Dogfish Head Wood Aged Bitches Brew

There is still snow on the ground, so I have been a bit reluctant to dial back on my consumption of stouts. While I have mixed in my fair share of hoppy beers lately, I keep finding myself going back to the roasty, complex greatness of stouts. Over the past week, like many others, I have enjoyed a fair amount of Guinness. That beer is an absolute masterpiece and the experience of drinking it for me is like having a reunion with an old friend, where you both pick up right where you left off every single time. From my blog's perspective, a blog on Guinness Draught is completely pointless since I am sure everyone who reads my blog has already had it multiple times(I hope). For this blog, I wanted to talk about a different stout I was very excited to try.

Dogfish Head Wood Aged Bitches Brew was a must-try for me as soon as I read about its release. The first time I had Bitches Brew was 2015 while I was watching Wrestlemania 31. I can specifically remember what I was doing at the time, so you know Bitches Brew left an impact on me. It was a delightful stout and a much better music-themed beer than the one Pearl Jam got when Dogfish Head brewed one for their 20th Anniversary. However, repeat purchases were not typically ideal with a price point of around 13 dollars per bottle. Fast forward to now, not only has the price point for Bitches Brew changed for the better, it is wood aged as well. For me, that made it a must to try. While, like last time, it is Wrestlemania season, when it came to drinking it this time, I felt I had to do it the right way.

Up until this week, I had yet to listen to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. This landmark album is one that for years I had intended to listen to, but when I did I wanted to have a glass of Bitches Brew in my hand to compliment it. That is exactly what I did and my mind was blown immediately by the opening cut, Pharaoh’s Dance. My enjoyment of this classic album did not let up throughout my listening session. The fusion of jazz, rock, funk, among other genres is incredible and I admit I found myself enjoying the beer more and more while I listened. Oh wait, I am supposed to be talking about the beer, not the album.

Wood Aged Bitches Brew matches the album's complexity by combining an imperial stout and Tej(African Honey Beer). It has a solid amount of body for its 9% ABV and this gave me high hopes for WA Bitches Brew. The aroma of roasted malt, dark chocolate, dates, licorice, vanilla, smoke, with a touch of floral notes and a hint of wood and coffee. The flavor matches the nose for the most part. It comes out of the gate very roasty, chocolately, smokey, fruity before an intense hit of vanilla, caramelized sugar & honey sweetness rush in, giving way to a dry, woody finish. I really enjoyed the flavor here but I could easily see this being too sweet for a lot of beer drinkers. The finish does provide some balance to the sweetness but it does not hide the fact that this is a very sweet stout. Then again, when you consider that it is blended with honey beer, I think that can be expected.

While I really enjoyed WA Bitches Brew, I could see how some would not. As it warms the sweetness only intensifies. If that does not sound appealing to you, spend your money elsewhere(like on the album for example). If it does sound appealing, open a bottle up and turn the album on. It makes for a beautiful pairing.

Overall rating: 4/5



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

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Drinking on a Budget at Trader Joe's

For some reason the amount of money I spend on craft beer never seems to bother me. I know it should, but somehow I can justify a basket full of beer I want to try as a necessary expense. I mean, I do write this beer blog. Sometimes though, I feel I need to dial it back. Those moments usually come when I am bringing a large quantity of beer home and my wife is watching. “How much did you spend on beer?” she will ask. Deflecting, I will hold up a bottle of beer I purchased for her and say “look what I got you!” That has about a 10% success rate of getting me off the hook, but it is my most successful solution so far. The truth is, sometimes cutting back on the amount of money spent on beer is a good thing. The question is, where do you start when you are looking to cut back? For this blog, I decided to take a look at some of Trader Joe's exclusive beers to see if there is something good to drink when you are looking to save money.

