Pub Can Week

There isn’t any kind of official celebration of pub cans that I know of. I just decided to go out to Cost Plus and pick up the following singles to review. Included is a cider. Cider is not beer, so I don’t know anything about it. But it was sitting right there with the rest of them and I couldn’t help it. I’ve also never had one before; perhaps you can see where that review is going…

Before I start, I want to make a special shout out to EL and ELise! If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have the proper glassware for these fine beverages. 

And one more note: I don’t care about the debate over nitro and beer. If breweries want to serve their stouts through a nitro system…so be it! It’s their beer! I find them to be of less quality than the bottles, but I am not going to pick a fight over why nitro is unnatural or bad for beer. /anti-nitro bashing.

From left to right:

BEAMISH – Murphy Brewery Ireland Limited (Murphy and Beamish both taken over by Heineken this year); Cork, Ireland
4.10%ABV
Serving: 440mL nitro pub can to imperial pint glass

A: Mag-freaking-nificent. How do they do this? The head is slowly forming into one finger’s worth of beige head right in front of me. Cascading bubbles are turning the body of the beer brown to black from the bottom up. The body is essentially black with brown edges, and not much else. That’s one of the creamiest looking heads I’ve ever seen. There’s a ton of retention, too. And I have to say: there’s not one thing I can say negatively about this beer’s appearance. And also, I dislike the word “creamy”. 
S: Aromas are of lightly roasted barley with hints of smoke. It’s sweet, but there are bitter berries and oakiness and hops are in the back to balance. Bittersweet chocolate is most definitely in there.
T/M: Looks? Great. Aromas? Wonderful. But the taste? It kind of falls apart here. The light body and low carbonation give me some flavors, but they are mostly playing a hide-and-seek game with my palate. The roastiness is there with the faintest of bittersweet chocolates and coffees, and it borders on burnt with more warmth. 
D: The quote of the night sums it all up: “It’s like roasted water…”. It’s just lacking in the taste and mouthfeel categories. I’m always going to be blown away by the appearance the nitro widget gives, and the aromas are wonderful…but the taste? It is just not quite there. Too bad.
Beamish – B

I snapped this shot at the very beginning of head formation. It took a little over a minute for the whole thing to form. Check out that neat cascading effect!

GUINNESS DRAUGHT – Guinness Ltd; Dublin, Ireland
4.20%ABV
Serving: 440mL nitro pub can to imperial pint

A: After the nitro bubbles settle, there’s a black body and mahogany edges. A finger of super creamy grey and beige head took about a minute to form. Good retention, but not a ton of lacing.
S: Really roasty on the nose. Bittersweet chocolate malts and dark berry esters with a ripe fruitiness.
T: Very roasted malts here. The bitter chocolate is there from the aroma. There’s an unfortunate lingering metallic flavor that I could surely do without. It really sticks to the tongue. There’s a hint of weak, 3 day old watery coffee and some berries that come out with warmth.
M: Lower carbonation, a light and almost watery body. Creamy mouthfeel.
D: Guinness is really, really bitter. It is hard to drink if you’re looking for balance at all.
Guinness – B-

MURPHY’S IRISH STOUT – MBIL (see above. don’t criticize my lazy acronyms)
4.00%ABV
Serving: 16oz nitro pub can (pint) to imperial pint.

A: 1 1/2 fingers of that creamy, grey beige head forms more quickly than other nitro dry Irish stouts I’ve had. The body is dark brown with red and orange edges. Good retention and lacing. And this beer actually fills up my whole pint glass!
S: Delicious roasted malts with chocolate coffee (which is weaker) that is backed up by bitterness. No kind in particular…just bitter.
T: Roasted goodness here. Dark chocolate and strong espresso bean. The bitterness is lower than its nitro-can counterparts. There are ripe berries and even a hint of alcohol. Not a bad flavor here at all.
M: Light body, low carbonation. Generally creamy mouthfeel.
D: This is one of the better nitro cans out there. I’d love to try it on nitro-tap!
Murphy’s - A-

