Lagunitas Willettized Imperial Stout

After my last blog, I felt it was necessary to not only write about a beer but write about a big beer. Yes, I am writing about a barrel aged imperial stout again. I’ll do something different next week, I promise, but I had some thoughts about a particular beer I felt like sharing and it happened to be a rye whiskey barrel aged imperial stout. 

The first time I tried a Lagunitas Imperial Stout aged in Willett Bourbon Barrels left a lasting impression on me. It was 2016, I was having dinner with friends at The Stoneyard In Webster, NY(now known as The Beer Hall) and was awaiting the arrival of apps & a smoked prime rib sandwich. I remember thinking it was very good and was happy I tried it. In the weeks that followed, I found myself thinking about it more and more. As you can imagine, I was thrilled when this beer arrived in bottles the following year and they were using rye barrels instead of bourbon barrels.  I have been eagerly seeking it out every year  since. 

I was particularly excited to see Willettized arrive on shelves here last week and immediately purchased a 4-pack at the absurdly reasonable price of 12.99. I poured one in a glass the first chance I  got. The aroma of this year's batch is particularly fabulous. A lot of oak up front, rye, a touch of vanilla, molasses, dark fruits(especially cherry), roasted malt, and caramel with surprisingly very little coffee, especially considering this is a coffee stout. I did get more of the coffee once I took a sip. It added a bit of earthiness to the flavor profile. It also played a really nice complimentary role to everything else here. Chocolate, roasted malt, smoke, oak, cherry & rye are really at the forefront here. They are smoothed out by a very pleasant marshmallow sweetness before a warm, woody, earthy, boozy finish. The coffee is present the whole time and really compliments all of the other flavor notes here. Outside of wanting a little more body here, I really do not have any complaints. This is a huge 12.4% imperial stout and with each sip, I am floored by the outrageous price point it is sold at. I strongly believe this is easily one of the best values in beer.

Right now, there are a lot of amazing barrel aged beers just sitting on shelves everywhere but there are very few that have the low price point that Lagunitas Willettized has. That makes it a pretty safe bet if you are looking for a solid barrel aged imperial stout to beat the cold weather. With each passing year, I continue to be impressed with this beer and much like the first time I had it, this stout with leave an impact on me long after my last bottle of it is gone. 

Oskar Blues & Cigar City Bamburana

From the moment the Oskar Blues & Cigar City breweries announced Bamburana, a double barrel aged collaboration imperial stout, I had been counting the days until I could get my hands on some. It took longer than I hoped but it finally hit shelves in Western NY. I was so excited to purchase it that literally moments after it hit shelves I found myself in the car going to purchase it. I am a huge fan of both breweries and had extremely high hopes for this beer. Everything about it sounded fantastic and I am pleased to report that Bamburana did not disappoint.

Bamburana gets its name from amburana, a South American wood. It is a wood that adds unique flavors and reduces acidity. It successfully accomplished both in Bamburana. In fact, this is one of the most unique stouts I have had in awhile.

Bamburana spent time in both whiskey & brandy barrels but in both the aroma and on the palate they only play a complimentary note. Dates, figs, chocolate and the amburana wood are front and center here. The aroma caught me off guard in that aspect. Figs, dates, cinnamon, molasses, chocolate, caramel, an earthy woodiness and smoke shine with brandy complimenting the fruitiness. On the palate, the fruitiness of the figs and dates, along with notes of dark cherry and brandy come through initially before savory notes of cinnamon, licorice, molasses, ginger, coconut, caramel, vanilla and fudge. There is also a subtle espresso note, with a touch of whiskey before a tobacco, woody, spicy finish. With each sip, I found myself enjoying Bamburana more and more. It's a full-bodied, velvety smooth-sipper that offers a ton of complexity. In short, I am a huge fan of this beer.

