I’m writing in response to Chris Curran’s Thirsty Thursday review of a beer that, as many would agree, is a staple of local and not-so local beer aficionados. Wailing Wench is a crowd pleasing favorite far and wide, with the praises of its brewery, Middle Ages, sung by the likes of Brewing News and pubcrawler.com, among others.

The fact this dark nectar was only awarded a single mug in Curran’s review does not only scoff at the craftsmanship of a fine ale, but also kicks sand in the face of a local business. Upon reading the review and finding Curran’s only high point to the alcohol content suggests to me that he’s not drinking for quality and has probably spent more time swilling PBR around the beer pong table than sampling high-quality craft beer.

Additionally, the fact that the lighter (and significantly mellower) Ommegang Witte was given three mugs sheds a little more light on the alcoholic preferences of the reviewer. To be sure, Wench is a powerful beer, and if your taste buds are accustomed to weak lagers on special at the drugstore, this is not the beer for you. However, if you enjoy hoppy brews that are meant to be savored from a real pint glass instead of chugged from a plastic cup, I suggest you take Curran’s ‘review’ with a grain of salt and decide for yourself whether or not to pull up a barstool with the Wench.