I finished it.

New Belgium's take on a Brut IPA is not all bad but one bottle goes a very long way. As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed the hop flavor. There was a nice touch of grain in there as well, it just all fell apart in the finish. This is a beer I would love to revisit down the line to see if the recipe gets tweaked slightly. The potential for something great is there. In its current state, it would work for a toast at midnight on New Year's if options are limited. As a session beer, I advise you to look elsewhere.

As far as the style of Brut IPA goes, I am excited to see how big this style gets. Brut IPAs are growing in popularity by the day with more and more breweries attempting them. I look forward to trying and writing about many more.

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!

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

Happy New Year!

El Segundo Steve Austin's Broken Skull IPA

There are few beers I have looked forward to trying more than El Segundo Brewing Company's Steve Austin's Broken Skull IPA. The idea of a beer designed by the Beer Swilling Texas Rattle Snake Stone Cold Steve Austin was something I just had to try. The fact that it was not distributed in New York is the only reason I had yet to get my hands on a bottle. With the holidays here I found myself looking for a unique wrestling gift for a friend, and a bottle of Broken Skull IPA seemed like the perfect gift. Since I was going to order one, I thought I might as well get a second one to try to find out if this West Coast IPA was everything I hoped it would be.

As I poured Broken Skull IPA into my glass, I was immediately greeted by its wonderfully bold hop aroma. Loads of sticky pine resin, along with zesty grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine and an herbal spiciness seemed to jump out of the glass. I could not wait to take my first "swig of beer" and when I did I was immediately rewarded by the bold flavors of citrus and pine. Grapefruit and tangerine in particular shine, along with a touch of tropical fruit. The citrus and fruit notes provide a nice contrast to the pine & grass, which I have to admit is more subdued than I expected, but it is just the right amount for this beer. The doughy malt backbone is light but that is all that is needed here. Then a really nice touch of herbal spiciness from the Chinook hops comes in just before the crisp, clean finish.

As I worked my way through the 22 oz. bomber, I found myself stunned(see what I did there?) by how easy Broken Skull IPA was to drink. At 6.7% ABV, it is not exactly an ideal session beer but that is exactly what it drinks like. If this was available in New York, it would be a staple in my refrigerator because it is a well-made brew that is accessible to a craft beer novice as well as the more experienced craft beer enthusiast. I guess what I am trying to say is, if someone offers you a chance to try Steve Austin's Broken Skull IPA, give them an OH HELL YEAH!


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!

Ommegang Game of Thrones: King In The North

I have only purchased a few beers in Ommegang's Game of Thrones series. The main reason for this is that I felt underwhelmed by the early entries in the series outside of Fire & Blood and decided that maybe they were a bit too gimmicky for my taste. The 2018 Game of Thrones Royal Reserve Collection had a few offerings that piqued my interest, but nothing that got me to walk out of the store with a bottle-- that was until I saw the final entry in the series.

King in the North is a barrel aged imperial stout and in early December that seems to be the only style I want to drink and blog about. I apologize for this but every time a season begins to change, I find myself looking for beer that I feel defines the season. Huge imperial stouts fit that bill and if they are aged in a barrel, even better.

King in the North is aged in a bourbon barrel, but immediately on the nose I noticed the barrel aging was not as bold as I normally like. Instead, there is the aroma of a really nice imperial stout. There is a lot of roast, dark chocolate, a touch of coffee, smoke, a hint of dark fruit and oak tannins. I was looking for more of a vanilla or bourbon note but unfortunately there was not much there.

When I took my first sip of King in the North, I was hit with a huge amount of roast, bittersweet dark chocolate, molasses, plum, dark cherry, smoke, and brown sugar with a boozy, earthy, fruity, peppery, woody finish. There is a lot to like here, the flavors line up nicely for what I would expect from a great Belgian-style imperial stout. I just wanted the barrel to shine a bit more. There were hints of vanilla, but the oak was the strongest note from the barrel. My other criticism is that King in the North is a touch thin. For a beer brewed for Jon Snow, I wanted it to have just little bit more body. Nevertheless, I enjoyed King in the North, it is a solid beer that is priced very reasonably and its bottle presentation is excellent. It also pairs nicely with the season 8 teaser trailer.

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!