The criteria of this blog will not be to assign a numbered review to any of these beers. The only criteria is whether or not one of these less expensive options is drinkable or not. While most beers in this price range lack imagination and diversity in style, these beers do not. The most expensive beer here is under $1.20 per bottle. Even more surprising is that these beers are actually brewed out of some national breweries. For example, the Mission Street IPA is brewed out of Uinta Brewing, which makes the fantastic Hop Nosh IPA. So instead of the price lowering my expectations to sample these beers, I was hopeful that I wound find a fantastic value with at least one of these beers.

Brewed by the Rhinelander Brewing Company, the Boatswain line of beers yielded interesting results. I started things off with the 7% H.L.V.(Heavy Lift Vessel) Ale. It had a nice amount of caramel sweetness with a nice bitterness in the finish to provide balance. It was a bit watered down side and the alcohol was not hidden well at all. Still, it was surprisingly easy to drink and for the price(84 cents a can) works fairly well. Next up from Boatswain was Twin Screw Steamer Double IPA. The aroma pretty much smelled almost exactly the same as the H.L.V. Ale. However, it did taste a bit different, and by that I mean terrible. There was a little more fruitiness to this one but it did not help it at all. It tasted like the 84 cents I paid for it was way too much. If you are looking for something strong and cheap at 8.4%, it will certainly get you to your desired destination quickly. I just think regret will be the theme of your following day. Finally, from the Boatswain line of beers is their Chocolate Stout. This may have been the best of the bunch. Outside of a nice milk chocolate aroma, there was not really anything memorable here. It was thin, roasty, with a light chocolate sweetness. While it was a little on the bland side but it was by no means undrinkable. It worked flavor wise and could work as a gateway stout to someone who may think the style is too heavy. For under a dollar a can, you could do worse. Don't believe me? Try that Boatswain Double IPA.

Are these beers drinkable?

H.L.V. Ale: Sure, why not?
Double IPA:  I would not give it to my worst enemy
Chocolate Stout: Yes

Next up, we have Josephsbrau Radler. To make this short and sweet, I did not like this. It's basically a watered-down Radler with a muddled blend of malt sweetness and lemon flavor. There really is not much more than that going on here. The finish is particularly sweet and each time I took a sip, I wanted it to be a little tart. I think that could have made this significantly better, it just never happened. Even with drinking on a budget, this feels overpriced at 7 dollars a six pack. Admittedly, I am not the biggest Radler fan, but I can usually understand why people like them. I do not understand this one at all.

Is the Josephsbrau Radler drinkable?

Nope, easily worst Radler I have ever had.

The crown jewel of the beers I selected for this is Mission Street IPA. Brewed by Uinta Brewing, Mission Street IPA will not blow you away but it will give you a clean, easy drinking experience. Priced at 7 dollars a six pack, this beer has notes of grapefruit, pine and caramel malt sweetness. At 5.8%, it is borderline sessionable and because of that, I think it would work as a nice summer beer.

Is Mission St. IPA drinkable? Absolutely

There are a few beers here that will work if you are not looking to spend a lot of money. There are also a quite a few more beers at Trader Joe's I did not try. Perhaps, this blog merits a sequel.

To discuss this blog or all things beer like my Facebook page

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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!

Urban Family Muerte Al Cereal Imperial Stout

I have a bad habit when I holiday shop of treating myself to something nice, while shopping for others. It mostly happens if I decide to get someone beer as a Christmas present. My wife enjoys sour beers, especially fruit-forward sour beers. So, in my quest to get something interesting she had yet to try, I found myself contemplating whether I needed something for myself. I got one look at Urban Family Brewing's Muerte Al Cereal(Death to Cereal) and decided of course I did. Out of Seattle, WA, Muerte Al Cereal is another Mexican Hot Chocolate style beer. A style, simply put, I can't seem to get enough of. For example, Stone's Xocoveza has been consistently in my fridge since October, along with a few others. So I was excited to see how Muerte Al Cereal pulled off the style and report the results right here.

