Bells Sparkleberry & 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve

Usually when I see a new release from Bell's Brewery, I have to try it. Bell's is just one of those breweries you can usually count on to deliver a well-crafted drinking experience. Recently, they released two beers that captured my attention, Sparkleberry & 30th Anniversary Reserve Cherry Stout.

Sparkleberry is not a new beer but 2018 marks its debut in cans. It was first brewed in 2013 to celebrate Bells’ Sponsorship of Kalamazoo Pride. Over the years, Sparkleberry would occasionally make its way to NY but I kept missing my chance to try it. So as you can imagine, I was particularly excited to give this one a long overdue try. The idea of a Belgian-Style Tripel Ale brewed with Raspberries sounded delicious to me. I also liked the fact that the ABV(8.3%) is true to the style by being on the stronger side. The ABV, the style of beer, and the raspberries made this sound like the perfect summer sipper. As I opened the can, I just hoped I was right.

Sparkleberry was a bit of an unexpected drinking experience. I expected the raspberries to dominate the flavor but I also expected them to be much sweeter than they were. The raspberries were initially sweet but some lemon tartness shows up, followed by the flavors you would expect from a tripel, namely clove, pepper spice and banana. The finish is very dry, almost wine like and the 8.3% ABV adds a bit of astringency. Unfortunately, there also appeared to be a hint of nail polish remover as well in it. I really wanted to like this beer but was thrilled I shared the can after the first sip. The fruit flavoring did not blend as seamlessly as I expected with the base beer. It is not bad, but not a beer I would look to purchase again.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

I thought I was done blogging about stouts for a while but the 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve gave me a reason to do a quick review just in case. The beer is dark chocolate-covered cherries in a glass. The cherries are tart and balance the sweetness of the chocolate nicely. There is a touch of smoke along with a woody, spicy finish. The 9% ABV is fairly well hidden which was nice. The cherry and the dark chocolate were bold enough however to dominate mostly everything here. I enjoyed drinking this beer but I wanted it to have a little more complexity. Then again, it delivered exactly what it promised. It was also a much more pleasant experience than the last time I purchased the Bells Cherry Stout. That beer was so metallic I thought I was drinking T-1000 in a glass(hope that reference wasn't too dated). This one is decadent and delicious. If this dessert in a glass sounds appealing to you, I recommend picking it up.

Overall rating: 3.75/5




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!

Two Roads Bergamonster

Witbier is a style of beer I rarely blog about and that needs to change. I have always been a fan of witbiers but tend to typically drink them when the weather is on the warmer side. The orange peel, coriander, wheat & spicy notes pair wonderfully with a hot summer day. Don’t believe me? Drink a Dogfish Head Namaste or an Allagash White and tell me I am wrong. The Allagash White is, in my opinion, the best representation of the style I have ever had. Drinking that beer is an absolute pleasure and if you have yet to try it I recommend making it your next beer purchase. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. I always tell my beer drinking friends that if they know someone that drinks a lot of Blue Moon, they need to give Allagash White a try. Once again, I have gotten a bit off track. This blog is not about Allagash White. This blog is about a fantastic witbier I tried for the first time a couple days ago and instantly felt the desire write about and fill my refrigerator with it. That beer was Two Road's Bergamonster.

I went into drinking Bergamonster with a fairly indifferent attitude. While I have liked most of the Two Road's beers I have tried, none of them have impressed me enough to be repeat purchases. They always seem to be good but nothing memorable. Even with Bergamonster, I was unsure what to expect. I thought it had the potential to be fantastic or it could turn out to be a bit more on the gimmicky side considering it was brewed with an inedible citrus fruit that is primary used only for its essence. I am thrilled it was the former and this unique approach to brewing a witbier really paid off.

