Hipster Ale by Evil Twin Brewing

It seemed out of nowhere Pabst Blue Ribbon became the “hipster beer”. Now I am not a hipster, but I do enjoy a PBR tallboy from time to time. Before I go on, I feel a need to justify the previous statement. I dig a PBR once in awhile because sometimes I want to enjoy a beer on a budget. And sometimes it's nice to drink a beer with 170 years of history behind it(I often wonder if my great Grandfather enjoyed one back in his day.) Still, I have never dug the thought of drinking a beer because it's trendy. If I did that I would not be writing a beer blog and on top of that I'd probably have a fridge full of Blue Moon, oranges and Bud Light Lime. Still, I've always wondered why hipsters took to PBR. Was it Dennis Hopper's famous “Heineken? F—k that sh-t. Pabst Blue Ribbon!” line from David Lynch's Blue Velvet? Is it because it's cheap? Or is it because according to the can, the “choicest products provide its' prized flavor?” Perhaps it is none of the above or perhaps it is a combination of all three. Either way I guess we'll never know the real answer and maybe there isn't one. Sometimes things just become popular with little to no reason. But it seems Stratford, Connecticut's Evil Twin Brewing has decided to force the issue and try make their Hipster Ale the next trendy choice. So my mission with this review is to find out whether or not it has a shot at doing just that.

Evil Twin Brewing's Hipster Ale pours hazy gold with with a lingering white head. The aroma was pretty standard for a pale ale. A bready malt matched with the grapefruit and citrus aromas from the hops. The hops seemed to stand out a bit more in the aroma and they did the same in the flavor. Unfortunately, aside from being a hop forward pale ale, there is really nothing else good to say about the flavor. The dirty, peppery, citrus flavor of the hops were all I could taste. My first sip I could barely taste the malt. Towards the end of the glass I could start to pick up some of the malt sweetness but that was only because my palate had been desensitized by the strong, lingering, unpleasant aftertaste of the hops. To put this in perspective, there are beers that wash away clean, beers that leave a pleasant lingering flavor that almost beg you to take another sip and then there is the flavor of dirty garbage which this beer left behind. I wanted to put the rest of beer down the sink but in the name of integrity I carried on, determined to finish it in the hope there was at least something positive I could say about it. Unfortunately, by the time I finished the beer the only positive thing I could come up with was the can looked pretty cool.

To put it simply, this is a bad beer. And it's one that I would recommend staying very far away from. Usually, I will retry a beer a few years down the line to see if I may have been wrong about it upon first tasting. I don't think that will be the case here. And unless it becomes cool to drink really bad expensive beer out of an a fun looking can, I think it's safe to say this beer has no shot at becoming trendy.

Overall I give Hipster Ale a 0.75/5. I want to make it clear that half point is for the cool can, not the beer.


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!

Saranac Wild Hop Pils Lager

Saranac beer made by Matt Brewing Company in Utica, NY has never been shy about taking chances. Over the years they have brewed a Chocolate Amber Lager, a Ginger Pale Ale and a Pomegranate Wheat Ale just to name a few. And while many of their beers sound very interesting, they are more miss then hit when it comes to taste. Back when their winter mix packs contained 12 different beers, I would buy it on sight. About halfway through the mix pack, after realizing I had not found a single beer I actually liked, I would promise myself I would not buy the mix pack the following year. But when winter would arrive a year later and I would read the contents of the new mix pack, I would not be able to resist trying their new red ale or giving their unbearably sweet Caramel Porter another shot. But after doing this year in, year out I felt it was time to break the cycle. Because of this I stayed away from Saranac for awhile. When someone suggested I try their White IPA I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Since then it is the only Saranac beer I actually seek out. But on a recent trip to the store my curiosity was peaked when I noticed their new summer seasonal beer Wild Hop Pils. The bottle said it is the first beer to use the Belma hop that was found growing in the Yakima Valley in the state of Washington. So because of all the good will the White IPA bought, the Wild Hop Pils sounded intriguing enough to me to merit a purchase and become the subject of this review.