now that is a proper pint...almost

OLD SPECKLED HEN  - Greene King/Morland Brewery; Suffolk, UK
5.20%ABV
A: A little over one finger off-white head that’s creamy in consistency from the nitro bubbles. The body is amber with golden edges. Good retention and tons of frothy lace. I can see stouts with a head like this, but the consistency doesn’t feel right for a pale ale.
S: Sweet malts, bready and fruity on the nose. Stone fruit comes to mind. The hops are there in the back and they are a bit spicy.
T: Mellow flavors. The malts are dominant with roasted barley and toasted bread. There’s an unfortunate metallic flavor that gets in the way quite a bit. A hop bitterness at the back. Not a ton of complexity here.
M: Low carbonation and a light, watery body. Creamy from the head and lack of carbonation. 
D: I prefer this beer from the bottle. I’ve been lucky enough to have a non-skunked (clear) bottle, but only the can was available for this review.
Old Speck – B-

WEXFORD IRISH CREME ALE – Greene King/Morland Brewery
5.00%ABV
A: Nearly two fingers of a creamy nitro head firmly settles over an amber to caramel hue. I can’t see through the glass because the lacing left behind by the wonderful retention is covering every speck of the pint.
S: A bit buttery in the nose. There’s a distant fruity aroma. Bittersweet and earthy. And lots of butter.
T: Aside from the massive metallic taste greeting my palate, the taste isn’t terrible, but there’s also much to be desired here. Bitter, distantly fruity and very malt heavy.
M: Not watery like many nitros. This one has a bit of body to it. Low to medium carbonation and tons of bitterness left behind.
D: I can do without the aroma, and the taste is really lacking…I probably won’t reach for this one again.
Wexford – B-
 
STRONGBOW
It tastes like Martinelli’s. I couldn’t finish it…but I can see the appeal!

More good beers to come. Stay tuned!

A Dozen

12 libations. I’ll just cut right to the chase.

Black Wheat – New Glarus Brewing Co.; New Glarus, WI
5.75%ABV
Serving: 12oz to weizen glass
A: Four huge fingers of a creamy and lively tan head over black and dark brown that gets a little lighter at the edges. Head retention is mountainous! Smatterings of lacing on the glass. Truly a beautiful sight.
S: Refreshing aromas of wheat, coffee, and chocolate (in a wheat beer?!). Prominent cloves and other dark spices pull through. 
T: Roasted coffee (?!), with a great wheat and clove backbone. Mostly sweet malts with no real hop bitterness to speak of; the only bitterness seems to come from a chocolate character. A smoky flavor pulls through as the beer warms, and it alternates with a similar but distinct smoked flavor (the former being like an open fire, and the latter as in that which is used to flavor food–that’s just how my brain works). 
M: Crisp and pretty light. Smooth with no residuals. 
D: Wow. This beer is incredible. Tons of character in the flavor. I look forward to trying more dunkels AND more from New Glarus! 
Black Wheat – A

Cheers to Natasha once again for this one! And no, I don't like to crop photos.

Nugget Nectar – Troegs Brewing Co.; Harrisburg, PA
7.50%ABV, 93(ish) IBUs
Serving: 12oz to nonic
Note: I reviewed this one keeping in mind that it isn’t at optimal “freshness”. 
A: Hazy amber and golden. One finger frothy white(ish) head. Bubbly retention and sticky lace. 
S: Piney and floral, reminiscent of SN Torpedo. Hint of spice tickles my nose momentarily. There’s a dirty earthiness about the hops, like the hand on the label picked that hop right off the vine and threw it into this bottle. Definite bready malts in there, too.
T: Mellow florals still, really balanced out by a straightforward malt backbone (more noticeable with age?). Hops are less piney/spicy on the tongue than they are in aroma. Moderate lingering bitterness. An even and smooth flavor.
M: Medium carbonation with not too dry a finish.
D: Ends deliciously. I can’t wait to try this one fresh. I’d get a 6er now, despite it’s un-fresh factor.
Nugget Nectar – A-

Thanks to Mike for this generous extra!

