Brewmaster Jack Elbow Room

I have yet to have a beer from Northampton, MA's Brewmaster Jack that has really impressed me. So far the ones I have tried have ranged from OK to good but not a single one has merited a repeat purchase. My biggest hope from them was Tennessee Prinse, a quadrupel ale aged in whiskey barrels. When my friend gave me a bottle to try, I was excited. I had heard a bunch of positive word of mouth about it and naturally assumed it would be fantastic. Sadly it was not. Tennessee Prinse was just another run of the mill barrel aged beer. It was by no means a bad beer, but it is something I have no intention of purchasing again. Another beer I remember trying from them was their Little Brother DIPA. The only thing I remember about that one is that I wished I spent 5 dollars on something else. The one beer I did enjoy from them was Trial By Combat DIPA. Unfortunately, even that one felt like it was missing something. If I had any other beers from Brewmaster Jack, I don't remember them. However, my search for something great from them continues into this blog.

This past week, Autumn finally hit NY in full force and I found myself looking for a beer with more body and if possible, some barrel aging. I came across Elbow Room from Brewmaster Jack. It was a coffee imperial stout aged in whiskey barrels. After a feeling of trepidation crept over me about buying another Brewmaster Jack beer, I looked at the reasonable 9 dollar price tag for a 22oz. bomber and I decided to give it a shot. When I opened the bottle, my hopes soared sky high as I poured the rich, dense, black liquid into my glass. The aroma of dark chocolate was immediately noticeable. There was also a touch of smoke in the aroma, some vanilla, a slight nuttiness, as well as an almost wine-like fruitiness. These all paled in comparison to the coffee aroma that practically overwhelmed everything else. One thing I did not get a lot of in the aroma was the barrel notes. I did not detect any whiskey and I only think I found oak because I knew it was there. I was hoping I would get more when I took my first sip but unfortunately, I did not. However, what I did get from my first sip was disappointment.

With a beer that is barrel aged, there are certain expectations for how it should taste. Aside from a hint of vanilla, there was pretty much nothing here to suggest Elbow Room spent any time at all in a barrel. Whatever the aging period was, it was not long enough. I'm guessing a brewer at Brewmaster Jack poured the stout into a whiskey barrel for a “5 Mississippi count” and poured it out. If that was my only issue with this beer, I would have been happy, but the coffee that so richly dominates the flavor tastes bland and frankly stale. It is reminiscent of going into a gas station in the middle of the night and drinking a 12 hour old cup of coffee. Sure, it tastes like coffee, but it is not good. Dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, a green pepper off-flavor and a fairly bold fruitiness round out the flavor of this watery imperial stout. It is a touch astringent but to its credit, for the most part it is smooth. There is barely any hint of the 10.1% ABV, which is nice, but you can find a beer just like this that tastes better(Founders Breakfast Stout) and has just as much barrel flavor(none) fairly easily.

Overall, Elbow Room did nothing to improve my opinion of the quality of beer from Brewmaster Jack. So far everything I have tried has seemed either bland or like it is missing something critical to making it a solid beer. I hope the next beer I buy from them changes my opinion but after this one it will be awhile until I purchase another one of their beers again.

Overall rating: 2/5


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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Jack's Abby Kiwi Rising

I love this time of year. The weather is crisp, the leaves are changing colors, Halloween is right around the corner and the best beer of the year is starting to hit shelves. It seems that multiple fantastic beers are coming out each week and my wallet can't take it. Last week alone, I stocked my refrigerator up with some amazing offerings like: Lawson's Sip of Sunshine, Stone Xocoveza, Oskar Blue's Death By Coconut, New Holland's Dragon's Milk, Grimm's Double Negative, and the beer I am talking about today, Jack's Abby's Kiwi Rising Double India Pale Lager. It has gotten to a point that it could take several minutes for me to decide what to drink. I know whatever it is, is going to be fantastic but that does not make it any easier.