Wild Hop Pils pours a visibly carbonated clear golden yellow with a thin white head. The aroma has all the familiar traits of a pilsner lager. But here the familiar grainy, grassy aroma is complemented by a noticeable floral citrus from the Belma hops. While it appeared promising that Wild Hop Pils could put a new spin on the pilsner lager, unfortunately just about everything about Wild Hop Pils tasted familiar. The most notable difference was the hops that add a mild spicy citrus to the flavor. A more subtle difference is that the malt is slightly sweeter than your typical American pilsner. The finish is crisp, clean but forgettable.

While Saranac Wild Hop Pils might not be as interesting as I hoped it would be, it’s not a bad beer either. It’s smooth, easy to drink and would offer a slightly spicy alternative to a fan of domestic pilsners. So this could work as a gateway to better beer for your Labatt Blue and Budweiser drinking friends. And while it didn’t blow me away, I can safely say this beer is good enough for me to give another new Saranac brew a shot down the line even if there is little here to make me a repeat customer of Wild Hop Pils.

Overall I give Saranac Wild Hop Pils a 2.5/5. I am glad I tried the first beer made with Belma hops but I’ll probably forget about this beer as soon as the six pack is out of my fridge.

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!

Dogfish Head Sixty-One

I want to start this blog by saying I’m a huge Pearl Jam fan. To a point, I wonder if the previous statement does my fanhood justice. I am one of their many devoted fans that have traveled to various cities across the US and Canada to witness their epic shows live. I’m not ashamed to admit that Pearl Jam Concert T-Shirts take up a large chunk of my wardrobe. And my walls also feature a slew of concert posters and a Yield sign. With my iPod on shuffle it is rare to go more than 5 songs without hearing something Pearl Jam-related. While I am sure you are very impressed with my Pearl Jam obsession you are probably wondering, “what does this have to do with beer?” And I’m just about to get to that.

In 2011, Pearl Jam reached their 20th Anniversary and to celebrate this momentous occasion they released a movie, a book and had a spectacular festival in East Troy, Wisconsin. On top of that, the extremely creative Dogfish Head Craft Brewery released Pearl Jam Twenty Faithfull Ale. Words could not express how excited I was to try this beer. Every few days I would call my local beer specialty stores to see if they had it in stock. When I finally found a 13 dollar bottle I raced home, grabbed my favorite glass and poured the beer I was certain I was going to love. How could I not? It felt like the stars had aligned. It was Pearl Jam inspired craft beer. Everything was going great, until I tried it. What I got was a bland, boring and uninspired beer from a brewery that prides itself on being anything but. Unfortunately what I did not mention earlier was this was not the only 13 dollar bottle I bought, it was one of several. To this day I still have 2 unopened bottles in my closet. Part of me wants to think not opening the bottles makes them more of a collectable, but the truth is I could not stand to drink another bottle of that astonishingly disappointing beer. Since this happened I have not had much of a desire to seek out Dogfish Head products. It’s taken almost 3 years but after enjoying their Palo Santo Marron and Namaste I finally feel like I can put the nightmare of Pearl Jam Faithfull Ale behind me and give this brewery a fair shake.

For this week’s beer I picked up Dogfish Head’s Sixty One. It is an IPA brewed with Syrah Grape Must(freshly pressed grapes). In case you were wondering skins, seeds, stems and juice all make up grape must. I found the addition of this to beer particularly intriguing because if Dogfish Head does one thing right it is IPAs. The 60, 90 and 120 minute IPAs are all each their own unique experience. Before my Faithfull Ale falling out with Dogfish Head, I would recommend their 60 minute IPA to anyone looking to break out of their domestic light beer comfort zone. I felt it is a solid gateway into craft beer because it is a smooth, clean, easy beer drinking experience.

For Sixty One, Dogfish Head attempted to add another dimension to their IPA. And while I admire the attempt, unfortunately the only place this is truly noticeable is in the color. Dogfish Head Sixty One pours a light purple with a white fizzy head. The appearance reminded me of sparkling wine. The aroma is full of the bitter citrus you would expect from an IPA, with a faint hint of grape. Upon tasting, the very subtle flavor of grape could be noticed before the bitter citrus of the IPA dominated the flavor. The light grape flavor reappears in the finish but I truly had to look for it to notice it.

