Digger
Carton Brewing Company
- From:
- Carton Brewing Company
- New Jersey, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 4%
- Score:
- 78
- Avg:
- 3.36 | pDev: 10.71%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 13
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 27, 2020
- Added:
- Jul 31, 2013
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 6
SCORE
78
Okay
78
Okay
(This is not a Gose.)
DIGGER | Clam Ale With Lemongrass
ABV: 4% | SRM: 2 | IBU: 20
"Sure, there are oyster stouts, but we are a clam town. Are there any clam beers?"
"Not that I've ever heard of."
"Stout wouldn't make sense. Let's make it super pale. We can lean on the stoniness of our water to show the clams."
"We could salt it like a Gose, the salt would help push the clam idea even further."
"Nice. How should we hop it?"
"Something very simple but pretty, like Green Bullet."
"Let's add something to the boil to make it more like a pot of steamed clams, something like lemongrass."
"Okay. So a simple ale dressed up with Cherrystone clams with a touch of Green Bullet hops, tied together with lemongrass."
"It should be cool when it gets nice and hot in July, like a day at a clam shack in a shaker pint."
Drink Digger because that happened.
DIGGER | Clam Ale With Lemongrass
ABV: 4% | SRM: 2 | IBU: 20
"Sure, there are oyster stouts, but we are a clam town. Are there any clam beers?"
"Not that I've ever heard of."
"Stout wouldn't make sense. Let's make it super pale. We can lean on the stoniness of our water to show the clams."
"We could salt it like a Gose, the salt would help push the clam idea even further."
"Nice. How should we hop it?"
"Something very simple but pretty, like Green Bullet."
"Let's add something to the boil to make it more like a pot of steamed clams, something like lemongrass."
"Okay. So a simple ale dressed up with Cherrystone clams with a touch of Green Bullet hops, tied together with lemongrass."
"It should be cool when it gets nice and hot in July, like a day at a clam shack in a shaker pint."
Drink Digger because that happened.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
In the process of loosing their damn minds, the brewers of Carton finds inspiration in the most unusual of places. Borrowing elements of Oyster Stout and Thai food, their "salted" pale ale is unique for sure.
Put together with clam shells, lemongrass and sea salt, Digger takes on the same earthy and briny personalities as their brewers, pouring with a foggy and tarnish chrome and capped with a loose and arid white froth. A slightly earthy tilt on the nose brings an essence of brine, citrus, herb and wafer to the forefront of scent. A follow up of honey, wafer and cashew frames the malt flavors early on the tongue.
But as the ale rushes across the middle palate, its sweetness drops out and the hops broaden their orange, grapefruit, lime and berry flavors to quickly take command of the balance. Developing into a spicy and herbal bitterness, its hard to asses where the peppery hops end and the lemongrass begins. Slightly astringent and bitter late in taste, the ale closes with a grassy essence with a return of faint salinity.
Medium light on the palate, the clam shells make a bigger mark on the crispness and "snappy" character in the beer's finish rather than anything in taste. A slight chalky aftertaste comes with mild hints of mineral water while the hops and lemongrass pang gently away at the back of the throat.
Nov 18, 2019Put together with clam shells, lemongrass and sea salt, Digger takes on the same earthy and briny personalities as their brewers, pouring with a foggy and tarnish chrome and capped with a loose and arid white froth. A slightly earthy tilt on the nose brings an essence of brine, citrus, herb and wafer to the forefront of scent. A follow up of honey, wafer and cashew frames the malt flavors early on the tongue.
But as the ale rushes across the middle palate, its sweetness drops out and the hops broaden their orange, grapefruit, lime and berry flavors to quickly take command of the balance. Developing into a spicy and herbal bitterness, its hard to asses where the peppery hops end and the lemongrass begins. Slightly astringent and bitter late in taste, the ale closes with a grassy essence with a return of faint salinity.
Medium light on the palate, the clam shells make a bigger mark on the crispness and "snappy" character in the beer's finish rather than anything in taste. A slight chalky aftertaste comes with mild hints of mineral water while the hops and lemongrass pang gently away at the back of the throat.
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey
3.24/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.24/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
16 ounce can in a nice stemmed tulip glass. Canned date of 7/11/19; out of retirement, perhaps.
Poured a fuzzy golden hay color with a quick drop 1F white cap. Lacing slides down the inside of the glass, minimal stickiness.
It smells like a dozen on the half-shell at the Jersey Shore on a summer day (minus the cocktail sauce). Lemongrass, too.
The clam juice is there over light malts. Heavy on the salt.
Very light body with minimal feel. Lighter than a pale ale.
The clam thing works. The drawbacks, for me, are the excessive saltiness and lemongrass. Tone those down over a sturdier malt and we might have something.
Aug 30, 2019Poured a fuzzy golden hay color with a quick drop 1F white cap. Lacing slides down the inside of the glass, minimal stickiness.
It smells like a dozen on the half-shell at the Jersey Shore on a summer day (minus the cocktail sauce). Lemongrass, too.
The clam juice is there over light malts. Heavy on the salt.
Very light body with minimal feel. Lighter than a pale ale.
The clam thing works. The drawbacks, for me, are the excessive saltiness and lemongrass. Tone those down over a sturdier malt and we might have something.
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey
3.93/5 rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Canned on 7/11/2019 and poured into a Carton pub glass. It pours a cloudy, pale straw yellow color with a large, fluffy head that is as snow white as I've seen. There is abundant soapy lacing. The smell includes wheat cracker, lemon peel, floral, slightly piney and resinous hops, and just a whiff of sea salt. The taste opens like a cross between a Lager and an APA - a spicy, hoppy Lager with a nice dash of tart lemon. At mid-sip I notice the sea salt; it's briny but not distractingly so. Then, at the finish, I can taste the clam; it's subtle but unmistakable. The finish is spicy and fairly bitter considering it's only 20 IBU. This ale is super lite, crisp, and drinkable with lively carbonation. And with an ABV of only 3.8% you can drink a lot of it. While most of the ratings appear to be from 2015 or earlier, and this batch of Digger could be different, I think the ratings are awfully low. This is a nice hot weather ale - perfect for the beach, a softball game, or any summer activity. I've always admired Carton's adventuresome brewing spirit.
Jul 28, 2019
Reviewed by Neorebel from New Jersey
3.59/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Digger pours a straw color with a pure white head, about 1/4" tall. The aroma was multifaceted with light fruits. Wheat, a little citrusy hops, lemongrass, sea salt and what can only be described as 'briny' were elements of the brew's flavor. A little spicy and palate-coating as well. I asked about this beer initially, stating that I had enjoyed some Oyster Stouts, as unusual as they are, and was told that they are a clam town, so they brewed a clam beer. It's not for everyone but this was something different worth trying.
Sep 08, 2015
Reviewed by SmashAdams from New Jersey
2.25/5 rDev -33%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
2.25/5 rDev -33%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
I would have thought this was a Blonde/Golden Ale and not a Pale Ale. First sip reminded me of Summer Love. Then I started to notice the slight saltiness and a bit of a sour taste. This beer got worse as I drank. nb
Aug 04, 2015
Reviewed by dank203 from New Jersey
3.35/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.35/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
not my personal favorite carton beer but I was still intrigued. this beer really brought me to the beach. slightly salty, watery (in the best way possible), not very tart, grassy. interesting, would have again, highly sessionable
Aug 01, 2015
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!