Dogfish Head Lupu-Luau IPA

Dogfish Head's latest IPA, Lupu-Luau, got my attention the minute I first heard about it. A beer brewed with experimental hops, dehydrated coconut water and toasted coconut sounded fun and unique. It also sounded like a perfectly refreshing beverage for a hot summer day. Honestly, to me, it seemed like it would be a perfectly refreshing beverage for any kind of day. Lupu-Luau also continues my fascination with drinking coconut-flavored beers. One of the better ones I have tried recently is Prairie Paradise Imperial Stout. It is a beautiful beer with just the right amount of coconut. The 13% ABV is hidden nicely. Like all of the offerings from Prairie Artisan Ales, the price is a little steep. I assure you, this one is well worth a purchase. This blog however is not about Prairie Paradise, it is about Dogfish Head Lupu-Luau so it is time to get back on track and start the review.

Golden, hazy and bursting with tropical aromas, Lupu-Luau had me excited from the moment I opened the bottle. The aroma of pineapple in particular was immediately noticeable as soon as the cap came off of the bottle. The aroma also had a nice earthy woodiness to it, along with some citrus and some breadiness from the malt. The coconut is fairly subdued in the aroma, which was a bit disappointing and I hoped to get more of it when I took my first sip.

The fact that it was brewed with coconut water is immediately noticeable and quite refreshing. I really enjoy coconut water, so I am particularly geeking out for this part of the beer. The toasted coconut is there as well but I honestly wanted more of it in the flavor, a lot more of it. Pineapple, passion fruit, mango, grapefruit, candied orange, vanilla and a hint of grassiness before a woody, spicy, bitter finish round out what is essentially a solid India Pale Ale. The vanilla helps give Lupu-Luau a subtle creaminess which I really enjoyed. No matter what, after each sip, I kept looking for more coconut and was saddened not to find it. I really think even more coconut here would have made this beer even better. However, nothing here tastes artificial and that is not a bad thing.

Lupu-Luau is one of those beers I really liked that I wanted to love. The coconut water was a fantastic idea and definitely added a lot to the beer. It was a creative touch and I would definitely like to see more breweries give this a try. My only disappointment here is I wanted more toasted coconut it in the flavor. I love the pineapple, passion fruit and mango flavors but I am here for the coconut, so give me it! Still, Lupu-Luau works as another solid IPA in Dogfish Head's illustrious catalog. It may not have hit every note I wanted it to but I am happy I purchased a 6-pack of it. At 7.3%, it might be a little too strong for session drinking but it is perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day.

Overall rating 3.5/5. While I wanted Lupu-Luau to have more of a dessert coconut flavor to it, it is still a good beer that is worth a try.

Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Galaxy Andromeda IPA

It dawned on recently that I have been writing beer reviews for the past two years and I have yet to review a draft beer. Each and every single review I have done has come from a bottle or a can. Now I realize I could remedy this by purchasing a growler/bomber, but if the beer is bad finishing one of those can turn into quite a commitment. The other reason I have not reviewed a draft beer is when I go to a bar, I don't typically take a notepad or a laptop. For this review I decided to do something different. Much to the chagrin of my lovely wife I decided to take notes on my freshly poured pint of Galaxy Brewing Company's Andromeda IPA on our most recent date night. After several long pauses for note taking, awkward glares and some quiet contemplation, I felt I had all of the information I needed to write this review.

Andromeda IPA has been a beer that up until now I have seemingly ignored. Despite being told time and time again it is worth trying, I always found a way to order something else. What makes it strange is I have had several really nice beers from the Binghamton, New York Brewery. I just had not tried their flagship beer. So as I stared at its beautifully clear copper color and off white head, I had high hopes I was in for a long overdue treat. The aroma reinforced that thought with toasted malt, pine, citrus & tropical notes. The flavor matches the aroma, blending the tropical flavors of tangerine, pineapple and passion fruit with pine, citrus and a nice toasted malt backbone. If I had to describe Andromeda IPA in one word it would be balanced. The malt and hops compliment each other nicely providing a smooth, easy drinking experience.

Galaxy Andromeda IPA is a good beer plain and simple. While it doesn't really stand out as one of the best IPAs I have had. It is definitely good enough to merit a purchase each time I see it from this point forward. They seem to be doing some pretty nice things at the Binghamton Brewery.


Overall I would rate Galaxy Andromeda IPA a 3.75/5. A solid IPA for a dinner date night, a solid IPA for any night.


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!

Singlecut Beersmiths Softly Spoken Magic Spells

First off, I want to thank all of my new readers who saw me on 13 WHAM'S Good Day Rochester(here is a link in case you missed it). Thank you for taking time to check out my blog. I have really appreciated all of the positive feedback. For this review, I felt it would be appropriate to touch on one of the many interesting beers I discussed on the show. In particular, I want to focus on one of the more sought after beers or “whales” I talked about in the last segment. The “whale” I will be reviewing today is the Softly Spoken Magic Spells Double IPA from Singlecut Beersmiths.

