One New York Life

Blue Point Winter

Brewed By: Blue Point Brewing
Brewed In: Patchogue, NY
ABV: 5.5%
Type: Amber Ale
Awards:

• Gold Medal: Australian International Beer Awards

What they say: Blue Point Brewing’s Winter Ale is a hearty and robust amber ale. Brewed to chase away the chill of a cool winter night. Made with Pale, Vienna, crystal and chocolate malt. This uncommon amber is only brewed during the cold months of the year. Winter Ale is an extremely popular seasonal specialty. Enjoy the tasty balance of malt and hops. Remember this special ale leaves with Winter.

Website: Still the same webpage that I’ve been complaining about for a year now — but now with embedded porno music! On the word that a friend of a friend got a job as the IT department at Harpoon, maybe I should be more proactive. On the other hand, I have to complement them on the easy availability of promotional shots of their product because it prevents me from having to take them.

Why I picked it: Blue Point I haven’t had. I figured if I was getting back in to this after a month or so away, I should start in some comfortable territory.

–

Presentation (5): The presentation in their press image is not the same as the actual 2009 packaging. This year’s design is a more psychedelic blue mosaic design. Of course, since Blue Point’s website is so bad (and makes it impossible to find news), I had to go to the Homestead site on the packaging to find out that the current printing was designed by Long Island artist Danielle DePalma and selected by Blue Point for their 2009 packaging. Because, you know, awesome community relations stuff should be hard to find on your company’s website. Congratulations to Danielle. 4

Originality (5): This falls under the “every craft brewhouse has to have one of these” rule. So, while they don’t get extra points for having a red-colored ale that is sold between November and January, they don’t get penalized for trying to keep up with the Adams’s. 3

Body (10): A see-through red with a healthy head on the pour and a healthy amount of lacing. One would not accuse this beer of being overcarbonated in any way, but it does have just enough to make the flavors play nicely with each other. A much thinner consistency then the standard bearer of this type (Sam’s) but that seems to be a Blue Point thing. Most of Blue Point’s offering seem to go for a less heavy vibe. 6

Taste (10): There was a strong, very noticeable flavor in this beer that I couldn’t quite place. After reading the label, I realized it was chocolate malts. Then I realized it was an overwhelmingly commanding flavor. The Sam version of this beer is a complex mix of cinnamon, ginger, citrus, and nonsense. This doesn’t have many different characteristics. This is a very rare miss from Blue Point in the taste category as the Sam (and Harpoon) versions of the same blow it out of the water. 5

Efficiency (10): The low-ish ABV is made up for by the lightness of this ale. It is incredibly easy to drink, refreshing, light, and wonderful. Unfortunately, the total ABV is just a little too low for a six-pack that I’m spending $12 (Manhattan) on. 7

Versatility (10): This is an extremely drinkable Winter offering; less heavy than Sam’s and less deathly than Brooklyn’s. Really, for entertaining, its relatively low ABV makes it a winner for guests who may have to leave and the distinct, easily identifiable flavor would likely fit the taste of most everyone who doesn’t opt for the wine at your holiday party. You really don’t want to only offer Coors Light to your guests, do you?7

The Snob Sez: If the above reads as a strong criticism to this beer, don’t take it wrong. It’s a delicious beer on its own merits and something I actually enjoyed drinking. The problem is that Blue Point’s in a market with a champion (Sam Adams Winter Lager), a strong runner-up (Harpoon Winter Warmer), and even a strong second runner-up (Great Divide’s Hibernation). Besides that, with the other winter seasonals like the amazing Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Blue Point’s in a crowded marketplace in the “get drunk because the family’s around” season. It’s a perfectly acceptable beer — tasty even — but if Blue Point wanted to bring it into a crowded seasonal market full of heavy hitters, they need to bring it harder than this.

Final Score: 32 (of 50) – Good beer

Blue Point Blueberry Ale

Brewed By: Blue Point Brewing Company
Brewed IN: Patchogue, NY
ABV: 4.3%
Type: Fruit Ale

What They Say: Blue Point fresh Blueberry Ale offers an unusual twist on brewing that turns out to be just perfect. A wonderful blend of fresh blueberries matched with a thirst quenching distinctive ale. We carefully add 132 lbs of blueberries to each special batch. Brewed with 100% American ingredients. Enjoy a truly unique flavorful brew!