As I was pouring Muerte Al Cereal I immediately noticed how thin it was. This was a bit disappointing because I like my imperial stouts full-bodied. Basically I want my imperial stouts to pour like motor oil. While Muerte Al Cereal did not pour like motor oil, that was only a slight disappointment, not a deal breaker. The aroma provided a nice roastiness, some chocolate, lactose, light cinnamon and pepper spice. For the most part this matched what I got on the first sip. Roasted malt kicks things off before going right into the bold flavor of milk chocolate. The pepper spice is subtle and mostly comes through on the finish. As with most of these beers, I wanted a little more heat from the pepper on the finish. Still, the pepper was present at least. The cinnamon spice however was mostly MIA. I felt like I spent most of the remaining time drinking this beer looking for it. When the cinnamon did come through it was way too subtle. I thought letting Muerte Al Cereal warm a bit would bring the cinnamon & pepper spice out more, but sadly that did not happen. What did happen is the flavor of the chocolate & vanilla got even bolder.  I thought this was fantastic and if this wasn't a Mexican Hot Chocolate style beer, I would have been raving about it. Unfortunately, this is a Mexican Hot Chocolate style beer and it's a Mexican Hot Chocolate style beer with barely any spice. To be clear, I am not saying I needed a lot of spice in the flavor, I just wanted more than I got. Still, the flavors that I was left with were quite good. While I was disappointed Muerte Al Cereal missed the mark for the style, it is still a really nice chocolate milk stout.

Overall I would rate Muerte Al Cereal a 3/5. It's a good beer, just not the beer I hoped it would be.


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!

Happy Holidays! Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Dogfish Head Beer For Breakfast Stout

I have never eaten scrapple. Actually I do not believe I have ever seen scrapple. In fact, it took a quick Google image search for me to actually see what it was. Now that I know, I wish I had not seen it. If you are like me and are curious what scrapple is, I can save you the trouble. It is an unappetizing looking meatloaf made of mushy pork. To be more specific, according to Wikipedia, it is made from unused parts of the pig during butchering. So obviously the perfect place for this completely unappetizing looking meatloaf is in a beer, right? Well, Dogfish Head thinks so and it's an ingredient in their latest offering, Beer for Breakfast Stout. Obviously I am a huge fan of being creative with beer but my initial reaction to this particular one is, “Why?” By the time my glass is empty, I hope to see any reason to justify this beer's existence.

Pouring a rich black with a tan head, the aroma of Beer for Breakfast is actually amazing. It is a blast of coffee with a nice smokiness, liquorice and some chocolate. With an aroma like that, I think I'll be able to completely disregard the image of that horrendous looking meatloaf. The taste fortunately is very much like the aroma. It is a blast of coffee & smoke accompanied by dark chocolate, liquorice, pepper and a splash of cream. There is a tiny hint of maple sweetness in the finish along with a lot more smoke. Much like Singlecut's Barrel Aged Heavy Boots of Lead from a couple weeks ago, I wanted more maple in this beer. Still, the coffee & smoke flavor really work for me here. Obviously I do not get any meat from the beer, as clearly this is more of a gimmick than anything else. Perhaps the flavor of the meat added to the smokiness but since I have no further interest to learn any more about scrapple I'll move on.

I think Dogfish Head did a pretty solid job with this beer. It is a bit more complex than their Chicory Stout. Unfortunately, I can't for certain say it is better. It is definitely worth a try if you like coffee & your beer smoky. If you do not prefer the latter, I would just stick with Founders Breakfast Stout. It really is an amazing achievement in beer.

Overall I would rate Beer for Breakfast a 3.25/5. It's a nice coffee forward beer that I fear will only be remembered for the fact that scrapple is an actual ingredient in 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!

Craft Beer Recommendations For Your Stubborn Macro Beer Drinking Family Member: From Your Pal, Sean

My Dad and I have a bit of a Thanksgiving tradition. He comes over and asks to try whatever beers I recommend from my refrigerator and I oblige. His sampling usually goes on for several hours. He calls it his “Trip Around the World.” At the end of it, he will pick his favorites, as well as tell me which ones he did not enjoy. He will then go home and the next beer he will buy on his own will still be Heineken, Corona or Guinness. While I have nothing against those beers, I still hold out hope that one day he will find a beer in my refrigerator that breaks this habit. One that is so good to him that it finds its way into his regular drinking rotation. I know I can't be alone in this. We probably all have a family member that regularly drinks macro beer when we wish they would find their way into the craft beer domain. So instead of reviewing beer this week, I am going to recommend what I consider several gateway beers that I use to try and steer people into craft beer. They are not crazy, complicated beers, they are just solid beers that are an excellent introduction to their respective style.