The reason I want to talk about Kiwi Rising in this blog is that I want to tell you how great it is. Normally, I spend a lot of time telling you whether I think a beer is good or not. I am just going to start this blog off by telling you Kiwi Rising is amazing. Brewed with New Zealand hops and not Kiwi fruit, this beer is very hoppy(105 IBUs), easy to drink and wonderfully complex. I think it is safe to say it is my favorite offering from Jack's Abby. That truly says a lot because Jack's Abby makes some incredible beers. A few of the other beers I enjoy from them are: Mass Rising DIPL, Excess IPL, Framinghammer Baltic Porter, Cranberry Berliner, and Calyptra Session IPL. I am going to stop there because I feel that list could keep going and going and going. The point I am trying to get to is, no matter what you buy from them you are most likely going to get a great beer.

The reason I want to talk specifically about Kiwi Rising is that I simply want to spread the word about it. I have found that too many of my craft beer drinking friends have not tried it or even worse, haven’t heard of it. To someone who loves this particular beer I find both to be simply unacceptable. Each Fall, as soon as it hits shelves, I buy it and every year it delivers something special. The aroma is floral, to a point it is almost perfume-like. Big notes of citrus, tropical fruit, pine resin and bread dough all stand out nicely. The first sip matches the nose to an extent but the doughy malt really shines initially, really giving this DIPL a solid malt backbone. This is followed by pineapple, grapefruit, grass, orange, candied mango, lime and an herbal, piney, crisp finish. Kiwi Rising is dangerously easy to drink at 8.5%. You might find that the first one goes down very easy. Just take a moment to contemplate before reaching for the second.

Kiwi Rising is the perfect beer right now for our Bi-Polar October weather. For a hot day, it delivers a crisp, easy drinking hoppy lager. For a cooler night, it provides a full flavored beer that warms the soul. Basically, if you love a good hoppy beer, this is a must try. Make sure you hurry up though, this beer never stays around long.

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Odell Jolly Russian

This summer I was fortunate enough to try several beers from Odell Brewing Company's catalog. The one I most most excited about trying was their flagship ale, 90 Schilling and it did not disappoint. It had a unique and complex malt body with a beautifully hoppy finish. After each sip, I found myself staring at the glass, almost stunned by how complex and refreshing it was. It is one of those beers that you could give someone who is not quite into craft beer and they would find it enjoyable.

90 Schilling was not the only beer from Odell that I was impressed by. Their IPA is quite impressive. It has a nice malt body, reminiscent of an English IPA with a beautiful hop profile. Their St. Lupulin Pale Ale was soft and easy drinking, with nice tropical and citrus notes. It is the kind of beer that leaves you looking for another bottle once your glass is empty. The worst beer I had from them was Nail Knot Craft Lager and that was still a good beer. I could keep listing the other beers I enjoyed from Odell but I feel I am somehow turning this blog more into a commercial than something critical, so I will stop singing the praises of their catalog and start reviewing their Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, Jolly Russian.

Jolly Russian is the one beer from Odell I found myself holding on to longer than the others. It sounded unique and as it sat in my refrigerator, I found myself putting it on a pedestal. This was mainly because I rarely see rum barrel aged beers in Western NY outside of Rum Barrel Aged Pumking every fall. While I enjoy the base beer, I am not a fan of that particular rum barrel aged beer. It tastes like someone dropped a shot of rum in old Pumking and that is about it. At its price point, I do not think it is worth it but this blog is not about Rum Barrel Aged Pumking, so I will now get back on track.

For two months, I waited for the perfect opportunity to open Jolly Russian. It turned out that moment came on a random Thursday evening and not the special occasion I envisioned it for. I took a moment before I opened it, pondering whether or not I should, before closing my eyes, hoping for the best and opening the bottle. As I poured Jolly Russian, I found myself thinking it looked a little thin. At above 13%, I was expecting a motor oil-like pour but that was not the case. The mouthfeel however quieted any fears I had about it being too thin. Instead it was silky smooth, coating the palate with rich flavors...but I am getting ahead of myself. The aroma of Jolly Russian was wonderful. Strong barrel notes of vanilla, oak, rum, spice, and leather were blended beautifully with chocolate, molasses, roasted malt and a touch of fruitiness. The first sip was complex and unique. Rum, chocolate and booze stood out the most. I frankly thought it would be a touch smoother but the booze hit a little too hard in the finish. There was also vanilla, molasses, roasted malt, coconut, leather, dark fruit before a tobacco, spicy, and as I mentioned earlier, an intensely boozy finish.

