DuClaw Dirty Little Freak Brown Ale

I, like every other beer drinker get very excited when an established out-of-market brewery finally arrives at my local bottle shops. For example, I was excited when Avery Brewing Company became regularly distributed here. I counted the days until New Belgium finally took its rightful place in NY beer aisles. And I always get a little too giddy when Cigar City Brewing occasionally finds its way to Upstate NY. Recently, I was thrilled to see DuClaw Brewing Company beer for sale in my market. This excitement is solely based on their chocolate peanut butter porter Sweet Baby Jesus. I found Sweet Baby Jesus to be a very fun beer when I tried it a year ago. Because of that, I became quite interested in trying some of their other beer, especially Dirty Little Freak. Aside from its completely ridiculous name, the idea of a coconut caramel chocolate brown ale sounded way too good to pass up. So when a friend texted me and told me it was for sale at a local beer store, I dropped everything and bought it immediately. I just hoped Dirty Little Freak, and a few of the other beers I picked up from DuClaw, would live up to the hype I somehow placed on them.

DuClaw's Dirty Little Freak poured a rich brown with a khaki colored head. The aroma gave me the idea this was going to be a very fun beer. Sweet coconut, chocolate, caramel, toffee and vanilla dominated the aroma. I thought to myself, what is there not to like here? Then I tried Dirty Little Freak and the answer turned out to be everything. The first sip brought the flavor of roasted malt & dark chocolate before finishing with the flavor of coconut hand soap. Yes, this seriously reminded me of hand soap. The taste of this beer took me back to the day I dropped my first F-Bomb in front of my parents. I thought I was a pretty cool kid until they promptly washed my mouth out with soap. It was a moment I would rather forget, but the poor flavor of this beer brought that memory flooding back.

The funny thing is I do not have a lot else to say about this beer. I just could not get past the soapy flavor. I think I tasted a little bit of vanilla in there but that may have been wishful thinking. Also, the roasted malt & dark chocolate flavor I mentioned earlier gave the impression that if this was not drowned in coconut flavoring it would still be an extremely boring brown ale. To put it simply, this is bad beer. I would not recommend anyone drink it. I would also not recommend drinking a few of DuClaw's other beers. The Neon Gypsy IPA & Blood Orange Gypsy IPA were fairly poor. The Blood Orange Neon Gypsy IPA in particular tasted like the bad homebrewed IPA I made back in college. The Funk was OK but tasted slightly medicinal. In short, if it is not Sweet Baby Jesus, spend your money elsewhere.

Overall I would rate Dirty Little Freak a 1/5. I did not swear, why is my mouth getting washed out with soap?


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!

Weyerbacher 21st Anniversary Ale

It feels like it's about a 1000 degrees outside and it is humid as all hell. While sweating profusely I thought to myself, “nothing pairs better with this kind of weather than an imperial stout.” So I went to my fridge and grabbed the brand spanking new offering from Weyerbacher, their 21st Anniversary beer. Even though the style of the beer may not be season appropriate, I could not wait for better conditions to drink this bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with cocoa & vanilla. That style of beer, despite sitting outside literally roasting, still sounds absolutely wonderful. Weyerbacher 21st Anniversary is also a beer that I am sure hit my market in a limited quantity. So I want to get the word out whether this beer is worth seeking out or not. Even if the bottles sell out fast locally it may be sitting on shelves in other markets or available on draft. And if it is anything like Weyerbacher's Sunday Morning Stout, then it would be a must-try and worth going the extra mile for. So I felt despite these warm and treacherous conditions, a review of this 11.9% stout had to happen.

Weyerbacher 21st Anniversary pours a brownish black with a light brown head. There was practically no head retention whatsoever. Roasted malt, smoke, chocolate and oak stood out in the aroma. Everything I tasted initially was very similar to the aroma. I was immediately hit with a lot of smokey, roasted malt. The smoke really stands out above all else. There is also a light vanilla sweetness and a hint of bourbon on the finish. My initial impression is that this could have spent some more time in the barrel. The very light flavors that the barrel aging imparted on this beer are nice, but they felt underdeveloped. The oak is there but after every sip I took I wanted more.  As it warmed the pleasant vanilla sweetness rose to the forefront before a smokey, bitter finish. The flavors here have a lot of potential, but the beer is just too thin, under-carbonated and underdeveloped. I am not saying this is a bad beer. It is just not as good as it could have been.


