Website: coopersmithspub.com
Cost: Samplers come in 4, 5 or 6 5 oz servings for $7, $8 and $9, respectively. I chose the 5. (Actually, to be honest, I chose the 6, but one beer I wanted wasn't available.)
The Story:
After what I considered a fairly poor showing at Equinox, we headed over to Coopersmith's pub and brewing. The first decision to be made when entering Coopersmith's is Pub Side or Pool Side. The brewery provides beer to both, but the food choices and, actually, the beer choices are different depending on where you sit. Personally, I like the atmosphere and food on the Pub Side much better, but Pool Side generally has a wider selection of beers. On this particular night, we chose to sit Pub Side so we could chow on some grub as we sampled. I got the "Works" pub chips. They were good, but I was too busy drinking to finish them (side review, 7/10).
If you're into getting growlers filled, Coopersmith's has a free growler punch card that our waitress informed me of. If you fill 9 growlers, you get one free fill. That's right, friends, FREE BEER!
The beers:
1. Blonde Bombshell Ale (5.7% ABV)
I liked the light sweetness of this blonde, but it was a little hoppy. That hoppiness mellowed out after a couple of drinks, and I settled into enjoying it. It might make a decent summer beer, but I didn't drink it in the summer. I was also hoping for something to wash the taste of hops out of my mouth from the Equinox IPA, so I may have reacted poorly to having this as my first beer. However, I felt like this one was akin to a light IPA. If you like a little hoppiness to your blonde, you may dig this. Me, I wasn't sold.
Rating: 6/10
2. Horsetooth Stout (6.2% ABV)
I really liked this stout. I mean, I really, really liked this stout. It's nutty with a dark, warm complexity that a good stout should have. It has solid, coffee-like support that fills the mouth without bitterness. It's a solid beer that goes down smooth on a winter's night. I can't think of anything more that I would want in a stout, and I've been a Guiness man for a long, long time.
Rating: 10/10
3. Poor Richard's Ale (7.0% ABV)
Sadly, I did not have the proper descriptor for this beer. You'll have to wait for Caleb's review to see the perfect statement for this beer. For now, I can tell you that I expected this beer to be apple cinnamon oatmeal in a cup, but that expectation was off. In short, this ale was like eating an entire bag of apples and then drinking a bottle of champagne. I starts with the tart sweetness that is EXACTLY like an apple. However, it then fades to a light sweetness that just sort of fizzles away. It's a very strong start without a complimentary finish.
Rating: 7/10
4. Punjabi Pale Ale (6.8% ABV)
This beer was hoppy as a rabbit on a trampoline. Just when I thought I was out of the hops, they pull me back in. I found it overly hopped and more bitter than a Pale Ale should be. Looking at the Coopersmith's website, I see they bill it there as an IPA. Like most IPAs these days, though, it's just a crappy, overly hopped ale without any sense of balance or pride.
Rating: 2/10
5. Not Brown Ale (5.0% ABV)
This has consistently been one of my favorite beers since I turned 21, and it makes me wish Coopersmith's bottled. Despite the name, this is a perfect brown ale; rich, solid and lighter in flavor. It's nearly as solid as the stout in its earthy support flavors, but the nuttiness of this ale is much lighter and, overall, it's more drinkable. I walked out with a growler of this one and wished I could enjoy it more often.
Rating 10/10
6. (Bonus Review!) Belgian style Kriek Ale
I didn't have the Kriek this night, and I never, ever will again. But, I feel it is my duty as a beer investigator to inform the public that this beer tastes exactly like chicken wings. I don't know how or, for God's sake, why they would do this, but Coopersmith's has made a beer that tastes like chicken wings. Also, you're not allowed to have a sampler of this beer, you MUST buy a full glass of, and I cannot stress this enough, A BEER THAT TASTES LIKE CHICKEN WINGS!
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