These two amazing breweries have brewed a fantastic imperial stout. Since Oskar Blues contract brews some of Cigar City’s offerings I hope this is the first of many collaborations to see a wide release. That is looking to the future though. In the meantime, I highly recommend picking Bamburana up as soon as possible,


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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Why I Love Bourbon County Black Friday

Black Friday is my favorite day of the year. Why I feel that way has nothing to do with great deals on electronics, clothing or other household items. It has everything to do with the release of Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout.

The release of BCBS always seems to bring out a polarizing reaction amongst beer enthusiasts. The reason for that is undoubtedly the fact that they are owned by AB InBev. To some, it does not matter and they will wait in line to purchase a beer they adore. For others, it is a day to make a statement that they avoid Ab InBev and all of their products. From the latter, one thing I found amusing was a viral image on Facebook of people marking themselves safe from AB InBev like they were marking themselves safe from a catastrophic event in their area. I do not fault anyone who avoids purchasing Goose Island BCBS because of the entity that owns them, in fact I respect it.

As someone who loves BCBS, I have to admit, it bums me out that I am supporting AB InBev. Especially because I spend the entire year avoiding most of their products and love supporting Independent Craft Beer. However, to me, this one particular day is about more than just the beer for sale. It is about getting together with family and friends and the beer serves as a reason to do so. It has become a yearly tradition for us and each year I cherish it more and more.

Our yearly tradition usually starts with me picking up my friend(s), with one of us usually running late, and heading to our first stop around 8 AM. We pick up our bottles, and then head off to the next stop as soon as we cash out. Usually around the second stop the need for coffee comes into play for everyone else in the car. I normally run on excitement throughout the morning but it turns out my friends and wife do not. We look for the nearest coffee shop, which was Tim Horton's this year, and I am fairly certain the coffee we got that morning has yet to cool down. My dad will then call and join in the fun. Years ago, my dad thought the concept of chasing this beer was ridiculous, but the infectious nature of traveling from place to place to get something that could sell out at any moment became a thrill for him. Also, he realized it was an easy way to Christmas shop for his son. My dad also enjoys the mid-morning break of stopping for breakfast at one of our favorite diners. Then after breakfast the second part of the hunt begins, and that is finding the beer on draft. Once we find it, we  share a few laughs over a pour, reminiscing about the morning and laying out a better plan for the following year. The most ridiculous part of the day then begins-- my friend Paul and I go shopping for matching shirts(this year's dancing bears X-Mas sweaters were exquisite) before heading home for a mid-afternoon nap. We then get together for a late dinner and catch up with other family & friends over a BCBS and a lot of laughs. The night normally goes late and our Saturday mornings tend to start a little bit slower.

This whole thing might sound ridiculous to you but it is something I look forward to every year. As I get older I realize that some traditions matter and this is one of them. Life pulls us in many different directions throughout the year. I love that there is one day on the calendar that we all just drop everything and enjoy some beer. Black Friday for us is that day and I hope the tradition never ends. 

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Clown Shoes La Bestia Furiosa

Cooler temperatures have arrived and my craving for rich imperial stouts is at an all time high. Over the past week I have enjoyed a few, including this year's Sierra Nevada Narwhal. That beer is always particularly amazing and at its price point I can't recommend it enough. This blog however, is not about Narwhal. It is about Clown Shoes' La Bestia Furiosa, so let's get to it.

Aged in both rum and bourbon barrels with chiles and spices, this Mexican-Style Imperial Stout was impossible not to purchase. I have enjoyed many of Clown Shoes' barrel aged offerings in the past and expected this particular one to be no different. I typically love Mexican-Style stouts as well, and that alone made this an automatic purchase. Basically, this beer checked a lot of boxes. I just hoped it was as good as I wanted it to be.