Overall I would rate Weyerbacher 21st Anniversary a 3/5. This is a fairly underwhelming barrel aged stout from the same brewery that makes Sunday Morning Stout. It is not worth going the extra mile for.

I would also like to have a moment of silence for my fairly new Spiegelau stout glass that did not make it through this review. This fantastic glass and I had a brief but good run. It will be missed.


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!

Ballast Point Calm Before the Storm Cream Ale

Since my first sip of Grapefruit Sculpin, I have been a fan of Ballast Point Brewing Company. I found Grapefruit Sculpin to be delicious, fun and unique. It instantly became a summer favorite of mine. I had a similar reaction during the winter when I tried Victory at Sea Imperial Porter. It was rich, full bodied and showcased the coffee & vanilla in it wonderfully. Victory at Sea was something I felt I could drink year round but the fact that it is full bodied, complex and strong(10%) does not always pair well with a 90 degree humid summer day. So when I first heard Ballast Point was making a warm weather alternative to Victory at Sea, called Calm Before The Storm I became instantly excited. It lived up to the hype when I tried it last summer and I hoped to see its return this year. When I finally saw it again last week, I realized I was not as excited as I wanted to be. This is because my feelings towards Ballast Point Brewing Company had taken a turn for the worst. This change of heart occurred over the past year when they started drowning the base beers in their catalog with flavoring, leading to mixed results. While I admire them trying something different, I feel like saying mixed results is being very polite. For example, the Pineapple Sculpin is a huge letdown compared to the base beer and the Grapefruit variant. The Mango Even Keel tastes like candy sweet mango soda. And the Watermelon Dorado is completely undrinkable. The Thai Chili Wahoo was fun but not something I am looking to have again anytime soon. Basically what I am trying to say is if my feelings towards Ballast Point have changed, would my opinion of Calm Before the Storm change with it?

I pondered that thought as Calm Before the Storm poured a beautifully clear gold with a fluffy white head. Upon closer inspection there was a light amount of sediment floating in the beer but it is barely noticeable. The aroma is slightly sweet, toasty, with coffee standing out. There is a light vanilla in there as well, along with very little hop presence. After my first sip, I realized Calm Before the Storm Cream Ale was just as good as I remembered it. There is a light toasty malt, coffee, a hint of cream and vanilla before a clean, refreshing finish. The coffee is showcased wonderfully without being overwhelming. It reminds me of the refreshing feeling of enjoying an iced coffee on a hot day. The light vanilla only reinforces this. There is no real noticeable hop presence and it is not needed here. This is a cream ale that works well.

While I may not agree with overusing fruit flavoring in beer, I admire the creativity Ballast Point Brewing Company continues to display. Beers like Grapefruit Sculpin, Victory at Sea, Calm Before the Storm, Indra Kunindra and even Habanero Sculpin offer something different and unique to beer drinkers. While the beers they have released recently, that I mentioned earlier have been inconsistent, they are consistently trying to create something different. That alone is what makes trying their beer fun. I look forward to seeing what is coming out next from them.

Overall I would rate Calm Before the Storm a 4/5. This beer is a must try for summer iced coffee drinkers.


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!

Clown Shoes Bluegrass Billionaire

The first barleywine I ever tried was somewhere around 2004-2005. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was at a bar with my dad and as usual I looked for something on the menu I had yet to try. The only option I found was Brooklyn Monster Ale. So like most beers at the time, I ordered it without any idea of what it was and just hoped I would like it. It turned out I absolutely hated it. It was thick, rich, sweet, boozy and had the consistency of cough syrup. It was safe to say it was unlike anything I had tried up until that point. I actually thought it was so bad that maybe the entire barleywine style was not for me. It literally took almost a decade for me to try another barleywine. The only reason I did that was because it was part of the Goose Island Bourbon County line of beers. I absolutely loved that one and from that point on I have absolutely loved the style. Lagunitas Olde Gnarlywine, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale and Bells Third Coast Ale have become just a few of my fairly easy to find favorites. But even though I am not afraid to try it again, I have still yet to revisit Brooklyn's Monster Ale. The reason for that is aside from Sorachi Ace, I have not liked anything I have had from the Brooklyn Brewery. But perhaps it would be fun to revisit Monster Ale down the road for another review. For this review though, I decided on a more “out of the blue” barleywine, Bluegrass Billionaire Bourbon Barrel Aged English Style Barleywine from Clown Shoes.

