Founder's Red Rye IPA

Spring is usually the time of the year I like to put down the heavy beers of winter and lighten up a bit with Irish ales, pale ales and IPAs. But with winter seemingly never coming to an end in the Northeast, I’ve found it a bit difficult to let go of the full bodied beers that always seem more enjoyable in cold temperatures. Because of this, I thought Founder’s Red Rye IPA is a fantastic way to split the difference between Winter and Spring.

Founder’s Red Rye IPA pours a beautifully dark amber color with a khaki colored head. The caramel and rye malts are very prevalent in the aroma, as is a bit of citrus. Upon tasting a rich earthy rye malt immediately flooded my palette. This was complimented nicely by a light grapefruit like finish from the hops.

As I progressed through Red Rye IPA, I became quite impressed with how balanced it was. The aggressiveness of the malt if left to its own devices would have easily made this a chore to drink halfway through the bottle. And if this was a regular IPA the light hop profile would have made this a rather forgettable entry from the Founder’s Brewery. Instead, both the malt and the hops shine in their own way. In fact one of my biggest complaints from a few of the beers I’ve reviewed is that they have left behind an unpleasant lingering aftertaste that over time gradually overwhelmed my palate. Red Rye IPA does leave an aftertaste but in this particular case it was not a bad thing. The lingering citrus flavor of the hops allowed for the more subtle peppery flavor of the malt to come through thus adding another layer of depth to the flavor.

All and all this is a solid beer that is definitely worth a try if you are an IPA fan. Its wonderful balance ensures a great beer drinking experience. And the 6.6% ABV is masked but not undetectable as it, along with the hops, provides a warm finish perfect for these absurdly cold spring nights.

　

Overall I give Founder’s Red Rye IPA an 4/5. If you are looking to give a Rye IPA a try, this is a great place to start.

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!

Leinenkugel's Hoppin Helles

If you asked me one word to describe the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company it would be average. Every beer I have sampled from them has been just that, not terrible, not mind blowing, just average. But for some strange reason I keep trying their beer hoping to find one that is anything but middle of the road. Perhaps the reason I do it is to make all the time I've put in and the money I've spent mean something, or perhaps I'm just not that bright. Nevertheless, for this week's beer I decided to try again with Leinenkugel's Hoppin Helles.

Originating in Munich, Germany, a Helles Lager is typically a pale golden style lager. Leinenkugel's Hoppin' Helles keeps to that tradition as it pours a beautifully clear light golden color with a nice white head. The aroma of Hoppin' Helles however is not as pleasant as it's appearance. The aroma reminded me of my college days when cheap beer got stuck into the carpet for too long. Even worse, the hops promised by the title of the beer were barely evident in the aroma, just a cheap stale grassiness and not much else.

Upon tasting, I was greeted with a light malt sweetness with only a touch of hops. This led to a slightly spicy but mostly forgettable finish. Like other Leinenkugel's products(Honey Weiss for example) the beer does not wash away cleanly. Instead an unpleasant aftertaste continued to build until I was happy the glass was finally empty.

And with that I had found my first truly bad beer from Leinenkugel's. This particular one was disappointing because Hoppin' Helles failed on its' promise to add an uncharacteristic hoppiness to the helles style lager. Instead it's a forgettable beer that I strongly encourage you to stay away from. If this review doesn't discourage you to stay away, hopefully its' 9 dollar a six pack price does.

Overall I'd give Leinenkugel's Hoppin Helles a 1.5/5. Aside from appearance, there is really nothing pleasant about it. Hoppin' Helles tastes cheap and belongs on the shelf next to the likes of Busch, Milwaukee's Best and Keystone.



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!

Paulaner Salvator

“Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy” is a common quote(or misquote) tied to Benjamin Franklin. Whether Mr. Franklin said this or not is unimportant but some beers actually do have religious ties, and this week's beer is among them. Originally brewed by the Friars at the Paulaner Monastery, Paulaner Salvator(Latin word for savior) is the world's original doppelbock. Brewed in Munich, Germany, Paulaner Salvator is commonly referred to as “liquid bread” and was typically consumed by the friars while fasting during lent.

