Across The Nation Singing Sands
Central City Brewers + Distillers

 

 

355 mL can from the LCBO, included in their Across the Nation collaboration (Back East) mixed pack. Dated Apr 12 2018 and served barely chilled.

Pours a clear copper-amber colour, with just over one finger of soapy, off white-tinged froth seated atop. It fizzles off within a couple of minutes' time, disintegrating into a creamy, modest-sized collar surrounding a thin, filmy cap. No lacing; looks like a typical amber lager. The aroma is relentlessly sweet, with notes of toasted biscuit and bread being barely discernible underneath the caramel saccharinity and saltiness. Hints of earthy, herbal hops, cocoa and bruised orchard fruit are present too, but they're even more difficult to detect.

Not a particularly subtle beer - there's some grainy, bready malt sweetness buried in there somewhere, but beyond that it's the adjunct ingredients that take over and dominate its profile. The caramel is front and center, of course, accented by notes of cocoa powder, toffee and indeterminate orchard fruits. The cocoa lingers on into the finish, where it is joined by an enjoyable low-key saltiness, as well as a light suggestion of vanilla and some weakly earthy hops before a sweet aftertaste. Light in body, with very low carbonation levels that barely register on the surface of the palate - very smooth, but also a little flat. This would be a much bigger problem if it were a standard lager, but since it's more of a dessert beer, the lack of effervescence works out ok. One glass is easy enough to finish, but I wouldn't want another right away.

Final Grade: 3.5, a B grade. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the appeal of taking a lager and turning it into a sweet mess like Singing Sands - the caramel just blows away nearly everything else, and all you're left with is a ham-fisted dessert beer that doesn't come together very well. Any light-ish, malt-forward style might've worked out better IMO - e.g. a porter, an Irish red or a bock, among others. Don't get me wrong - I didn't exactly dislike this beer, but it's not something I'd be real interested in trying again.

Can: Poured a clear amber color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of caramelized malt with some residual sugar. Taste is also dominated by sweet caramel malt notes with some flavoured caramel notes offset by some salty notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Interesting mix though not sure I need to drink vast amount of this type of beers.

Way better than expected, but still a little too sweet.

Collaboration Upstreet Brewing, canned: Bright golden color with moderate activity. Slightly creamy dark beige 1-2 finger head, lasting around 5 minutes, with shy legs and swirl reaction. Flavors of caramel, salt, vanilla, chocolate, sweet barley, lager yeast, and floral hops. Slick medium to full body with crispy carbonation. Light strength finish, soft butterscotch and brown sugary feel, some light grains, a bit spicy and flowery. Not much fruits, though interesting mix of flavors, almost festive in quality (x-mas minty chocolate). The freshness and balance is nice, though a bit overly accessible. Overall very good quality lager.

Can - Pours a burnished gold with a collapsing cap that doesn't last long...aromas of cramel some mustiness..not much else...flavor is dominated by caramel (essence?) malts obliterated by this, light saltiness there's some hopping there but you don't get it until the finish..a tad thin...wouldn't drink more than one of these...not bad just not overly appealing and rather pointless...kind of like putting make up on a ham sandwich

 

 

Clear copper with a modest head. Mild sweet caramel nose. Light caramel malt body with slight salt notes on finish. Good crispness.

 

 

 

355ml can, part of the 2018 Across the Nation collaboration pack with 12 different Canadian breweries, one from each province and territory. This one involves Prince Edward Island's Upstreet Brewing (what up Mark!), and is a Salted Caramel Lager.

This beer pours a clear, bright medium copper amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and somewhat fizzy ecru head, which leaves a few specks of remote islet lace around the glass as it quickly blows off.

It smells of bready and doughy caramel malt, a further gooey toffee thing, saltwater taffy, a hint of damp ashiness, and very, very, very (did I say very?) subtle earthy, musty, and floral hop bitters. The taste is grainy and gritty caramel malt, salted crackers, a bit of indistinct bruised pome fruitiness, and more well-understated earthy, herbal, and floral green hoppiness.

The carbonation is quite weak in its quotidian frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and generally smooth, with nothing really getting in the way of a swell time here. It finishes off-dry, the salted caramel character showing no signs of stopping.

Overall - well, they certainly nailed this one, as any underlying lager traits are duly obfuscated by the other two items of titular renown. Pleasant, and easy to put back, but man, it's making me crave some potato chips, or the like. Ah well.