Founders Underground Mountain Brown

Whenever there is a new release in the Founders Barrel Aged Series, I can’t help but write about it. The series might not always deliver a great beer but the creativity behind each of the offerings is something that should be celebrated. The latest release in the series, Underground Mountain Brown, a bourbon barrel aged version of their coffee brown ale Sumatra Mountain Brown, feels like a more crowd pleasing entry on paper. Especially when compared to the previous entry, the margarita-inspired beer Mas Agavé. In fact, the first time I tried Sumatra Mountain Brown, I found myself wondering what it would taste like after spending some time in a barrel. Now, with the release of Underground Mountain Brown, I no longer have to wonder.

After spending a year in bourbon barrels, the barrel character is immediately noticeable in the aroma. Creamy vanilla blends beautifully with robust coffee, baker’s chocolate, oak tannins, toffee, hazelnut & a warm, boozy note. When I took my first sip, I thought I was drinking KBS Lite. It had many of the same flavor notes with a touch less body and a more acidic burn on the finish. Tons of earthy, robust coffee, as well as a big hit of roasted malt sits up front before giving way to creamy vanilla & a touch of caramelized sugar, which tries to add a touch of balance. A huge hit of baker’s chocolate then comes in before a tannic, acidic, boozy finish.

There is a large barrel presence in Underground Mountain Brown but a not a huge bourbon presence. I feel like the only time I noticed the bourbon was in the finish. I would have liked that to stand out more. I also would have preferred a touch more sweetness, to balance the flavor out. With each sip, I kept hoping the vanilla would come through more before being blasted with acidity. Another fantastic note I did not mention earlier was the subtle hint of hazelnut. I am a huge fan of hazelnut brown ales and would have really liked more of that to come through here.

This review might give you the impression I am not a fan of Underground Mountain Brown, but I actually did enjoy it. However, I will stress that one 4-pack goes a long way. I have consumed three bottles so far and plan on putting the fourth in the cellar awhile to see if the acidity calms down a bit. If you are a fan of Founders’ Sumatra Mountain Brown, KBD  or coffee brown ales in general, I feel this is a must-try. If those are not your thing, I would recommend passing on this one unless you absolutely have to try every entry in the Founders Barrel Aged Series.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

New Belgium Oakspire 2019

Last year, when I tried New Belgium's Oakspire I was a bit underwhelmed. With the market heavily saturated in quality barrel aged beers at the time of its release last fall, I felt my money was better spent elsewhere after trying a single bottle.

I was going to let it pass by this year, but a friend's palate I trust asked me to give it another try. Rarely do I turn a free beer down, so I decided to bring it home and give it a try the first chance I got. I went into this year's New Belgium Knob Creek collaboration with a positive attitude and decided to write about it. It was that positive attitude that gave me hope that this year's batch of Oakspire is better than last year's. That being said, I still was not crazy about it.

Oakspire's appearance is a gorgeous deep amber with a creamy white head. The aroma is full of caramel, vanilla and oak. Hints of corn, toffee, brown sugar, dark fruit, smoke and a touch of bourbon round out the aroma. Caramel and vanilla flooded my palate on the first sip. A strong corn note also came through as well. There were hints of smoke, raisin before a very tannic, bitter finish. This finish lingers and accumulates. By the end of the glass, it is a touch overwhelming. This was by far my biggest complaint when it came to this beer. Another one, since this is a review blog is, it is a bit too thin. A beer like this should have more body to it.

Oakspire is an interesting beer. I definitely think, New Belgium & Knob Creek improved this beer. I am not saying it is going to blow your socks off, but as the weather cools, this is a solid beer to have around before stout season gets into full swing. I hope next year, this beer is even better. A bit more body and a touch more bourbon could earn this beer a regular place in my fridge. A positive thing to come out of me revisiting Oakspire is next year, I will definitely buy a bottle. I might not buy another this year but I am very open to trying next year’s batch. That is progress.


Overall rating: 3.25/5

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Wadworth 6X Amber Ale

Once in a while, like many beer drinkers, I pick up a mixed 6-pack to purchase beers I do not want to make a full 4 or 6-pack commitment to. Usually I can find a few gems, but a lot of the beers I pick I am happy with having only one can or bottle of and moving on.

While picking my most recent mix pack, I found myself craving malt a bit more even though it is still very summer-like outside. While that malt craving is stronger than it normally is this time of year, I am still not looking for something heavy. England's Wadworth 6X Amber Ale seemed to fit that bill nicely. Now granted, I was a little concerned about the freshness of the beer(according to the can, the best-by date is August 31st), so I am getting this blog in at the last possible minute for this can.

