Lagunitas - Wilco Tango Foxtrot

I have come to realize that since I have started this blog, I have been neglecting some of the larger and more popular names in craft brewing.  I look to be drinking some more of those revered brands in the near future and today will be no exception.  Today's brew is Lagunitas' Wilco Tango Foxtrot (aka "wtf").  While their knowledge of the NATO phonetic alphabet may be a bit lacking (the letter 'W' is actually "whiskey," not "wilco"),  their penchant for making good, hoppy beers is not.  Two things make me more excited than usual to drink this beer.

1.  I purchased this beer literally before they could even stock it on the shelves.  I saw a box full and took one to purchase.
2.  The top declares, "Limited Release."  Who does not get excited about that?

Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 8/12

A classic Lagunitas aroma of hops greets you immediately.  In a pleasant change, these hops do not appear to want to thrash you about the head with their presence.  They are the dominant aroma, but they do allow for a few (I do mean few) of the brown ale characteristics to show.  For a beer stating a 64.20 IBU on the bottle, this is rather impressive.  Once the head dies down a bit, one can detect caramel notes and bits of raw sugar.

Appearance 3/3

On the label, this beer (because it is described as "A malty, robust, jobless recovery ale,") claims that "We're not quite in the Red, or in the Black... Does that mean we're in the Brown?"  It would have to be classified as a dark red or a light brown (33 EBC).  It pours a lovely copper color with a light beige head that is larger than average and has amazing retention.  The only the superior to the retention is the lacing, which was left up and down the far side of my glass.  To date, I have never had a beer with as high lacing as this.  The foam  on top appeared creamy in texture, but not without "lumps."  They did not look like bubbles, but rather lumps as one would see in a more viscous liquid where the liquid shows a shape underneath yet still covers the top of the object.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 19/20

Never let the aroma tell the full story.  The first sip was laden with initial flavors of dark fruits and malt (almost "abbey ale-esque" in nature), which quickly gives way to a strong hop character though not completely.  The hops are definitely the backbone of the beer and are true to Lagunitas form: earthy, grassy, and not without its pepper.  The balance does lean toward the hops, but the dark fruit flavor is never absent nor overwhelmed.  The finish is a perfect extension of the beer's main structure and gives way to a fun aftertaste.  The aftertaste starts out nutty and bitter like a quintessential brown ale.  As it continues the taste becomes more bitter (making it easy to see the "black" they claim on the label), but continues and eventually rests as hoppy goodness on the sides of your tongue.  What a neat fading in and out of flavors!  Nice progression.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Wilco Tango Foxtrot has a medium-full body, medium-high carbonation (even toward the end of the bottle), and a nice, light warmth to compliment this darker style.  The body is a perfect balance of drinkability vs. body.  This brew is as thick as it can be to compliment its bold flavors, but not so thick as one would not want several.  Please do not read that as "this is a session beer."  With its 7.8% ABV, and robust taste, it is anything but.

Overall Impression 8/10

Technically sound and with a strong, complex flavor this beer is definitely one to try.  It successfully includes aspects of several different styles.  Malt and color from the reds, nutty and roasted flavors from the brown, and bitter, high alcohol content from the black ales.  Wrap that all up with a tolerable level of Lagunitas signature hops and the result is a very good beer.

Total 43/50 (Excellent)

This ranking puts is toward the top of the "excellent" category, and rightfully so.  Let me clarify by stating that I am not a far of overly hoppy beers.  I much prefer the complex, fruity darkness of a Abbey Ale or Tripel to the bitter assault of hops any day.  In fact, I was a bit hesitant to pick up this bottle of Lagunitas, knowing their love for hoptastic beers.  Long story short?  They got me.  This beer is not a blend of flavors who compliment each other and dissolve into one another.  This is a heavy-weight fight with both the sweet dark fruit and the hop flavors present and neither one wants to back down.

The beer is fantastic technically, and did not overwhelm me with its hops.  Don't get me wrong, the hops are strong, but they will not kill you.  In fact, you might find something you truly enjoy.  I know I did.  The best part about this beer was getting to the bottom of my glass, realizing I had bought a bomber, and pouring myself another.  Kudos Lagunitas!  I'll be sharing this one with friends.

Point - Burly Brown

Happy Friday, brew fans!  It has been far too long since I have had a brown ale and I look to remedy that ASAP.  Tonight's pouring is from Point Brewery in Stevens Point, WI.  I tend to trust beers from Wisconsin as the vast majority of Wisconsinites are of German descent and can whip up a tasty brew before you can say "Reinheitsgebot."  That in mind I am excited to try this latest offering.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 9/12

The aroma is very malt-heavy and not entirely inappropriate for the style.  The medium roast and notes of caramel great compliments to one another and are a pleasant way to make this beer's acquaintance.  Once the  head dies down, the sweet nutty aroma shows lightly.  The nutty aroma somehow mixes with the caramel and sweetness to occasionally remind the drinker of something cola-esque.

Appearance 2/3

The color is a bit light for the style, bring almost amber/reddish under better lighting than the above photo.  However, the beige head was generous for the gentle pour, retention was solid at worst, and left some nice lacing.  A collar remained to the end of the pint.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 10/20

An extremely light flavor especially when considering the name (let alone the style).  Initial flavors are so light as to nearly be non-existent.  The backbone of the beer is malty, but not in a roasted way as the style demands.  The malt could very well be pale (or even crystal!) with caramel flavors added; a disappointing departure from the aroma.  The finish is again a nutty, malt sweetness with an almost complete lack of roast flavor.  In a true example of "better late than never," the aftertaste has some nutty tones and a nice round bitter.  The flavor is almost like getting a little bit of the shell or lining when eating a walnut - some earthy, sweet taste and a stronger bitter counterpart.