I realize I could have reviewed a non-barrel aged barleywine but I did not for two reasons. The first being the most obvious; bourbon barrel aged beer in general is more fun to try. And second, reviewing Bluegrass Billionaire also helps me justify my 14 dollar impulse purchase of this 22 oz. Bomber. So as I poured the dense, cloudy reddish-brown barleywine with a light tan head, I could not help but think this was a win for everyone. The aroma was pleasant and really showed off the barrel aging. There was caramel, vanilla, fig, bourbon and oak. When I took my first sip I immediately noticed a pleasant, earthy hoppiness. As I continued to work my way through the glass the flavors of caramel, vanilla, fig, date, raisin and bourbon shined nicely. But an earthy, oak & boozy finish subtracted from the beer. I realize I am complaining about a 12.5% ABV beer having a boozy finish, but I feel it could have been hidden better. If I had patience I realize it probably would have smoothed out a bit by placing it in the cellar for awhile, but I did not want to wait to drink it. A definite positive trait about this barleywine is that it's not too sweet. I recently had Bourbon Barrel Aged Thor's Hammer from Central City Brewers and the syrupy sweetness of that wore on me the further I got into the glass. The earthy hoppiness of Bluegrass Billionaire helps prevent the sweetness from becoming overwhelming. providing a nice sense of balance.

I would consider drinking Clown Shoes' Bluegrass Billionaire a fairly positive experience. It may not be as good as I hoped it would be, but that's not saying it was a bad beer either. What I am trying to say is there are better barleywines out there. While I would like to see what Bluegrass Billionaire tastes like with some aging on it, I do not foresee a second purchase in my immediate future. Even though I liked it, I would still recommend spending that 14 dollars on something else.  The main thing I want you to take from this review is just because a style of beer did not work for you in the past, it is still worth giving a second chance to down the road.

Overall I would rate Clown Shoes' Bluegrass Billionaire a 3.25/5. The main thing I want you to take from this review is that just because a style of beer did not work for you in the past, it is still worth giving a second chance to down the road.


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!

Galaxy Andromeda IPA

It dawned on recently that I have been writing beer reviews for the past two years and I have yet to review a draft beer. Each and every single review I have done has come from a bottle or a can. Now I realize I could remedy this by purchasing a growler/bomber, but if the beer is bad finishing one of those can turn into quite a commitment. The other reason I have not reviewed a draft beer is when I go to a bar, I don't typically take a notepad or a laptop. For this review I decided to do something different. Much to the chagrin of my lovely wife I decided to take notes on my freshly poured pint of Galaxy Brewing Company's Andromeda IPA on our most recent date night. After several long pauses for note taking, awkward glares and some quiet contemplation, I felt I had all of the information I needed to write this review.

Andromeda IPA has been a beer that up until now I have seemingly ignored. Despite being told time and time again it is worth trying, I always found a way to order something else. What makes it strange is I have had several really nice beers from the Binghamton, New York Brewery. I just had not tried their flagship beer. So as I stared at its beautifully clear copper color and off white head, I had high hopes I was in for a long overdue treat. The aroma reinforced that thought with toasted malt, pine, citrus & tropical notes. The flavor matches the aroma, blending the tropical flavors of tangerine, pineapple and passion fruit with pine, citrus and a nice toasted malt backbone. If I had to describe Andromeda IPA in one word it would be balanced. The malt and hops compliment each other nicely providing a smooth, easy drinking experience.

Galaxy Andromeda IPA is a good beer plain and simple. While it doesn't really stand out as one of the best IPAs I have had. It is definitely good enough to merit a purchase each time I see it from this point forward. They seem to be doing some pretty nice things at the Binghamton Brewery.


Overall I would rate Galaxy Andromeda IPA a 3.75/5. A solid IPA for a dinner date night, a solid IPA for any night.


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!

Narragansett Summer Ale, Anderson Valley Summer Solstice & Magic Hat Stealin' Time

While summer has officially arrived, summer beer has been here since April. While that is all well and good, I am not interested in drinking a beer with a beach or sun on the label if snow could still fall at any moment. Now that it's late June and there have been consecutive 90 degree days, it's time for some light, crisp summer beers. But where to start? Beer aisles right now are loaded with summer beers trying to catch your eye and find their way into your coolers. So instead of letting you know if just one beer is good or not, I am going to review three very different summer beers so you can have a better idea of what is out there.

