Working Man's Lunch
Fullsteam Brewery

Working Man's LunchWorking Man's Lunch
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From:
Fullsteam Brewery
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.58 | pDev: 12.85%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
120
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 26, 2019
Added:
Oct 02, 2010
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  13
This is a 12bbl R&D run of what we believe to be the new Working Man's Lunch. The biggest change: a shift from that tricky Weizen yeast to our house ale yeast, as well as some ingredient adjustments to bring out more chocolate notes. WML epitomizes LUNCH. It's a snack beer. It's not intended to be a decadent chocobomb. It's a brown ale with some chocolate in it...an afternoon beer that you can have more than one of.

Notes from previous version:
A tribute to the Southern tradition of an RC Cola and a MoonPie. We brew this beer with biscuity malts, vanilla, and chocolate nibs from Raleigh's own Escazu Artisan Chocolates. But instead of using a traditional, dry English or Scottish ale yeast, we get zany and brew with a German (Weihenstephan) yeast strain. This lightens up the beer and adds vanilla and banana notes to give it that MoonPie connection. The result is a drinkable "dark ale" that, like most of our plow-to-pint beers, doesn't fit neatly into any one particular style. Have your three martinis, Boss Man. We'll take a Working Man's Lunch.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by FUwolfpacker:
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Rated by FUwolfpacker from South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

Nov 24, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by NeckBootHeadAss from Virginia

Jun 26, 2019
Photo of nick_perry
Reviewed by nick_perry from North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Enjoyed at the brewery...delayed but then strong roasted malt and toffee note. Smooth. Dry, lingering finish. Had again a few months later at a restaurant in Raleigh...seemed too hoppy for the style. Perhaps a slightly changed recipe or my changing tastes.
Feb 10, 2018
Photo of MacMalt
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey

3.62/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I had this on draught at the brewery. 16 oz. pour served in pint glass. It pours a mahogany color with dark ruby hues when held to the light, and a finger of fluffy, mocha-colored head and lacing. The nose features roasted malt, dark chocolate, and coffee, along with a whiff of dark fruit and biscuit. The tastes include the chocolate and coffee and biscuit with only the slightest hint of fruit. The mouth feel is light, with moderate carbonation, and an ABV of 5.7% that is barely noticeable. Overall, you can really taste the chocolate in this Brown Ale. It's light enough for casual drinking and ideal for drinking at the brewery with friends.
Aug 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Danielr26 from Michigan

Mar 15, 2017
Photo of mothmanscott
Reviewed by mothmanscott from Georgia

3.87/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear deep brown producing nearly 3 fingers of very foamy, tan, somewhat lasting head that leaves a thin cap, moderate collar ring & a narrow belt if finely bubbled lacing. Closely approaches the color of a freshly poured Cola without the effervescence. Aroma is delicately toasted brown bread, milk chocolate, toffee & underwritten with banana & vanilla from the Weihenstephan yeast strain. Taste is baked pie crust, cocoa & toffee again with hints of banana & vanilla from the yeast, finishing with the addition of roast & nuts with a hint of bitterness is thrown into the mix. Aftertaste is burnt malt/cola caramel & a light bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, silky, thinly creamy with a light prickliness in the finish. Quite good if not excellent. I think the addition of the German yeast strain was an inventive & bold step giving us something just a little bit different in a brown ale.
May 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Apr 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.71 by 13tido from North Carolina

Feb 14, 2016
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

3.77/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours dark brown with a light tan head. It has a sweet caramel aroma with nuttty elements, with chocolate and a some citrus hop elements as well. The citrus aromas are moderate in nature. The citrus flavors are prominent with the flavors of nuts. The are hints of caramel and chocolate flavors. The palate is bittersweet with some roast. I like the elements that are associated with this particular brew, but it resembles a cross between a black IPA and a brown ale more than brown ale.
Jan 31, 2016
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

2.87/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
22 ounce bottle - $6.00 at Tasty Beverage Company in Asheville, North Carolina.

Appearance: Pours up a clear, dark-brown body with an inch of beige-colored foam.

Smell: Subtle chocolate, dry caramel and some slight, underlying nuttiness followed by some sourish bananas notes and a bit of phenolic cloves from the hefe yeast.

Taste: Flavors of light cocoa powder, caramel, toast and toasted nuts. Initial malty tastes give way to an undercurrent of green banana and (light) clove. A little showing of bitterness along the way. Things don't particularly mesh well as you head into the drying, thinnish finish. With the brewery going for cola and Moon Pies, I can surmise the cola, but, Moon Pies? Not buyin' it, guys.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, light leaning and even a tad watery. A hair over medium carbonation.

Overall: It did not win me over. For me, the selection of a hefe yeast, while different, wasn't a welcome inclusion. Time to get back to work.
Jan 10, 2016
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
SRM 24-27. Pours velvety chocolate brown with garnet to ruby highlights. A clear beer with a quarter inch manila froth that quickly fades to a thin ring on the Offero glass.

The aroma begins with a strong fruitiness containing plums and faint bananas, as well as brandy. Hidden chocolate comes out with warmth along with cloves and biscuits.

This is an elevated Brown Ale balanced toward the sweet end of the spectrum. Toasted malt and faint bitterness characterize the entry and build to a modest level in a lingering, mild finish. Fruit and spice notes follow the nose more closely while cola flavors become prominent with warmth.

A medium body and silky smooth, almost slick, texture. Alcohol is more present than anticipated. Carbonation is fine and almost creamy.

One can easily enjoy a long afternoon with this beer while talking to friends and snacking on Asiago cheese.
Jan 03, 2016
Photo of HopintheSouth
Reviewed by HopintheSouth from North Carolina

2.49/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
Had this one out of the can. Smells of very light chocolate, wet cardboard and malty bread. Taste erodes with flatness and a fizzy bubbly not rich, no body mix of slight bitterness and a malt taste. Not bad, it's downright average at best. Again another short showing from this brewery. All the noise around them and I thought they would make a good "standard beer" without exotic fruits, additives and oddness, but no this one ranks up there as a failed attempt.
Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by LooseMoose1978 from North Carolina

Dec 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.24 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Dec 04, 2015
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

2.79/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
22 oz bottle, no date

dark brown in color. head quickly fades. fizzy bubbles. sort of a sweet cola aroma. Not any chocolate really in the smell or taste. Not really a good brown ale either. Too thin.

Overall a miss.
Nov 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by greencovesteve from North Carolina

Nov 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.27 by Pearlstreetbrewingco from Florida

Aug 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.8 by ColdOneKev from North Carolina

Jul 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.53 by warrendietrich2001 from Nevada

Jun 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.54 by vwbus7 from North Carolina

Jun 29, 2015
Working Man's Lunch from Fullsteam Brewery
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 120 ratings