The best way to enjoy an IPA is fresh. Over time the strong hop flavors can fade and a beer can became a shell of its former self. For this review, I am drinking a bottle dated 5/17. This should be absolutely bursting with strong hop flavors and I could not be any more excited. 

Softly Spoken Magic Spells pours a cloudy yellow gold with a white head. From about a foot away from the glass I can smell the hops. They are bursting with tropical fruit. Tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit and (light) pine are all present. The taste is close to the aroma. Tangerine, pineapple, mango, pine jump out right away before a bitter grapefruit finish. The best way I could describe the mouthfeel of this beer is juice. While it is nicely carbonated, the hops have created bold, fresh citrus flavors. 

I want to remain critical but when a beer is this good it is difficult not to gush over it. Beers like this one are the reason I love beer and insist everyone continue to try new beers. Softly Spoken Magic Spells is a world class double IPA and has earned every bit of its “whale” status. If you are a fan of IPAs, this beer is well worth going out of your way for.

Overall I would rate Softly Spoken Magic Spells a 5/5. This beer is so good, I wish my morning orange juice tasted just like it. The Pink Floyd reference is really cool too.

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!

New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA

When I heard the news that New York was getting distribution of New Belgium Brewing out of Fort Collins, Colorado, I was fairly indifferent. This reason for this is while on vacation I went out of my way to sample a few of their beers and was fairly underwhelmed. Most notably I remember trying Fat Tire Amber Ale for the first time, looking down at my glass and thinking 'that's it?' But I do not want to start this review giving you the idea that all New Belgium Beers are underwhelming. I felt based on their reputation that perhaps I need to give them another chance. That is why on a recent trip I picked up New Belgium's latest offering, Citradelic Tangerine IPA. I felt that if I enjoyed that beer, perhaps I could get excited for them hitting the beer isles in New York.

New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA pours a crystal clear golden yellow with a white head. The aroma is immediately noticeable. It is bursting with tangerine, grapefruit, orange zest, mango and just a little malt sweetness. The flavor pretty much matches the aroma. A light malt sweetness hits the palate before the citrus and tropical fruit notes come flooding in. Tangerine, orange and bitter grapefruit shine before giving way to a slightly sweet almost melon like finish. There is a lot going on here and I probably missed a few flavor notes, but that is what a second and third bottle is for. To put it simply, if you are a fan of a more tropical fruit forward IPA this is for you. It works and it works well.

Citradelic delivers the bold tropical aromas and flavors it promises. It also got me excited to see what else New Belgium Brewing has to offer when they become a mainstay in the New York beer market. My only real complaint about Citradelic is that I wanted it to have a little more body to it. That is nitpicking though, but that is what I do here. The lighter body and the 6% ABV does make this beer is fairly sessionable. That means it is a perfect beer to compliment warm summer weather or if you just want to try a lighter-bodied IPA.

Overall I would rate New Belgium Citradelic an 4/5. This is a perfect summer IPA if you are looking for something with bold flavor but on the lighter side.


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!

Vulcan Ale: The Genesis Effect Red Session IPA

I grew up a big Star Trek fan. As a small child, probably no older than five or six years old, I would spend a lot of time playing with Star Trek toys and looking forward to the next episode airing on TV. I watched Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country any chance I could get and to this day I think Captain Picard being turned into a Borg might be the greatest cliffhanger in television history. So now that I have established my Star Trek fanhood cred, you will understand the excitement I felt when I saw Star Trek Vulcan Ale from Shmaltz Brewing Company. At the time I heard my inner voice reminding me that this was probably just a gimmick beer that would leave me disappointed. I then silenced that voice by seeing Spock on the label, along with a reference to “Project Genesis.” I decided it was time to put skepticism aside. With high hopes I decided to boldly go to the register(see what I did there?) and purchase Vulcan Ale not just because I was geeking out. I got it for this review.

Vulcan Ale is a red session IPA that pours a slightly hazy amber with an off white head. The aroma was full of bready malt, grapefruit with a hint of pine. Basically the aroma was what you would expect from a Red IPA. Unsurprisingly the flavor matched the aroma. There was caramel malt sweetness up front followed by grapefruit bitterness and a pine finish. Vulcan Ale had everything you would expect from the style of beer but it was also easy to taste that something is missing. This could be due to the fact that it is a session IPA, which means it has a lower level of alcohol than a normal IPA and multiple bottles can be enjoyed in one sitting before you start stumbling around. In simpler terms a session IPA is the light beer version of a regular IPA. Because of this I felt that it was too light on flavor. I'm sure there were more complex notes intended for this beer but due to the limitations of the style they seem to be lost.

Putting the Star Trek label may be a way to attract someone who may not have had a Red IPA before and safely introduce them to the style. For an old “Trekkie” and Beer Enthusiast this feels more like a missed opportunity to create something unique and special. At the end of the day this is a basic beer inside a really cool bottle. I do not give points for cool bottles.