First up is Narragansett Summer Ale. This is a light, crisp pale ale that pours a clear gold with a white head. The aroma of bready malt, citrus and pine is very light but pleasant. After tasting, the flavor is very similar to the aroma. There is a light malt sweetness up front before the light flavor of citrus comes in and washes away fairly clean. I keep using the word light because that is exactly what this is. To be specific, it is a watered down pale ale. Normally I would make this a huge issue, but for a summer beer it works. This is an easy-drinking, sessionable beer that would work perfectly on a very hot day. Its 4.2% ABV puts it on the same level as Bud Light, it just tastes a lot better.

Overall I would rate Narragansett Summer Ale a 2.5/5. If you are looking for a light, easy-drinking beer for a day at the beach, this works nicely. If you are looking for something with a bolder flavor profile, I would leave this on the shelf.

Next up is Anderson Valley Summer Solstice. This is an interesting cream ale that pours a slightly hazy ruby brown with an off-white head. The aroma is slightly sweet, with caramel and lots of vanilla. Much like the aroma, the vanilla really stands out in the flavor as well. Right off the bat I was hit with caramel malt, followed by the bold flavor slightly sweet vanilla. These initial flavors work really nice together. They provide just the right amount of sweetness. But pleasant flavors then give way to a bland hop finish which really takes away from how good this beer could have been. That's not saying it's a bad beer, it's not. It's just a fun take on a cream soda beer with an underwhelming finish.

Overall I would rate Anderson Valley Summer Solstice a 3/5. I wanted to love it, I really did, but the finish just did not work for me. That being said, it's still too fun not to try.

Finally, we have Magic Hat Stealin' Time. Before I get started, I want to take a moment and mention that I really wanted to like this beer. This past winter I reviewed Magic Hat's Snow Roller and gave it a fairly harsh critique(you can read that by clicking here). I was hoping this pale wheat ale with ginger would restore my faith in the Magic Hat name. I am sad to say, it did not. Stealin' Time poured a crystal clear golden yellow(I thought it was unfiltered) with a fluffy white head. The aroma contained wheat malt, citrus, pine and ginger. Just from the aroma, I was fairly optimistic I would like it. When I tasted it, I realized how mistaken I was. Grainy malt comes through right away before pine, a light hint of lemon and a whole lot of ginger. The ginger is fairly strong and it could have worked if not for the strong metallic flavor that came along with it. Midway through the glass, all I could taste was ginger and metal. I ended up dumping out my glass which makes this the second Magic Hat beer I've reviewed and not finished.

Overall I would rate Magic Hat Stealin' Time a 0.5/5. It certainly lives up to its name. It steals time from drinking a good 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!

Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler

Over the past few years I have watched with a puzzled look on my face as the Shandy/Radler became a popular variety of summer beer. Just like any style of beer, I found myself trying different interpretations from various breweries. Each time I sampled a new one I was left wondering what all the fuss was about. As a beer cocktail, I understand the idea behind the Shandy/Radler. A homemade mixture of beer and a sparkling lemonade or fruit beverage sounds refreshing. But a canned or bottled mixture of a poorly made base beer with a lot of “natural” flavoring to drown it out is something I find completely undrinkable. So, as I purchased a can of Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler my expectations could not have been any lower. To add to that, I began to wonder if anyone will take this review seriously after reading this introduction. But I put that thought in the back of my mind as I began to pour what I hoped would be the first Shandy/Radler I would enjoy.

Boulevard Brewing Company's Ginger Lemon Radler pours a cloudy light yellow with a white head that falls off very quickly. There is not a lot of complexity here so to go into very specific details of what is in the aroma seems unnecessary. To put it simply, this smelled like ginger ale with a light, tart lemon backbone. It tasted exactly as it smelled. There was almost zero distinguishable beer flavor. To reinforce that point, this is the first beer in 13 years of trying that my Mom actually liked. The weird thing was, I liked it too. I found it light, crisp and easy to drink. The ginger flavor tastes genuine and the lemon provides a nice, tart balance to keep it from being too sweet.

The main drawback of this particular beer is that the beer itself seems to be missing. I say that because I feel like this review almost comes off as more of a soda review than a beer review. In fact I would say if you handed me a can of this and told me it was a lemon ginger ale I would have believed you. The 4.1% ABV is almost completely hidden as well, making this a dangerously sessionable, easy to drink summer beverage. It also makes this the first Shandy/Radler I have had that merits a second purchase.

Overall I would rate Boulevard Brewing Company's Ginger Lemon Radlar a 3/5. It's more of an alcoholic soda than beer, but it works.


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!