La Bestia Furiosa's aroma is full of rich, decadent chocolate. This translates to what dominates the flavor as well but we will circle back to that. The nose also had a nice touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, peppers, bourbon, vanilla and a touch of rum. There was a lot in the aroma of La Bestia Furiosa to like.  Everything I mentioned in the aroma is in the taste but the chocolate I mentioned earlier makes this one of the sweetest beers I have had in awhile. I admit, it has been a long time since I had Clown Shoes' Chocolate Sombrero which is the base beer for La Bestia Furiosa, but I do not remember it being this painfully sweet.

I arrogantly thought I could tackle the 22 oz. Bomber by myself, but I was completely overwhelmed by the La Bestia Furiosa's sweetness. The more this beer warmed, the sweeter it got. The rum and vanilla in particular come through more as it warms, further enhancing the cloying sweetness. While I could continue to complain about this beer being too sweet, I think you get the point.

One thing this beer barely delivers on is the heat. When there are 3 different peppers in a beer with a dragon and a volcano on the label there is a realistic expectation that the beer is going to be spicy. In La Bestia Furiosa's case, the spice is there but it is subdued. I have complained about this before but if the heat was dialed up just a little more, I think it would have made the sweetness bearable for me. Unfortunately, it just did not happen.

While I was not a huge fan of this beer, I could definitely see a fan of dessert beer enjoying it. If rich, absurdly sweet beers are right up your alley then you will love this beer. It is not my thing but it does deliver what it promises--a Mexican Hot Chocolate-style stout with dual barrel treatment. It just wasn't for me.

Overall rating: 2.25/5


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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Mikkeller San Diego Traeblod Imperial Stout

As I mentioned in my previous blog, part of me wants to move on from stout season and part of me does not. I am sick of the cold weather but I love how a fantastic imperial stout can provide a bit of warmth on a cold night. Another reason I do not want to give up stouts just yet is I seem to have racked up quite a few over the past few months and now I think it is time to finally sit down and drink some of them.

Mikkeller-San Diego's Traeblod, an imperial stout brewed with coffee and maple syrup is one beer that I dropped everything to obtain when I heard it was hitting town. I am a sucker for a stout (or any beer really) containing maple syrup and I know I am not the only one. When done right, it adds a really beautiful layer to a beer. When it is done wrong it is either undetectable or makes for a saccharine-sweet disaster of a beer. Mikkeller's Traeblod is an instance where it works really nicely.

At 11.1%, Traeblod has that beautiful, full bodied motor oil-esque pour I love to see in my imperial stouts. The aroma is full of maple syrup, coffee, campfire smoke, chocolate, caramel, licorice, roasted malt and a touch of fruitiness. The maple syrup shines as well in the flavor which of course puts Traeblod on the sweeter side, but that was what I hoped for/expected. The coffee is there too but I want it to be a touch bolder. It is sitting in the background at a time I want it to come through like a bold dark roast or espresso. Smoke, chocolate, licorice, caramel all come through with an earthy, slightly bitter finish.

Maple syrup is the star of the show here. I really wish the coffee flavor was turned up just a bit and I feel that would put this beer on a whole other level. Still, this is a much better beer than the last Mikkeller attempt at a maple stout. Maple Breakfast Shake spent more time confusing me than it did providing a great drinking experience. At some points I thought it was fantastic and on other sips, I thought it was unbearably sweet and was lucky if I had a tooth left in my head by the time my glass was empty. With Traeblod, the maple flavor shines nicely but smoky, roasted malt and hop bitterness provide a nice compliment to the sweetness. In short, Traeblod could be better but it is a damn good maple imperial stout that is well worth the money.

Overall rating: 4.25/5


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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

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!

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!

Evil Twin Bozo Beer

When it came to picking a beer for my latest blog about, I wanted to go big, like really big. For the past week, I have been looking over the beers in my refrigerator and felt nothing really fit what I was looking for. So I decided to go to a bottle shop to look for something that would and that is how I came across Evil Twin's Bozo Beer. An imperial stout with an ABV of 17.2%, Bozo Beer was exactly what I was looking to blog about this week. I believe it is by far the strongest beer that I have reviewed here and I find that very exciting. What might not be as exciting, is tackling this monster of a beer by myself. Oh the things I do for this blog...