Summer Ale – Brooklyn Brewing Co.; Brooklyn, NY
5.00%ABV
Serving: 12oz to pint
A: About a finger of white foamy head that dissipates rapidly to a thin surface. Brew is golden colored.
S: Sweet malty but in a grainy, bready (bordering on yeasty) kind of way. Some fruit comes to the front, but only in passing. 
T: Grainy and bready malts dominate the sip. Some hop bitterness at the very back, but it doesn’t stick around long. As the brew warms even just a bit, a heavy buttery note pulls through, and the sip ends in a lemon twang.
M: Crisp carbonation with a light body that rarely bordered on watery. The finish is relatively dry.
D: Really refreshing. It seems like this beer is true to its style. I’m not a huge fan of the bready/buttery EPA character. But even as I swatted a fruit fly into my glass, I kept drinking. 
Summer Ale – B

Breakfast Stout – Founders Brewing Co.
8.30%ABV, 25IBUs
Serving: 12oz to snifter
A: A huge head explodes out of nowhere. Super creamy light brown foam isn’t going anywhere for a while. I can’t see many more hues beyond the black. There’s mountainous retention and beautiful lacing.
S: Sweet malt on the pour. Roasted coffee and dark (bitter) cacao. Dark fruit malts and berry esters are also in the game.
T/M: Everything I expected from the aromas. I’ve heard a lot about this beer being huge on coffee, but it definitely has a great balance that holds its own against other big RIS names. Dark chocolate alternates with sweet milk chocolate. Carbonation bordering on crisp brings out spicy characteristics in the beer. There’s something dark and interesting in the back of the aroma and flavor but I can’t quite name it. Medium-bodied (one of the thinner imperial stouts I’ve had), but still great complexities and subtleties. The oatmeal also really comes out with warmth. The last sip ends in bitter chocolate oatmeal. It really holds up ’til the very end!
D: This is easily one of the best beers I’ve ever had. Dangerously drinkable. I highly recommend it to ALL. 
Breakfast Stout – A+

biggest head on an imperial stout that i've seen. awesome!

Star Island Single – Smuttynose Brewing Co.; Portsmouth, NH
5.80%ABV
Serving: 12oz to tulip
A: A finger of white bubbly head over a hazy copper. A little retention.
S: Big citrus esters at the pour. Good malty, sugary sweetness and mellow, earthy hops as well. Very balanced aromas.
T: A surprisingly grainy brew, much like a lager but with more complex citrus and earthy hops. There’s only a light hop bitterness at the back of the sip. A touch of spice tickles my tongue. Biscuity notes come out, and there’s more bitterness with warmth that reminds of me of fruit that hasn’t quite yet had enough time to ripen. Balanced, and different from other Belgian styles I’ve had.
M: Higher carbonation with a pretty light body and a relatively dry finish. 
D: Definite Belgian ale characteristics. Though I’d have this interesting beer again, I don’t know that I’d have it more than once in a single sitting (it boasts itself as a “session ale brewed with spices”). 
Star Island – B

an awesome trade extra from Mike!

Smooth Hoperator – Stoudts Brewing Co.; Adamstown, PA
7.00%ABV, 50IBUs
Serving: 12oz to pils glass
A: Finger of beige frothy head over amber and dark copper. Good retention and some lacing.
S: Big bready and yeasty aromas right at the pour. Sweet malts in there, too. Esters of apple and dried figs come to mind.
T: Very similar to the aroma with those dark, dried fruit (fig and prune) esters coming to the fore. A very bready malt sense dominates. I’m not getting many hop characteristics. Is it just my bottle? 
M: Nearly medium-bodied with some astringency.
D: I’ve never had a doppelbock like this one. I’m almost wondering if it was the bottle that was off? Either way, toning down the dried fruit just a notch would definitely make me like this one a bit more. 
Smooth Hoperator – B

Wipeout IPA – Port Brewing Co./Pizza Port; San Marcos, CA
7.00%ABV
Serving: 22oz bomber to pint
A: Cloudy dark yellow to light golden hues with a small, white bubbly head. Good retention and smatterings of sticky lacing.
S: Aroma is big lemon citrus hops and bready malts to balance. Also pulling out some grapefruit and other ripe fruits.
T: A nicely balanced brew with hops coming out in the front (citrus, just like in the aroma) with a malty backbone that also comes to the fore. Bitter hops really come out with warmth. This is a very straightforward IPA.
M: Good carbonation and medium-bodied that’s smooth but not a ton of bitter residuals.
D: Straightforward and balanced. A pretty solid IPA.
Wipeout – B+

