Oktoberfest! Part 1 (Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Sierra Nevada, Left Hand)

Since Oktoberfest actually takes place during the month of September, I can no longer wait to review Fall beer. Up until now, I have done a superb job of ignoring it every time I entered a bottle shop. Just last week, I reviewed High Water Cucumber Kolsch with the sole purpose of ignoring that Fall was coming. Fall is coming though, and the food & festivities of Oktoberfest are coming along with it. So for me the question became, “which Oktoberfest should I review?” The only answer I could settle on was a bunch of them. So over the next two weeks, I will be trying a few different Oktoberfest beers to help you find one that works best for you.

For my first Oktoberfest beer, I feel it would be wrong to start anywhere else other than Germany. Brewed in Munich, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest Amber Marzen, according to the Brewery's website is so popular it is brewed year round. It pours a rich copper with an off-white head. The aroma is everything you would expect with lots of caramel, toasted bread, and toffee with a little bit of fruitiness. The first sip I got all of those flavor notes. The malt profile here in this beer is absolutely beautiful. It is everything you would expect from the style. The malt sweetness is balanced nicely by slightly bitter, spicy hop finish. I want to give this a rave review but unfortunately I cannot. There was a slightly metallic note to the finish that became a bit of a distraction the further I got into the glass. It did not ruin the beer for me but it kept it from being a Fall mainstay in my fridge this Oktoberfest season.

Overall rating: 3.25/5

For our next Oktoberfest I'll be staying in Munich with another year round beer I have a bit of history with, Spaten Oktoberfest. In the fall of 2004, a friend and I were ready to share our extensive beer knowledge with our college campus. The previous school year we had tried over 100 different beers and felt extremely confident sharing our expertise with anyone who would listen. Not to brag(still going to) but we had a solid run. “The Brew Review” went all the way from the irrelevant 5th page of the “Campus Life” section to the very front page. One of the reviews that got us there was Spaten Oktoberfest. At the time we both thought it was an average Oktoberfest beer that we could not give our seal of approval too. It was boring, bland and not worth the price of a six pack. For this review I could not pass up an opportunity to give it a second chance and review it one more time.
Sadly, it turns out I was right the first time. Spaten Oktoberfest is as middle of the road as it gets. As expected it pours a dark amber with an off-white head. As expected, there is a lot of toasted bread in the aroma, accompanied by caramel malt and an earthy spiciness. Finally, as expected the taste brings the bland flavor of toasted bread, caramel, molasses before finishing with a bland earthy, spicy hop flavor that did not wash away clean. Over 10 years ago, I thought this was the definition of a mediocre, by the numbers Oktoberfest. That feeling still has not changed.

Overall rating: 2/5

To go from Germany to the US, the next Oktoberfest is a collaboration between the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Mahrs Brau. Last year, Sierra Nevada collaborated with Brauhaus Riegele to deliver a particularly wonderful Oktoberfest beer. So my hopes were high they were going to once again knock it out of the park. The 2016 version pours a beautifully clear golden yellow with a fizzy white head. The aroma is grainy, bready with a hint of spicy, grassy hops. Crisp, clean and easy to drink would be how I would describe this beer. The bready, grainy, honey malt sweetness up front is balanced nicely by a grassy, spicy finish. This is definitely slightly lighter than the others I have reviewed so far but is stronger than both at 6.0% ABV. Unfortunately I do not think it is not as good as last year. Make no mistake though, this is a good beer. One I am looking forward to having again.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Finally, out of Longmont, Colorado, Left Hand Brewing Company's Oktoberfest. Pouring dark amber with a khaki head, this 6.6% Oktoberfest was quite delightful. The aroma is quite wonderful. It is nutty and full of caramel & toffee. From my first sip to the time my glass was empty, I felt like I went on a journey. At first I was not impressed, but each sip I thought it got better & better. By the time my glass was empty, I was looking for a second bottle. Toasted malt with a strong nut flavor dominates before a spicy, caramel sweet finish that washes away clean. The stronger than normal 6.6% ABV is hidden beautifully. This is a great choice for those cooler Fall Nights. Left Hand Oktoberfest is definitely my favorite Oktoberfest of the week.

Overall rating: 4/5

I'll be back next week with reviews of Ayinger, Bells & more!


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!

High Water Cucumber Kolsch Specialty Ale

As the calendar goes from August to September, one thing is very clear; I am not ready to let go of Summer. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Fall season and everything that comes with it. The leaves changing color; the return of football; Halloween; and most importantly, Fall beer. Now, I understand you might be ready for all that I just mentioned. I however, am choosing to be stubborn because I am not ready to give up the warm weather, trips to the beach, flip flops(although this one I probably should), outdoor concerts, and knowing that snow is not right around the corner. So as you can imagine, when fall beers arrived on shelves in mid-July, I began to feel irritated that breweries were trying to cut my Summer short. This should go without saying, but mid-July is way too early to see anything Fall or pumpkin-related. I decided then, I was going to wait until the start of September to do a Fall review of any kind. Well, now that September is here the weather is still well into the 80's. So, I am not exactly feeling motivated to do a Fall review. Plus I also just picked up a beer that sounds perfect for the weather we are currently experiencing. So I am going to put off switching to Fall seasonal beer for just a littler longer so I can say goodbye to Summer with one final light bodied, fruity, sessionable, Summer-like beer.

