Mop Water
Cape May Brewing Company

 

Two twelve ounce cans were emptied entirely into a clear glass liter mug. A proper off-white head appeared, but reduced quickly. Its color is caramel-brown, just a little lighter than a cola soft drink. It's almost opaque. The aroma is pleasantly what was expected, a nice balance of malts and listed spices. Also pleasurable is drinking this. The body is rich and smooth, up to carrying the spices. That works especially well because the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger manage to generate a little heat. Not so much that it should scare those that don't like spicy things away, but enough so you know it's there. The vanilla adds a little sweetness and another taste layer. There's even a sufficient lacing in the glass, rare for something with this much extra flavoring. This is a very good version of a style that's understandablely not for everyone.

Poured this from a can.
A: Pours a dark amber body with a small, off-white head with ok retention and lacing.
S: sweet, nutmeg and clove notes with hints of cinnamon and vanilla; ton of spices in this beer. hints of burnt toffee notes, as well.
T: Sweet, nutmeg and clove notes with a slightly biscuity, burnt toffee notes and sweet alcohol in the throat.
M: Medium bodied, but still fairly smooth.
O: pretty good spice ale; decent spices and malt notes; nice holiday ale.

 

First thought…”who would want to drink mop water?

Next thought” maybe it’s like when they call a fat guy ‘tiny’…maybe it’s actually really good?”

Last thought” ugh…now I know why they called it mop water…how did I fall for that?”

I just want to know who at cape may brewing tasted this thing and why is he still working there? I’m really not even that mad that the beer was horrific….I’m more pissed that I have 11 beers left! I don’t know that many that I despise enough to give this to.

 

Mop Water pours a burn copper with a thin head, a color very reminiscent of fall.

Aroma of cinnamon, allspice, and everything nice (really nutmeg and vanilla) invites you in.

The flavour is a bit of a let down. The spices overwhelm the base beer, such that it tastes like someone dumped a bunch of spices into a beer rather than brewed a beer with spices. Instead of the flavours melding together, they stand apart - opposing each other rather than enhancing each other.

It's an okay holiday beer, but doesn't rise above being okay. I feel that a more robust brown ale base would have merged better with the spices and elevated this to greatness. As is, it's not something I'll seek out again.

From a 12oz can dated 10/28/20 into a pint glass.

Pours a murky dark reddish brown with about two fingers of light tan head. Great retention and lacing.

Smells strongly-almost overpoweringly-of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla.

Taste is heavy on the cinnamon side. Basically all you can taste are the spices. Very little ale-y taste.

Thin mouthfeel. Strong cinnamon/vanilla aftertaste. Low carbonation.

Maybe this is what mop water tastes like at a McCormick spice factory. It was just a little overpowering for my taste. Didn't feel like I was drinking beer here.

Pours a clear caramel and dark amber color. A finger nail length frothy head retains well.

The nose is very pleasant in how it evokes holiday spices. Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla dominate. A faint hint of biscuity amber and honey malts is in the background.

The pleasant surprise is that unlike the aroma, the spices are assertive yet don’t overwhelm. Instead, the malts are allowed to shine while the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger provide a complimentary touch. Sweet biscuity amber malts are contrasted with notes of sourdough bread and lightly tart dark fruit. The palate has a semi dryness that aids drinkability, while a touch of earthy hops adds balance. The finish is dry and slightly crisp.

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. The carbonation is moderate.

This was an interesting beer that I ended up enjoying. Nice Christmas like spices that were not overdone, as I was also able to appreciate the base beer. I would have again.

 

 

 

Welcome back to Happy New "CAN We Visit the Cape & Drink Some Beer, Aunt May?!?" Sunday (Week 751)! The CANQuest (tm) will be in high gear today as a result. Hang tight!

From the CAN: "5-Spiced Ale"; "German Malts & Warm Spices': "Don't Overthink It"; "Just Drink It"; "New Jersey Proud"; "Best Paired With [birthday cake; pork; apple]"; "Care for the Cape"; "Profile: CMBC's Chief Mop Man mandated a beer brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and a s-load of real vanilla. Combining these spices with the flavors of German malts creates a brown ale perfect for cool autumn evenings and bitter winter nights."; "Crafted on the Cape"; "Unfiltered".