Dead Reckoning Porter – Troegs Brewing Co.
5.80%ANV, 53IBUs
Serving: 12oz to mug
A: Unfiltered dark caramel colored with a bit of bubbly tan head. There are “floaties” in the foam…could it be yeast? There’s a ring of retention in the glass with just a bit of lacing.
S: Bready malts, slight metallic. Not a ton discernible on the nose, to be honest.
T: Roasted barley with very subtle coffee and dark chocolate flavors (the subtlety is a nice break from most big porter flavors). A bit of bitter chocolate residue lingers. Not a ton of hops to balance out.
M: Medium body with a creamy and low to medium carbonation.
D: Very different from others in the style. I liked it a lot more as it warmed and really brought forth the subtleties. Tröegs has been a great brewery so far!
Dead Reckoning – B

Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema – Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
5.60%ABV
Serving: 12oz to pint
A: Relatively clear amber with over one finger of dark beige and creamy foam. Some retention, but not a ton of lacing.
S: Sweet malts with some honey and bread. Refreshing, spicy aromas on the nose.
T/M/D: Honey and spices offer contrasting but complementary malts and hops. A little watery at moments in the sip (light body). Drinks like a lager with medium carbonation and great drinkability. I’ve had this one twice now and there is definitely metallic note upon each sip. Caramel sweetness comes out with warmth. This beer is great for a summer day, but also worked surprisingly well as a dessert drink. I look forward to the rest of this 6er. Well done, AVBC! 
Cerveza Crema – B

Cappuccino Stout – Lagunitas
7.99%ABV
Serving: 22oz bomber to snifter
A: Tiny beige head dissipates quickly, retaining only as a small ring around the snifter. Beer is dark brown with ruby hues.
S: Big bready malt aromas. Not a ton of coffee on the nose, but there’s a slightly citric hop character that pulls through.
T: Toffee malts really come out in the sip. Bitter residuals and a big cappuccino sense (milky and sweet) is there too. Hops provide balance and bitter chocolate lingers.
M: Light-to-medium body. A bit thin for the style. Carbonation is medium.
D: Very easy to drink, especially with the lighter mouthfeel. Reminds me a lot more of a coffee porter than a stout. The alcohol isn’t noticeable at any part of the session (during OR afterwards). Another Lagunitas goody, though not my absolute favorite.
Cap Stout – B+

Shoal’s Pale Ale – Smuttynose
5.00%ABV
Serving: 12oz to pint
A: Hazy amber and orange with a finger of off-white, bubbly head. Some sticky lacing and good retention.
S: Citrus and hops, sweet bready malts to balance. A big, fruity bouquet to boot.
T: A good dose of bitter, slightly citric hops at the front. Woody, almost piney hops are trying really hard to dominate. Metallic notes.
M: Great carbonation, a creamy light-to-medium bodied mouthfeel. A decent amount of bitter residuals caking my palate.
D: Refreshing, and downright delicious. A wonderful session beer. I look forward to having more of the Shoals to help wind down after a long day. 
Shoal’s – B+

a great beer from a great trade!

Mirror Pond Pale Ale – Deschutes
5.00%ABV, 40IBUs
Serving: 12oz to pint
A: Two thick fingers of beige, creamy head over an amber ale. Beautiful retention and some sticky lacing.
S: Sweet malty goodness with a firm hop backbone. Grapefruit is discernible, and is a bit of orange zest. Some spices on the nose. Really powerful hop aromas.
T/M: A very balanced brew right off the bat. Citrus hops, a dark fruit and bready backbone to balance. Very smooth with medium carbonation. Residuals leave mild bitterness behind. Some notes of metallic, which I often find in APAs. Citrus comes out even more with warmth, and that’s a darn fine characteristic.
D: Balanced. Smooth. Refreshing. Definitely one of the best APAs and session brews available. Just another day for Deschutes!
Mirror Pond – A-

thanks to chris for reminding me how great Deschutes' flagship beer is!

 Ugh. I’m full. But pass me another!