I mentioned earlier that my Dad likes Guinness. I gave him Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro for the first time and his mind was blown. Think of this as a slightly sweeter, more boozy version of Guinness Draught. At 6%, the booze is beautifully hidden behind semi-sweet chocolate and roasted malt. This is a perfect beer for the cooler months ahead. It's also super fun to pour...

(Sweet shirt, right?)

Saisons are not the easiest beer to give an inexperienced beer drinker. Some of them are too spicy. Some of them are a bit too funky. I have even had some that have tasted like I was drinking an ashtray. Brooklyn Brewery makes one of the best saisons I've had. It's a wonderful showcase for the sorachi ace hop. It has a beautifully light lemon note and a wonderful malt backbone. It's easy to drink and deceptively strong at 7.2%. If you know someone or are someone who absolutely despises saisons, try this one. You and/or they might be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat is a beer I had back for the first time in 2004. It was also one of the first fruited beers I tried. In my early days of craft beer drinking, I did my best to steer clear of fruit beers. I immediately enjoyed this one and to this day find a way to have a few. I actually got my wife into craft beer by having her try this beer. Because of that we actually served it at our wedding. It was a big hit with some people and too big of a hit to others. Simply put, this is a super easy drinking, fruit-forward beer. If you like apricot, you will probably like this.

Finally, I couldn't write this blog without touching upon something hoppy. Jack's Abby Calyptra Session India Pale Lager is perfect for your macro lager drinking friends. It has a wonderful lager backbone with a beautiful but not overwhelming tropical and citrus hop profile. At no point does it get too bitter. It is just an easy drinking 4.9%, and is perfect for a long, drawn out holiday celebration. This has also become a favorite of my father, I just can't seem to get him to remember the name. He just calls it “the purple can” and encourages me to bring it over when I visit. I have a fridge full of it for Thanksgiving, so I hope with repetition he finally remembers its name.

All of these beers are easy drinking and a beautiful example of their respective styles. Each one is extremely easy to drink. I just hope you err on the side of caution if you decide to have a session with the Sorachi Ace. I also hope that these recommendations help you, or help you get a friend or family member a bit more into craft beer.

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 and Happy Thanksgiving Sláinte!

Guinness Antwerpen Stout

Two years ago, I reviewed Guinness Blonde American Lager. I remember it quite vividly because it was one of my first extremely negative reviews. I tried really hard but I could not find a single nice thing to say about it. I recall it reminding me of watered-down Rolling Rock and found it a chore just to make it through a glass of it. To this day I still can't believe the makers of Guinness Draught made such a lackluster beer. I'm stating the obvious when I say Guinness Draught is a classic. To me, it's a solid beer that works in any season. So when Guinness announced they were releasing Antwerpen Stout in the US as part of their Brewers Project line, I was excited. If anybody could deliver a fantastic stout it would be Guinness. While I was excited to try Antwerpen Stout, the memory of drinking Blonde American Lager put a slight damper on my expectations. I tried my best however to put those doubts aside and opened a bottle of Antwerpen Stout and hoped for the best.

Guinness Antwerpen Stout pours a rich black with a khaki colored head that stuck around for awhile. The familiar roastiness of Guinness was practically jumping out of the glass well before I put my nose up to it. The aroma of dark chocolate, smoke with a slight fruitiness was there as well. I felt very optimistic about the first sip and that optimism was rewarded until the very last sip. To put it simply, I loved this beer. The semi-sweet chocolate is the star of the show here. As Antwerpen Stout warms the chocolate becomes bolder and sweeter. However, it never gets to the point of being too sweet. A nice touch of vanilla also comes out as well, as it begins to warm. It is a wonderful compliment to the chocolate and the rich, roasted malt. There is also a subtle hint of fruity sweetness, think raisin/date and smoke in the finish. The smoke and the roasted malt linger long after you put the glass down. I really enjoyed that part. It left me looking forward to the next sip.

