BEERASOTA: KBBA and Sam Smith Organic Lager

This week in Beerasota, I stopped by Mr. Beery's to try two beers: the Lexington Kentucky Bourbon Ale and the Sam Smith Organic Lager.

THE BAR:

Mr. Beery's is located in Gulf Gate neighborhood at 2645 Mall Drive. The area features several pubs, restaurants and other niche stores.

Upon arrival, director of hop-erations, Scooter Maloney, greeted me. At 5:30 p.m., the bar already had more than a few patrons, many of whom Maloney knew and I got to meet. I recognized a few patrons whom I had seen working behind the bar in prior visits.

Mr. Beery's motto, "No Crap On Tap!" tells you everything you need to know about its business philosophy. These guys are serious beer experts. Maloney says the selection rotates weekly as he searches for rare and unique beers. Many of the beers on tap are determined by the season, and the more popular ones might stay for the entirety of the season.THE BEERS:

Lexington Brewing Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale (KBBA)

Maloney and I sat down at the bar and first ordered the Lexington Brewing Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, or also known as KBBA. The ale boasts a high alcohol by volume (abv), 8.2%, and is around for the entire summer at Mr. Beery's. KBBA is aged for up to six weeks in bourbon barrels, which adds to the abv. The beer has a distinct caramel flavor and is smooth. Maloney explains that the beer changes characteristics as it warms, and I began to notice an increase in bourbon flavor as it did. Despite having a bourbon taste, the beer actually had quite an easy finish.Sam Smith Organic Lager

After we polished off our KBBA, we ordered a bottle of the Sam Smith's Organic Lager. Maloney says this beer was one of the first that got him into craft beer. Sam Smith's beer resume lists not one, not two, but eight organic bottled beers. Organic beer generally features a simple list of ingredients — this lager is made with just water, barley, yeast and hops — which sometimes diminishes the flavor of the beer. This was not the case for this lager. The beer was crisp, slightly hoppy and incredibly delicious. There wasn't a whole lot of complexity to the beer, but it was as refreshing from start to finish as any beer I've had.SIDE NOTES:

Share-a-beer

As Maloney and I were enjoying our beers, we received a delightful, unexpected surprise. One of the regulars at Mr. Beery's, Lee Cain, brought in a growler of a saison beer from Calaboose Cellars and passed out samples. Thanks Cain!

More complex than wine?

"(There's) a lot more complexity with beer than with wine," says Maloney. Maloney argues beer, within a specific style, can vastly differ, whereas wine styles stay close to the same. For example, two wheat beers may have very different flavors, but two pinot noirs will typically taste similarly.