Collective Arts Saint of Circumstance

The first time I had a beer from Collective Arts Brewing was in May of 2016 at Irish Embassy in Toronto, ON. It was after my second Pearl Jam concert in three nights. That particular show was special because I finally heard my “Holy Grail” Pearl Jam song, Alone. Up to that point, I had waited 26 shows to hear Alone. Before that night, the best chance I had to hear it was in Philadelphia in 2013. Pearl Jam sound checked the song before the first show of their two-night stand. The song did not end up making the set list either of those two nights. It made the set list at the next show, in the next city they were in. I was bummed out by this because I thought that was my best chance to hear it. With an ever-growing catalog of songs, I thought the chances I would ever hear it were becoming slim to none. Then on May 12th, 2016, after a spectacular performance of Present Tense, Alone just started. When I realized what I happening, I was so excited, I practically tackled my unsuspecting cousin next to me. I yelled “This is it! This is my holy grail song!” and he just smiled. I stood there rocking out for the next few minutes with a gigantic smile on my face. That was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life. Anything that happened that night after hearing that song was icing on the cake. I honestly believe Pearl Jam could have taken turns farting into the microphone for the next two hours and I would not have minded. That moment made my night. Later, at the Irish Embassy, I could talk about little else while surveying the beer menu. I ordered something I had never heard of, which turned out to be Collective Arts Brewing Rhyme & Reason Pale Ale. I thought it tasted fantastic, so good in fact that I ordered a few. Usually I like to mix it up a bit but that beer was hitting all the right flavor notes. Fast forward to April 2017, Collective Arts Brewing is now being distributed in Upstate New York. I immediately bought cans of Rhyme & Reason. I was hoping the beer was not enhanced by the moment last May. I am happy to report it was not. Rhyme & Reason is a fantastic pale ale. It's malty with just the right amount of hop bite. I absolutely love that beer, and the fact that it is tied to a great memory makes it even better.

Rhyme & Reason was not the only beer to arrive in Upstate NY from Collective Arts Brewing and that got me excited. When I picked up some Rhyme & Reason, I also picked up their Blonde Ale, Saint of Circumstance. I think blonde ale is a criminally underrated style of beer. With warm weather coming I was hoping the brewery that made such an excellent pale ale would make a blonde ale that could be a regular summer staple in my refrigerator.

I can safely say I enjoyed drinking Saint of Circumstance. It delivered on being a light, easy-drinking, refreshing beer. I just thought I would enjoy it a bit more, especially from the pleasant cracker, spicy, grassy and citrus aroma. I enjoyed that the flavor lemon in particular shined here, especially in the finish. The other big flavor flavor is the malt which brings a nice amount of cracker and graininess to the beer. What I was not crazy about was the finish, which was a muddled mixture of lemon, grass, grapefruit and pepper spice. It was not by any means a dealbreaker though. This is a solid choice for a summer beer. If you have to decide between this or Rhyme or Reason, I would go with Rhyme or Reason. I say that not just because I had it for the first time after one of the greatest concert moments of my life. I say that because it is a damn fine pale ale.

Overall I would rate Saint of Circumstance a 3/5. A solid beer from a solid catalog of beers. Oh, and the can art is amazing.

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!

Burlington Beer Elaborate Metaphor Pale Ale

My intention is not to flood my blog with beer from my recent Vermont trip, but it seems almost a disservice not to mention a few of them. First and foremost a beercation in Vermont does not officially start until I have had some Heady Topper. I was able to accomplish this almost immediately and from there I was open to trying some new and exciting things.

Our visit to Foam Brewers in Burlington in particular was a highlight. Everything I had from there seemed to leave an impression, especially their Galaxie 500 Double IPA. The beer was like drinking pineapple juice mixed with an amazing blend of tropical hop notes and a nice bitter finish. Everything about the beer worked for me and I hope to one day have it again.

A place I did not get to go sadly was Burlington Beer Company. I ended up trying their Stargazer Blonde Ale as a hotel beer and was instantly in love. The blonde ale style of beer seems to get lost in the crowd and that's a shame. When it is done right, it can be fantastic. If this beer was sold in Upstate NY, I would make it a regular part of my summer beer drinking. Since Stargazer was so good, I had no issue dropping 15 dollars on a 4 pack of their Elaborate Metaphor Pale Ale. I waited until I  returned home to drink it, because if it was as good as I hoped, then Burlington Beer Company would be the first place we would visit during our next trip there. Until then, I think a review of it is a fantastic idea.

Elaborate Metaphor pours an opaque straw yellow with a lasting white head. The aroma is full of passion fruit, peach, orange, and grapefruit with a nice bready malt in the background. The citra hop really comes through in the aroma. From this, I was certain I would enjoy the first sip of this beer and I was right. Peach, orange, melon, mango, and passion fruit with a slightly bitter grapefruit finish. There was a hint of pine and grass in the finish as well. If you look at those flavor notes and think that sounds a lot like juice, you would be correct. There is a noticeable malt presence but it is in the background. The malt lends a breadiness which adds a nice amount of sweetness. The other thing about Elaborate Metaphor that is beautiful is its soft mouthfeel. It is light, pillowy and silky smooth. That characteristic which is more common in New England Pale Ales & IPAs makes everything here even better. Needless to say, I am gushing over Elaborate Metaphor Pale Ale. I think it is safe to say Burlington Beer Company will be my first stop next time I go to Burlington.

Overall I would rate Elaborate Metaphor a 4.5/5. So juicy I wonder if it has Vitamin C in it.

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

The Alchemist Sterk Wit

The first time I went up to Vermont to purchase beer from The Alchemist was a couple years ago. My wife and I arrived at The Beverage Warehouse in Winooski, Vermont at 8:40AM. I was the 6th person in line. By the time the place opened at 10 AM, the parking lot was completely full and the line was around the building. Judging by the license plates on the cars in the parking lot, people had come from all over the US and Canada to get their hands on Heady Topper. I stood in awe of the amount of cases the store received. Their entire stock sold out that day in a matter of minutes.

Since then, The Alchemist Brewery has opened a new visitor's center in Stowe, Vermont. This has made their beer significantly easier to obtain. It also allows for a bit more variety to choose from. For our most recent trip to Vermont, we were fortunate enough to arrive there with friends around 5 PM, with plenty of beer still in stock. Unfortunately, we ended up missing out on Focal Banger. We did however leave with Heady Topper, Luscious British Imperial Stout and the beer I will be reviewing today, Sterk Wit Belgian Style Double Wit.

My first experience with Sterk Wit was not under the circumstances I would normally like. I drank it out of a can in let's just say a shorter amount of time than I would have liked. Now that I am home from vacation, I was able to take my time with it and really enjoy it. The aroma was lovely, full of orange, spice, coriander, bread dough and a hit of fruit. This first sip was delightful and had a nice creamy mouthfeel. Sterk Wit is by far one of the hoppier witbiers I have ever had. The flavors of orange peel, tangerine, coriander, bread dough, clove, and banana give way to a spicy, dry finish. There was also this subtle fruity sweetness that lingered in the background which really added to the character of the beer. Needless to say, there's a lot going on here and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip. The use of Mandarina Bavaria hops are a beautiful addition to Sterk Wit. They really amplify the citrus and fruitiness. This beer definitely measures up as one of the best Witbiers I have had in recent memory. The Alchemist Brewery delivered again with another fantastic beer.

Overall I rate The Alchemist Sterk Wit a 4.5/5. If you are a fan of Witbiers, this is a must 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!

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!