The term doppelbock or double bock refers to a fuller bodied, more alcoholic version of a traditional bock. Paulaner Salvator lives up to that very description in flavor and its 7.9% ABV(Alcohol by volume). Bottom line, if you are looking for a beer that is light and refreshing you are in the wrong place.

After pouring Salvator, one immediately notices its' cloudy deep reddish brown color. It may have been just my imagination but I thought I could feel the density and weight of the beer just by holding the glass. The strong malty aroma was almost immediately noticeable. I also believe the aroma contained a hint of fruitiness.

Upon tasting, the hearty, almost chewy malt immediately flooded my palate with its' sweetness and then it hit me with a musty, earthy finish. What was surprising was that the high alcohol content almost goes unnoticed because of how well it was hidden by the sweet, powerful flavor of the malt. The aftertaste was mostly dominated by the strong malt flavor and this continued to build the further into the beer I got. There is little to no hop profile to this beer and I feel that is unfortunate because it could have provided a little more balance to the flavor.

With that being said, this is a good beer. There is almost no way to argue against that point when considering the well over 200 years of history and tradition that comes with each bottle. But in my opinion it's not a great beer. This could be due to the fact that this is the original blueprint for a doppelbock, and as with any original design there's always room for improvement.

Overall, I give Paulaner Salvator a 3.5/5. It's worth a try, especially for malt lovers. But unlike the Friars of the Paulanar Monastery, try to drink it on a full stomach.

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!




Reference:
"Paulaner Salvator, the original doppelbock" http://us.paulaner.com/our-beer/salvator-double-bock

 

Rhinelander Chocolate Bunny Stout

I’ve never understood the appeal of the Chocolate Bunny. I think they are boring, bland and as easy to chew as a piece of concrete. However this does not stop someone from getting me one as a gift every Easter. And every year I do the same thing. I eat a piece, remember how much I don’t like it, put it somewhere for someone else to eat and then throw it in the garbage a week or two later. It’s my Easter tradition.
 

And while I am not a fan of the Chocolate Bunny, I am a fan of the chocolate stout. If it is done right, the chocolate stout can be an very enjoyable beer drinking experience. With its’ chocolate sweetness and coffee bite, it might be the closest beer gets to being a dessert. So, my curiosity was peaked when I came across Rhinelander’s Chocolate Bunny Stout. The title alone gave me a reason to hope I might have found a new Easter tradition.

Things started out very well when Chocolate Bunny Stout poured a wonderfully dense black with a thick tan head that resembled chocolate milk. There was almost nothing else to detect in the aroma but chocolate and more chocolate. At this point I thought I was in for quite a treat.

Unfortunately upon tasting, I was hit immediately with the unpleasant flavor of artificial chocolate, followed by a hint of roasted malt. Things then went from bad to worse when the beer finished with the strong flavor of old burnt coffee. To better put it into perspective, think Nesquik meets vending machine coffee. It was at this point I realized it was time to stop looking for a new Easter tradition and start looking for any reason to finish the bottle.

Overall I give Rhinelander’s Chocolate Bunny Stout a 1/5. There are many variations of the chocolate stout, try any one but this one.

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!

Genesee Bock Beer

Two things that I generally frown upon but I am sometimes guilty of are buying cheap beer and hoarding. But sometimes you are on a budget and sometimes you can't part with an ugly polyester bowling shirt that you haven't worn in years because at any moment an occasion might call for it. Nevertheless both of those things become common place in Upstate New York every late winter/early spring when the Genesee Brewery releases their Bock Beer.

Genesee Bock Beer to some is a well kept secret. A surprisingly good beer released by a brewery that produces a Cream Ale commonly referred to as a “Screamer” for its effects on the digestive systems of its drinkers. To others it's an afterthought because of the reputation of the product I just mentioned. And while you will never see me touch a Genesee Cream Ale, I along with beer drinkers from all over Rochester, NY and the surrounding areas flock to the grocery store every January in search of Bock Beer.