The aroma of Bergamonster pulled me in immediately. The citrus notes, particularly lemon and orange popped right out of the glass. The nose was also floral, spicy with notes of clove, coriander and a yeasty breadiness one would expect from the style. The first sip was like a tart punch in the face. The lemon in particular was unexpectedly strong. It caught me so off guard I was not exactly sure what to think of the beer. I then took another sip and while it was tart, more complexity came into focus. Orange, grapefruit, tropical fruit, hearty bread, clove, coriander & pepper spice shined nicely before a pleasantly sweet banana finish that lingered on the palate. The sweet banana finish was by far my favorite part of the beer. It added a nice balance to the aggressive tartness of the lemon and really made for a pleasant drinking experience. While I would have preferred that the tartness was dialed back ever so slightly, there is very little else to complain about here. Bergamonster is a great witbier. From what I stated earlier this might seem like small praise but this is easily my favorite beer brewed by Two Roads. At 6.4%, it is deceptively strong and easy to drink. Bergamonster is a beer I look forward to purchasing again and drinking throughout the summer months. If you enjoy Witbiers, I encourage everyone to give it a try.

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!

Founders Dank Wood

Writing blogs about new entries in the Founders' Barrel Aged Series has become a formality at this point. Personally, I am a huge fan of the series and judging by the feedback & web traffic the blogs get, you all are just as curious about the new releases as I am. My favorite of the new releases last year was DKML(Dick Kicker Malt Liquor). The beer was big, dirty and boozy. I found it to be absolutely delicious and loved every single second of drinking it. At the same time, I could also see why someone would absolutely hate DKML for the same reasons I listed. Either way you felt about DKML, the creativity & courage to brew and then barrel aged malt liquor should be admired.

My least favorite entry in the Barrel Aged Series was Doom. The thought of an Imperial IPA aged in bourbon barrels was intriguing but it just missed the mark for me. It reminded me too much of a less boozy and slightly aged Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. While that's not necessarily a knock on the beer, it just didn't deliver in the way I hoped it would. I remember it being mostly malt and vanilla while I wanted a bit more of a hop bite. Speaking of hop bite, that brings me to the latest release in the Barrel Aged Series, Dank Wood.

From the moment Founders announced the release of Dank Wood I had high hopes for it. Red IPAs are one of my favorite styles of beer. I think it is a style that is tremendously underrated and I hope to see it make a comeback of sorts in the near future. My initial complaint about Doom was that I wanted more hoppiness from it, Dank Wood did not disappoint in that department. The aroma of Dank Wood lives up to its name. It is super dank, full of sticky pine and oak. There are also notes of grapefruit, caramel, toffee, vanilla and earthy, spicy hops. The 12.2% ABV comes through in the aroma as well. The alcohol is so strong in Dank Wood I felt it warming my nostrils. I anticipated the noticeable alcohol content to play a big part in the first sip I took, and I was right.

Dank Wood's flavor is bold and full of booze. The heat from the alcohol provides the kind of warmth one would expect from a beer that came out during the winter months, not the warmer days of late spring. If you are looking for a smooth, easy drinking experience, I would suggest looking elsewhere. Underneath the alcohol, Dank Wood aggressively hits the palate with oak tannins, caramel, toffee, vanilla, grapefruit, spicy hops and loads of pine resin. I did not get bourbon in the aroma but I got a bit of it in the finish and I thought that was a nice touch. Mostly everything about this beer clicked for me. The only thing I would like to see differently is the alcohol scaled back just a touch. I look forward to placing a bottle in the cellar to revisit down the road, as I am very curious to see how this one develops. As for right now though, Dank Wood is big, bold, monster of a beer and much like DKML, I could see it being quite polarizing. I personally enjoyed it and look forward to buying another 4-pack of it. However, I would suggest approaching it with caution. As I mentioned earlier, if you are looking for something easy drinking, look elsewhere.

Overall rating: 4/5


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!

Decadent Ales French Toast DIPA

The concept of a French Toast Double IPA sounds ridiculous. I drank it and I still can't believe it is a real thing. When I first came across a can, my initial thought was 'that's got to be gross'. A moment later after some quiet contemplation I thought to myself 'I have to try it.' So I picked up a single can and brought it home. For a week, I kept passing over this bizarre dessert ipa for other more traditional offerings in my refrigerator. Normally, I can't wait to try a new & interesting beer but I just could not find the right time to drink it. I knew this was the kind of beer that would require some contemplation time. I also knew I would have to write a blog about it. The worst case scenario here was I was out 5 bucks for the can and pouring it down the drain. The best case scenario, this beer would be one of the most unique things I had ever tried and I needed to run out and immediately buy more. While neither of these scenarios came to be, Decadent Ales French Toast was one of the most interesting & confusing beers I have had in a long time.