When a beer has an ABV as high as Bozo Beer, one thing you can expect it to be is full bodied. In this case that was an understatement. As I began to pour Bozo Beer into a glass, I said “whoa” out loud when I saw how thick, rich and dense it was. I expected there to be a lot of roastiness & booze in the aroma and there certainly was plenty of both, but there was much more going on here. The side of the can lists a lot of adjuncts and most of them show up and stand out in the aroma. Coffee, chocolate, marshmallow, nuts, creamy vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, chili peppers, cinnamon are all present in the aroma.

When I took my first sip, I prepared to get a hot mess of a beer. What I got was a lot of roastiness, marshmallow, vanilla, coffee, chocolate and molasses initially, with the almonds & hazelnuts coming in to compliment all of these flavors nicely. The cinnamon & chili peppers come in late and are fairly understated but add a nice touch. The warmth from the alcohol follows but is not nearly as aggressive as I was expecting. I guess it is safe to say almost nothing here is quite what I expected it to be. Usually, when a beer has a laundry list of adjuncts, it is never quite as good as you want it to be. A lot of adjuncts get lost in the fold behind more dominant flavors. For example, I expected to taste almost no marshmallow and I expected to complain about it here. That was certainly not the case, as marshmallow was right up front and center. This beer is way better than I thought it was going to be and I am thrilled. Bozo Beer is a rich, creamy, decadent treat that is so much smoother than I expected it to be. The only thing that would possibly make this beer better is some barrel aging, and if I ever come across a BA version of Bozo Beer, Evil Twin Brewing could not take my money fast enough.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

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!

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!

New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve: Mocha Mint Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

The first snow of the season just started falling, which I'm sure you know, is the official start of Stout Season. As I have said before, there is never a bad time to drink a stout. It could be a 90 degree day with 100% humidity and I would still order a barrel aged imperial stout without hesitation. It may not be a refreshing beverage, but no one drinks a stout as a thirst quencher. A well-made stout is something you want to sip on when you are looking for more depth and complexity. That is why they work at any time of year. However, there is nothing better than watching the snow fall and slowly making it through a great stout.

The stout I picked for this blog is a beer that immediately captured my curiosity. That beer is Dragon's Milk Reserve: Mocha Mint Bourbon Barrel Stout. I was stunned to find this beer very accessible around town. Usually we only see regular Dragon's Milk only and never any of the variants, When I saw the Mocha Mint variant I picked it up instantly, not because I am a huge fan of Dragon's Milk, but because I was curious. Dragon's Milk to me is usually a touch thin and a bit hot. It always seems to just meet expectations with me but never really exceed them. Each time I've drank it, it always felt like something was missing. Perhaps the addition of coffee, chocolate and mint will fill in that gap.

The aroma of Mocha Mint Dragon's Milk is delightful. The chocolate is more on the sweet side,  and blends seamlessly with the roastiness of the coffee. There is a refreshing coolness to the aroma from the mint and that almost seems to enhance my enjoyment of watching the snow fall. One thing I didn’t get in the aroma is any trace of the bourbon barrel. I actually had no problem with this because everything in the aroma was already working for me.

Truth be told, I may have built the first sip up a bit too much from the aroma but the first sip was very good. Mint is a fickle thing in beer and too much of it can make it taste medicinal. The mint here is definitely noticeable and to its credit, subdued. It blends fairly well with coffee and chocolate but seems a bit at odds with the bourbon barrel that finally shows up in the finish. I actually can't believe I am saying this but this beer would have benefited significantly by not spending time in a bourbon barrel. It also suffers from being thin, just like regular Dragon's Milk. This is not surprising but I think every time I drink anything Dragon's Milk, I am going to complain about it being thin.

