Beer of the Week

The beer: Gojaira

The brewery: Japas Cervejaria, Louisville, Kentucky and São Paulo, Brazil

Description (from the can): "Meet our monster Gojaira: she is so angry that she won a Dank IPA to make her stop blowing off steam. Distracted people may confuse its aroma with that of a much-debated herb. This aroma is called 'dank,' a combination of resinous, herbal, citrus, and tropical fruit aromas of certain hops. Yes, it's just hops, there's nothing illegal here! Strata, Columbus, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic mix with a smooth malt base for this delicious trip."

Would I buy it again? I hate doing this because I absolutely love the can (that's why I bought this beer), but oh boy, is this beer bad. The initial taste is okay, but the aftertaste is acrid and bitter. If you've ever had Malört (unfortunately, I have), the aftertaste is extremely similar. It tastes like a sweaty sock smells. It might actually be a top five worst beer. I'll keep the can, but never in my life will I buy this beer again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Pumpkin Barrel Ale

The brewery: Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, Lexington, Kentucky

Description (from the website): "A barrel-aged ale brewed with Kentucky-sourced pumpkin, richly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. This robust, limited-release seasonal brew makes for a flavorful sipping beer to slowly warm up with as the weather cools."

Would I buy it again? I'm a little disappointed in this one. It's got some pumpkin and cinnamon to it, but it's a little hoppier and more bitter than I expected. Not to an extreme amount and it's certainly still drinkable, but when there are so many good pumpkin beers out there, why waste your time on something that isn't amazing? I'd pass on this in the future.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale

Brewed by: Lexington Brewing Company, Lexington, Kentucky

Description (from the website): "A perfect blend of vanilla and bourbon notes make this cream ale irresistible. Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale is our take on a classic American style of beer. We took a cold-conditioned cream ale, brewed with a hint of flaked corn and bourbon vanilla beans, and aged it in freshly decanted bourbon barrels for at least six weeks. Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale's medium body and 5.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) make it the perfect barrel-aged beer for an all-day event."

Would I buy it again?: I don't think so. I like vanilla, but this beer REALLY tastes like vanilla. It's basically like opening up a bottle of vanilla extract and chugging that. It's just a bit excessive.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Blackberry Barrel Porter

Brewed by: Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, Lexington, Kentucky

Description (from the website): "This bold and dark beer has a nose of fresh blackberries, and features notes of roasted malt, chocolate and vanilla on the palate.  Finishing with the flavor of blackberry jam reminds you that spring has almost arrived."

Would I buy it again?: This is the first time I've ever had a beer with blackberries in it, and I was kind of excited to try this based on the description. I like blackberry jam (is there a difference between jam and jelly? Well, whatever.) And you know what? It absolutely tastes like I'm drinking blackberry jam. But we run into yet another case where it tastes a bit too much like the flavor and not enough like a beer. I'm actually kind of tempted to buy a peanut butter–flavored beer, mix the two together, and make an alcoholic PB&J. If I do that, I'll definitely post the results. I could be onto something here. Otherwise, I'll probably give this beer a pass in the future. It was okay, but I didn't love it.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Strawberry Ale

Brewed by: Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, Lexington, Kentucky

Description (from the Lexington Brewing Twitter): "Aged in fresh bourbon barrels, and brewed with real strawberry juice, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Strawberry Ale is a perfect blend of fresh fruit and bourbon notes. This is the perfect summer sipper."

Would I buy it again?: You know, I wasn't too thrilled with it after the first sip, but this beer grew on me as I went along. The strawberry grew on me. I'm not sure I'd go out of my way for it, but I wouldn't say no.

Beer of the Week

Oh my goodness, is this a new type of post? Good heavens. I had this idea suggested to me, and after a while, I decided that it was a good idea. So let's give this a try. This isn't a review, per se, I can't tell you all the fancy little details that a real beer reviewer would give you, just more of a "hey, look at this cool beer I drank recently!"

The beer: Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale

Brewed by: Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company

Description (from the website): "Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale is our take on a classic American style of beer. We took a cold-conditioned cream ale, brewed with a hint of flaked corn and bourbon vanilla beans, and aged it in freshly decanted bourbon barrels for a minimum of six weeks. Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale's medium body and 5.5% ABV make it the perfect barrel-aged beer for an all day event."

Would I buy it again?: Yes

Okay I couldn't resist a little bit of review.