Insight Crazy Aunt Review

Name: Insight Crazy Aunt
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
ABV: 6%
IBUs: N/A

One of the other trends I’ve seen pop-up in my absence is the rise of “cocktail” beers, which are beers meant to taste like mixed drinks, with Gin & Tonic and Moscow Mules being the most common of the bunch. I mean, I’m all for exploring uncharted territory in craft beer and all but I’m not really quite sure if I’m 100%  onboard with the idea of cocktail beers because if I want a mixed drink, I’ll make a mixed drink.

In any case, we have Crazy Aunt from Insight Brewing, which is a Gin & Tonic-inspired beer made with juniper berries & coriander. There is a companion beer to this called Rowdy Uncle, which is a Moscow Mule-inspired beer but I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. For the time being, this will have to do.

Appearance – Fairly clear pale yellow color with a moderate amount of visible carbonation rising up from the bottom of the glass. The head itself is thin & somewhat foamy but the lacing is plentiful.

Aroma - I'm getting some pale malts, along with some of juniper and coriander notes and a light floral hoppiness....at least that's what it smells like.

Taste - Strong boozy gin flavor upfront that lingers throughout the palate. In the middle, you get some of that juniper sweetness and coriander along with some light floral hops. Also, much like a traditional Gin & Tonic, the aftertaste is reminiscent of a dry gin finish

If there's one thing this beer does perfectly, it's emulate the actual flavor of a gin & tonic. If that is what the aim was with this beer, then Insight nailed it. If your looking for something different, this will do nicely.

Insight Sunken City Review

Name: Insight Sunken City
Style: Saison
ABV: 7.8%
IBUs: N/A

Since I will not be doing the remainder of my Sam Adams Winter Seasonal pack due to it's abundance of empty bottles, I figured why not do some local beers? Recently Insight Brewing started releasing their beers in tallboy cans after being on draft for what seemed like forever. I've been sitting on a couple cans for the past week so I figured I might as well crack 'em open.

The first one is their Sunken City, a Saison that is brewed with Sauvignon Blanc white grapes. I'll admit it's an original, if not, unusual twist to what is otherwise a fairly traditional style.

Appearance - Mildly hazy bright yellow color with a moderate amount of visible carbonation. The head is surprisingly fizzy with only a semi-filmy retention and there isn't anything in terms of lacing.

Aroma - Belgian yeasts and light cloves upfront, followed by some Sauv Blanc white grape notes and pale malts. I'm also getting a very light boozy scent in here as well, along with a light floral hoppiness.

Taste - Once again, the Belgian yeasts are front and center with some stronger-than-the-nose clove notes. The middle of the palate is where those white grape notes shine through without being too wine-y along with some pale maltiness, which shows up in the back. As for the aftertaste, I'm getting some bitter notes and light floral hops.

I have to say that this is really good. I was a little off put by the nose at first because it reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc mixed with beer, but after drinking it, I have to say that using the Sauv Blanc grapes actually works in delivering an extra dimension to the flavor. If you see this, check it out!

Insight Sunken City - 8.5/10