Apple Cider Beer
Not Your Father's (NYF)

 

 

 

 

I believe this one is called "Grandma's Apple Pie". None the less, one of Small Town's better offerings next to "Not Your Father's Root Beer" Lot's of apple and cinnamon but pretty well balanced. Sweet like most of their novelty beers. Mimics apple pie in liquid form very well.

 

 

 

 

Apple ale brewed in Small Town's 3 barrel nano brewery. Uses 850 lbs. of apples per batch. Tastes very sweet, very much like a cider that's just beginning to ferment. Cloudy yellow, nice apple-cinnamon bouquet, with a little yeasty component. Not all that thin, body-wise. Smooth going down. Very drinkable, if you like sweet stuff.

Served in a mug at Main Street Outfitter.

Gotta love how the envelope keeps getting pushed a bit out here in Wauconda. This here is one of those newfangled beer/cider hybrids, akin to Dogfish Head's Positive Contact and whatnot. Looks like we're seeing some massive overlap between beer and other spirit-y drinks, like wine, cider, liqueurs, even sake. What a time to be alive...

Anyway, this stuff pours a partly hazy golden-straw topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose is an immersion into apple sauce, light cinnamon, light clove, and light biscuit. The taste brings in more of the same, with the mild breadiness from the biscuit somehow finding a way to cut the sweet apple-ness without any bleeding or scarring. What results is a definite blast of apple and spices without it becoming too cider-y for beer-centric sensibilities. The body is a very light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth, lightly grainy-ish feel. Overall, if you're into ciders at all, you'll likely love this beer. What's more, if you're a closet cider fan who can't bring him/herself to admitting it or buying cider in public, this is a fantastic covert opportunity for you...