I admit I had not heard of Decadent Ales up until now. After looking over their modest website I realized that doing unique dessert-style beers is what they do. Then again, that should have been obvious to me by the name of their brewery. Even still, I do not think I was prepared for what I was about to drink.

Decadent Ales's French Toast DIPA looks like your typical unfiltered double IPA. For that reason alone, I thought I had an idea of what the aroma would be like. I thought it would have subtle elements of french toast but would mostly be full of bold hop aromas. Surprisingly, I could not have been any more wrong. The nose was strictly french toast with butter, cinnamon & maple syrup. There was a touch of citrus hops but that's it. The first sip and every sip after delivered the same thing, french toast with butter, cinnamon & maple syrup. It got to a point that it made me want the real thing instead of a beer. The maple flavor in particular is huge and dominates everything else. There is a lactose creaminess to it as well that really brings home the buttery note. The hops that are here add a nice touch of spiciness that pairs well with the cinnamon. The finish has light touch of hop bitterness, along with a hint of booziness. I can't emphasize this enough, the sweetness from the maple syrup is really the star of the show here. While the finish does provide some balance, the maple syrup completely overpowers it. As someone who lacks a sweet tooth, this became a bit too much.

French Toast DIPA is a strange, creative & unique drinking experience. I liked it but I am glad I only got one can. It is by no means sessionable and the gimmick of it wears off as soon as the glass is empty. If this sounds good to you, then I recommend picking up a can. It delivers everything it promises except the hoppiness you would typically expect from a DIPA. This beer definitely opened my eyes to Decadent Ales. While this one is not particularly my thing, they did successfully capture French Toast in beer form. For that reason alone I am hoping to try more of their beers in the near future.

Overall rating: 3.5/5



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!

Jack's Abby Bourbon Barrel Aged Graham Cracker Framinghammer

Whenever the Bourbon Barrel Aged Framinghammers come out I usually treat myself to one or two if I come across them but I do not seek them out. My main reason for this is, while I like them, I always want to like them more than I usually do. This all started with the first time I tried their PB&J variant. The flavors it promised were under delivered and they clashed with the base beer. The other variants I have tried were fine but were always a touch too boozy. Each time I drank the Bourbon Barrel Aged Framinghammer or its Vanilla, Mole or Brandy Barrel Aged variants I wanted each of them to finish smoother than they did. While aging them might have helped this problem, not everyone has the patience to see how that turns out.

My thoughts towards the Bourbon Barrel Aged Framinghammer Series changed in the summer of 2016. I was at Jack's Abby and had a taster of their draft-only BBA Graham Cracker variant. From the first sip to the last, I was blown away. Graham cracker is not usually a flavor that shines nicely in beer, but it did here. It was the undisputed star of the show and I instantly caused me to fall in love with the beer. Since that day, I have been waiting for an opportunity to try it again. That chance finally arrived with this year's Bourbon Barrel Aged Framinghammer releases. I honestly could have cared less about the regular BA version or any of the other variants released. I just wanted the Graham Cracker version and I wanted it to live up to the incredible beer I remember trying almost two years ago. After a full week of sitting in my refrigerator, I was finally ready to find out if it did.

From the moment I took in the wonderful aroma of graham crackers, chocolate, vanilla & caramelized sugar, I knew I was in for a treat with my first sip of BBA Graham Cracker Framinghammer. This beer is without question the best example of a s'mores-style beer I have had yet. All of the elements are there in the flavor, and there is a huge amount of graham cracker present. As I mentioned earlier, in s'mores style beers I feel the flavor of graham cracker in particular is usually lacking. Here it is front and center along with lots of chocolate, vanilla, caramelized sugar, smoke and a slight hint of oak from the barrel. I got practically no bourbon in the flavor but I am not complaining. All of the elements I wanted were there. To be a bit critical though, it does get a touch sweet as it warms and the trademark booziness is noticable in the finish. As far as the sweetness goes, one should expect that in a beer designed to taste like a dessert. The booziness in the BBA Framinghammers seems to be unavoidable no matter which one you try. I am looking forward to aging a bottle a bit to see how it develops. Rest assured, I will report back with my findings. Outside of those two small criticisms, I have no complaints, this beer is wonderful and I highly recommend seeking it out.

Overall rating: 4.5/5



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!

