Ithaca BullsEye Red Ale

I give a lot of credit to Ithaca Beer Company for really advancing my love of craft beer. When I was in college I remember falling in love with their Apricot Wheat, a beer that to this day I consider a fantastic summer crusher. I also loved their long-departed Pale Ale. As my tastes advanced I found myself enjoying their Nut Brown Ale, Flower Power IPA and CascaZilla Red Ale. I have always thought they made delicious beer but admittedly I do not buy their products as much as I used to. When I saw their new Bullseye Red Ale, I purchased it immediately. This was a brewery I have enjoyed over the years tackling a style I love and one they have succeeded at before. It was the kind of beer I could not wait to have in my glass. Ithaca’s latest take on a red ale clocks in at 5.5% ABV, which is a full percentage point lower than CascaZilla making it more sessionable. However, if its aroma is any indication, Bullseye is far more complex. The aroma is floral, spicey, piney, woody, citrusy with a toasted bread, toffee and caramel malt backbone. The taste matches the nose with its complexity. Grapefruit and pine come through initially before some bready, caramel malt sweetness provides a nice touch of balance. The finish is earthy, spicy, piney and dry. There is a lot to like here about Bullseye. Its flavor certainly compliments the season nicely. My issue with this beer is the lack of body. The flavor of the beer is great. What is unfortunate is that the flavor is extremely muted. My first thought after I took my first sip was, “this beer would be amazing if it was not so watered down.” It tastes exactly like a light beer version of a cold weather red ale. I wanted to love this beer so much, but I became more and more frustrated as I worked my way through the glass. This review does sound more harsh than it should. I am just disappointed because while I did like BullsEye, I wanted to love it. Still, this is one of my favorite styles of beer and I am thrilled to see Ithaca re-imagine it. While they did a decent job, I can’t help but wonder what could have been if these complex flavors were allowed to shine more. Overall rating: 3/5 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!

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!

Southern Tier Oat BBA Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Over the past week I have been on a small quest to find 4-packs of Southern Tier Warlock. Not for blogging reasons but more for the reason of picking up one of the pumpkin beers I really enjoy. So far I have been unsuccessful but it has given me plenty of time in different stores to contemplate beers I have yet to try.

For several months I had been contemplating buying Southern Tier’s Oat, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. If you have been reading my blog long enough, you know this kind of beer hits right in my wheelhouse. The funny thing was every time I seemed to come across it, I found myself buying something else. I realized as I was looking at the remaining bottles of Oat that I might find myself in the same position with that as I did with the 4-packs of Warlock. So instead of missing out on Oat as well, I decided to give it a try.

In the past Oat was not barrel aged, but I love the idea of bringing back a beer from the past in a new way. The aroma is rich espresso, dark chocolate, caramel, smoke, vanilla, a touch of bourbon and a lot of oak. The barrel is really showcased on the first sip. Bourbon and vanilla come through initially along with molasses, dark chocolate, coffee, anise, caramelized sugar, dark fruit with a boozy, spicy finish. I realize I am close to 6 months late on trying this beer but in its current state it is delicious. Its velvety smooth mouthfeel made me wish I had another bottle. If I come across a second I will immediately throw it in the cellar to give it a little more time to mellow. I think just a little more time will work wonders for this beer. As it is right now, I think it is a fantastic drinking experience. I am trying to find ways to be negative because of how long I slept on this beer but it is difficult. This is a really great beer from Southern Tier. I will continue my quest to find a 4-pack of Warlock but if I come across this beer instead I will be thrilled to purchase it again.

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!

Cigar City Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale

Cigar City Brewing is one of my all time favorite breweries. I enjoy many of their offerings, including Red Tocobaga which is my all time favorite red ale. Each time I visited their brewery in Tampa, I seemed to be there during the month that White Oak Jai Alai was available in cans but never their Cubano-style Espresso Brown Ale. That was by no means a bad thing, but I really wanted to try the Maduro variant. When I did get to try it, it was in a flight and was unfortunately lost in the shuffle. That particular day was the first time I drank Hunahphu Imperial and I was drinking two different years of it. Everything in my flight paled in comparison to that beer geek moment.

For years, I have been hoping for a second chance to try Cubano-style Espresso. Well, that day has finally arrived. Ever since I first read that that Cubano-style Espresso was getting a large release I found myself counting the seconds the seconds for it to arrive. I finally had the chance to not only drink it but also give it the full attention it deserved. Much like many other Cigar City beers, it did not disappoint.