For my final fruit-forward beer of the Summer season, I decided to close like how I started, with a cucumber beer. Out of Pittsburg, California, High Water Brewing Company's Cucumber Kolsch is pretty much everything you would want from a cucumber beer. The aroma and flavor is dominated by cucumber and it is refreshing. The appearance of the beer however, leaves something to be desired. It looks murky, like puddle water with a fizzy white head. If the aroma was not as promising as it was, I might have had second thoughts about drinking it. The pleasant aroma I mentioned of cucumber is balanced by grain, honey and coconut. My first sip was just like the aroma. There is a lot of cucumber with a light, spicy coconut finish. The pilsner malt also provides a nice, delicate backbone to the beer. The light coconut flavor also works but it is very light. I think putting “Brewed with Cucumber & Coconut Water” on the can made it sound more interesting that it is. When all is said and done, I do like this beer. It's an easy drinking fruit-forward beer that is definitely worth a try if cucumber is your thing.

Overall I would rate High Water Brewing Company's Cucumber Kolsch a 3/5. It's heavy on cucumber so if that sounds good to you, you will like it. If that does not sound good to you, it might be time to start looking at the Fall beer.


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!

Oskar Blues Passion Fruit Pinner Throwback IPA

Two years ago, I fell in love with passion fruit. Over the course of my honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, each day I tried my best to eat the entire resort out of it. Every morning I would fill an entire plate with it and then go back for seconds. I considered it a healthy way to start the day before I began a steady diet of beer, liquor and heavy food for the remainder of it. Since then, I have avoided eating passion fruit. I feel nothing could ever come close to the fresh, beautifully tart flavor I enjoyed there. However, if there was one way I was going to enjoy its flavor, it was going to be in beer. Some beers have beautifully recreated that fresh passion fruit flavor. For example, Avery Brewing Company's Liliki'l Kepolo lets the fresh passion fruit flavor shine wonderfully. By the way, if you have yet to try that beer, drop everything and go buy a can. It's that good. But this is not a review of Liliki'l Kepolo(although maybe it should be), this is a review of the brand new offering from the Oskar Blues Brewery, Passion Fruit Pinner Throwback IPA.

Before I get started with the tasting section of this review, I want to say I am a fan of the base beer, Pinner Throwback IPA. For me, it ranks just below Founders All Day IPA as an easy to find, go to option for the style. It's light, easy to drink and has just the right amount of hop flavor for a sessionable beer. So after reading about my love of passion fruit, as well as my positive feelings toward the base Pinner, you might think this was going to be a positive review. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Pouring a beautifully clear golden yellow with a light fluffy head, Passion Fruit Pinner Throwback IPA's aroma filled me with optimism. It was full of passion fruit, orange, grapefruit and biscuity malt. From the aroma alone it seemed like Passion Fruit was going to be the perfect compliment to the beer. Sadly, all I could do after taking my first sip was grimace and wonder how such a promising idea could go so wrong. The initial flavor brings stale fruit combined with bitter hops  before finishing unpleasantly sour, slightly spicy and still being complimented by stale fruit. The passion fruit flavor is definitely there but it completely reinforces my fear of trying the tropical fruit I loved in the Caribbean here in the United States.

Unlike other beers I have reviewed, I tried my best to find something I liked about Passion Fruit Pinner. After all, I foolishly bought a six pack thinking there was no way I would not like it. Instead of finding anything positive, I continued to be greeted by the same cluttered stale fruit flavor that makes me thankful this is only out for a limited run. Oskar Blues is a typically reliable brewery and Pinner Throwback IPA works on its own. Again, I recommend trying it if you are looking for an easy drinking session IPA. But if you see the Passion Fruit Pinner on shelves buy almost anything else in the store.


Overall I would rate Oskar Blues Passion Fruit Pinner Throwback IPA a 1.5/5. This is muddled mess of a beer from a normally reliable brewery.


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!

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!

Not Your Father's Vanilla Cream Ale

Over the course of the 2 years I've been writing this blog, there is one review I wish I could get back. I'm not saying I was necessarily wrong with that particular review, I just think I was blinded by the excitement of what the product was. The review I am speaking of is my glowing assessment of Not Your Father's Root Beer. To be clear I do like Not Your Father's Root Beer, I just no longer think it is the 4.5/5 beer I rated it at the time. Since then I have found it to be a ridiculously inconsistent beverage that seems more like a mixed drink than an ale. At the time, I think I gave it that rating because I had never had anything quite like it before. It was authentic-tasting alcoholic root beer that hit the exact flavor profile I wanted it to. Before I tried that beverage I, like many others have tried to add liquor to root beer with mixed results. I can safely say that no matter how many times I've tried, I've never quite been able to attain the successful flavor that Not Your Father's Root Beer achieved. To sum it all up, at the time I reviewed NYFRB I was too caught up in the exciting concept that my favorite childhood beverage could now get me drunk to properly see it for what it was. Still, I have no intention of changing that review. What's done is done and it's time to move on. I feel this way because I am currently staring at a glass of Not Your Father's Vanilla Cream Ale, about to find my redemption.