Overall I would rate Star Trek Vulcan Ale a 2.5/5. It is a safe, middle of the road beer to put a Star Trek label on. But to an experienced beer drinker like me, it is hard to think of this as anything more than a fun novelty beer that I would never buy again.

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!

Southern Tier Tangier Session IPA

It is with great pleasure I make the following statement; warm weather, sunshine and summer beer are finally here. And while I am not always excited to see summer beer, I am excited to finally enjoy a light, crisp, refreshing beer outside without the need of 10 layers of clothing. If you live in upstate New York or the Northeast in general I'm sure you understand what I am talking about. This was a winter that truly felt like it was never going to end. While I love winter beer and feel it's never time to completely put down the stouts, porters, strong ales and double IPAs that compliment the cold so well, I am excited to lighten up and enjoy one of the many styles of summer beer. The wheat beers, shandies, session ipas, goses and fruit beers or any combination of those compliment the sunshine nicely. The first of those beers I am going to review is the latest summer offering from the Southern Tier Brewing, Tangier Session IPA.

Tangier Session IPA caught my eye immediately because it was brewed with Tangerine peels. In my mind anytime you can find a way to boost the citrus in an India Pale Ale, the better. Tangier pours golden yellow with an off white head. There is a noticeable amount of sediment floating in it which is not pleasing to the eye but not noticeable in the mouthfeel. The aroma is this beer's best trait, it is literally bursting with citrus. At this point I had high hopes for Tangier but unfortunately they were squandered the moment I tasted it.

After my first sip of Tangier, I was immediately hit with the watered down flavor of citrus before a light pine hop finish. It sounds simple because it is. There really is not a lot going on here. I could tell you I detected a little malt sweetness but that would be reaching. To make matters even worse, the tangerine peels are completely non-existent in the flavor. I started to think the tangerine peels were what was floating in the beer, which did not make any sense because it certainly did not make Tangier look appetizing. Going back to the flavor, the light, almost watered down citrus might be good if not for the strong lingering dirty hop aftertaste that seemed to grow the deeper I got into the beer. By the time my glass was empty, my palette was wrecked and I was relieved I only purchased one bottle. As far as summer beer goes, this is one to stay away from.

Overall I would rate Southern Tier Tangier Session IPA a 1.5/5. While the aroma is delightful, Tangier tastes like a watered down version of a bad IPA with a horrible aftertaste. Summer is too short to drink a beer this bad.

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!

Sam Adams Rebel Rouser IPA

I've always viewed beer from the Boston Beer Company, better known as the makers of the Samuel Adams, as a gateway to craft beer. They were certainly mine so many years ago. Their seemingly endless catalog of beers provided me with the opportunity to try my first Octoberfest, Cream Stout, Winter Lager, Hefeweizen, Imperial Pilsner, Double Bock...well you get the point. But as my palate matured I found myself leaving the beers of Sam Adams behind in favor of those from breweries all over the world. I frequently wonder why this was the case? I think one reason is that while they made a lot of beers, there were only a few that were truly unique. I always felt a lot of their dark beers shared a familiar malt profile that made buying a mix pack from them a lot less exciting and adventurous then it seemed. Another reason I think I shied away from them was their lack of IPAs. Years ago while other breweries were producing IPAs to meet the growing demand from hopheads nationwide, Boston Beer Company seemed to want to go in any direction but one that involved them making one. And worse, when they finally did produce an IPA(Latitude 48) it was lackluster. When they tried again with their supposed west coast style Rebel IPA, it was also lackluster. So as you can imagine going into my first Rebel Rouser IPA, I was not very optimistic about it being anything other then a forgettable beer from the brewery that once taught me there was more out there then just the yellow mainstream fizz. But after tasting it I am pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Rebel Rouser pours a beautifully clear gold with an off white head that leaves plenty of lacing. The aroma is quite pleasant, full of citrus, pine and a hint of malt sweetness. The 8.4% ABV is slightly noticeable in the aroma, letting you know you are about to drink a big beer. It was at this moment, I experienced a swell of optimism thinking the folks at Sam Adams had finally succeeded in making a quality IPA. This feeling was confirmed when I took my first sip. Bold tropical fruit, citrus and pine flooded my palate immediately before finishing with a clean malt sweetness that seems to fade a bit too quickly. While there is an expected bitterness from the hops in the aftertaste, there is almost no indication in the flavor that Rebel Rouser carried such a high ABV which falsely gives the idea that it is sessionable. While that is not a knock against the beer, the fact that the flavor comes and goes so quickly is. It seems like Rebel Rouser is almost too polished and too conservative to live up to its' rebellious graffiti themed label. That being said, this is a good beer and a step in the right direction by the Boston Beer Company to satisfy hop heads nationwide.

Overall I would rate Sam Adams Rebel Rouser a 3.5/5. While it does not break any new ground, Rebel Rouser finally proves that Boston Beer Company can make a respectable IPA.

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!