Coffee, creamy vanilla and chocolate stand out the most in the aroma. The aroma is also nutty with hints of caramel, toffee and toasted bread. The first sip matched the nose for the most part. Coffee is front and center along with milk chocolate. Caramel, nuts & toffee are just underneath those bold flavors before a creamy vanilla finish. The finish also contained a subtle hint of earthy hops as well. There is a lot to like here. The coffee treatment is fantastic. It is a touch sweeter than I want it to be but keep in mind that I am a black coffee drinker, so I prefer my coffee on the bitter side. The vanilla flavor is awesome and adds a nice amount of creaminess to the mouthfeel. In a perfect world, I would have dialed back the carbonation here ever so slightly to enhance that creaminess. That, however, is a small complaint. Cigar City has brewed a winner here. It took almost two and a half years for me to get a chance to try Cubano-style Espresso again and it was well worth the wait.

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!

Harpoon Dunkin' Coffee Porter

After living in an apartment with a Dunkin' Donuts(now just Dunkin) down the street, I can say I have drank quite a fair share of their coffee. I still do for that matter. So, you can imagine I was excited to see Dunkin' Coffee being used in a beer. I am not saying I think Dunkin' Coffee is by any means amazing or my favorite coffee, it is just a coffee I am used to drinking out of convenience more than anything else, but I am excited to try it in beer form. This also marks the first time I have purchased a beer from Harpoon outside of Boston in years.

Harpoon's Dunkin' Coffee Porter is a medium-bodied porter with an aroma that is very roasty, with rich espresso dark chocolate, smoke with a touch of caramelized sugar. The first sip matches the nose. It is a robust combination of roasted malt and espresso. What I liked here was that the coffee is showcased nicely. It is very much unmistakably a Dunkin' Coffee beer. Unfortunately, that is also what I did not like about this beer. Having drank my fair share of Dunkin' Coffee I can safely say this tastes like old, burnt Dunkin' Coffee with a touch of caramelized sugar sweetness & a dry finish. It is not completely terrible but it is not that good either. This is a gimmick beer that unfortunately, like most Harpoon beers, is just good enough not to offend the palate but not good enough to merit a second purchase.

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!

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!

Long Trail Harvest Vermont Maple Brown Ale

I believe I have written this before but if I see a beer with maple syrup in it, I am going to buy it. Not all the beers I have had with maple syrup in them have been winners, but like coconut in beer, I can’t seem to pass them up. When I saw Long Trail Ale Harvest, a Vermont Maple Brown Ale, I had to give it a try and write about it.

Over the years, I have become a fan of Long Trail Brewing’s catalog. The VT IPA in particular tastes fantastic and is very reasonably priced for a 12-pack. I also really enjoy their Cranberry Gose, Limbo IPA and their flagship Long Trail Ale. I had high hopes that their Harvest Ale would become a fall staple in my refrigerator. From the moment I got a whiff of Long Trail’s Harvest, a Vermont Maple Brown Ale, I thought I found a beer that was going to do just that. Chocolate, maple syrup, caramel, toffee, coffee, earthy hops all seemed to beautifully come together in the aroma.

Before I took my first sip, there was something that kept my hopes in check-- the 4.4% ABV. That is light beer territory and for a Fall beer that is extremely low. Not only did that give me concerns about the flavor but it also gave me concerns about body. I think it goes without saying but the cooler weather of Fall demands a beer with a bit more body and warming alcohol to it. I wanted Long Trail’s Harvest Ale to prove me wrong on all of these fronts but it sadly did not. It had the mouthfeel of light beer. There is decent flavor there but it is extremely watered down. The dark chocolate, coffee, maple syrup and toffee are muddled together before an earthy hop finish. The beer finishes clean, but what would you expect from a light beer masquerading as a brown ale for the Fall season?

While Long Trail’s Harvest lacks the flavor and body one would expect from a Fall beer, I did not completely hate it. As I said earlier it by no means tastes bad, it is just incredibly average. I would love to see this beer with at least a 5.5% ABV. More body would give this beer a chance to let its flavors shine. I have a feeling that would dramatically bring my overall rating up.

Overall rating: 2.75/5


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!

