Beating The Cold With Beer - Oskar Blues 2015 Tequila Barrel Aged Gubna Imperial IPA, Night Shift Village Lager, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

It is absolutely freezing in the Northeast. Temperatures are below zero, wind chills are below zero and I am fairly certain we now live on Hoth. The good news is there is hope in the forecast ahead and slightly warmer days are on the way. For right now though, the best bet to beat the weather is to stay inside. What I mean by that is, stay inside and open some fantastic beers.


Last night, I took a very long look at what was in the refrigerator and after some careful deliberation, I decided to open up a can of Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA Aged in Tequila Barrels. I was particularly intrigued by this beer because it was canned on December 16, 2015. A little over two years is a lot of time to change a beer and when I took my whiff of the aroma I saw the first casualty of aging was that the hop bite had drastically faded. The aroma of bready malt, wood, caramel and some earthiness stood out the most, with just a little bit of tequila in the background. When I took my first sip, I was not sure what to think. It was woody, earthy, bready and spicy, and while this should not have been surprising it somehow caught me off guard. As I worked my way a little deeper into the glass, I started to fall in love with it. There were some really interesting notes that began to emerge as it started to warm a little. There were nice hints of citrus, mango and pineapple. The tequila was there too and that kept confusing my senses. It was like merging irresponsible college drinking and responsible craft beer appreciation. In this beer, worlds were colliding and eventually I found a way to love it even more. Like the Rum Barrel Aged Death By Coconut I reviewed a few weeks ago, Oskar Blues has another barrel aged winner here. I hope to try this one fresh one day to see how it compares with the 2 year old version. For tonight however, this 11% treat provided a nice bit of warmth on this cold night.

Overall rating: 4.25/5


When it gets cold out, I sometimes crave a lager. I think this has to do with great memories I have drinking lagers on cold nights in college, as well as some fantastic nights drinking PBR in the backyard of one of my favorite bars. After some pondering, I settled on Night Shift Brewing's Village Lager and it was delicious. It seemed to hit all of the flavor notes I was looking for. It was grainy, bready, slightly fruity and had a nice bit of spice on a finish that was crisp and clean. At 4.8%, Village Lager is perfectly sessionable and is something I would love to regularly have in my refrigerator.

Overall rating: 4/5


Finally, I opened my last bottle of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. While there was nothing to celebrate on this cold night, Celebration Ale remains a seasonal favorite in our household. This is a beer I largely attribute my love of craft beer to. I do not think it is necessary to break down its flavor notes. This is one of those beers you should have already tried.

Overall rating: It's awesome!


That wraps up my first night of beer tasting to beat the cold. While this particular weather event is not as bad as I assumed it would be, it certainly has left me with no desire to leave my couch. For me, this is just one of those times of year where there is nothing better to do than stay in, read a book, write a blog, watch tv or play video games. Then again, I try to find a reason to do those at any time of year, so I guess the cold does not matter. Stay warm out there, everybody! Cheers!



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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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!



 

Westbrook 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt Imperial Stout

I was not going to write about Westbrook 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt Imperial Stout because I thought it would be long gone before I got a chance to write about. I base that solely on my past experiences with buying previous beers in the series. The first time I got my hands on a bottle was the 4th Anniversary Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout. While I did not like the 4th Anniversary Stout, getting it felt like I won a prize. I walked into a bottle shop and asked for it, answered several silly questions and then was the handed a bottle from behind the counter to purchase. I think I even called my wife on the way home to brag about my unique and successful shopping experience.

For the 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout, I dropped everything and grabbed a bottle as soon as I knew it was on sale. I enjoyed this one more than the previous year but I still was not totally in love with it.

I found a bottle of the 6th Anniversary Chocolate Hazelnut Imperial Stout by luck. I thought it was long gone from my area, but when I walked into a bottle shop there were 3 bottles just sitting on the counter. I took one home and drank it a few days later and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was a rich, beautiful dessert beer and when my bottle was empty I felt a tremendous void knowing I would probably never sip that beer again. I really hope to see Westbrook brew a chocolate hazelnut imperial stout again one day.

For the 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt Imperial Stout, I had a renewed sense of urgency in finding a bottle. The 6th Anniversary was so great that I had nothing but high expectations for the 7th Anniversary beer. That urgency was not needed as the Rochester, NY area seems to be flooded with bottles. I walked into several bottle shops, as well as grocery stores and there it was sitting on the shelves. So with a ton of excitement I opened the bottle, grabbed my notepad and poured a glass.

