Day 18 of the 5th Annual Advent-ure Calendar

Day 18: Collision Bend Brewery 8 Crazy Nights

Collision Bend is one of our favorite summertime breweries because they have the best patio overlooking the water. We normally don’t think of winter beers when we think of this brewery, but their summer fare is exceptional so we’re game! From the brewery: “Bold and spicy with a touch of cinnamon and honey. Steeped with Ohio-grown apples. An ale crafted to warm your heart and help you survive our blustery Lake Erie winters. This holiday season, enjoy a craft beer designed to celebrate all things Cleveland.”

Reflections

Beard & Broad
Beard: I like the things in this beer but I don’t like the end result. Something just doesn’t work. The style? The malts? The hops? I dunno. It almost tastes like a scotch ale, but not a good one. It confuses my mouth. Some tweaking and this beer could be really awesome cause the ingredients are unique, but dammit if it’s not frustrating that I don’t like this beer from a really good brewery.

Broad: I really love how this one smells. It smells light, a little spicy and like apples. I don’t remember my thoughts last year on this one, but this year I do like it but I don’t love it. It’s more bold than the smell. I taste cinnamon and the honey and also a hint of apples. I actually wish it had more of an apple taste. I love the actual brewery, they have one of the best patios. But I normally don’t love their beers (with the exception of the Kölsch which is one of the top beers in Cleveland). I would drink this again, though.

Adam & Alex
Adam: I wish I loved this beer. Being half jewish, it gives me no pleasure that a beer fashioned out of traditional Chanukah treats is nothing like said treats. I would love a latke and actual apples and honey…alas this beer is just cinnamon.

Alex: I feel like I had the same reaction to Collision Bend Eight Crazy Nights last year.  Great can, but I don’t love the beer. I think it’s too bitter for my taste, and I can’t really distinguish anything from it. Not super helpful, but that’s all I have for this one.

Scott & Christa
Scott: The Collision Bend Brewing Company 8 Crazy Nights is a returning beer from last year. As I mentioned last year, the can is awesome and sets that nighttime winter feeling. Taste-wise it’s a darker, spicier offering which mirrors the label. This isn’t at the top of my list, but it’s a very good local beer with its own unique character.

Christa: I love Collision Bend, highly recommend a visit if you are ever up this way. This beer isn’t for me. Full disclosure, I was drinking this while eating a berry cobbler Blizzard and consulted Beard to see if it would affect my palate. He let me know it could. So I waited a bit and returned to my beer and while I got more of the promised spice, it didn’t change my opinion too much. A “meh” beer, if you will. One crazy night, not eight.

Tony & Megan
Tony: This one is ok. Darker in color, you get some cinnamon and then some sweetness from the honey. I’m not sure exactly what the steeping in apples does to the flavor but I imagine it might add a little bit of sweetness as well as balancing everything out. It’s got pretty good flavor. Middle of the pack.

Megan:  This one is really interesting. You can smell the honey when you pour so you would think it’s sweet but it’s on the hoppier side. Then when you drink, you the get apple. Just when I thought I understood it, bam another surprise. I like it, it’s fun but might not be my first go to. I would actually see this as more of a fall brew because of the apples but I liked it.

Brad & Heather
Brad: I was a little concerned it had apples as a primary ingredient but I really enjoyed the beer. 8% holiday beer with subtle holiday flavorings. Can’t go wrong there and I love Collision Bend in general. I also really like the can design.

Heather: First drink: blech. Second drink: eh. Third drink: okay, this isn’t bad. Again, it’s a style I don’t typically like, but I can get used to it. About halfway through, the apple taste started to come through a bit stronger for me and I liked that. Not overwhelming like a cider; just a hint of apple. I wouldn’t buy this one, but I’d drink it if someone gave it to me.