What made New Holland's Mocha Mint variant of Dragon's Milk even more interesting to me was how I perceived it on two different nights. Watching the first snow of the season, I thought this beer was something I immediately needed to run out and buy more of. It seemed to perfectly capture the holidays and winter in a glass. The second night, I drank it, I was not blinded by the weather and I found the beer less harmonious and the mint more aggressive. The thoughts I shared in the above paragraph seemed to fade further and further from my mind. Each of the flavors seemed to become muddled instead of nicely complimenting each other. That wasn't all, it was also cloyingly sweet to a point I could almost feel cavities developing. This was extremely disappointing because while I loved the beer at first, I found it does not hold up well to additional nights of drinking it. The sweetness begins to take its toll almost immediately and the mint seems more and more aggressive. In retrospect, I wish I only bought two bottles of this, because that turned out to be more than enough. New Holland's Dragon's Milk Reserve: Mocha Mint Bourbon Barrel Stout is like a movie you only need to see once, after that it only gets worse.

Overall rating: 2.75/5 and fading


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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Prairie Pe-Kan Imperial Stout

When I saw Prairie Pe-Kan on the shelf the first time, I walked right past it. I felt I could not drop another 10 dollars on a 12 ounce bottle that may or may not be worth it. I thought if I ignored it that day, it would be gone and I would not feel the temptation to buy it again. Then I saw it again in another place, and then another, and then I finally caved and bought a bottle. I faced the hard truth that I am a sucker for stouts from Prairie Artisan Ales. I realize this is mainly because I absolutely love Bomb! It's ridiculously overpriced but ridiculously good. I can only justify buying it once in a great while but it delivers every single time. Now when I came across Pe-Kan I did not expect it to come close to the greatness of Bomb. The label even stated that it was a “malt beverage with natural flavors”. Anytime a beer has “natural flavors” in it, my expectations are immediately lowered. Still, I purchased a Pe-Kan, chilled it, hoped for the best and made it the subject of this blog.

Things did not start out as well as I'd hoped with Pe-Kan. As I poured it, the first thing I thought was, “this looks a little on the thin side.” At the price point and ABV level, I was not looking for thin. I was looking for motor oil-like thickness. I thought the aroma was interesting. It was boozy, smokey, roasty, with vanilla, chocolate and caramelized sugar. I did not get much pecan in the aroma but I did get that in the flavor. It really gave the impression that this beer was trying to pull off pecan pie and I think it worked. Pe-Kan is sweet, like really sweet but for some reason I really liked it here. The vanilla, chocolate, pecans, caramelized sugar blended nicely with a nice roasty and smokey malt flavor. Did the beer taste a little artificial? Yes it did, but surprisingly I did not mind it. This is a fun dessert beer, plain and simple. It is not something I could drink more than one of but it is something I am glad I tried. I do not think this beer would work for everyone but if you like pecan pie, I would give it a shot.

Overall I would rate Prairie Pe-Kan a 4/5. It's not as good as Bomb! Not even close actually, but it is a really fun beer, that's 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!

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!

Saranac Basking in Bourbon

I tend to avoid purchasing a 4, 6 or 12-pack of beer with the Saranac name on it because frankly, I do not like much of it. To keep up with their new beers, I usually buy a single bottle hoping to find something I enjoy. Truth be told, I have not had much luck lately. I have mentioned before that during college I would buy their mixed packs to get more familiar with different styles of beer. I found most of the beers in the pack to be underwhelming but nevertheless continued to keep trying them. However, I feel like I should say my relationship with Saranac beer is not all bad. In college I drank my fair share of Saranac Black Forest. On dollar pint nights, drinking that particular beer was a no-brainer over Labatt, Budweiser or the other domestic beers you commonly find in college bars. Sadly, outside of an appearance in a mixed pack, Black Forest has vanished from their lineup, and so has the opportunity for feeling the positive vibes of nostalgia along with it. So where is this all going? Well, I wanted to paint this picture so you would understand my reluctance to purchase a 4-pack of Basking in Bourbon Imperial Stout.