Arriving with a lot less fanfare, along with the very low ABV of 4.1%, Not Your Father's Vanilla Cream Ale pours exactly like cream soda. It's copper with a fizzy white head that fades quickly. The aroma is interesting. It almost smells like cream soda. Lots of vanilla stands out but there is a rather unpleasant sourness to it as well, that reminds of old whipped cream. The taste is very similar to the aroma. While Not Your Father's Root Beer tastes like authentic root beer with a slightly boozy finish, this tastes like sour cream soda. Each sip gets more and more unpleasant. There also seems to be a repulsive aftertaste that continues to get worse with each sip. The best way to describe it is being reminiscent of overripe fruit. The alcohol stands out in the aftertaste as well, which is strange since it has less alcohol than a Bud Light. To put it simply, this is poorly crafted and nothing works here.

I was hoping this review would look more like what I wanted the Not Your Father's Root Beer review to look like if I wrote it today. I was hoping to say this was a nice beverage that is definitely worth your time and money. Instead I find it to be one of the worst beverages(don't want to call it beer) I have had since starting these reviews. This is a failure on every level, but what should I have really expected? This seems more like a cash grab, capitalizing on the success of NYFRB, than an attempt at making a successful adult beverage. Oh well, down the drain it goes.

Overall I would rate Not Your Father's Vanilla Cream Ale a 0.5/5. It tastes more like a mixed drink made with cheap vanilla vodka and spoiled whipped cream than a beer. It's gross.


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!

Vacation Beers! (Marz Community Brewing's Jungle Boogie & Building 8 Brewing's The Session IPA)

Whenever I go on vacation, one of the first things I do is look for beer I have yet to try. This past weekend I did a bunch of that with my wife in Boston. We were in town for our 2 year wedding anniversary, as well as seeing Pearl Jam rock the hallowed grounds of Fenway Park. The shows were incredible and so was some of the beer.

This may have not been a proper Beercation, but we did the best we could with the time we had. On the way into Boston we stopped in Framingham to visit Jack's Abby. There, my mind was blown by the greatness of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Graham Cracker & Mole Framinghammers. I hope one day to hold a bottle of one or both in my hands. They were that good.

We also went to Boston Beer Works just outside of Fenway Park. While nothing stood out dramatically as being great, the Boston Cream Ale and the Equinox hopped SMaSH Works beer were quite drinkable. The watermelon ale was what you would expect and the house IPA is something I hope to never drink again. It seemed to swing & miss on every flavor note I wanted it to hit. Still it was a great place to visit right before a game or a show.

We also took time to hit a couple bottle shops while in town to stock up the hotel beers and secondly find some cool stuff to bring back. While we did not bring back a large amount of beer (mainly because of all the Red Sox themed Pearl Jam merchandise in the car), we brought back beer that sounded interesting to both of us. So for today's review I will be taking a closer look at 2 of those.

Marz Community Brewing's Jungle Boogie seemed like the perfect post-concert beer to kick off this blog with. This pale wheat ale brewed with rooibos tea poured a dark amber with an off white head. The aroma was sweet, fruity, herbal with a lot of mango. When I took my first sip my mouth was hit with the wonderful flavors of tropical fruit. Mango especially shined, along with pine, vanilla, a herbal spiciness I could not quite put my finger on and a crisp grapefruit finish. This is a beer I would drink regularly. They seemed to bring out the wonderful flavors of the mosaic hop nicely. I hope to see this on the shelves in Upstate NY regularly.

Overall I would rate Jungle Boogie a 4/5. Great beer, super sad I only brought back one can.

I stumbled upon Building 8 Brewing's The Session IPA by accident. I was looking for something completely different but there on the floor stood a very limited supply of an extremely fresh IPA. In my experience, even though I have not heard of the beer, it's worth a shot because of that alone. The Session poured a straw yellow with a white head. The aroma was very light but was very juicy with grapefruit and pineapple standing out nicely. The flavor was not as light as the aroma. Grapefruit, passion fruit, tangerine and pineapple stood out wonderfully before an underwhelming peppery finish. Without the pepper finish I would rate this as one of the best session IPA's I've had. It just felt completely out of place here.

Overall I would rate The Session IPA a 3.5/5. With some slight tweaking this beer would be amazing. I am definitely looking forward to trying something from this brewery again in the 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 & Untappd at@ACraftyLook

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

Oh and Happy Anniversary Alicia! We're still Rockin' In the Free World!

As always, thanks for reading. Sláinte!

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!