Fall Recommendation: Southern Tier Harvest

Fall beer is everywhere now and after several days on the cooler side, as well as the return of football, I’m finally excited about it! When I reach this point I tend to go to a bottle shop and look for my fall favorites and a few new ones to try. One of my particular favorites is Southern Tier’s Harvest Ale.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I think ESB(Extra Special/Strong Bitter) is an underrated style that I wish more breweries took on. I understand it is not a particularly flashy style but sometimes the occasion just calls for something very drinkable. I have always found Southern Tier’s take on Harvest Ale to be particularly fun because it really turns up the hoppiness for the style. It is noticeable the second you start to pour it into a glass.

Southern Tier Harvest Ale moves away from the sessionable beers of summer with a higher ABV(6.7%) and a lot more flavor. The great thing about Harvest Ale is its balance and drinkability, which is typical of the style. While the grapefruit, orange, pine and earthy hops are a bit more pronounced than the style typically calls for, the malt sweetness provides the right amount of balance to this. The finish is crisp, dry, and clean, making it easy to reach for a second bottle. Unlike a summer beer however, the ABV starts to show up a bit sooner.

Southern Tier Harvest Ale was one of the first Fall seasonal beers outside of the Oktoberfest lagers & Pumpkin Ales I tried during my early days of craft beer drinking. I found it complimented the crisp, cool Fall weather perfectly. It has been a beer I have enjoyed for over a decade now and recommend everyone give it a try at some point.


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!

Georgetown Brewing's Pearl Jam: The Home Shows Pale Ale

Recently, my wife and I traveled to Boston for two Pearl Jam concerts and a chance to try some of the local beer. We had an absolute blast drinking Treehouse, Trillium, Springdale & Jack’s Abby to name a few. 

Visiting the Tree House Brewery was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The line for cans and the ability to buy draft tickets was super long but somehow operated very efficiently. The line to cash in those draft tickets was much longer but again operated surprisingly efficiently. I have waited in line for beer in the past but had never waited that long at a brewery during a mid afternoon visit. The beer, as expected, was well worth it. So much so that I am very much looking forward to visiting there again.

The Tree House beer we bought that was what we drank for most of our visit. The days ranged from a humid 85 degrees to a humid 97 degrees and that gave us the motivation to stay in the hotel room and drink amazing beer before heading to the concerts. While I could blog about the Tree House beers I had, I think it would be fairly pointless. If you are reading this, then most likely you know their reputation or have had their beer. Every beer I have had from them was delicious. One however I will go out of my way to mention is Old Man ESB. It is an excellent example of an underrated style I want to see more of. It was also a fantastic beer to enjoy before a Pearl Jam concert. 

These particular Pearl Jam concerts were part of a baseball stadium tour called The Home & Away shows. The tour opened in Seattle(The Home Show) and continued through Montana, Chicago & Boston(The Away Shows). Each show was epic in its own right but The Home Shows got the royalty treatment including a Pearl Jam themed whiskey, wine and a Pale Ale brewed by Georgetown Brewing. I was hoping there would be a different specialty beer brewed in each of the markets, especially Boston, but that was sadly not the case. I was bummed out by the fact that another Pearl Jam beer existed and I might not get a chance to try it. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the Dogfish Head Pearl Jam Twenty Beer was awful. I really hoped the latest beer was significantly better. Fortunately, two days after we returned from Boston, a 6-pack of Pearl Jam: The Home Shows Pale Ale showed up on my doorstep and after this extremely long introduction I can finally talk about it.

The aroma of Home Shows Pale Ale is a blast of resinous pine with some orange peel, grapefruit, pineapple, mango with a touch of malt sweetness. After the first taste, the bad memories of the Pearl Jam Twenty beer immediately faded away. Now, I am not saying this is a mind-blowing beer but it is a damn good beer. It is perfect for say, tailgating an epic 3 hour concert. It is light, super easy to drink with grapefruit, pineapple, mango, a light herbalness, some malt sweetness and a really nice amount of pine before a clean finish. The only thing holding me back from fully gushing over this beer is the fact that the hops may have faded a bit and it is a touch watery. Nevertheless, this is a damn good beer and I am ecstatic to be drinking it. 

The Home Shows Pale Ale left me hoping for more of these one-off beers for Pearl Jam shows. The shows in Boston were amazing! While I had no issue sipping a Sam ‘76 and watching the concert, I would have loved to have been sipping this instead. If you come across this beer, it is well work a purchase. Also, if you have yet to see Pearl Jam live, it is well worth going out of your way to do. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Until next time Pearl Jam!

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

Thank you Uncle Jeff! Thanks for reading. Sláinte!