Guinness Antwerpen Stout is a beautiful stout.  It's so good it got me to forgive the awful mistake that is Guinness Blonde American Lager. Although I have to admit, I would have liked Antwerpen Stout to have a little more body. I thought it was a little thinner than it should have been. Still, with an 8% ABV, it's a big stout. It practically doubles the ABV of Guinness Draught. With the weather getting a bit cooler now, I could see this being a staple in my fridge in the immediate future.

Overall I would rate Guinness Antwerpen Stout a 4.25/5. If you enjoy Guinness Draught, I believe you will really enjoy this.

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!

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!

A Crafty Recommendation: Founders Breakfast Stout

The lighting is terrible. The beer recommendation is not. Cheers & thanks for watching!

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

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Grimm Double Negative Imperial Stout

Grimm Artisan Ales' Double Negative Imperial Stout is a beer I have been waiting for quite some time to finally try. Last November, I was lucky enough to pick up a bottle of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Double Negative and was absolutely blown away. Then in February, right after the worst snow storm we had last Winter, I was fortunate enough to find a bottle of the Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Double Negative. With reports of off flavors developing in the bottles, I had lowered expectations for what it was going to taste like. Again, I was blown away. My bottle was absolutely fantastic! It was so good, I was sad I did not have another to enjoy the following night. Basically, the two variants I tried were absolutely wonderful. The original however still eluded me, until now. I was finally one of the fortunate ones to find a bottle during Double Negative's most recent release. I couldn't not(see what I did there) wait to crack it open to see how it compared to the stellar variants I tried previously.

Grimm Double Negative pours a beautifully rich black with a dark brown head. The aroma is full of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee and a wonderfully light fruity sweetness. Immediately, I could tell that this was going to be a much different than the barrel aged versions. On top of that, I could not believe that this was that much better than both the barrel aged variants I mentioned earlier. For an imperial stout, this was as close to perfect as it gets. Bold notes of slightly sweet dark chocolate, caramel, molasses, dates, licorice and a blueberry finish absolutely blew me away.

What stood out the most to me was the blueberry. It completely made the beer for me. The balance of the semi-sweet dark chocolate paired with the subtle fruitiness from the blueberry was a perfect mash-up. I have had blueberry stouts before that are complete failures. They taste medicinal, artificial and have left me with little desire to buy that style again. This is not a blueberry stout, it just manages to bring that flavor out in a way that blends perfectly with the other flavor notes. Grimm Double Negative Imperial Stout is one of those rare beers that I can't seem to find anything negative to say about. I feel I could complain about its limited availability but perhaps that is what makes it even more special? Realistically, the only thing I am disappointed about is not having another bottle.

Overall I would rate Grimm Double Negative Imperial Stout a 5/5. If you are lucky enough to find a bottle, buy it, drink it & prepare to be blown away.

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!

Evil Twin Brewing Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room

I am not a big fan of how everything on November 1^st becomes Christmas themed. We go from the costumes, monsters and candy of Halloween, to holiday themed everything. On November 1^st it seems everything has a snowflake, a candy cane, a Christmas tree, or Santa on it. One of the reasons I don't enjoy this is that I love Thanksgiving. I don't even want to think about Christmas until I have a stomach full of turkey, gravy & stuffing and wake up from my food coma on Black Friday. But year after year Christmas season seems to come earlier and earlier. Right now, stores are filled with holiday themed decorations while Christmas songs play in the background. Streets are lined with Christmas lights and I just can't take it. I would try to wish all of it away until after Thanksgiving but that would mean winter beer would have to go with it and I just don't want that. For this review I decided to suppress my inner Grinch and take a look at the holiday offering from Evil Twin Brewing, Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room Imperial Stout.