Clocking in at a summer-appropriate 4.3%, 6X pours a beautifully clear amber. Its aroma is rich in caramel, toasted bread, a touch of toffee, a hint of fruit, with some earthy, grassy hops and an unfortunate touch of cardboard. I was worried age had really taken a toll on this beer but when I took my first sip I was pleasantly surprised. It is not going to blow your socks off but this is a decent amber ale. Lots of malt sweetness up front, caramel sweetness to be more specific, with a touch of fruitiness, molasses, toasted bread, apple, a sad note of stale cardboard before an earthy, slightly bitter finish. It definitely could be fresher and I would have loved it to be just a little less watered down. The latter feels like a silly complaint when considering this is a 4.3% beer. The only other complaint I have is the strong taste of mineral water that accumulated on my palate the more I drank of 6X.

When I really stepped back and looked at Wadworth 6X, I did enjoy it. However, I think it works better in a mixed 6-pack because once I finished the can, I felt I did not need another. If you are a fan of the style, I think you should give it a try. It is by no means a bad beer. I just think there are better and fresher amber ale options out there.

Overall rating: 3/5


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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Southern Tier Bourbon Smash and Gin & Tonic

If you have been following my blog for awhile now then you know I have mixed feelings about Southern Tier Brewing Company. While I do think some of their beers are wonderful, most of them, especially recent releases, have left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. My low batting average with recent Southern Tier releases has significantly lowered the amount of time their beer takes up real estate in my refrigerator:

I still find myself curious about each new offering I see from them, but rarely does that curiosity get me to actually purchase one. This blog is about one of those rare times curiosity got the best of me. I not only purchased one of their offerings I had yet to try but two. The only issue about writing about it on a beer blog is the fact that neither one is a beer. They are both mixed cocktails and they are both surprisingly good.

I will start with Bourbon Smash. If you are a fan of bourbon & ginger ale, you will really enjoy this take on it. Southern Tier Bourbon is showcased nicely but does not over power. It is balanced nicely by the strong flavor of ginger and a refreshing touch of lemon on the finish. The can says there is mint in the cocktail but I did not taste any. It is a touch on the sweet side, but I did not think it was cloying.

Speaking of sweet, Southern Tier's take on a Gin & Tonic is a bit sweeter than I would have liked, but it is still quite good. It is floral, refreshing and also really showcases the gin. The use of cucumber instead of lime was also a fantastic choice for this canned cocktail. I wish the sugar was dialed back a touch as I could see that being off-putting to some, but overall this is a really impressive canned cocktail.

I feel like this is the first positive blog I have written about Southern Tier in quite sometime. I honestly wish it was about beer but unfortunately the praise here is going to their distillery. If you are looking for a great Southern Tier beer, I highly recommend checking out their recently released Fall offerings Warlock Pumpkin Imperial Stout and their Harvest ESB. If you are looking for something different and refreshing for your summer drinking, I highly recommend both the Bourbon Smash and Gin & Tonic. Oh, and for my next blog, I promise to go back to writing about a beer.


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Lord Hobo Pineapple Glorious IPA

Shopping for beer to bring on a weekend getaway always seems to take me way longer than it needs to. It has gotten to a point that I can’t do it with another person because they quickly lose patience while I ponder what would work best. I swear, I can switch the beers I am going to bring multiple times before I finally settle on what I consider are the beers to bring. Even when I’m given guidance and am told to bring cheap, sh—ty beer, I can’t bring myself to do it. If I am drinking beer all weekend long and sharing it with friends I want it to be something good.

Before this past weekend’s trip, I spent about a half hour in the beer aisle before I finally made a concrete decision on what to bring. There were a ton of great options but I decided to go with a couple of my local summer favorites: Three Heads Couch Tour Cucumber Sour and Genesee Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale. I love both beers. They are delicious, crowd-pleasing, low ABV session beers with a fantastic price point. I felt great about going with just those beers until I saw Lord Hobo Pineapple Glorious IPA. For some reason, I could not pass that beer up even though there were a few red flags attached to it. The first being Lord Hobo’s catalog is very hit & miss. The second being pineapple beer is also very hit & miss. Seeing “ale with natural flavor” was the third red flag. Then finally the price point for the beer was a bit more than you typically want to spend for a beach beer but I decided to go for it anyway and hope for the best.

Lord Hobo’s Pineapple Glorious IPA certainly delivers the pineapple. The aroma is full of it, along with peach, passion fruit, grapefruit, grass, herbal and floral notes, and bread dough. The first sip was a little disappointing due to the artificial taste of pineapple. The use of natural flavoring does not always get the best results and here is a perfect example of that. It is by no means a drain pour but it’s nothing special either. Peach, citrus, grass, doughy malt, and passion fruit go fairly well with the pineapple flavoring before an aggressive finish of bitter grapefruit rind and black pepper. In future batches I hope they soften the finish a bit.