The aroma of fudge popped out of my glass. It was complimented by roasted malt, a touch of saline, caramel and smoke. The first sip and every sip after that was a treat. Rich creamy fudge dominated the flavor and it was delightful. The roasted malt provided a nice touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. There was a hint of fruit, along with some caramel and a spicy hop finish which added another amazing layer to this beer. The sea salt is present, and is noticeable right off the bat but I wanted a touch more of it. I love salted dark chocolate so just a touch more would have put this beer in elite territory for me. However, that is a small complaint, because overall this is a fantastic beer.

Westbrook's 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt immediately takes its place as one of my favorites in the series. If you are looking for a fantastic sipper to pair with a cold winter night, look no further.

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!

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!

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Aged Death By Coconut

The first taste of liquor I ever had was at a friends birthday party. The alcohol being passed around was Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay. In case my mother is reading this, it was totally a 21st birthday party...totally. We sat around in a circle, waiting for our turn to take a shot out of the only shot glass we had available. When it came to my turn, I blown away by how smooth, warming, and easy to drink Parrot Bay was.

I only had Parrot Bay once more after that night. It was a Duty Free Store purchase on the way into Canada. While it made for a nice hotel room beverage for an uneducated palate, it took a toll on mostly everyone in the hotel room. I have practically little to no interest in ever drinking Parrot Bay again. That is a type of booze for a younger(definitely 21, Mom) person. However, when I took my first whiff of the aroma of Rum Barrel Aged Death By Coconut, I was instantly transplanted back to my younger self and my days of drinking Parrot Bay. Except this time, there was a bit more sophistication behind it and I really enjoyed it.

On December 9th, Oscar Blues Brewery in both North Carolina and Colorado released their Rum Barrel Aged version of their coconut flavored Irish porter Death By Coconut. I am fortunate to have an uncle in Colorado, so just in time for the holidays I asked for a favor. I really wanted to try this beer, not only because I enjoy regular DBC but because this sounded like a blend of my early days of drinking with where I am now. I received a text from him saying “mission accomplished,” and a week later the beer was in NY. I placed it in my refrigerator and gave it a night to chill, I opened it the next night.

It is difficult to describe how big the amount of rum was in the aroma of Rum Barrel Aged Death By Coconut. It was practically jumping out of the glass. As I was trying to take a picture from above, I was about a foot away and I could smell the rum practically just as much as I could with my nose close to the glass. There were other notes in the aroma, like coconut, molasses, vanilla, and chocolate, but they all seemed to be hidden behind the rum. It was almost shocking how strong the rum was in the aroma, and it definitely foreshadowed what was to come when I took my first sip.

In simple terms Rum Barrel Aged Death By Coconut tastes like coconut rum with a beer backbone. The rum is there right up front and it is there on the finish. Non-barrel aged Death By Coconut definitely has a strong flavor but after some time in a rum barrel, the strength of that flavor is greatly diminished. Coconut and chocolate were all that really stood out from beer after the barrel aging. Take those flavor notes and add the sweet flavor of vanilla from the barrel, and you get sweet, decadent, dessert beer. Not having the biggest sweet tooth in the world, I wanted there to be more roasted bitterness to balance out the sweetness. As it warmed, some roasted bitterness did come out in the finish but not enough to stand up against the intense sweetness here. I could complain about this but I will not. This is a rum barrel aged coconut porter, being on the sweet side is to be expected. I mean, when was the last time you heard someone say rum is too bitter? Exactly.

From a critical standpoint, I wished the base beer would have been able to stand out a bit more but overall, I am very excited I got to try this beer. I felt a bit nostalgic as it brought back memories of trying that Captain Morgan Parrot Bay and merged in with my present day love of craft beer. While I have zero interest in drinking Parrot Bay again, I would be more than happy to drink this again. If you like rum and you like Death By Coconut, you will enjoy this beer too.

Overall rating: 4.25/5

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Dogfish Head Liquid Truth Serum IPA

As the months go by, it always seems like it is only a matter of time before I write about something new from Dogfish Head Brewery. This happens because Dogfish Head always seems to catch my eye and pique my curiosity when it comes to their latest releases. Last year around this time, I reviewed their Beer for Breakfast, a stout brewed with a strange pork meat loaf that is a Delaware delicacy. I may not have been crazy about that beer but I loved what they tried to accomplish with it. Over the summer, I reviewed Lupu-Luau, a refreshing coconut IPA that I really enjoyed. To shorten up this intro I will just say that I have an endless amount of respect for Dogfish Head Brewing's creativity. Even if I do not like something from them, I am usually glad I gave it a try. Being endlessly creative with beer is a fantastic thing and I am happy to continue supporting this by buying their products. Recently, I gave their brand new Liquid Truth Serum IPA a shot and while I may not have been crazy about it, I am glad a gave it a try because it certainly was a unique experience.

