Pipeworks Blood of the Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale

When I first started drinking craft beer, I loved being asked the question, “what are you drinking?” I always enjoyed letting people know about beer outside of the mainstream macro beers. One day, I elicited a different reaction when someone asked me, “what are you drinking?” and I responded “Arrogant Bastard Ale”. People would laugh and think I was kidding, but then they laughed even harder when I showed them the bottle. Years later, there are so many wonderfully creative beer names out there, nothing really gets a reaction anymore. However, the beer I am writing about today did stop a few people in their tracks and make them chuckle when they asked what I was drinking next. That beer is Pipeworks Brewing's Blood of the Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale.

Chicago's Pipeworks Brewing has a ton of creative beer names and amazing can/bottle art. To name a few there is Lizard King, War Bird and the wonderful double IPA, Ninja vs. Unicorn. Blood of the Unicorn, though, is my favorite at the moment.  As I opened a can of it, I realized how much I wanted to like this beer. Not just because the name of it is amazing but because I feel like it has been a long time since I have had a truly great red ale.

Red ale is a style of beer that really got me into craft beer. I loved the balance of malt and hops. Ithaca Brewing's Cascazilla, Bear Republic's Red Rocket Ale, Great Lakes' Nosferatu and Cigar City's Tocobaga are a few that come to mind that I enjoyed at different points over the years. Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve used to be a red ale I looked forward to every year but perhaps as a sign that red ales are not as popular as they used to be, Rogue changed that beer to a fruited Belgian strong ale. Perhaps later in the season I will blog about it once I am finished pouting about the fact that one of my favorite holiday beers is gone for the year. Basically the point I am trying to make is, I love a good red ale, but it has just been a while since I have tried one that I really loved. I hoped that would change once I tried Blood of the Unicorn.

The aroma of Blood of the Unicorn was exactly what I hoped it would be. Caramel, biscuit, grapefruit, mango, pine with a solid amount of herbal spice shined in the aroma. My first sip was glorious and immediately reminded me of why I loved this style so much. The malt was showcased wonderfully. The caramel and biscuit malt were the first thing I noticed here. They provided a beautiful backbone to mango, lemon, pine, candied orange, herbal spice before giving way to more pine and grapefruit rind finish. The finish was a touch astringent but that is a small complaint. It is a touch on the stronger side at 6.5%, but I will admit it goes down very easy. This is a beautiful red ale that provides a nice touch of warmth on a cold night.

When I think about what style of beer I want to see become popular again, the answer from me is a hoppy red ale. It is a style I fell in love with very early into my beer drinking years and I love finding a great one I have yet to try. Pipeworks Brewing's Blood of the Unicorn not only has a tremendous name, it is an absolutely delicious red ale. It is so good that if it was in my area more, it would be a regular addition to my refrigerator. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5 

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Bells Mars Double IPA

The Bells Planet Series was something I found enjoyable and underwhelming all at the same time. In most cases, I remember something about each of the beers I tried. I remember sitting with my wife drinking Venus, while she cringed through each sip. I looked at her confused because somehow the bizarre blend of ingredients in a blonde ale worked for me. I remember being excited at the price of Saturn for being Bourbon Barrel Aged and then disappointed the more I drank of it. I remember sitting quietly after a long day of work drinking a Uranus and thinking it was a really great Black IPA. Then I remember reading the list of ingredients for Neptune and wondering what the brewing process for that was like. I imagined the brewers were looking at a list of every adjunct they had on hand and saying 'dump it in”. With the laundry list of adjuncts in the beer, barely any of them stood out in the flavor. Still, I thought Neptune was a good stout. I never got around to trying Mars: The Bringer of War because it was sold out every time I tried to buy a bottle. As you can imagine, I am thrilled Bells decided to brew it again and give me a second chance to try it.

