A rather old time looking label that depicted a crate of blueberries gave me mixed feelings.  Breaking the seal proved to be a spritz of blueberry aroma that was noticeable a few feet away.  The carbonation was lively and produced a decent white head that faded quickly.  While taking the picture I was reminded of when my mother use to bake blueberry muffins except this time it was not a warm bready quality.  Instead, there was a cold refreshingly crisp aspect to it.  That about sums up the aroma…a blueberry muffin.

Judging by the appearance this beer was not going to be a blueberry bomb as it resembled Blonde Ale or Pilsner.  So, raising the glass I took a swig.  Not bad, not bad a all.  The fruit component is not over-the-top while remaining the focus.  Light malts allowed the fruit to express itself yet gave some body.  The cool blueberry flavors were gracefully present throughout each sip.  Up front it was more of a cranberry/blueberry tartness if ever so mild.  When it come to the finish the flavors were mellow.

I’d say this was a good example of how to incorporate fruit into a beer and would rank it up there with Sweetwater Blue as far as blueberry beers go.

All the ingredients are here.  A good hop selection that does add a grassy, herbal, minor spice to the beer, a light malt profile which gives a gentle wheat finish, and moderately bready yeast character.  However, the classic crispness and smoothness I longed for were not to be found.  While it is true that this beer is thirst quenching when cold, I did not receive much of a “lagered” beer as most Kölsch beers have.  The yeast seems to be too ale-like leading me to believe that this beer could have benefited from a longer cool conditioning period.

Don’t get me wrong, this beer had its good moments and I would return to it if I had to.  It just seems ironic to me that Genesee Brewing Co brews this beer when it produces a cream ale.  All for the sake of having a “craft” line of beers I guess.

Brooklyn’s take on the English IPA pours a clear as can be dull amber. It is an orange, just inching in to brownish red. The head, which set atop like a pitcher’s mound, was a bright off-white. The lacing was a beautiful, thick froth that didn’t just streak, but coated the side of my pint.

The nose was maltier than expected, that was the initial impression, the hops mixed with bready, biscuity aromas and were basically dominated. I swirled my glass several times and eventually a bit of lemony citrus wafted out. The sip was somewhat shocking. The lasting finish was the lowlight, a bark-like linger that was biting, harsh and unpleasant. It was not the earthy quality that, when found in correct proportions, can be enjoyed. No, this was like running full speed into a redwood tree and having to pick the bark from between your front teeth. Besides that, the citrusy hops were still there, but so dominated and over run by the bark that they were soon a distant memory.

Mr. Oliver, although respected for what may be perfectly legitimate reasons, has let me down in this first encounter with his Brooklyn Brewery. With as much good press as he’s had, however, I’m sure I’ll be back to sip something from Utica’s finest again.  Grade C

Tom:  My first impression of this beer was not the best.  The word bland came to mind.  Not with regards to the flavor so much as the overall experience.  I understand that they were going for an English IPA here, but for some reason I just could not really get on board with this beer.  Like Michael, I too was not expecting the malt aspect of this beer to be as big as it was.  There was a classic honeyed aroma and flavor found in most English ales, but the caramel and toffee notes overtook hops.  Speaking of which, when it came to the hop profile my initial thought was that of New Holland’s Mad Hatter.  More dank and grassy combining with the malt to lend an overall leathery musty smell.

When reflecting on the taste and mouthfeel I do remember the hop did coat my palate but did so in a mild manner.  Nothing too crazy or even eventful.  They were just there.  The latter half of the ship comes alive a little more with a spicy hop finish that is dry and herbal.  From what I expected from Brooklyn this IPA is a rather average brew that has its place their line up, but would not be my first choice when picking out some Brooklyn beer.  Grade B-

As a craft beer enthusiast, I would be remiss not to scoff at the concept of beer from Walgreen’s. It’s pretty absurd. But there are some redeeming qualities of this beer. Let’s give it a chance and see how it compares using our normal reviewing standards:

Appearance: First off, it comes only in 12 oz. cans. The design is nothing special … you can’t really tell if it’s supposed to look retro, or be modern. Because it certainly achieves neither. Still, it has that all-too-familiar blue/silver/red color scheme, and that is certainly not by accident. The beer pours a light straw color out of the can (really, am I going to drink this out of a glass?). It easily develops a large, lightly packed white head, which diminishes to nothing in about one minute.