My thoughts on drinking Liquid Truth Serum can be broken down into three parts:

Part 1: This is Tremendous!

From the moment I got my first whiff of the aroma, I thought I was going to love this beer. The aroma was juicy with big tropical and citrus notes. Lots of grapefruit, pineapple, and mango stood out beautifully with a touch of sticky pine, grass, some nice floral notes and just the right amount of biscuit malt. As I took my first sip, I fell instantly in love with it. Tons of mango, pineapple and grapefruit greeted me with notes of grass, orange peel, melon before a dry, piney, herbal finish. My only early critique was Liquid Truth Serum was touch watery. It made Liquid Truth Serum seem more like it would have fit in better as a summer release that a fall/winter one. I thought this would be my main criticism for this week until...

Part 2: Something isn't Quite Right Here

Initially I was blown away by the big tropical notes of pineapple and mango but as I moved further into the glass those flavors moved into the background. Grapefruit and lemon began to come out a bit more and instead of complimenting those flavors, they seemed to be at war with them. The bitterness which Dogfish Head claims is dialed back with this particular beer continued to grow. On top of that, the finish started becoming increasingly peppery which did not totally work here either. Basically, those big, beautiful flavors in the beginning have faded and what is left is a muddled, mediocre beer from a fantastic brewery.

Part 3: What the Hell Happened?

The final third of the beer was disgusting. I wish I could put it nicer than that but I really need to drive home what a mess this turned into. There was a massive vegetal note that rose to the surface, along with a lot more bitterness. By the end of the glass, my initial positive thoughts were nothing more than a distant memory. Normally, I would have chugged it and moved on but I continued to sip it in hopes of the beer I described in Part 1 would return. It never did.

The truth is Liquid Truth Serum is a surprisingly bad IPA from a brewery that honestly helped myself, as well as many others, fall in love with IPAs in the first place. Supposedly brewed to reduce bitterness, Liquid Truth fails at accomplishing what appeared to be its main goal. I have no problem with a bitter IPA at all,  but the growing bitterness here played a large role Liquid Truth Serum falling apart. I would definitely revisit this beer in the future in hopes that future batches correct these glaring flaws but for right now, I would advise you to stay away from this beer.

Overall rating: 1.75/5

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Budweiser 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager

Ever since I started writing this blog, people have jokingly asked me to review Bud Light. Obviously, they were looking to see how I tried to describe in greater detail a beer I referred to for years as “piss water”. I have thought about doing it for an April Fool's Day blog but that has yet to materialize. I know it would make a few people chuckle but it really does not add much to the blog. At this point, if you drink beer, I am sure you have had a Bud Light. The point of this blog is to shine a light on a beer you may not have tried. However, if you have been waiting for me to review a beer with the Budweiser name on it, the wait is officially over..

The moment I saw a commercial for Budweiser's 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager, I knew I had to buy a bottle and write about it. This was not because I was particularly passionate about trying the beer, it was because I know some people will be curious about whether or not it is worth trying. So with the best of intention I twisted off the cap, poured the amber-colored lager into a glass and hoped for the best.

The aroma was surprisingly bold for a Budweiser branded beer which gave me hope that the next 12 ounces might be bearable. There is a lot of caramel malt up front in the aroma. Also, there are hints of toasted bread and nuttiness as well. The hop presence in the aroma is both grassy and herbal. The first sip left me pleasantly surprised. The makers of a watered down “beechwood aged” beer seemed to actually make a beer with a bold flavor. The caramel malt sweetness that dominated the aroma, dominated the flavor as well. Just like the aroma, there are notes of nuts and toasted bread before a grassy, herbal finish. At first it worked for me, it reminded me of Sam Adams Winter Lager without the spices. By the end of the glass however, the sweetness began to wear on me and I noticed a metallic note in the finish. This beer is by no means complex, but I did not really expect it to be. 1933 is a surprisingly decent beer from the makers of “piss water.”

Before I wrap this up, I want to be clear here. I am not saying run out and buy a six-pack of this. I am saying that if over the course of the holiday season, you are at a relatives house that only drinks macro beer, this is the one you should grab from the fridge. Also, you should have brought something better to the party.

Overall rating: 3/5  


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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!

Pipeworks Blood of the Unicorn Hoppy Red Ale

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

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

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

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

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

Overall rating: 4.5/5 

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!