Genesee Ruby Red Kolsch

I bought Genesee's Ruby Red Kolsch initially out of respect for my hometown's legendary brewery. While Genesee is making some incredible beer right now, this fruited offering did not initially appeal to me. Fruited summer ales like shandies/radlers for example, are something I typically avoid drinking. I understand why people like them, they just have not clicked for me. I can actually only think of two summer radler/shandies I have enjoyed over the years. One was a Peach Radler from Niagara Brewing Company just across the Canadian Border. The other was Boulevard's Lemon Ginger Radler. While I may enjoy these beers, the tap list would have to be bare bones for me to actually order them.

I find that the fruited radler/shandy is just too much of a departure from what I want in a beer. Sure, they are easy to drink but the fruit flavoring usually tastes a bit too artificial and drowns out the part of the beer I want to taste the most, the actual beer! This is why this beer surprised me so much. Genesee's Ruby Red Kolsch definitely reminds me more of the shandy style than a kolsch ale. The strong grapefruit presence does take over the beer but in this case it worked for me. For a style like this I would normally complain about the grapefruit flavor. However, the grapefruit does not taste artificial, it's delicious actually. Then again, with the beer Genesee has been making and I should not have been so surprised.

As I work through my second 12-pack(which is priced under 10 dollars) of Ruby Red Kolsch, I feel fairly certain I have found a beer that I will drink regularly over the coming months. The grapefruit is the star of the show here and its presence works beautifully in both the aroma and in the taste. The flavor in particular reminds of eating a juicy grapefruit with a touch of sugar sprinkled on it. Basically I equate that flavor to a semi-healthy breakfast. Now, I am not saying you should have this beer for breakfast, I am just saying that I personally will not be able to eat grapefruit again without thinking of it. I also got a touch of bread, honey sweetness, cereal grains and grassy hops in the flavor as well.

Ruby Red Kolsch is not a complex beer, it is a simple summer crusher meant for refreshment on a hot day. The kolsch ale does take a back seat to the grapefruit, but there is just the right amount of it here. The end result is a light, easy to drink, super affordable and extremely refreshing beer. Try it and see for yourself!


Overall rating: 3.75/5



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!

Zero Gravity Keller

I have spent the last few blogs talking about stouts. The main reason for that is winter weather will not seem to leave NY, so I went ahead and used that as a reason to deplete my stash of stouts. Like many of you, I am now officially sick of the endless winter weather. So for this blog, I am going to start dreaming of warmer weather and a beer I fully intend to drink until/when it arrives.

Zero Gravity's Keller is a take on a style that as of late seems to be reemerging and we all are better for it.   In case you are unaware of the style, Kellerbier is an unpasteurized & unfiltered lager, that is rich in vitamins & cloudy in appearance all because of the leftover yeast. So, if you think like I do, you are even more excited about this style because it is both delicious & has nutritional value. Zero Gravity's take on the style impressed me so much that it has been consistently taking up Real Estate in my refrigerator.

Keller won me over with its aroma of toasted bread, herbal hops, grass, and a nice fruitiness. Keller is dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria hops which adds that wonderful fruitiness to the beer. Unfortunately, this tends to fade from both the aroma and the taste rather quickly. I have bought three 6-packs from the batch canned on 2/28/18 & there is definitely a drop off in the hop profile the older it gets. So to enjoy this beer at its best, check the date at the bottom of the can before you buy it. When it's fresh, it absolutely fantastic! That delightful fruitiness I mentioned earlier blends nicely with the flavors of pilsner malt, corn, grass, a peppery spiciness before a refreshing, crisp, dry finish. Aside from time causing Keller to fade a bit, there is also a slight vegetal note to it. It is not strong enough by any means to make drinking this beer less enjoyable, but nevertheless I would prefer it was not there.

Lagers are making a big comeback with a lot of craft breweries and I am very excited about it. With the cold weather lingering way longer than it should, I could not seem to step away from stouts. Now, I am getting to a point where I am ready to drink some flavorful, crisp & clean lagers while doing outdoor activities. Zero Gravity's Keller is a beautiful session beer. It will also work nicely as a lawnmower/yard work beer. Its flavorful, refreshing, sessionable and deserves a spot in your refrigerator or beach cooler.

Overall rating: 4.5/5 (remember the fresher, the better)


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!