In retrospect I probably could have picked a beer with a shorter name for this review but I appreciate the originality of the name Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room and that alone is why I picked this beer. Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room pours a rich, deep black with a dark brown head. The aroma is not filled with any Christmas spices, instead it is filled with roasted malt, espresso, chocolate and coffee. The flavor is immediately roasty with the pleasant flavor of smoke. There are notes of coffee, caramel and chocolate but nothing that really shines outside of the roasted malt and the smoke. The finish has a light earthy hop bitterness, along with a hint of alcohol, reminding you it has a 10% ABV.

Christmas Eve at a NYC Hotel Room Imperial Stout is a good Imperial Stout but it is not a great one. I feel the flavor lacked the depth I wanted from an Imperial Stout, as well as mouthfeel. To me, this beer is a bit thin for what it is. A little more body and more malt complexity could have pushed this beer into great imperial stout territory. One thing I am a fan of is that Evil Twin did not add any cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger to this beer. It is just an imperial stout. So for someone like me, who is not ready for the Christmas season just yet, this is a perfect seasonal beer to start with.

Overall I rate Evil Twin Brewing Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room a 3.5/5. While I wanted more depth in the flavor, sometimes simple works. Plus, the 10% ABV does a great job at silencing your inner Grinch.

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!

Westbrook 4th Anniversary Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout

One of the best feelings in beer collecting is finding that rare beer you have been going store to store looking for. Depending on the level of effort you put forth and whether you have had the beer before, the act of chasing it down a lot of times can be more satisfying then drinking it. The more effort and miles you put in, the more special it can become. This process occasionally creates unrealistic expectations for the right occasion to drink said beer. This is what I ran into when I finally obtained a bottle of Westbrook 4^th Anniversary Stout.

In some areas Westbrook 4^th Anniversary Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout just sits on shelves collecting dust, waiting for someone to purchase it. In the area of Upstate NY I live in, Westbrook 4^th was only available for a couple of hours making it quite the challenge to obtain. When I got one of the last bottles I felt a tremendous swell of pride. I was excited to have it and was certain I would be drinking it immediately. But then a week went by and I felt that the beer was so rare that I had to save it for a special occasion. Then a month went by and it was still sitting the fridge. Then another month passed, and it finally hit me I need to drink that beer now before any of its interesting flavors fade away prior to drinking it. So instead of a special occasion I decided to treat myself to this beer on a random Thursday night watching cheesy horror movies--an occasion I viewed just as good as any.

Westbrook 4^th Anniversary Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout pours a rich, thick black with a dark brown head that slowly dissipates. The aroma is incredible, full of dark chocolate, vanilla and roasted malt. Simply, it smelled like chocolate milk for grown ups. And while the aroma was delightful, I was disappointed to not detect any coconut but hoped it would come through in the flavor. Unfortunately worrying about finding coconut in the flavor was the least of my worries because this beer is a mess. Much like the aroma, chocolate, vanilla and roasted malt are noticeable right away before a dry, nutty, espresso-like finish. While that may sound good initially(it is), the sloppiness of blending those flavors becomes intolerable by the end of the bottle.

One of the best parts of drinking a truly complex imperial stout is allowing the beer to warm so the flavors typically start to open up and more subtle flavors are noticeable. Here, when the beer warms, it becomes an overly sweet, clunky mess. It seems Westbrook 4^th does not seem to know which flavor it wants to showcase, but it certainly does not try to showcase the coconut. In this beer, warm or not the coconut is pretty much non-existent. To a point, I honestly do not know why coconut was on the label. The almond flavor is there but that falls victim to the poorly blended bigger flavors of the roasted malt, sweet chocolate and vanilla. Basically this is a beer that tries to be too complex for its own good and it suffers because of it.