What I enjoyed the most here was the leather note. The only other beer that I can recall where that flavor is so pronounced is my favorite beer, Bourbon County from Goose Island. Needless to say, this put a big smile on my face. Speaking of bourbon barrel aged beers, I enjoyed the differences between bourbon barrel aging and rum barrel aging in an imperial stout. Rum barrel aging, as expected, leaves a beer on the sweeter side. This became very clear as Jolly Russian began to warm. By the last third of the beer, I was getting nervous it was going to get a bit too sweet and become difficult to finish, but fortunately it did not. At the same time, I will say that due to the strength of the ABV and the level of sweetness coming with each sip, one bottle is more than enough.

Overall, I really enjoyed Jolly Russian. I also enjoyed every beer I was able to try from Odell. In my small sampling of beers from Odell, I found them to be consistently good. They also make some fantastic barrel aged beers. Another great one I had from them is Mountain Standard, a Black IPA aged in bourbon barrels. At this point, I think you have probably gathered that I really like this brewery and that I hope to see their beers in Upstate NY soon.

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 Uncle Jeff & thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan

I enjoy brown ales. That really is not the most exciting way to start a blog, but I feel brown ales are a style of beer that has gotten lost in the fold over the past few years. I commonly hear friends of mine tell me they just don't like brown ales. That always surprises me because it is a style of beer I have enjoyed since my early days of beer drinking. However, I also know that when you find a bad brown ale, you do not forget it. I still have not forgotten how much I disliked DuClaw's Dirty Little Freak and Magic Hat's Snow Roller. Those are brown ales I wish I could forget but serve as a reminder to help me understand why so many seem to avoid this style.

The reason I enjoy the style dates back to somewhere around a decade ago. I was sitting in Alternative Brews in Amherst, NY, drinking their Hazelnut Brown Ale from CB Craft Brewers(or at the time Custom Brewcrafters) while enjoying a cigar. It was a tremendous experience and it was that beer that got me into bottle shops and breweries seeking out more brown ales. Like every other style of beer when you find the right one, it is a fantastic drinking experience. Some favorites of mine that come to mind are: Telluride's Face Down Brown Ale, Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Cigar City Vanilla Maduro and my all time favorite, Hill Farmstead George. All of the beers I mention are well worth seeking out but one that is not is the one I am writing about today. That beer is Southern Pecan from Lazy Magnolia.

Boasting it is the “Original Nut Brown Ale”, Southern Pecan is the kind of beer that would unfortunately reinforce someone's dislike of a style. From the label, I thought I would love this Mississippi brewery's take on a nut brown ale but unfortunately as a whole, it fell flat. I knew something was off right away when it did not have that rich, nutty aroma I have come to expect with the style. Instead it smelled more like an adjunct lager with a lot of bread, grain with a slight nuttiness and hints of chocolate and caramel. The first sip matched the nose. The typical flavors one would expect to experience are pushed to the background. The big grainy flavor of cereal and bread are right up front with a light nutty flavor requiring some seeking out to find. The finish finds the chocolate and caramel one would expect from the style. There is practically zero hop presence in the beer, which does Southern Pecan no favors. The finish is clean and the beer is refreshing on a hot day because there is practically nothing going on here. I keep searching for something positive to say about it but I keep arriving at the same conclusion. Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan is a thin, watery, bland version of a nut brown ale.

If my blog does anything today, I hope it steers you away from this particular brown ale and into looking for a better one. To some, brown ales might not be the most exciting style to seek out these days but when you find a great one, you find an excellent drinking experience.

Overall rating: 1.5/5

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!