Right off the bat, I loved the beautiful reddish-orange color of Bells Mars Double IPA. In beer form, it seemed to perfectly match a photo of the “Red Planet”. The aroma was nice, but from it I knew  I was in for a big beer. Huge notes of grapefruit, resinous pine, caramel malt, pineapple and candied orange stood out with a nicely. The first sip started out with a nice caramel malt sweetness before a massive rush of citrus and pine. Notes of pineapple, orange, and mango complimented those flavors before giving way to a sticky pine, grapefruit rind, slightly spicy, dry, boozy finish. When I say boozy finish, I mean it. The 10.1% is not even remotely hidden. I like a little heat on the finish but this was a bit too much. Still I thought Mars was a fairly good Double IPA, it's just nothing memorable. By the end of my glass, I was happy I only purchased one bottle. It's definitely on the syrupy side and that began to wear me down the further I got into the beer. I am happy I was able to try Mars, but I can't say it is something I could or would want to drink another bottle of.

Overall I would rate Mars a 3/5. I'm glad I got to try it and I hope to see other reissues in the future from this series.

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!

Marble / Odell / Stone Megawheat IPA & Stone Ripper Pale Ale

For some reason I appear to have a surplus of beer from Stone Brewing Company in my refrigerator. My previous blog featured their brand new Mint Coffee Milk Stout. Like many of their beers I found it to be quite enjoyable. At the time I purchased that beer, I also picked up their brand new collaboration beer. Later that week I picked up a few cans of Stone Ripper Pale Ale as well. I do not know why I picked up so much Stone beer but that appears to be my predicament at the moment. So I thought, why not keep the trend of reviewing Stone beer going for one more blog?

The reason I was drawn to Stone's brand new collaboration beer, Megawheat IPA, is because of one brewery in particular that they collaborated with. Odell Brewing Company is a brewery I have heard a lot of good things about but have yet to try anything from. My uncle moved out to Fort Collins, Colorado and says they are quite popular out there. He has sent me glassware and t-shirts from Odell, reinforcing the fact I need to get to Colorado for a visit and to check out their local beer scene. I admit I do not know much about Marble Brewery unfortunately, but I definitely would like to. From a standpoint of Odell though, if this is my first taste of their beer, I think it is quite good. The huge aroma was noticeable about a foot from the glass. Tangerine, orange peel, tropical fruit and lime seemed to jump out of the glass. The first sip was interesting, full of citrus notes, tropical fruit with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Notes of tangerine, orange, mango and spice gave way to a bitter lemon, lime and boozy finish. I have to admit, the finish was particularly jarring, especially early into the glass. I did not expect it to be as bitter and tart as it was. The lemon and lime flavors were so aggressive that my mouth was puckering. From an ingredient standpoint, the finish is really a showcase of the Motueka hop, which really brings out those flavors. I really enjoyed this beer for it being aggressive and unique. It definitely gives me reason to see what else they are doing at Odell. As far as Megawheat goes, I enjoyed it but at 8 dollars for a 22 oz bottle, I do not foresee myself picking up a second bottle.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

The reason I picked up Stone Ripper Pale Ale is a lot simpler. I wanted to drink a solid, sessionable beer out of a can to drink while watching professional wrestling. Stone Ripper Pale Ale fit that bill nicely by delivering exactly what I looking for. I realize at 5.7%, that is borderline sessionable ABV-wise. Still, its light, easy-drinking flavor can be enjoyed for a duration of time. Juicy citrus and tropical notes work beautifully with Ripper's nice malt backbone. The only thing about this beer that is not ideal is the bitterness in the finish. The grapefruit rind bitter finish lingers for quite sometime. It's not ideal but it's not a deal breaker. If this is a regular part of Stone's lineup, I am looking forward to drinking a few cans of this when the weather gets warmer. For the time being, I think it makes for a great game day beer.

Overall rating: 3.75/5

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!

