The Bruery Or Xata

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

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

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


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


Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

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

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

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!

Allagash Saison, Tripel and White Ale

Like the season premiere of your favorite show, I'm back with a new round of beer reviews. It's been far too long since I sat behind this keyboard talking about whether a particular beer happens to be good or not. So to make up for lost time I'm going to start my “new season” of beer reviews off with a bang. In this review I'll be looking at 3 Belgian-Style beers that just hit the western New York area and all of them are from the Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine.

Typically I have little to no interest in seeking out Belgian-Style ales. For as long as I have been drinking beer, I have found the spiciness of them to be overpowering and completely unbearable. But due to the overwhelmingly positive reputation of the Allagash Brewing Company and my never ending curiosity to all things beer I felt it was time to put my feelings aside, keep an open mind and try some new beer.

The first beer I tried was the Allagash Saison. This beer poured a clear light yellow with a thin white head. The aroma was a little grassy with lemon and spice. Upon tasting I was hit with the taste of herbal lemon that gave way to the clove flavor of the Belgian spice before finishing with a hint of pepper. And while that may sound intriguing I assure you it is not. To me it is a boring by the numbers saison. That being said, it is by no means terrible but nothing about it truly stands out. If you are looking for anything groundbreaking, here you won't find it. Overall I'd rate Allagash Saison a 2.5/5.

Next up is the Allagash Tripel Ale and it poured a hazy golden yellow with a slightly off-white head. The aroma was bready, sweet, and fruity with a hint of spice. Upon tasting I knew immediately I had found something special. The flavor of bready malt, banana and pear immediately stood out before finishing with a hint of hops and spice. The flavor of the hops pleasantly lingered until I took my next sip. And believe me when I say I was looking forward to every single one. There is almost no trace of the powerful 9% ABV hidden behind the beautiful flavor of this beer which makes it a bit deceptive. My advice is to drink it slowly. Overall I'd rate Allagash Tripel an 4.25/5.

At this point I was pleasantly surprised to find one Belgian-Style ale I truly enjoyed. I felt I was playing with “house money” when I tried the Allagash White ale. I felt there was no way it was going to be better then the Tripel ale and I can't tell you how pleased I am to say I was wrong. Allagash White ale pours a cloudy straw color with a thin white head. The aroma is spicy with a hint of banana and citrus. The flavor was incredibly complex. With each sip I seemed to detect something different than the previous one. The flavor of coriander, pepper, clove and light bready malt are prominent before a crisp, peppery finish that remained on my palette between sips. Bottom line, this is an exceptional beer. It's extremely sessionable and the best white ale I've had. Overall I'd rate Allagash White Ale a 4.75/5.

Bottom line, I'm extremely impressed with the first beers I have tried from the Allagash Brewing Company. They have taken styles of beer I don't typically seek out and given me a whole new appreciation for them. While there are other beers from Allagash I look forward to trying, the White Ale is going to have a regular place in my fridge for the foreseeable future.

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!