Aroma: No surprises here. Even with a fluffy head, there isn’t much there in the way of smell. I can pick out that common slightly-yeasty, borderline-urine smell, which comes from the fermented adjuncts (in this case corn and rice). Not a smell you will experience when drinking craft beer, because craft brewers stick with classic malted grains: barley, wheat, and sometimes rye. I would say the smell of Big Flats 1901 Lager is closer to the Milwaukee’s Best Ices and Natti Lights of the world.

Mouthfeel: How does it feel in your mouth? Well … it’s highly carbonated, and as a light lager it leaves no real experience in your mouth. And it certainly gets worse as it warms. So drink it fast.

Taste: This adjunct should be on your radar if you enjoy BudMillerCoors and live anywhere near a Walgreen’s. It is thin and highly carbonated, and has that super-light bready, yeasty taste to it that vanishes within moments of a gulp.At 4.5% ABV, it is par for the course in terms of style. It tastes no different to me than Bud Light, Miller Lite, or Coors Light.

Overall: Walgreen’s Big Flats 1901 Lager should be considered next to BudMillerCoors as a viable replacement. Sure, there is zero marketing budget. Sure, there are no Big Flats Girls at the Super Bowl. But in this economy, a 6-pack of beer for $2.99 is the best possible solution. It’s that simple. Could craft brewers sell a 6-pack of cans for $2.99? I think someone could figure out how to do that. But until then, this is the beer you want when it’s been a long week and all you’ve got in your pocket is a couple of wrinkled-up singles. There is absolutely no reason not to buy this beer instead of BudMillerCoors. Look at the price, people. Even though the beer tastes less-than-desirable, it should easily be rated a C based on its affordability. I would be very, very interested to find a less expensive, commercially-distributed beer than this one.

This is a sessionable ale which pours straw in color with a nice head and smells of wheat from the get go. If you work at it you can detect a slight malt, some grassy hops and a hint of pear. You’ll taste what you smell with strength. Wheat is dominate. See if you can read it this way—wheat, malt, hops and then pear ending with zesty wheat. Mouthfeel is not thin or thick just nice. A little carbonation come with it. I’d guess if you like a wheat beer you’d like ST. This is one of my favorite brewers and I’m confident that the quality carries over to every one of their brews even this wheat pale ale.

ABV 5.8%

Grade: B

Well, after that little optical illusion let me know introduce you to my opened-before-I-was-ready beer.  Having already reviewed two of Blue Points brews, I knew I was in for a treat.

This 6.8% IPA is a light golden pale malt hue with a one finger head that dissipates, yet there is good carbonation within the body of the beer. No illusions are played on your nose as there is a straight forward piney, spicy, somewhat floral, and minor citrus hop profile. Its bookend had an easy toasted malt weight to it.

When sipping on IPAs, I’ve found that the East Coast brands are more earthy and floral than their West Coast counterparts. This rings true here as I got a deal of pine notes up front that translated over to a more floral aspect that interacted well with the sweeter (caramel) malt notes in the middle. The finish carries the same piney spice as the front portion of the sip, but the aftertaste if more citrus in nature.

Overall, this was another solid brew by Blue Point that offers yet another interpretation of the style.

ABV: 6.8%

Grade: B

I can also support this beer as it is yummy. Brewed with a generous helping of Rye malt and fresh hops it packs a nice toasty and spicy aroma and flavor. Looking like an Amber ale it has a very clear body that is close to red/copper. The two finger head has a reddish tint that maintains a thin film for the duration.

Smelling surprisingly well balanced the rye malt and piney hop aromas sync up to offer a nice spicy, yet juicy quality. Fresh indeed! Beyond that, there is a toasted caramel note that reminded me of a smooth sessionable ale. Somewhat floral and fruity as well, the abv (7.5%) found its way through this aspect of the beer.

45 IBUs is what the bottle reads, but I would say my mouth registered a higher bitterness. This is probably due to the rye malt that added a punch on the sides of my tongue. Sweet and mildly bitter up front this beer transitioned well on my palate. The finish was piney, spicy, and carried a minor abv warmth. Malty and resinous hop notes left well-balanced flavors on roof of my mouth.

It had a fairly light mouthfeel for being relatively malty and hoppy, but it did possess creaminess as well. One of THE best Rye beers I’ve ever had. My grade reflects how I think it ranks in that category as well as personal enjoyment.