Website: It’s been discussed in my other Blue Point reviews. I still hate it and still want the job.

Why I Picked It: I think this might have been the first Blue Point I ever tried. And thus a love affair was born. This remains my counter-argument to the “don’t fruit the beer” rule. Because, you know, taking your beer consumption advice from Miller Lite is something to which we all should aspire.

–

Presentation (5): The label is designed to look like a crate of blueberries stamped with the name of the beer and overflowing with blueberries. For whatever reason, I really like the look of the wet, juicy blueberries and it does look refreshing. 4

Originality (5): I’m reasonably certain this was the first blueberry ale I tried. I’m also reasonably certain this was the first fruit beer I liked. Previously, it was cherry lambics and peach nonsense that didn’t work out. I don’t know if Blue Point started the blueberry thing, but I’ll give it points for being pretty early on. 4

Body (10): This is an extremely carbonated ale with a light body, thin head, and constant strong carbonation. On draft, some bars will put blueberries in this beer and the carbonation will actually push the berries to the top and then they fall back to the bottom to get pushed back up again. In general, a great refreshing body for an ale. 10

Taste (10): Sometimes breweries insist certain flavors are in their beers and they just hang out in the background or are completely indiscernible. This is the opposite of that. This tastes like blueberry pie. Like liquid blueberry pie. It’s the only taste from the initial sip to the aftertaste to the proceeding belch. All blueberry. The only issue I have with it is that the blueberry taste becomes a little syrupy after a few. 7

Efficiency (10): While I do love this beer, the almost-nil alcohol content and the blueberry-pie flavor doesn’t combine in to efficiency. Don’t get me wrong — I absolutely love the beer’s flavor. But I only really like it for three bottles at the most. I also love blueberry pie, but I wouldn’t want to eat a whole one in one sitting. 6

Versatility (10): Unfortunately, not very. It’s tremendously refreshing but it has a flavor that doesn’t pair well. It’s a great draught to have at a bar. It’s also a great summer beer to drink on the porch or drink watching a ballgame. That’s pretty much the extent. I love it but I’m not going to drink it with a steak. 6

Final Score: 36 (of 50) – Really good beer. Turns out — probably not in the top ten, though.

Blue Point Spring Fling Ale

Brewed By: Blue Point Long Island Brewery
Brewed In: Patchogue, NY
ABV: Unlisted on the bottle. Beer Advocate says 6.0%
Type: American Pale Ale

What they say: Nothing, so far as I can tell. There’s no blurb on the bottle, the sixpack, or the website.

Website: I still really hate the Blue Point website. As has been previously mentioned, I really hate flash app web sites because they’re painful to update and their search engine hits suck. Here we have a new (I think) offering in Spring Fling and there is no trace of it on their website or in Google. Seriously… guys… I’m available. You don’t have to be stuck with a bad decision. We can make this work.

Why I picked it: For every level of whore I am for Sam Adams, I have two whore levels for Blue Point. I didn’t recognize this beer so I grabbed it immediately. Besides that it’s a “Copper” ale. Everything named Copper, for whatever reason, is good.

–

Presentation (5): This is a little more hippie and less Long Island than most of their bottles. The buoy logo is included, of course, but the label design is an open, unspoiled plain. Some happy hummingbirds are feeding on hops, which I’m pretty sure is biologically inaccurate. I could also question the presence of open fields on Long Island. But then, I didn’t question the accuracy of Long Island-based quaint German towns on the Oktoberfest label. 3

Originality (5): While I’m happy Blue Point has a spring offering now, I wouldn’t say that this one differs much from Copper Hook or any other spring copper offering on the market. That said, there are certain types every craft brewery should probably offer to get their stamp on that particular market. While I may not find it any different than Copper Hook or Otter Creek’s Copper Ale — I’ll probably grab this one first because, as mentioned, I’m a Blue Point whore. 3

Body (10): As an American Pale, this beer’s job isn’t to be hearty or thick. It’s to be refreshing and light. The coppery color and thin head don’t try to hide a fizzy mouthfeel and a light drinking experience. Ultimately, it is rather thin and isn’t the most standout offering I’ve ever had, but it’s perfectly serviceable and nothing I’d turn down. 7