Blue Point Hazy Bastard IPA

It has been a long time since I have purchased anything from Blue Point Brewing Company. Back around 2007-2009, I was a big fan of their Oktoberfest. I bought it fairly regularly actually, then one night I had a few too many of them and to put it simply, my desire to drink it never came back. That setback aside, that has nothing to do with why I do not purchase anything else from their catalog. My reasoning for that is, outside of the Oktoberfest, I found everything I tried from them to be alarmingly average. Nothing was terrible, nothing was great, for the price however there was always something better out there to purchase. When Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased them in 2014, I thought it was a bummer but it did not affect my purchase habits in any way. When I shop for beer, Blue Point has become almost invisible to me. I could pass through a bottle shop, look right at a shelf of Blue Point and not give it a second thought. I said “almost” earlier because I actually did see a Blue Point beer that caught my eye. Their Hazy Bastard New England-Stye IPA got the better of my curiosity and I found myself purchasing a 4-pack of it. As I walked out of the store, I couldn't help but look forward to trying macro beer's take on a beloved style in the craft community and writing about it.

The aromas of orange, grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple, pine and biscuit greeted me and gave me high hopes for Hazy Bastard IPA. The fact that the beer was canned just a few days ago makes it even more exciting. Is this the beer that puts Blue Point Brewing Company back on my radar? The answer to that question is yes and no. Hazy Bastard NE-IPA is a good beer. The taste of orange jumped out at me during the first sip. There were notes of grapefruit, passion fruit, guava, pineapple and biscuit before a peppery, bitter, astringent finish. There was also a hint of onion coming through as well, but it was mostly overshadowed by the tropical & citrus flavors. Pretty much, everything worked for me here up until the finish. The lingering astringency seemed out of place here. I was expecting a softer finish but that was not in the cards. The initial citrus and tropical notes were bold and fantastic. Those flavors were quite refreshing and paired nicely with a hot September day. The astringent finish can be felt long after taking a sip and that did not particularly work for me.

So the first question is, how did Blue Point(AB InBev) do with the style? I think they did surprisingly well with the NE-Style. Second, does that mean it stands up to some of the best beers that represent the style? Absolutely not. This is a serviceable NE-IPA. It hits a lot of the notes you would expect it to and aside from a messy finish delivers a pleasant drinking experience. However, it does not come close to the craftsmanship of others in the style. Finally, did it put Blue Point back on the map for me? I'm not sure, but it is September, perhaps I should give that Oktoberfest one more try.

Overall rating: 3.75/5


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!

Founders DKML

When Founder's first announced the 4th release in their Barrel Aged Series I practically jumped for joy. The idea of an imperial malt liquor aged in bourbon barrels seemed to satisfy both College Sean as well as Adult Sean. Some of my favorite nights in college came from walking to the corner store near my friends apartment to purchase a 40 oz. bottle of Mickey's Malt Liquor or Old English 800 and pairing it with a Friday night of vintage video games. Based on that previous sentence I am sure you can tell I was a pretty cool guy back then. Years later, I find myself far removed from my college experience, my days of drinking a 40 oz. bottles of malt liquor are few and far between. The main reason for this is malt liquor is not typically enjoyed for its flavor. It is enjoyed because it is inexpensive, can be purchased in a large quantity and has a higher ABV than your basic lager. Frankly, most of it is gross. I think Magnum 40 for example, reminded me more of gasoline than an actual alcoholic beverage. I spoke affectionately of Mickey's Malt Liquor earlier, but it is terrible. Aside from the cool grenade-style bottles it comes in now, I can't remember anything else nice about it. I actually found Old English 800 to be drinkable, but steer clear of it because the day after drinking it is always unpleasant. This blog seems to have gotten away from me because I am spending more time giving you reasons why malt liquor is terrible and not telling whether Founder's DKML(Dick Kicker Malt Liquor) is worth a purchase or not. I guess the easiest way to answer that is, it is and it isn't. It depends what kind of drinking experience you are looking for. If you are looking for a polished alcoholic beverage, you are in the wrong place. If you are looking for a unique spin on a style typically ignored by beer enthusiasts, you might find something you love here.