Mouthfeel 2/5

The first impression when sampling this beer had to do with its mouthfeel: thin.  While the carbonation is just about perfect, the body is watery.  This results in a brown that is easier to drink than most, but with too high of an alcohol content (5.43% ABV) to make it truly sessionable.  For a thin beer, it somehow manages to obtain a desirable level of creaminess.

Overall Impression 4/10

A brown ale that is not quite brown, has little roasted malt flavor, light body, and very little nut flavor is overall very disappointing indeed.  The whole beer needs to be bolder, especially to be labeled as a brown (or known as a good one).  The was some good promise in the aroma, but it turned out to be more of a let-down when actually discovering the flavor.

Total 27/50 (Good)

For a beer that is labeled as such, it is anything but, "Burly."  It seems to lighten the best parts of a brown ale every chance it gets.  Perhaps this beer is one of many that loses its way when a brewery grows in size and enjoys the recent spat of success that Point Brewery is currently riding.  It seems light in flavor and more designed for the masses than those who enjoy a quality beer.  For the money, there are certainly more robust brown ales to be had out there.

New Glarus - Unplugged/Apple Ale

After a road trip to New Glarus Brewery and picking up some unusual bottles I headed home excited about the reviews that were to come.  This is one of those reviews.  It is from something that New Glarus is now apparently calling "Unplugged," though I have seen this Apple Ale in its own packaging before.  There are now several brews in this "Unplugged" label, usually accompanied with a red foil top.  Initially, I thought it was to save costs for limited releases (each unique beer would not require its own label), but on the side each one still has a description of the beer.  So that theory is down the tubes.  It does have the following paragraph on each Unplugged bottle before that unique beer's description.

"Some people pain, some sing, others write... I brew." -Daniel Carey

A few times a year we will cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses, uncensored, uncut, unplugged. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul.  This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again.

This is right up my alley and I'm sure most other craft beer drinkers as well.  Limited supply, encouraged brewer creativity, "adventurous soul," maybe never brewed again... what more do you want?!?  This description plus the distinction of New Glarus Brewery has me very excited to crack this brew open.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 8/12

There are some very good things happening in the aroma.  Initial inhales instantly imply apple.  Much like their other fruit-based brews, it is an authentic fruit smell, and not artificially sweet.  After the initial effervescence slows down, an extremely faint, biscuity malt shows through, and is then overcome again by the smell of apples.  The reprise of the apples is more cidery than the initial aroma, bearing both the sour and the spice characteristics of true apple cider.  One could definitely compare it to sparkling cider, but with more authenticity.  No are hops detectable.

Appearance 2/3

The pour creates a medium-sized, white head that collapses quickly.  The appearance of this ale seems to mix the clarity of apple juice (completely translucent) and the color of apple cider (dark rust).  A nice nod to its namesake and combines nice elements of both.  There was no lacing left on the glass.

Flavor 14/20

A tasty beer, but it is difficult to discern the 'ale' in this 'Apple Ale.'  The apples are certainly present.  Their sweetness is the first sensation and very pleasant.  It transitions quickly to the slightly spiced/bitter cidery flavor and stays there until the finish, which is fantastic.  It finishes with a buttery(!) note, but without completely losing the sweetness of the apple.  Very neat and very complimentary sensation!  However, any malt presence is beyond my palate to detect unless it is blended with the sweetness of the apple.  This beer states it has a brown ale base, but it is completely lost in the cidery/goodness.  As it stands, this beer is extremely flavorful, but not true to style.

Mouthfeel 3/5

Extremely light in body and "Woodchuck-esque" in its drinkability.  It is a very satiating brew.  Moderate carbonation throughout the pint allows the aromas to reappear again and again.  That is not always an easy ask after already having tasted the beer.

Overall Impression 6/10

This is tasty, but for the price (Unplugged series are typically sold in 4-packs around $8, at least at the brewery) I would rather try one of their other specialty beers.  This beer lacks the complexity of other fruit-based New Glarus offerings and is more of a cider than an ale.  Its clarity, good carbonation, fruit-dominated flavor, and nearly imperceptible malt all point to cider (yes, I am aware ciders do not employ malts in their brewing process).

Total  33/50

I am a little disappointed with this New Glarus offering, but perhaps only because they have set the bar so high for themselves with prior offerings.  This beer still tastes great, but it reminds me a little too much of Woodchuck's Fall Cider without all the punch-you-in-the-face amount of spices.  In fact, because I do not expect a lot from a Woodchuck I was extremely pleased with their Fall Cider and looked for it several times during the season.  This New Glarus bottle had all my expectations upon it and I was left wanting.

          The true apple taste allow this brew to be marketed as a fall (yum, apples!) or sumer seasonal (very satisfying on a hot day).  Overall, it lacks the complexity and nuance that I have come to associate with New Glarus.  To me, this tasted like a cider and I would challenge most others to try and discern the difference in appearance or taste.  Due to its diverging from the style, this beer has suffered some points.  In summary, I liked Woodchuck's seasonal and I like this.  I simply have come to expect more from the excellent brewers at New Glarus than this simple, not-to-style offering.

UPDATE:  Be sure to check out the "redemption bottle" that helped this brew, but not perfect it.