Over the past few years, Genesee Bock Beer has attained a cult-like status among beer drinkers who have affectionately nicknamed it “The Goat” after the logo on it's bright green can. In fact, the beer is so beloved that some will actually buy enough of it in January to last the rest of the year. I commonly wonder if this beer was available year round, would Bock Beer have the same loyal following? Or would it be lost in the fold like so many other beers?

Bock Beer does distance itself from other cheap beers with its' beautifully dark red color and thick tan head. The aroma is full of caramel sweetness with a hint of honey. Upon tasting, the caramel malt dominates the flavor before it finishes with a hint brown sugar and a mild hop bitterness to balance the sweetness. Bock Beer then washes away clean to cap off a pleasant beer drinking experience.

And while it may be a pleasant beer drinking experience, it's not an exceptional one. Perhaps the biggest con of Bock Beer might just be the fact that it plays it perfectly safe. It tries to walk the line between causal beer drinkers and experienced beer drinkers. And while this is perfectly fine, this might explain its seasonal appeal. Beer drinkers try it, like it and then forget about it. By the time it is re-released the cycle begins all over again.

Overall I'd give it a 3/5. It looks good, it tastes good and it's inexpensive. You really can't go wrong with trying it. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking.


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!

A Crafty Look at Miller Fortune

For a lot of people shopping for beer can be just like trying to find something to watch on Netflix. You go in looking for something new and exciting but after 10 minutes of looking you choose something that's safe, familiar or nothing at all. The purpose of this blog will be to help inform you what is out there and if it is worth your consideration. That being said you may not always agree with the opinions in this blog but if they lead you into finding something you like, then I feel I've done my job.

Since this is a brand new blog, I've decided to start it off with a brand new beer whose advertising display is currently taking up plenty of space in my local beer isles. That beer is Miller Fortune. Now starting a beer blog off with a famous brewery like Miller is not exactly the adventurous start one might expect. But my interest was peaked by a major brewery trying to market a Bourbon style Golden Lager and I can't imagine I am the only one.

For the past few years beer giants like Budweiser, Miller and Coors have tried to keep up with the public's growing interest in Microbreweries and with mixed results they have tried to diversify their lineup by brewing beers that cater to the microbrew crowd. And for every success story like Coors' Blue Moon, there is a failure like Budweiser American Ale. As I stared at the giant display I wondered which side of the coin Miller Fortune would fall on. After tasting it, I unfortunately think it's going to be the latter. Although, that is not to say that Miller Fortune is a horrible beer.

After pouring from a cool-looking 12 oz bottle, Miller Fortune displays a clear amber color with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet with a hint of corn and for a brief moment actually reminded me of bourbon. But unfortunately upon tasting there is no bourbon in the flavor, just the familiar cheap Miller flavor we have all come to expect over the years. But before I could completely write this beer off something surprising happened and the beer finished with a very nice caramel sweetness that tries its hardest to momentarily to make you forget you're drinking something that's average at best.

On the plus side, what Miller Fortune may lack in overall flavor it makes up for in drinkability. The beer is surprisingly smooth and boasts a rather strong 6.9% ABV which it's pleasant aftertaste hides quite well. Basically what I am saying is if someone handed it to you at a party you'd enjoy it but forget about it the moment the bottle was empty. And with that being said, at 7 dollars a six pack your money is better spent else where.

Overall: I'd rate this beer 4.5 out of 10. It's basically Miller Genuine Draft with a higher alcohol content and a better aftertaste.




To discuss this column or all things beer follow me on Twitter at @ACraftyLook.

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

About me

You might be thinking, "Why should I trust his opinion?" Well the answer is I am a beer enthusiast who over the past 10 years has sampled a broad range of beers from domestic, international and microbreweries. I appreciate all different kinds of beer. I do not have a particular favorite beer or a favorite style of beer. I always want to try something new and I rarely buy the same beer two times in a row. Also, when time allows I brew my own beer. All in all I enjoy beer and if you're reading this blog then I bet you do too. So I'll leave it up to you to decide. Cheers and enjoy!