Our featured beer this week is from Colorado’s Crazy Mountain Brewery. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Extra Special Bitter:
When our brewmaster was first learning to brew beer, he mentioned to his instructor that he hoped his batch would turn out close to the way it was supposed to taste. The instructor told him, "Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades." Our American ESB showcases a complex maltiness and unique hop character. Chinook and Amarillo hops coupled with 5 different types of malt make this beer one-of-a-kind. Enjoy this ale when close just won’t cut it.
22oz brown bottle sells for $4.99. Well-designed label with a light brown background and couple of characters chucking shoes and grenades who would look like they stepped out of a Seventies agit/prop piece.
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 6.0%
COLOR (0-2): Amber brown and clear. 2
AROMA (0-2): Sweet herbal smell. 2
HEAD (0-2): Off-white color. Slight volume which faded quickly. Decent lacing. 1
TASTE (0-5): Malty backbone with sweet caramel and nutty flavors and not much to speak of on the hoppy side. Light carbon, thin mouthfeel, and a medium body. Pretty drinkable. 3
AFTERTASTE (0-2): Good follow through. 2
OVERALL (0-6): A decent beer that didn’t live up to expectations. The flavors are fine, but there seems like there’s something missing that holds the beer back from being more than average. 3
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 13