On several visits to my local grocery store over a week-long span I would stare at the shelf containing Saranac Basking in Bourbon. Normally, I would take any chance I could to buy a new barrel aged imperial stout from a brewery I enjoyed. Having the name Saranac on it caused me to leave it on the shelf. Each time I looked at it I would check Untappd to see it's rating. Over the span of the week, the rating kept going up. Then I started hearing some positive word of mouth about the beer and its price point. A 4-pack of an imperial stout sitting in barrels for over a year costing under 15 dollars was definitely priced right. After a week of deliberating, I went back to the store and picked up the last 4-pack on the shelf. It felt like it had been waiting there just long enough for me to buy it. Now, putting my past judgments of the Saranac Brewery aside, I opened up a bottle of Basking in Bourbon for this review.

I have set the stage for this review long enough, so I will cut to the chase. Basking in Bourbon is really good. I had a feeling I would enjoy it from the aroma. Judging by the aroma, Basking in Bourbon certainly lived up to its name. It was full of bourbon, oak, dark chocolate, caramel, spice, tobacco and a hint of smoke. It felt like a vast departure from anything else I have tried from the Saranac Brewery. The aroma told me there was a lot going on here and my first sip confirmed it. Basking in Bourbon is boozy, chewy, full of bourbon, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, with a smokey tobacco, spicy finish. As it warmed, the vanilla and chocolate sweetness became more pronounced. A small complaint I have is that I wanted just a little more carbonation. Basking in Bourbon is by no means flat but I think a little more carbonation would have added to the mouthfeel. The strong tobacco-like finish was interesting at first but I would have liked to see that scaled back just a little bit as well. Those complaints aside, this is by far the best beer I have had from the Saranac Brewery. It's full bodied, complex and most importantly, it tastes great. I hope Basking in Bourbon becomes a regular yearly release from them. Next time, I would purchase it without an ounce of hesitation.

Overall I would rate Basking in Bourbon a 4/5. It was good enough to open my mind up to future new releases from them. Also, if they could just bring back Black Forest that would be great.

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Evil Twin Brewing & Westbrook Brewing Co. Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break

Two weeks ago, I mentioned I waited in line to get Westbrook's Mexican Cake. From that, I am certain you have already figured out that I love that beer. What you may not know is I absolutely love Evil Twin's Imperial Biscotti Break. Like many other beer enthusiasts, I think it is a fantastic beer. To make things even better, recently it has become less expensive, easier to get and produced in cans. All three of those things are fantastic and they happened because Evil Twin Brewing contract-brews out of Westbrook Brewing Co. So a collaboration brew between the two breweries is definitely a no-brainer. What I did not expect however is the combination of both Mexican Cake & Imperial Biscotti Break. On paper, Westbrook & Evil Twin's Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break sounds like a fantastic idea.

The first time I saw a picture of a bottle I stopped in my tracks and hoped it would make it to Western NY. It took a few months but it finally hit my hometown. I rushed out and purchased it as soon as I could. Like Mexican Cake, I expected it to sell out as soon as it hit the shelves. For that reason, I did not expect to do a blog on it. Shockingly after two weeks, it is still sitting in beer aisles and shelves everywhere waiting to be purchased. The 16-18 dollar a bottle price point might have something to do with it but even with that, it is still fairly surprising. At that price point though, I hoped the beer would be as good, if not better, than the sum of its parts.

Westbrook & Evil Twin's Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break works. However it does not work as well as the beers it's supposed to be combining. The aroma is a reminder of both beers. It is roasty and nutty, with dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, pepper spice and a hint of cinnamon. That seemed to hit every note I expected it to. The first sip, however, did not. It starts off slightly sweet, roasty, with coffee, dark chocolate cake batter and vanilla, and finishes bitter, spicy and boozy. Occasionally, I would find the cinnamon and each time I did, I wanted more of it. The pepper finish was what I was looking forward to the most. A criticism of last year's batch of Mexican Cake was that the habanero peppers were very understated. I hoped this beer would showcase them more and it did. Honestly, I wanted it to have a little more heat on the palate but no complaints, it was nicely spiced. I actually found my chest warming up quite a bit the more I drank.