I did some in-CAN agitation before Crack!ing open the vent since it was clearly marked as "Unfiltered" & I wanted anything that may have flocculated back in suspension. Following the Crack!, I went with an inverted C-Line Glug to CANtinue to ensure that things were in suspension. Man, I just LOVED the way that it came roaring up to form nearly three fingers (!) of dense, foamy, rocky, light-tan head with excellent retention. Color was a beautiful Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. A former flame had hair of this color! Linda Lou was the one that really got away. 8=( Nose was REALLY spicy, like a Christmas cookie! Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, it was like they threw the spice rack in the cadillac (swab bucket)! Mmm, now I want a cookie! Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was a beautiful mélange of spices with a doughy maltiness as their backbone! In addition to everything noted on the nose, I thought that I also got some treacle in the mix. This was like the lead-up to the holidays in HomeEc (Foods) 1! We were baking nearly non-stop while getting baked & the cookies were getting eaten as quickly as they came out of the oven! Now, I really wanted a cookie! Like that organic oatmeal raisin cookie that Linda DelP. laid on me back in April. Yum. Liquefied spicy cookie?!? This was CANtastic! I have got to get more for this year's holidays. Finish was dry, as any beer that uses spices as an adjunct should be expected to be.

Cape May Brewing Company "Mop Water"
12 fl. oz. can, "1327 BB03/18/19" and sampled on 11/28/18
$1.83 @ Cherry Hill Wine, Liquor & Beer (Wegmans), Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: Despite the hideous name I think this might be good. It's brewed with German malts and 5 spices, and it's 7.3% abv. It's poured a slightly hazy chestnut brown body beneath a short head of creamy khaki colored foam. It's a good looking glass of beer but the head seems to be settling fairly quickly. Oh well. The aroma is fantastic. It smells like a fresh pumpkin pie. I'm getting vanilla, sweetness, caramel, and nutmeg. The label said that they used real vanilla, and that just can't be replicated, and it makes a difference here. Of course I hope they recouped their cost as vanilla these days is expensive! OK, on to the flavor... it's not as rich as the aroma suggests, but it's very good, and thankfully, not as sweet as I expected. I'm getting cinnamon, clove, light golden caramel, medium golden-red caramel, ginger, and some other spice that I'm not sure about. My initial impression was "cola" or "cream ale" but it's more than that. It's balanced, I think more by the spices themselves than its limited bitterness, and it finishes dry and spicy - but not too spicy! The spices linger but they eventually fade and don't build on the palate. I think they've done a great job of balancing the spices against the malts. Nicely done. In the mouth it's medium bodied and crisp. Worth trying.
Review# 6,372

 

 

a) lace, lasting head over a brown clear body.
s) Better as it warms like any spice or warmer.
t) Best balanced spiced brown or esb ale I have tasted.
f) Solid, creamy, herbal, not too sweet.
o) Better than the Brits.

 

- 5 Spiced ale in spiegelau ipa glass. Freshness date 9/17. Consumed 1/18.

A: A deep burgundy color is fairly clear upon closer inspection, revealing a mid tone amount of effervesce. A small light khaki head hardly holds, lapsing to a thin and whispy covering. Light, weak lacing on the vessel.

S: The cinnamon and vanilla are fore-front in nature and strength, blending well together with the other spices. Some nutmeg dusting and sugary malts are warm with a sasafrass (rootbeer), and cola like malting. Light background twinkle of ginger adds spiciness with an overall strength that was moderately strong in nature and lasting. Really like the strong and warm cola-rootbeer like malting adds support for the xmas style like spicing.

T: Spicy ginger and cinnamon opens the flavor with a good sweetness followed by a dusting of dry nutmeg. There's a light coating of dry spiciness on the tongue, nutmeg, with a strong offering of cola-toasted malts. The spicing is moderately strong, by personal taste, others may find it a bit over bearing?, but balances nicely with strong malt back-bone.

M: Lighter side of medium mouthful, spicy ginger and cinnamon spiciness and glow on the hold. Low carbonation resides with a soft and creamy malt base. Heavy dry dusting of spices, particularly nutmeg, line the tongue post-swallow which can seem a bit much at times.

O: Overall like the warm and spicy nature of the malting, a good strong key element here. The spices are well blended, though perhaps a bit strong at times, inhibiting multiples and limiting the drink-ability factor for an overall slower finish. The range of spiciness was good, drank more like a xmas beer then anything else, very festive.
One's enough in the end.

Light brown. Small white head.
Grains, rye, caraway, fennel
Very unique aroma.