Taste (10): I don’t know what it is about beers with “copper” in the name that makes me automatically love them, but I do. This beer has a light, slightly citrusy odor from the hops that I absolutely love. The citrus, combined with gentle malt and gentle hop flavors makes this an extremely refreshing spring ale that both quenches thirst and leaves you wanting more. I have heard rumors of this being available ON CASK in Albany’s version of The Beer Snob Bar, Mahar’s (which, really, is a blog post all its own. The worst website in all the world coupled with their masterful use of the Eric Cartman “you shouldn’t come here” marketing strategy) but the aforementioned worst website in all the land makes no mention of it. I digress, but this beer is just tremendously refreshing, delicious, and a perfect spring beer. 10

Efficiency (10): I have to call shenanigans on the ABV until I see it from an official source. This beer’s flavor and body offer no indication of that kind of strength. If the ABV is correct, it’s one of the sneakiest stronger beers on the market. Besides the point, I’m pretty sure I’d feel something after a pair of 6% beers and I got almost nothing off of these. I’m calling it lower with the the right to revisit this rating if Blue Point ever updates their site to include this beer. 5

Versatility (10): Spring beers always strike me as the most versatile in the craft market. They generally have reasonable ABVs and they’re tasty and refreshing. I wouldn’t pair them with a meal, but they’re great hanging-out beers, great ballgame beers, and great bar beers. They’re the Craig Counsel of craft brewing. 10

Final Grade: 38 (of 50) – Great beer.

Toasted Lager
Brewed By: Blue Point Brewing
Brewed In: Patchogue, NY (Long Island)
ABV: 5.3%
Awards: 2006 World Beer Cup – American-Style Amber Lager

What They Say: Blue Point Brewing’s award-winning Toasted Lager is our flagship product. Copper in color this brew is made from six different malts including: English Pale, Crystal, Munich, Carapils, Wheat and Belgian Caravienna. Toasted Lager displays a balanced flavor of malt and hop which makes for easy drinking. Special lager yeast is used to produce that long lasting, smooth finish. The “toasted” part of the name refers to our direct-fire brew kettle’s hot flames that impart a toasted flavor to our most popular microbrew.

Website: As mentioned here, it’s pretty awful. With the added bonus now of having their entire index page being a huge billboard talking about a festival you can’t go to with a little tiny link going to their actual website.

Why I Picked It: I don’t remember, exactly. I believe a friend of mine recommended it at a happy hour and I tried it. It was quite some time ago now.

—

Presentation (5): One good thing about the Blue Point website, I can just give you full-on picture of their presentation. I’ll admit to being a whore for the Blue Point “shield” logo with the lighthouse in the background. You can’t really see it in the picture, but the lighthouse is also on the cap. They lose a point for the very simple label design on the bottle because, well, I have to be fair. It’s not as cool or fun as the Oktoberfest logo.4

Originality (5): American ales are pretty simple. They generally get undeserved negativity because the current crop of beer snobs like complex things that taste like anything else other than beer. Blue Point gets around this by adding a bunch of extra malts and toasting them to make a beer that seems more complex than it is. Full points for that.5

Taste (10): The twist on this basic American amber is that the malts are kettle-toasted. The difference is noticeable. The toasting gives the basic American amber a richer, heartier flavor that’s balanced with whatever they use for sweetness. Just that touch of sweetness keeps this beer from being too bitter. It also throws a whole new twist on American ale and really makes Blue Point’s unique. 10

Body (10): It pours a dark amber with a small white head. The beer is tremendously smooth with a mild finish. The carbonation is perfect for the flavor — heavy enough to fit the American ale style but no so much that it blows away the complexity of the extra malts. It just has a healthy look and feel that I haven’t seen duplicated in any other American ale anywhere. It’s perfect for the style and the flavors. 10

Efficiency (10): I’m hamstrung by my own rules here. I’d like to give this beer full points for efficiency. Toasted Lager is Blue Point’s standard offering, so it’s priced on the entry level of microbrews. Combined with a 5.3 ABV, it’s a great balance of price and ABV. It’s also stronger than your standard American and has a great flavor that isn’t heavy enough to fill you up. To borrow a popular term, it just has a great drinkability with a relatively high ABV. But, since it’s not an Ice beer and 5.5 or better, I can’t do it. I can however, introduce fractions. 9.5

Versatility (10): It’s a good bar beer because three drafts would make you quite happy over a three hour period and a good home beer because six would be enough to enjoy. It’s good in almost any situation. However, the flavor and body are heavy enough that six would absolutely be enough in any situation, though, thus hurting its versatility. 8

Final Grade: 46.5 (of 50) – Awesome beer.