I think the power of suggestion played a big role in me finding the grape must. The grape flavor is so subtle I could have easily missed it if I wasn’t looking for it. Honestly if I was blindfolded, I might have just thought this was just an IPA. The label and the color of the beer played a big role in me finding the grape must in the flavor. With that being said this is still a decent IPA, albeit a forgettable one. And while it may not be anything special, I did not feel I wasted my time and money like I did with Faithfull Ale. This is an easy IPA drinking experience, one that looks really cool in a glass. Unfortunately it just does not come across as clever as the label suggests it does.

Overall I give Dogfish Head Sixty One a 2.75/5. This is a decent albeit forgettable beer. I’d recommend trying almost any Dogfish Head brew before this one. Just not the Pearl Jam Faithful Ale.

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!

It’s evolution baby!

Bell's Oberon Ale

When you are a fan of seasonal beer, you can find yourself looking for them on a schedule. Fall beers usually arrive in stores in mid August, winter beers in late October, spring beers in January and summer beers somewhere between the end of March and early April. While I usually start purchasing most seasonal beers as soon as I can, I have a tendency to stay away from summer beer until the end of May. It seems like a cruel joke to sip a beer with an image of a sun or a surfboard on the label when a winter coat is still my go-to jacket and there is still potential for ice on the ground. While the end of May might seem a bit late to have ice on the ground, I do live in Upstate NY and weather here changes quickly. With that being said, cold weather seems to finally be out, summer beers are finally in and it's time to start reviewing my first of the season.

From the Bell's Brewery in Comstock, Michigan, Bell's Oberon Ale is an American Wheat Ale that pours a cloudy light orange with a thin white head. The refreshing scent of coriander and citrus stand out in the aroma. Upon tasting the delicious flavor of wheat, orange and lemon were immediately noticeable before a clean spicy finish with a hint of candy sweetness.

Bell's Oberon Ale works well because it manages to be light bodied and full of flavor. It does a much better job at creating citrus flavors through its ingredients than some of the other summer ales and shandies that hide their mediocre beer behind overpowering fruit flavoring. On top of that, Oberon Ale has an almost undetectable 5.8% ABV which is a bit stronger then the usual summer ale. What is noticeable and in my opinion could be the main drawback of this beer is the sweetness. While enjoyable, over time I could easily see the sweetness becoming a bit overbearing. Other than that I can safely say this is one of the better summer beers I've had and it was well worth the wait.

Overall I give Bell's Oberon Ale an 4/5. It's light, refreshing and very easy to drink. I could easily see this beer in my refrigerator throughout the summer months.


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!

Ashland Amber Ale

Have you ever seen a movie that starts strong, then seems to take a turn for the worst to a point it becomes a chore to finish? In my opinion Insidious is a prime example of this. I mean, how bad was that final act? It came out back in 2010 and it still bothers me to this day. I thought it was a fantastic horror movie up until the whole “Further” explanation and then I struggled not to walk out of the theater before the credits rolled. The ending was even more ridiculous but then again this is a beer review blog, not a movie review blog, so let’s get back on track. Brewed out of Caldera Brewing Company in Oregon, Ashland Amber Ale is a beer that reminded me of every movie I have ever seen that started strong, but somewhere along the line went off the rails and became a chore to finish.

Ashland Amber Ale pours a clear amber with a cream colored head. The presence of the caramel malt seems to dominate the aroma. There is also a hint of hop spice that in retrospect teased the beer’s downfall. The first sip of Ashland Amber is full of caramel malt. it’s very sweet and almost creamy in texture. The initial taste reminded me of an Oktoberfest Ale, which is one of my favorite seasonal beers. As you can imagine I thought I found a winner. However, the deeper I got into the glass, the malt seemed to take a backseat to the herbal citrus flavor of the hops.

