Pastrami On Rye
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

Very dark amber/caramel appearance
Medium light carbonation with at least an average body.
Aroma is malt, smoke with some spice. Mustard and black pepper show up a bit stronger as it warms. Aroma is mild which is the only issue
Taste has some sweetness, envy of malt along with some smoke. Pepper and mustard linger in the aftertaste.
Overall a very enjoyable novelty beer

Can from trader joes. Not great but interesting.

 

 

2023 Vintage, consumed Dec 2023. Mustard seed and black pepper taste, with a pastrami sandwich aftertaste. Lingering black pepper flavor.

Tasted in a Rastal Teku glass from a one pint can on December 5, 2020. 2020 varietal brewed in collaboration with Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen. Interesting spice beer.

 

 

Deep brown body with a touch of red, light tan dense head. Nose has smoke, spices, bread. Taste expands, rotating between spicy pepper/mustard, brine, bread, chocolate (yes, chocolate), smoke, and other spices (carraway, fennel). Full body, light carbonation. This actually is smooth, they weren't lying.
I'm baffled by PW's source of inspiration, and even more baffled by their ability to realize it so well. I'm surprised I liked this so much, and I gotta respect the many layers that went into this beer and many elements to explore and enjoy. Possibly too bizarre for some to enjoy, but if one is open-minded this holds some rewarding surprises.

good look and feel - nothing crazy. the nose was hard to pin down and the taste is where it shined for me. I definitely got the pastrami in the taste. Not my favorite combo but they hit it on the nose.

 

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Batch #543.

Deep walnut brown to black body, with a tan simple and very uniform three finger head on creation. Cascades nicely, but with small growth, and settles evenly in a solid layer. Minimal pill like lacing, with a good presence.

Well this nose doesn’t lie as per advertised. Salt. Huge clove and mustard seed going on, with some spicy quality. Yup giving the pastrami spices as advertised. A nice bit of mild roast and sweetness manages to sneak out giving some beer angles and some sense of bringing everything back to earth. This is well controlled so far, this has the potential for disaster though. Very impressive and still in control though.

Palate is a lot fun. Full bodied. Rich creamed mouthfeel, hints of milk and vanilla richness and just a touch of chocolate. Spice angle works beautifully, with a mid palate of pepper and brown spiced action, and balanced sweetness. Rye spiced angle is very toned down, but manages a bit of pepper kick, and even a tinge of sourness that comes from spice as opposed to yeast. Tangy, rich, vibrant, and creamy to boot.

This is a really excellent creation, and how recipe and taste and balance can be melded into good character. It may not be for everyone though.

Absolutely abysmal. Harder to drink as it warms.

 

 

 

 

 

Awful taste that got worse as it warmed.

Pours a dark, cola color with milked-coffee brown bubbles clinging to side of glass. Smells like a typical smoked beer, sweet and smoky. Mouthfeel is nothing special, but works with the style.

The smoke quality is not as intense on the palate as in some traditional German smoked beers, but is still omnipresent and in your face. The weird thing is that when the smoke fades, the flavor profile changes to that of a Christmas beer with clove, nutmeg, and other spices. I get a faint amount of heat from the pepper flakes, which was unexpected. The taste is complex but not sure if it is something I would drink often.