Westbrook 4^th Anniversary Stout is an example of a rare beer that arrives with a bunch of hype but fails to live up to the expectations. For this particular beer, chasing it down was by far the most interesting part about it. With the ingredients involved there was a lot of potential for it to be great but unfortunately the clunkiness of its' craftsmanship left a lot to be desired. I hope to see other coconut stouts hit my area in the future and hope someone can get this style of beer right.

Overall Westbrook 4^th Anniversary Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout gets a 2.5/5. While it is not terrible, it is a mess of big flavors that do not seem to fit well together. A prime example of a big stout that failed to live up to its potential.

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!

Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB!

When I was in college I thought the idea of paying 10 dollars for a 12 oz. bottle of beer would have been as ridiculous as it was irresponsible. At that time spending 10 dollars on beer meant buying a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada, Heineken or Sam Adams. And after purchasing one of those, I would spend an evening feeling like I was drinking like a king. This all changed the first time I saw Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA. I was shocked at how expensive it was but nevertheless intrigued by how fast it would fly off the shelves. What made things even worse for my bank account was how delicious it was. Fast forward a number of years later, and I still find the idea of paying 10 dollars a bottle ridiculous. But I, like many others are guilty of trying to find those rare high end beers that come to town. One of those high end rare beers is Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! and recently I was able to find a bottle. So what better way to kick off a new year of reviews then reviewing one of the more complex beers I have ever had?

Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! is an imperial stout that pours a rich, thick black with a dark brown head that does not stick around long. The aroma is very heavy on coffee and roasted malt; as well as sweetness from chocolate and vanilla with a hint of spice. Because this beer was 13% ABV I knew I was going to be working on it awhile and I had no issue savoring every last complex drop. Upon initial tasting I was flooded with the flavor of coffee with a slightly spicy finish. As BOMB! began to warm the flavor of chocolate and vanilla became more noticeable. It got to a point where the delightful flavor of chocolate seemed to move to the forefront, with coffee becoming a complimentary flavor. The spice of the chili peppers also seemed to disappear altogether as the beer warmed. This was about the only thing I can say I was disappointed by. I really wanted to see more spice, but after experiencing such a flavorful beer it does feel like nitpicking.

Overall I was very impressed with Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! It was full of flavor and the 13% ABV was hidden quite well but not altogether. As I was making my way through the glass I knew I was drinking something quite strong. While the price tag is high I think it is a worthwhile one-time purchase. It could be interesting to have it once yearly to see how the beer, as well as your palette evolves, but there are cheaper and easier to find beers for that.

Overall I'd rate Prairie Artisan Ales BOMB! A 4.75/5. It's a fantastic, complex beer that lives up to its hype and reputation.

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!

Guinness Blonde American Lager

While enjoying a Guinness, how many times have you thought to yourself: I really wish they made a lager? I'd wager the answer to that is zero. But on the slim chance you have had that thought you would find out they made Harp Lager and never think about it again. So when I first saw Guinness Blonde American Lager in stores my first thought was 'why?' instead of 'I've got to try it.' But in the spirit of this blog and the goodwill I have towards Guinness Draught, I felt picking up a single bottle was necessary.

Brewed in Latrobe, PA, Guinness Blonde American Lager pours a beautifully crystal clear golden amber with a fluffy white head. Unfortunately, that was the only positive thing about this lager. The aroma was almost non-existent. I had to bury my nose in the glass for a couple minutes to detect the aroma of a bready malt and some grassy hops. Sadly, much like the aroma the flavor was almost non-existent. There is some initial bready malt sweetness and a light peppery hop finish, but it took almost half a glass to figure that out. 　Frankly, it tasted like someone dumped out ¾ of a bottle of Rolling Rock, filled it back up with water, capped it, slapped a Guinness label on it and charged 10 dollars a 6 pack for it. 　Clearly, Guinness was trying to cash in more on their name value here then providing a quality product.

The first of their new Discovery Series line, Guinness Blonde American Lager disappoints on almost every level. And while I admire their attempt to try to do something new to compete with the expanding American craft beer marketplace, if this is a sign of things to come, I do not expect the Discovery Series to be a success. This is dull, flavorless beer and it’s an insult to the Guinness name. If you find yourself looking for a lager to pair with Guinness, I’d recommend sticking with Harp or looking anywhere else.

