The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club is a subscription from monthlyclubs.com that includes 12-12oz. craft beers from two different U.S. microbreweries. Monthlyclubs.com also offers The International Wine, The Premium Cigar, The Gourmet Cheese, The Gourmet Chocolate, and The Fresh Cut Flowers monthly clubs.
Within The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, subscribers can also choose between 5 options: The U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club, The U.S. and International Variety Beer Club, The Hops-Head Beer Club, The International Beer Club, and the Rare Beer Club.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of The U.S. Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, $27.95 a month, box.
About The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club
The Subscription Box: The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club
The Cost: $27.95 a month + $15 shipping and handling
ACTIVE DEAL: $10 off a 4 shipment order
CODE: SAVE10
The Products: Twelve 12 oz. hand-crafted beers (3 of each) from "two different lightly distributed U.S. microbreweries."
Ships to: U.S. only, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah
Good to know: Not only can you choose from one of the six monthlyclubs.com memberships, you can also “Design Your Own Club” by combining any or all clubs into one. This is a great idea for December holidays and birthday gifts, Mother’s and/or Father’s Day.
The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club December 2017 Review
A detailed newsletter is included each month where you can read about the two featured breweries and the beer that you will find in your box. I love reading the stories behind each brewery and learning more about how they make each beer. The featured breweries for December are Calicraft Brewing Company and Adirondack Brewery. Now for the beers!
Calicraft Brewing Company Oaktown
Our first beer comes from Calicraft Brewing out of Walnut Creek, California. The brewery is only 5 years old, but the founder Blaine was dreaming up unique brews since he was 19 years old out of his UC Berkley dorm room. Calicraft uses California sourced ingredients and continues to push the boundaries of your typical brewing styles.
Oaktown, an oaked American brown ale, is our first beer with 6.71% alcohol and 71 IBUs. This beer is big, bold, and unlike many brown ales, I have tried. I was hit instantly with a strong smokey flavor that had a toast and coffee scent to it. There was also a light sweetness that breaks through the smokey oak notes. It is a very malty beer and somewhat on the thick side. I could see this being a great winter beer to drink by the fire while eating a big steak.
Calicraft Brewing Company Coast
Our next Calicraft brew is Coast which is a Kolsch style coming in at 4.8% alcohol and 15 IBUs. Kolsch is a German-style brew that is made with top-fermenting ale yeast and then cold conditioned like a lager. The monthly booklet notes that this is "a deliciously simple, balanced, dry beer that quenches the thirst." I would 100% agree with that! With each sip I was whisked away to the beach, sipping on my Coast brew, eating a fish taco. All good beers put you in a certain place and time right just by one sip? I was surprised to read that this is a German-style brew because it was much more bitter than a typical German beer, yet it is so light and smooth. It really does quench your thirst and is something you could easily sip on all day!
Adirondack Brewery Iroquois Pale Ale
Our second brewery is Adirondack Brewery located in Lake George, NY where they often purchase ingredients from local producers and donate their spent grain to local farms every day. The brewery opened its doors in 1999 in Lake George Village, but the beers were brewed by owner John Carr about 10 years earlier. John traveled through Europe where he quickly fell in love with the local beers but was unable to find good European brews after returning home from his travels. He took up home brewing to recreate some of the delicious beers he tasted throughout his time in Europe.
The first beer from Adirondack Brewery is the Iroquois Pale Ale, an American IPA with 7% alcohol and 70 IBUs. This was my favorite brew of the month with its big hops and a lovely bitterness. This beer tasted like early fall to me with a lovely pine flavor mixed with a hint of citrus. A really smooth and flavorful beer!
Our final beer for the month is Bear Naked, an American amber ale with 5.2% alcohol and 30 IBUs. This brew is extra bold with a sweet caramel note and a bitter finish. There is a lovely hint of spice that almost tastes like apples, another great fall beer. The bitterness was unique since it wasn't too hoppy and pairs so well with the overall malt sweetness. A really delicious brew to end on!
Now that we are done tasting, here is a view of all the beers to see the difference in each! From left to right: Coast, Iroquois Pale Ale, Bear Naked, Oaktown.
Verdict: This Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club really brought some unique flavors! Both breweries seem to be focused on creating beers unlike any others, and that really showed in the four selections. I also loved reading how both breweries support local producers to help build their bold beers. The really great thing about Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club is the overall curation, both breweries provided two very different beers that really challenged my taste buds. An all-around lovely box this month!
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? As of publication, you will start receiving the January Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club box.
Coupon - Use code SAVE10 to save $10 off any prepaid 4 shipment order, code SAVE15 to save $15 off any prepaid 6 shipment order or code SAVE25 to save $25 off any prepaid 12 shipment order!
Value Breakdown: This box costs $42.95 a month including the shipping cost. I received a total of 12 beers which is a value of $3.57 per bottle of beer, much less than you would pay for these beers if you ordered them at a pub. Since these are specialty beers, you really are receiving a great curation and overall value each month of beers that you might not normally be able to find in your area.
Check out all of our The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club reviews and the Beer of the Month Club Subscription Box Directory!
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What was your favorite brew from this month's The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club?
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