As I made my way through the glass, I continued to get a wide range of flavors but they never seemed to go well together. Everything seemed a bit muddled, even when it warmed. Vanilla and dark chocolate cake batter rose more to the forefront which helped but did not make the beer any better. At 16 to 18 dollars a bottle this beer is dramatically overpriced for the results you get. You are better off buying a 4 pack of Imperial Biscotti Break at a cheaper price and enjoying that. If you are insistent on looking for a special occasion beer with similar flavor notes, just buy two bottles of Prairie Bomb! Trust me, you will feel significantly less cheated out of your money.

Overall I would rate Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break a 3/5. It's not horrible, it's just nowhere near as good as it should 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. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Grimm Lumen, Candlepower & Sugarmaker

I am not typically one who likes to wait in line for beer. That is not to say I will not do it. I have waited in line like so many before me for a case of Heady Topper. I have waited in line for Goose Island Bourbon County. I have waited in line for Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin. I accidentally waited in line for Westbrook Mexican Cake. In the case of the Westbrook Mexican Cake though, I was told they would be arriving shortly. Moments later more people started showing up. A half hour later Mexican Cake had still had not arrived but a lot more people did. At that point I felt like since I had already waited that long, I might as well see it through.

For the Mexican Cake, Velvet Merkin and Bourbon County lines I only got a bottle or two. That is perfectly fine with me because those beers last. I can put them in my fridge and stare at them proudly for a while before the occasion calls for me to drink them. For me, that is perfectly acceptable. One thing that I do not understand is waiting in line for a single can of an IPA. I fully understand waiting in line for a 4 pack or a case of an IPA but just a single can seems like a waste of time. I feel this way for two reasons. One, is their short shelf life. The refrigerator admiration time for these limited IPAs is very short and I personally enjoy that time. Another thing, on a more serious note, is that frankly there is not a good enough IPA distributed in this area to make me want to spend a portion of my day waiting in line for it. That includes the entire lineup of Grimm IPAs. A lineup which I find to be very hit and miss. The hits(Tesseract, Magnetic Compass, Lambo Door) are fantastic but the misses(Forcefield, Dreamweapon) leave me feeling cheated out of 5 dollars. Still, these Grimm IPAs get people excited unlike any other beers distributed in my area. So, for this blog which happens to be my 3 year anniversary blog, I am going to review 3 beers recently released by Grimm including their IPA Lumen. Hopefully, from these reviews I can give you a better idea of whether these are worth waiting in line for, or just looking for on draft.

Grimm Lumen was the first IPA I was able to try from Grimm. I thought it was a really nice beer then and I still do now. The bold passion fruit aroma is wonderfully complimented by the aromas of pineapple, peach, grapefruit and pine. This beer is really juicy. The passion fruit is there along with orange, pineapple, mango with a bitter grapefruit and pine finish. Bold, juicy hop flavor is showcased wonderfully here with biscuit malt sweetness in the background. As I said earlier, it is a really nice beer. If you have never had an IPA from Grimm, this is a great place to start.

Overall rating 4.25/5.
Would I wait in line for it? Only if I could get more than a 4 pack

Next up, we have Grimm Candlepower, a farmhouse saison with brewed sage and pink peppercorns. I really enjoy when sage is used in saisons. I think it compliments the flavor nicely and it does that here. The issue with this beer is the malt. The sweetness of the malt overshadows everything else going on here which is a shame. Notes of lemongrass, funk, citrus with a pepper finish are nice and if not overshadowed would have been made this a really nice beer. I shared this bomber and I am glad I did. I could barely get through half a glass of it.