Oktoberfest
Brewed By: Blue Point Brewing Company
Brewed In: Patchogue, NY (Long Island)
Type: Oktoberfest
ABV: 5.0%

What They Say: Blue Point Octoberfest [sp] is another palate-pleasing seasonal brew. Originally brewed in 1810 to celebrate the betrothal of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, Blue Point continues the celebration by traditionally brewing this special malty amber lager every October. Octoberfest lager is stored cold for 2 months to ensure its distinct smooth flavor. Tap a pint and celebrate the season!

Website: Awful. First of all, their index page (the page you get to when you go to just a domain name with no file name at the end) is nothing but a logo and automatically tries to open a pop-up window that 9/10ths of the Internet world blocks. The logo is a link which, itself, tries to open the pop-up again. To even view the website, I need to disable my pop-up blocker. The pop-up is a flash application that automatically plays music and makes cutesy sounds depending on what you want to look at. When trying to find information on the beers, one has to click on “Microbrews” followed by “Beer Information” which opens a THIRD pop-up to give you a list of the company’s beers. Terrible, annoying design. Also, as they have added new beers, the Oktoberfest isn’t part of the “Tasting Room” section — which means they likely paid a one-time design fee that added all their beers at the time it was designed. Now that they have added new beers, they haven’t been able to have the flash application updated to include the new beers, so they added this terrible list with no formatting on the “Beer Information”. Note to future brewers: do not let a web tool convince you to create a flash application. They’re impossible to update. I offer my humble design services to Blue Point should they read this. I’m even local in Manhattan.

Why I Picked It: Blue Point could offer a Juice From An Anchovy Can Ale and I’d at least give it a shot. Two of my top ten favorite beers at the moment are Blue Point offerings; their Blueberry Ale and their Toasted Lager. Besides the point, they get bonus points because you can go to their tasting room and drink their beers until you feel like leaving… for free! Believe it or not, I haven’t been there yet.

—

Presentation (5): Blue Point doesn’t go as crazy as Magic Hat with their funky bottles and designs, but they do tend to go with a lot of color with their labels and all their offerings have their own design. The Oktoberfest label is a painting of sun setting behind mountains and a typical German town with German Calligraphy script spelling out Oktoberfest. I like it. 5.

Originality (5): Not many points here. It’s an Oktoberfest. It’s no different than any other Oktoberfest but it gets the standard “stuff that isn’t Budweiser” mark. 3

Body (10): A perfect amount of carbonation and an excellent thickness makes this beer around the perfect type of body for me. It doesn’t linger around your mouth after you swallow it but it’s just thick enough to know you’re drinking something. Perfect. 10

Taste (10): I don’t know what a true German-brewed Oktoberfest is supposed to taste like but I do know that this beer tastes like a perfected version of both Sam Adams’s and Harpoon’s Oktoberfests. It has the malty flavor combined with carbonation when it’s in your mouth and hangs out on the back of your tongue just long enough. If you remove the lingering taste and dry tongue of Sam’s Oktoberfest, and lighten the flavors so the malts don’t mash you over the head, you have this. 10

Efficiency (10): The 5% ABV is standard, but the excellent taste and body allows you to drink at a rapid pace. I drank the remaining three in five NLCS innings (important, as NL games get over in 2.5 hours instead of 15) and felt a decent buzz. The whole sixpack would have been enough for a night at $8.99. A case would be phenomenal, but those of us without cars can rarely make use of them.10

Versatility (10): This beer is good for everything but rapid consumption. It would be good for sitting around playing poker… not so good for a game of A**hole. The $8.99/six in NYC price makes it an excellent sixer to take somewhere with you. However, it’s nothing you’re going to pound. The 5% ABV also allows you to drink a few and still have your wits about you.8

Final Grade: 46 (of 50) – awesome beer.