ABV: 7.5%

Grade: B+

The color is a pleasant sunset orange which boasts a tall fluffy white head that breathes fresh hops and leaves a good amount of lacing. When I first took a smell there was definitely citrus notes of mango, orange, lemon zest, and peach. Contrary to the bottles description this was not as bold as I was expecting. Rather it was actually and thankfully well balanced between hops and malt. Yes, the hops made up a huge part, but the malts added a light caramel sweetness which complimented the floral notes of the hops.

On to the taste and Blue Point has got one solid brew. The hop additions show up in wonderful way in the nose, a minor sharp bitterness at the beginning, a floral middle, and a resinous finish. While these green cones are present throughout they are not overpowering like most APAs that are more IPA in nature. The malt backdrop is noticeable providing just enough sweetness to balance each sip.

I will say that even though the hops were fresh this beer had a mellowed, dank aspect. The aftertaste had a mouth smacking semi-oily feeling to it, but not in a dry sense.

An overall enjoyable brew that was true to style and one that I would like to have again.

ABV: 4.6%

Grade: B+

I obtained this beer through a trade with Barry of Craft Brew Advocate (thank you) after hearing about its release.  While it later became available in my next of the woods there were a few reasons why I was so excited to get my hands on this brew a little early: 1) it utilized a different hop I wanted to explore, 2) Brooklyn produces some fine brews, 3) I wanted to sample it sooner than later, and 4) the bottle looks frickin’ sweet!

While pouring this beer I felt as those I had just won a huge Texas Hold’em event with the Ace of diamonds on the river. There is a wonderful almost clear pilsner-like quality to the color of the beer, but possesses the typical fluffy white head that you find in Saison. It holds a consistent stream of bubbles almost like champagne which keeps the delicate white head alive.

The aroma was pure floral as the yeast and hops converged into my nostrils to produce a mixture of orange and apple blossoms, a spicy herbal aspect, that was complimented by a sharp citrus lemon smell from the Sorachi Ace hop. One might say it could smell like a cleaner with a hint of lemon freshness, but I would argue that this hop compliments the Saison style.

When I got to the taste my nose had already picked out the flavors for the most part. Bubblegum, a straight forward light malt aspect that allowed the yeast and hops shine. There is a spicy kick at the beginning that is accentuated by a sizeable hoppy bitterness.

Sorachi Ace seems to have been bred in Japan and has a higher AA% making it a great bittering hop, but its flavors are lighter or mellow (i.e., not as pungent). The middle of the brew is tingly as the carbonation takes over leading into a floral/lemony finish that leaves a spicy medley on your palate. It finishes very dry, but brings you back for more as it is light and quaffable.

Relatively complex, I enjoyed exploring what flavors and tones the Soraci Ace hop added. I’d suggest using them in a Belgian brew as it will pair well with that spicy, herbal yeast component. The design sure gets some mad props!

ABV: 7.6%

Grade: B+

Having Scottish roots and a curiosity for Belgian beers I opened up this plaid laden bottle. Pouring a reddish/brown hue, but deep ruby red when held up to the light, this brew looks like a classic Scottish ale (minus the fizzy head and continuous bubbles that formed circles at the top). The history behind this style making its way into Belgium dates back to WWI when Scotsmen fought in that region. Local brewers wanted to appeal to their visitors and started brewing their Belgian clones. I’m glad I read the bottle as I learned something new today.

Using Munich, Pilsner, Caramel and a touch of smoked malts this brew is blatantly malt-centric. To add a touch of Scottish style Heather tips were added. The overall smell of this brew is rather interesting. At first it I get aromas of deep toasty malts, a mild hint of peat, but the overpowering smell is the floral notes given off by the heather and yeast. Both support each other well rending what I thought was something close to grape soda or old lady potpourri.

At only 6.6% abv this is an easy drinker with not much bitterness. The heather adds a nice earthy spice to the palate that finishes on the floral side. I’ve had darker Belgian beers before, but they are usually higher in abv and are generally sweeter in flavor. This beer however, was dark and malty, but the yeast didn’t seem to jive well. The heather did play a vital roll in offering some bitterness at the finish.

I picked up minor metallic flavors along the way and it seemed to me like the spicier yeast qualities were stifled by the heavier malts resulting in some conflicting off-flavors. While I enjoyed the Scottish ale aspect of the beer, the Belgian counterpart did not blend/support entirely. I strongly feel that hoppier beers are much more suited for the mixture of styles.

This is a good beer in and of its own right that had some redeeming qualities, but on the whole there seemed to be too many parts of the beer competing with each other rather.

ABV: 6.6%

Grade: C+