I am a sucker for craft beer in a can. I am an even bigger sucker for very good craft beer in a can, which is why any new offering from
21st Amendment is a must buy. The San Francisco based brewpub has quickly gained notoriety for their brews. I have been able to chase down and review their
India Pale Ale,
Watermelon Wheat, and
Back In Black. When their new release, a spiced winter ale called Fireside Chat showed up on the shelf of my local craft beer store, there was no doubt as to what I was buying.
Fireside Chat poured a brownish color with ruby hues and a finger width, tan head. The nose is malty, with spices, and a little dark fruit that might be heading towards the sour side. The body is smooth, with some spices, yet light for a winter ale. There is a slight offness/sour notes that dont seem to beling in a spiced winter ale. The finish offers a little dry bitterness.
Overall, this is a below average beer. It is mild for a winter ale, as I was expecting a bigger backbone. The main problem here is the sour like notes that appeared in the nose and stayed throughout the rest of the beer. I can't imagine this is what 21st was aiming for and if it was I am a little confused. It may be a bad batch of beer, which is possible but quite unusual for a canned beer. 21st Amendment has earned my trust so I will give this another shot but the beer that came out of this particular can was not very good at all.