Normally I don't have a problem with an amber ale being a little hoppy. Sometimes it is a nice way to balance out the bold sweetness of the malt. The problem with this particular one is that the hop blend does not compliment the beer; it takes over and it takes over in a negative way. Sip after sip the lingering flavor of the hops overwhelmed my palate to a point the beer tasted nothing like the sweet almost Autumn seasonal beer it did when I started. It tasted bland and bitter with a hint of sweetness. Basically, it tasted far worse. By the time my glass was empty I felt relief instead of wanting another.

Overall I give Ashland Amber Ale a 2/5. It starts strong but fades in the last act. Look elsewhere for a good Amber Ale.

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!

Hop Nosh IPA

The great thing about sampling a lot of different beers is once in awhile you happen to stumble upon one that is truly exceptional. When this happens, every bad beer you have tried up until that point seems worth it. And every good beer you have had seems like it built your palate to appreciate this very moment. This was the feeling I had when I first tasted Hop Nosh IPA(formerly Hop Notch) from Uinta Brewing Company.

Brewed in Salt Lake City, Utah, Hop Nosh IPA pours a slightly hazy golden amber with a finger thick white head. The strong citrus aroma with a hint of malt sweetness seemed to jump right out of the glass promising a bold flavor. Upon tasting this medium-bodied IPA, I was immediately hit with the bitterness of grapefruit and the sweetness of pineapple. That sweetness fades abruptly into a dry, bitter finish that lingers until the next sip. And I found myself looking forward to the next sip until my foam-laced glass was empty.

Some beer drinkers do not like IPAs because they feel they are too bitter. And while this is a bitter beer, it still feels properly balanced. The pineapple sweetness, although brief seems to go a long way into balancing the bitterness of the hops. That being said I would’ve liked to have seen that pineapple flavor stick around a little longer into the finish, but that’s a very small gripe when enjoying a beer this well-crafted.

Hop Nosh IPA has an ABV of 7.3%. While it is slightly present in the dry finish, it is mostly hidden in the bold flavor which makes this beer deceptively delicious, and seem lighter than it really is. It might not be as light as a session IPA but it does feel lighter than other IPAs. Basically it’s a great beer to compliment the warm weather, but if you are going to enjoy a few be careful when you get up out of the lawn chair.

Overall I give Hop Nosh IPA a 4/5. This is a fantastic beer and a great example of an IPA.

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!

Kelpie Seaweed Ale

Once in awhile I come across a beer I just have to try. In most cases it is a new offering from one of my favorite breweries, or if I'm in a different city I usually seek out something from a local microbrewery. But in the case of this week's beer I was intrigued by the idea of a Seaweed Ale, it just took a me a little time to build up the courage to try it.

When I was a kid I had a wild imagination and a love of horror movies. The movie Creepshow 2 did no favors for me whenever I went swimming in a lake. In Creepshow 2, a group of teenagers were attacked and eaten by a mysterious blob after swimming in a lake they clearly shouldn't have. As a child, I would think of this anytime I swam and got stuck in seaweed. Each time I thought the seaweed I was stuck in was the blob about to eat me. So because of that I am not usually excited about anything seaweed-related, but I thought what better way to get over it than try it in my favorite beverage, beer.

Kelpie Seaweed Ale is brewed in Scotland by the Williams Brothers Brewing Company. It pours a clear brown with a light khaki colored head. The aroma is strong, full of roasted malt, a hint of salt and bitter chocolate. Upon tasting the roasted malt flavor overwhelmed my palette. Bitter chocolate and molasses are strong in the malt and finishes with a light salty finish. There is little to no hop presence. Just the flavor of roasted malt, that lingers unpleasantly until the next sip.

The most noticeable thing about Kelpie Seaweed Ale is the fact that there is nothing special going on here. It tastes like your run of the mill average brown ale and that is what makes this beer truly disappointing. Nothing about this beer stands out even though it is brewed with a truly unique ingredient. If you are in the market for a good dark beer, this is a good way to play it safe but I think it is best to look elsewhere.

Overall I'd give Kelpie Seaweed Ale a 2/5. I may not have forgotten the nightmares of being caught in seaweed as a child, but I'll forget this beer as soon as this blog is finished.

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!