Overall I’d rate Guinness Blonde American Lager a .5/5. Overpriced and flavorless, I do not expect to see this beer on shelves for very long.


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!

The Muddy Imperial Stout by Goose Island

I have to admit pretty much anytime I visit the grocery store I feel I have to check the beer aisle. Most of the time I walk out of the aisle with nothing. Nevertheless I feel I have to check because of that exciting moment every beer enthusiast loves, finding something new and exciting. I did just that on a recent visit when I came across The Muddy Imperial Stout by The Goose Island Beer Company. Now if the Bourbon County Series has taught us one thing, The Goose Island Beer Company knows how to make an incredible stout. I didn't think for an instant this was going to be in the same ball park as Bourbon County but I thought there was a chance it was the equivalent of tailgating outside of said ball park. Please pardon the bad sports metaphor but I was very excited about that. Add in the fact that this imperial stout according to the bottle featured “amplified sweetness with licorice notes” I probably could not have gotten it in the cart fast enough. The only question I was left with was, is this beer going to be as exciting as I think it's going to be?

The Muddy poured a thick black color with a dark tan head that went away almost immediately. The aroma was slightly sweet, full of roasted malt with chocolate and a hint of coffee. The aroma was also slightly boozy but with an ABV of 9% that is not completely unexpected. And while The Muddy is a fun name for a stout, unfortunately it accurately described the flavor. The roasted malt was easily detectable initially in the flavor but shortly after that the outrageous candy sweetness dominated my palate. It was so overpowering that any of the subtle flavors that I was doing my best to detect were pretty much “muddied” by this sweetness. The worst part to me was the fact that the licorice was practically nonexistent. As I made my way through the glass I kept hoping the next sip was going to be the one where I tasted the licorice, sadly this never happened.

When I was finished with The Muddy all I was left with was an empty glass and a whole lot of disappointment for this completely missed opportunity by Goose Island to create something new and creative. And it is also a reminder that unfortunately not every new beer we spot is as good as we hope it would be. But it is beers like The Muddy that make us appreciate when we find that good beer that much more.

Overall I give The Muddy Imperial Stout a 1.5/5. While it is not completely undrinkable it reminded me more of an extremely sweet cheap liqueur then it did an imperial stout.

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!

Rhinelander Chocolate Bunny Stout

I’ve never understood the appeal of the Chocolate Bunny. I think they are boring, bland and as easy to chew as a piece of concrete. However this does not stop someone from getting me one as a gift every Easter. And every year I do the same thing. I eat a piece, remember how much I don’t like it, put it somewhere for someone else to eat and then throw it in the garbage a week or two later. It’s my Easter tradition.
 

And while I am not a fan of the Chocolate Bunny, I am a fan of the chocolate stout. If it is done right, the chocolate stout can be an very enjoyable beer drinking experience. With its’ chocolate sweetness and coffee bite, it might be the closest beer gets to being a dessert. So, my curiosity was peaked when I came across Rhinelander’s Chocolate Bunny Stout. The title alone gave me a reason to hope I might have found a new Easter tradition.

Things started out very well when Chocolate Bunny Stout poured a wonderfully dense black with a thick tan head that resembled chocolate milk. There was almost nothing else to detect in the aroma but chocolate and more chocolate. At this point I thought I was in for quite a treat.

Unfortunately upon tasting, I was hit immediately with the unpleasant flavor of artificial chocolate, followed by a hint of roasted malt. Things then went from bad to worse when the beer finished with the strong flavor of old burnt coffee. To better put it into perspective, think Nesquik meets vending machine coffee. It was at this point I realized it was time to stop looking for a new Easter tradition and start looking for any reason to finish the bottle.

Overall I give Rhinelander’s Chocolate Bunny Stout a 1/5. There are many variations of the chocolate stout, try any one but this one.

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!