Gun Hill Roll Call East Coast IPA #3

About a month or two ago I was in a bottle shop looking for some new stuff to try. I was already a bit over the amount I would have liked to have spent but that is something I am used to at this point. I came across cans of Gun Hill Brewing Company's Roll Call East Coast IPA. I picked one up, pondered buying it for a moment, then set it down and said “next time” to myself. A few days later, a friend of mine said he had this fantastic IPA from Gun Hill and my heart sank. I rushed over that day to the same bottle shop to find the cans long gone. Since then I have waited for the day I would finally cross paths with it again. I am happy to report that day finally came last week. Call it a holiday miracle or just the next time my area got distribution of Roll Call East Coast IPA, whatever works for you. This time I would not leave it on the shelf. I bought it immediately and felt its miraculous return would make it the perfect beer for this week's review.

Out of Bronx, NY, Gun Hill Brewing Company's Roll Call East Coast IPA #3's aroma blew my mind the second I opened the can. The bold aromas of passion fruit, pineapple, apricot, tangerine and mango were practically jumping out of the can. Before I even took my first sip of this hazy golden orange IPA I knew I was in for a treat. Then the first sip of Roll Call EC #3 confirmed the previous statement. This beer is absolutely fantastic! Passion fruit, along with tangerine, pineapple, mango, orange peel and a touch of grass were all up front before a dry, bitter, spicy, pine finish. I liked everything about this beer. The fruitiness of the hops are front & center, which I thoroughly enjoy. The malt provides just the right amount of sweetness but rightfully takes the backseat and allows the hops to shine.

As I made it farther into my glass of Roll Call EC #3, I became a bigger fan of it. In Rochester, NY, the most popular IPAs distributed here are by Grimm Artisan Ales. Now, I am not saying that Roll Call East Coast IPA #3 is better than a Grimm IPA(although in some cases I think it is), I think it merits being mentioned in the same conversation. Then again, we can save that debate for another day. I just personally feel Gun Hill's Roll Call EC IPA  is one of the better IPAs I have had recently. To make things even more appealing, it is less expensive than Grimm and that doesn't hurt either.

Overall I would rate Roll Call EC #3 a 4.5/5. Don't make the same mistake I did, pick up this beer immediately!

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!

Long Trail Space Juice Double IPA

Up until recently, Long Trail Brewing Company was one of those breweries that I always seemed to forget about. I always thought they made decent beer, they just didn't make anything that really blew my mind. That all changed when I tried their sMasH(single malt and single hop) #2 beer that paired Maris Otter malt with Mosaic hops. That was one of those beers I could not get enough of. The malt was biscuity and beautifully complimented the bold tropical notes of the mosaic hop. The finish was earthy, piney and most importantly it worked. It is still by far the best sMasH beer I have had to date. I hope to see it on shelves again at some point. This however is not a review of Smash #2, it is a review of their highly sought-after Space Juice Double IPA.

Space Juice Double IPA is wonderful. There, that's the review, you can go back to watching cute animal videos and reading Fantasy Football news. I say that because after the long Oktoberfest blog, I thought I would do you a favor and keep it simple. If you still want further details(and you should), I suppose I'll provide them. Space Juice works so well because it's bursting with tropical fruit notes. The aroma is full of passion fruit, orange, pineapple and mango. The first sip I took of this slightly hazy, golden yellow Double IPA with a white head took me by surprise. It was wonderfully juicy, full of pineapple, mango, guava, orange before a grapefruit, piney finish. The finish was wonderful, providing a nice balance to the sweet tropical flavor. There was a slight alcohol burn, but at 8.7% that is to be expected. The malt sweetness is also there. It's nice but it is in the background allowing the hops to shine.

With an 8.7% ABV, Space Juice Double IPA is a big strong beer with big flavors. Galaxy, Columbus, Citra and Mosaic hops are on full display here and that is a fabulous thing. At north of 15 dollars a four pack, it is a bit pricey but it is definitely worth a purchase if you are a fan of big, bold, tropical IPAs. If I come across it again, I'll be buying it again immediately.

Overall I would rate Long Trail Brewing Company's Space Juice Double IPA a 4.25/5. It's proof you do not need to add fruit or fruit extract to get bold fruity, tropical flavors.


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://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!