Overall rating 2/5
Would I wait in line for it? No, in fact I do not think I would walk across the street to try it again.

Finally, Grimm Sugarmaker Imperial Milk Stout brewed with vanilla and maple syrup. I have enjoyed every Grimm stout I have had, especially Double Negative. Personally, I think Double Negative is the perfect imperial stout and I am looking forward to its next release. Sugarmaker is a solid beer but nowhere near the class of beer Double Negative is in. The aroma is very roasty, smokey with chocolate, vanilla, lactose and maple. Much like the aroma, the first sip is roasty and smokey with a creamy chocolate, vanilla and maple finish. Initially Sugarmaker does not live up to its name. It is sweet but not too sweet. As it warms the maple really comes out in the finish and it is candy sweet. The promise of this being a sweet stout is delivered. I really liked the fact that the maple syrup was noticeable. Too many beers, including some I have reviewed here fail to deliver on the maple flavor. Sugarmaker does not and I am excited for that. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the maple sweetness, like Candlepower, the sweetness became a bit too much. Also, just like Candlepower, I am glad I shared the bottle.

Overall rating 3.5/5
Would I wait in line for it? No, but I would wait in line for Double Negative

Normally, I enjoy beers from Grimm a bit more than I did here. Perhaps, this was a weak release from them or maybe, just maybe, not everything they produce is worthy of the hype. I think Lumen is a really nice IPA. If you like the style you will really enjoy it. I would just recommend seeking it out on draft.

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!

Hel & Verdoemenis (Aged in Scottish Barley Whiskey Barrels)

I do not drink a lot of scotch. However, I have enjoyed mostly every one I have tried. I find the rich, smoky flavor, as well as the vast differences between the blends and the single malt scotches to be particularly fascinating. I do not typically buy a lot of scotch because I buy a lot of beer. I have been told that once you really get into single malt scotch, it becomes a very expensive venture. I already have that with beer, I can't justify both. However, I got a chance this week to try a beer that brought both worlds together. From Brouwerij De Molen in the Netherlands, a variant of Hel & Verdoemenis(Hell & Damnation) combined scotch & beer by taking a smoked imperial stout and aging it in Scottish barley whiskey barrels. The bottle also describes the beer as “heavily peated,” and I would want and expect no less. Everything here sounded fantastic but if you read my blog, you know I have said that before to disappointing results. So would these complex flavors work well together? Or would this purchase be another expensive mistake?

If I had to describe this version of Hel & Verdoemenis in one word it would be smoky. That dominates the aroma, as well as the flavor. Charred caramel, dark chocolate and a lot of alcohol also come through in the aroma as well. Actually drinking this beer was a bit of a journey. Initially the strong flavor of peaty smoke, caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak delighted my palate. The 11% ABV was very noticeable as well, especially in the finish but it worked here. As I made my way through the glass I began to notice a sea salt-like finish begin to come through. I know that some scotches have a slight saltiness to them, so this was nothing unusual. Unfortunately, it just did not work in the context of this beer. The more it warmed, the more the salt water flavor clashed with the smokiness, chocolate, and caramel of the stout. The finish also began to develop a sort of vegetal flavor which I am assuming is seaweed. The more it warmed, the stronger this got. It got so potent, I began to dread taking a sip for about the last third of the beer.

As I finished the beer, I could not help but think of what a missed opportunity this beer was. I was hoping not to say it, but the truth is I did not like Scotch Barrel Aged Hel & Verdoemenis. However, this is a style I definitely want to see more of. Bourbon Barrel Aging is wonderful and I believe Scotch Barrel Aging has potential to do some really nice things in the beer world. I really want to see more breweries taking chances on the style like Brouwerij De Molen did here.

Overall I would rate Hel & Verdoemenis Smoked Imperial Stout aged in Scottish barley whiskey barrels a 2/5. There are some really nice flavors here, unfortunately they just do not work well together.

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!