It took a couple cans but I ended up kinda liking Pineapple Glorious IPA. However, I can’t bring myself to recommend you go out and purchase it at its current price point. I, for one, will probably not buy it again without a fairly dramatic price drop. I also can’t say it’s an upgrade over the base beer Glorious. As I mentioned earlier, Lord Hobo’s beers are hit & miss. Overall, I would list this one as a miss. At 13 dollars a 4-pack, you should expect better.

Harpoon One Hazy Summer

The past few weeks I have been slowing down on writing and that is unacceptable. Summer beer season is in full swing and I need to do a better job helping you sort through what’s on the shelves to find the best recommendations possible.

The main reason I have been behind on my blogs is because my summer beer drinking has become predictable. I have been obsessed with Other Half Brewing being in town and frequently find myself stopping there for cans, bottles & pours. The other beers that have taken up a fair amount of space in my refrigerator are Genesee’s Ruby Red Kolsch & Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale. The latter feels like a response to Natural Light’s surprisingly successful Naturday, a Strawberry Lemonade flavored light lager. It could be my local pride talking here but I honestly believe Genesee’s Lemon Strawberry Cream is the better of the two. Genesee’s Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale is not as sweet as Naturday which is a plus and the fruit flavor is dialed back a bit allowing the base beer to come through a bit more. To keep it short, both beers are good, but Genesee’s is better.

Another great summer beer I enjoyed was Couch Tour, a cucumber sour from Three Heads Brewing. It’s very refreshing with just the right amount of cucumber. If you come across it, I highly recommend trying it.

Basically, I have been drinking a lot of great beer but my drinking habits need to expand. So for this blog, I decided to go with a widely released beer from a craft brewery I have not drank anything from in quite some time. I also really wanted summer to be in the beer’s name, so I decided to go with One Hazy Summer from Harpoon Brewery.

Hazy, hoppy beers that get a wide release tend to be hit and miss. For example, I really enjoyed Hazy Little Thing from Sierra Nevada but found Bells Official to be disappointingly bland. Harpoon’s One Hazy Summer is not going to blow you away but it is a decent pale ale. The aroma is floral, fruity & malty. Biscuit in particular really comes through, along with pineapple, mango, berry and a touch of citrus. The aroma matches the flavor for the most part. The hops compliment the biscuity malt profile, adding a touch of brightness. Mango & pineapple come through the most, along with a touch of berry & citrus before a soft, herbal, dry finish.

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed One Hazy Summer. It might not be as hoppy as I wanted it to be but it works. It’s a light, easy drinking, reasonable priced, session beer that will work nicely as a beach beer, lawnmower beer, camping beer, basically any summer occasion beer. One that I am glad is taking up real estate in my refrigerator.



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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Shiner Lemon Pils

The Shiner brand first got on my radar in 2007. I was sitting in a movie theater watching characters in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof enjoying a beer I had not seen before. At that time in my life I bought into whatever Tarantino was selling. I thought he was the absolute greatest thing to happen to movies and if he put his endorsement on a beer, I had to try it. Product placement worked on me and I began my quest to find Shiner Bock as soon as I left the theater. It took a few years, but I finally came across a 6-pack in Wisconsin. As I sipped it while tailgating a Pearl Jam show later that day, I remember thinking it was a solid beer. It was not the magical libation I thought it was going to be but it was a good beer. Fast forward almost a decade later, and it is still the only beer from the Shiner brand I have enjoyed.

My feelings on beer from Spoetzl Brewery come from years of disappointment. I keep trying their beer with the hope that I will find one that I enjoy enough for a repeat purchase, but outside of the Bock that has yet to happen. For this blog I wanted to take the time to vent about how I felt about the Shiner brand, but also review one of their latest offerings that I had yet to try in hopes of possibly finally finding a beer from them I could say something nice about.

Shiner’s Lemon Pils lined up with my current drinking habits. It’s a warm weather, sessionable lager with a hint of citrus. I had the hope that it would work as a summer crusher. I had no aspirations that this was going to be a world class beer, I just wanted a beer that would work well as a “lawnmower” or “beach” beer. The nose of Lemon Pils gave me some hope. It had a touch of citrus, particularly lemon, bready malt, grains, and a nice touch of floral notes with an herbal spiciness. While the aroma worked for me, the first sip was not what I had hoped it would be. Lemon Pils is surprisingly sweet up front. Lots of bready malt, and cereal grains before lemon and citrus come in. The finish is spicy and bitter with a lemon rind note that is a bit more aggressive then necessary. There is a disappointing metallic note in the finish as well. Lemon Pils is also extremely watery. Sadly, there is just not a lot to like here and this just turns out to be another mediocre beer from Shiner. I can't even recommend it as a "lawnmower" beer because there are so many better options out there.

Honestly, at this point I am not holding out hope I will find a beer outside of Shiner Bock from the Spoetzl Brewery that is worth purchasing again. I will give anything a try, especially for this blog, but even for blogging purposes my money is better spent elsewhere. I recommend you spend yours elsewhere, as well.


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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!