DKML delivers on exactly what the bottle promises. It is a big, boozy, barrel aged malt liquor. The alcohol is not hidden at all and in this case I loved it. This is an aggressive punch in the mouth or better yet a kick “where you most expect it” as the bottle promises. Toasted bread, sweet corn, a pleasant fruitiness greeted my palate before the barrel notes of oak, bourbon, vanilla, coconut and lots of booze came through in the finish. The 14.2% ABV hits the hardest in the finish but it is there the whole time. The barrel aging shines the most in the flavor and transforms this beer. It is hard to explain that a beer hit every flavor note you wanted it to, but in this case it did. I did not expect a world class beverage here, I expected barrel aged malt liquor and that is exactly what I got and I loved it
.
Everything about DKML worked for me. It is a messy, boozy, aggressive brew that I feel will get “love it or hate it” reactions from anyone who drinks it. There is no middle ground with DKML. I absolutely loved it and I am happy to sing its praises. However, for everyone like me, there is someone like my wife who thought this was one of the worst beers she has ever had. Obviously, she was too cool to spend a Friday night in college drinking a 40 and playing vintage video games to appreciate what Founders accomplished here. Or maybe, my wife realized that this is by no means an easy drinking beverage. She explained it was gross, boozy and one sip was more than enough, but at least it gets you buzzed quickly.. When she heard it cost around 15 dollars a 4-pack, she thought I got ripped off for buying it. Naturally, I rejected that notion and told her I thought DKML was one of the most unique beers I had tried in awhile. As I finish this blog, we remain a house divided.

Sean's Rating: 4.5/5

Alicia's Rating:  1/5

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!

Breckenridge Stranahan's Well Built Burton Style Ale

Breckenridge Brewery's Vanilla Porter is a beer everyone into craft beer should try at some point. If you have yet to try it, do so, you might not be blown away by it now, but understand that beer was a big deal several years ago. I remember trying it for the first time and being absolutely loving it. I revisit it from time to time and it brings back fond memories, but it is now overshadowed by better local offerings in my area. The whole point in drinking it now is to “respect the classics”. I tended to stay away from many of Breckenridge's other offerings because a lot of them are average or completely unpleasant to drink. Recently, I sampled their Salted Caramel Brown Ale and could barely get through 3 ounces of it. Their Breck IPA is as uneventful as it gets. Their Oatmeal Stout had a decent flavor but was incredibly thin. I honestly can't remember anything else I have had from them outside of this. Recently, my Uncle Jeff(thank you!) brought me an incredible amount of beer from Colorado. Most of it I had never heard of, but I am extremely excited to try all of it. In the incredible amount of beer my Uncle brought to NY, he brought a Burton Style Ale aged in Colorado Whiskey Barrels from Breckenridge Brewery. This sounded creative, exciting, and if I was going to try a memorable beer from Breckenridge Brewery, it was going to be this one.

Stranahan's Well Built Burton Style Ale poured a deep reddish amber with a thin white head. The barrel aging in particular shined in the nose. Oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, spice, raisin, brown sugar and hint of cherry greeted me and continued to raise my hopes that Breckenridge had made something special here. Unfortunately, when I took my first sip, things started going downhill. A big hit of dark fruit, bourbon, vanilla, caramel and toffee greeted me immediately before giving way to a dry, oakey, astringent finish. At first, I liked it but held off on judgment until it started to warm. As it warmed, the flavors started to became disjointed and the astringent finish began to wear on me. On paper, the maltiness of Well Built should have blended nicely together with the barrel aging. Instead the beer and the barrel seemed to be at war with each other. Drinking Stranahan's Well Built felt like more like I took a shot of whiskey and then used a malty beer as a chaser to wash it down than anything else. Even more unpleasant, the more it warmed, its thin, oily mouthfeel only enhanced my dislike of everything going on here. It is a shame because the base beer alone might not have been bad and the whiskey aged in the barrels might not have been bad. Together however, they left me not wanting to try either.

This beer may have been named “Well Built,” but I assure you it is not. This is a messy barrel aged beer from a brewery that aside from their classic Vanilla Porter, seems to offer very little for a repeat purchase. I really wanted to like this beer. There are some nice things going on here initially but if you treat this like a sipper and you should, it all falls apart. I really want to find a beer from Breckenridge that justifies their national distribution but I am not holding my breath that I will.

Overall rating: 2.25/5. Stranahan's Well Built is another forgettable offering from Breckenridge with a higher price tag.

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!