Usually I’m one of those beer snobs who spends $10 or so for a six-pack of beer. Honestly, it’s not the most prudent choice for a massively in-debt law student, but there’s no way I plan on skimping out on my beer. Occasionally though, I’ll see a deal that really piques my interest and leaves me no choice but to go for something cheaper.
So where am I going with this? My roommate and I were at Costco browsing the alcohol section, when we stumbled upon a variety pack of “Kirkland” beer. At $17.79 for a case of 24 beers, it seemed like a steal. A cursory glance at the box revealed that it was brewed by a “New York Brewing Company” located in Utica, N.Y. There is only one brewery in Utica—F.X. Matt’s—brewers of the well-known (but unavailable in Wisconsin) Saranac beer line. They make some decent stuff—certainly worth a paltry $4.45/six-pack. The variety pack came with a pale ale, IPA, amber and Belgian white. My sense of savings came over me and I simply had to try it out—especially at this price.
First up was the pale ale, a classic. Pouring a clear, amber color with a solid head, it looked like a typical beer. I figured this was a decent start. The tantalizing fragrance of hops, citrus and perhaps a hint of caramel filled the air. The taste was actually not half-bad, especially for a beer coming in at only around 75 cents for a bottle. Hoppy, fruity flavors up front with a bitter, toasted malt backbone? I’ll take it! In the world of beer snobs, we typically refer to this as a “session beer.” Session beers are usually well-balanced beers that can be drank pretty much whenever, and the drinker could easily down more than one. In this case, the pale ale definitely satisfied.
The Belgian White was a bit of a departure from the pale ale. Witbiers (a.k.a. Belgian Whites) are usually bright, cloudy and yellow, but this one poured a murky-orange color with not much head… It wasn’t exactly pleasing to the eye. It had a bizarre aroma of cotton candy, yeast and maybe a bit of honey—my roommate described it as identical to “elderberries.” I’ve never had an elderberry, but I’m fully aware there was a reference to them in Monty Python so I took this as a positive sign (hopefully). The taste was a bit similar to the smell—a lot of lemon, honey and wheaty-sweetness. Again, a pretty passable beer and one I’d happily have another of. The easiest comparison to make with this is to Blue Moon, and I certainly would go with the dirt-cheap Kirkland brand over the always-mediocre Coors product.
The amber had me a bit worried, mainly because it’s not a style I’m a fan of. The beer poured a clear, deep reddish-brown, and had a hint of head. The smell, though, was very, very malty. I’d even venture to call it “bready.” The taste wasn’t much different—of the three I had tried, this was the most disappointing. It was almost like drinking a biscuit with a touch of caramel—certainly not something you’d want in liquid form. My roommate enjoyed it, but this is definitely one I’d pass off to someone else—it simply wasn’t up my alley.
Like a typical hophead, I saved the IPA for last. It poured a clear copper color with a creamy, tan head and the scent of grapefruit, caramel and a very, very faint hint of hops. Unlike most IPAs, where I expect to be bitch-slapped by the hops, this was completely the opposite. This one started with a sweet, toasted caramel flavor, hit the citrusy bitterness of the grapefruit midway and had a nice, dry finish. The hops were there, but they weren’t prevalent. If I was rating this as an IPA, it wouldn’t do too well—but as a beer overall? I’d definitely recommend it.
So, there you have it–$18 at Costco will net you a case of pretty decent beers. And unlike that 30 rack of Bud or Miller you may be awkwardly carrying around, Kirkland didn’t skip out on the alcohol—the Amber, Belgian White and Pale Ale all weigh in at a respectable 5.7 percent ABV, while the IPA took it up a notch and registered at 6.5 percent. So, next time you have an urge to get drunk while being slightly classy or you just want to knock a few back without decimating your wallet, go to Costco and pick up a case of Kirkland beer. You won’t be disappointed.
In need of a “brown out” to take a load off after the first week of classes, but your piggy bank’s weighing in a lil’ light? Hit Dylan up at dskatz2@wisc.edu and indulge in Kirkland’s delectable 24 case before the semester really kicks you in the ass.
