Founders Barrel Runner

I am a bit obsessed with the Founders Barrel Aged Series. If you have been following this blog, you already know that. I love writing about each new release for two reasons. The first being that the beer is usually great. The second being that you can clearly tell the brewers at Founders are having fun pushing the limits of creativity with this program. Dank Wood, the previous release in the series took an underrated style of beer(Red IPA) and added a whole new layer of complexity to it with the barrel aging. When I first heard about Barrel Runner, the latest release in the series, I was intrigued but disappointed. I was disappointed only because I wanted to see a different style outside of an IPA go into a barrel. However, I was intrigued because the tropical fruitiness of a mosaic hopped ale seemed like a perfect compliment for a rum barrel. It had potential to deliver a fruity, strong, summer-like cocktail take on a beer. I became further intrigued when I saw the early reception was very polarizing, much like my favorite release in the series DKML. I had no idea which side of the fence I would be on for this one, but I had confidence that if any brewery could pull a beer like this off, it would be Founders.

For Dank Wood, the previous release in the series, the barrel presence was a bit more dialed back. It acted as a compliment to the bold flavor of the Imperial Red IPA. When it comes to Barrel Runner, things are much different. The dominating aroma of rum was noticeable while standing a few feet away from the glass. There were hints of caramel malt, coconut, pine resin, grapefruit, and vanilla, but the stars of the show here are rum, oak and pineapple. The first sip and every sip after that is very sweet & very boozy. The fruitiness(pineapple, mango, papaya, tangerine, berries) tries to shine initially, along with a healthy dose of pine and caramel but is immediately overshadowed by rum, vanilla, oak spice, coconut, and booze(lots of booze). I like rum, so I liked this beer. It reminded me of the tropical drinks I had on my honeymoon, as well as the low-proof fruity rums I sampled irresponsibly when I was younger. This might sound silly but Barrel Runner tastes like a hangover to me. It reminds me of mixing way too many sugary drinks and spending the next day in bed. I purchased a 4-pack of Barrel Runner and found it impossible to open a second one in a single sitting. 

One thing that would have made this beer better would have been a bit of balance. The barrel is clearly all that is showcased here while more balance between the fruity, syrupy sweet IPA & the rum barrel would have greatly improved my thoughts on this beer. Put it this way, if you like your Rum & Cokes with just a splash of Coke, this beer is for you. If rum hangovers do not bother you, this beer is for you. If you don’t like rum at all, spend your 15+ dollars elsewhere.

Overall rating: 3/5

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!

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

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Captain Lawrence Galactic Fog NEIPA

For several years, I was fairly indifferent about beers from Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. While I have always been open to trying their offerings, I had yet to find one that merited a repeat purchase outside of their Frost Monster Imperial Stout. I just felt that their beer was good enough to not disappoint if you purchased it but not good enough to make you want to buy the same beer again with so many other options available.

The moment my opinion on Captain Lawrence changed came by accident. I sent my wife a screen grab of a Facebook post and asked her if she could pick up the beer in the photo. The problem was, there were actually two different beers in the photo. I was not quick enough with my reply on which specific beer I wanted, so she bought both(she’s awesome). The Captain Lawrence beer she purchased was the Citra Dry Hopped version of Orbital IPA. Later that night, I gave it a try and loved it. It was finally a beer from Captain Lawrence not named Frost Monster that I wanted to purchase again. When they released the Mosiac Dry Hopped version of Orbital Tilt, I found what I thought to be one of the best session IPAs on the market. The tropical fruitiness of the mosaic hops harmoniously blended with the pilsner malt backbone and created a beer I found it impossible to have just one of.

With the success of both versions of Orbital Tilt, I began to branch out and start trying more of their hoppy offerings. I fell in love with Tears of Green & the Powder Dreams series. Each of them came with a higher price tag but delivered a fabulous drinking experience. Their latest Orbital Tilt(Galaxy Dry Hopped) may have been the weakest in the series but it was still fantastic. With all this good will towards Captain Lawrence, I found myself rushing to try their latest hoppy offering, Galactic Fog IPA.

Double Dry Hopped with Galaxy Hops, Galactic Fog is a New England Style Double IPA with 8.5% ABV. The fruitiness of the Galaxy Hops is front and center here. The aromas of passion fruit, pineapple, peach, tangerine, and lime jump out of the glass. The first sip was very much like the nose, loads of fruit up front. Much like the Mosaic Dry Hopped Orbital Tilt IPA I mentioned earlier, the fruitiness of the galaxy hops here pair nicely with the malt backbone, which is light but adds a nice bit of pilsner-like breadiness. After the bold hit of fruit, a subtle cool mintiness comes in before a spicy, herbal finish.

There is a lot to like here but one thing that I found myself not enjoying was the syrupy sweetness that began to get to me at the halfway mark. It by no means ruined the experience of drinking Galactic Fog for me but one can feels like more than enough. That is the difference here between the
Tears of Green, Powder Dreams & Orbital Tilt(Did I tell you I love Orbital Tilt?) series. For those beers I would have wanted to go back to the refrigerator for another can. Then again, perhaps it is a good thing it is one and done for Galactic Fog. Either way, this beer is another winner for the Elmsford, NY brewery. Trust me when I tell you, do not sleep on Captain Lawrence, they are making some fantastic hoppy beers. Their sours are really solid too, but I will save my thoughts on those for another blog.

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!

Westbrook Lemon Cucumber Gose

I love Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose. Whenever I come across it, I pick up a 4-pack. It's practically automatic at this point. If the beer did not sell out so fast it would be a regular staple in my refrigerator. I also love the base beer Westbrook Gose. I buy that with less frequency but enjoy it every single time I have it. When I heard Westbrook was releasing a new Lemon Cucumber Gose variant, I could not wait to give them my money. Lemon cucumber water is super refreshing and Westbrook Goses are absolutely fantastic. I could not help but think that this right here might be the perfect summer beer combination.

As I poured the beautifully hazy, golden liquid in a glass I found myself pondering whether or not it was going to be better than the Key Lime Pie Gose. I thought it had a 50-50 chance to top it. That was, until I took in the aroma and realized it would come nowhere near the Key Lime Pie Gose variant. The first thing that jumped out to me was the tart lemon, it seemed to pop out of the glass. I then noticed a touch of refreshing cucumber underneath it. After that, all I noticed in the aroma was a strong note of pickles. I found this strange and intriguing, but was not sure it was something I was going to enjoy.

Like the Westbrook Gose & the Key Lime Pie variant, the sourness of the first sip aggressively hits the palate. The lemon is the star of this beer and comes out swinging right away. Paired with the lactic sourness of the base beer, they provide a 1-2 punch right to the kisser. As the aggressiveness of the tartness began to subside the further I got into the glass the cucumber started to come through. It was met with sea salt, coriander and a touch of vinegar which really brought out the pickle flavor. All of these flavors worked surprisingly well together. Unfortunately, for me, this is a “one-and-done” kind of situation. Due to the style of beer, this outcome should have appeared obvious and I admit I feel a bit foolish that I did not see it coming.

If you are a fan of sour beer & pickles, I could see you really enjoying this beer. If you are a fan of neither, then I would avoid this at all costs. I had high hopes for this one and I am still glad I tried it. Unfortunately, it pales in comparison to the base beer or my beloved Key Lime Pie variant.

2.75/5


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!

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!