Chai Velvet
Indeed Brewing Company - Minneapolis

 

Pours a slightly hazy dark iced tea color with a light tan head. It smells truly incredible with hints of vanilla, cinnamon, chai, and cloves with little hop bitterness. The taste falls short of the incredible smell it has, but it does taste good, like a chai latte with a slightly malty character. For over 7% this one is going down super easy and overall is pretty good.

I don’t say this often, and I know it’s not the deeply beer-eloquent norm around here, but the easiest way I can sum this up is: ew gross. Nothing natural tasting or smelling about this “beer.” It smells and tastes like a brown ale mixed with public restroom hand soap. And yes, my glass was clean before I poured the can into it. The only thing it has going for it is an okay mouth feel and somehow a smoothness imparted by the lactose, but the smell and taste are so horrid that this is undrinkable. I tried to power through but ended up pouring about 2/3 of my glass down the drain. I sadly have one more can of this travesty in my fridge...

12oz can. Poured out a clear, burgundy color with a small, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of chai tea, spices - like nutmeg and cinnamon. Nice spiced flavor with hints of chai tea and roasted malt.

 

L: An ice tea to cola colored ale with a thin finger of beige froth settling quickly and with minimal lacing.

S: Chai spices dominate, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom in decending strength. There is also a sweet bready malt and half and half.

T: Following the nose, a bit like a steam beer but a touch sweeter and with the aforementioned spices.

F: Moderately light mouthfeel but still coating and smooth. Punctuated by reasonable and necessary dose of carbonation.

O: I wouldn't write home about this one, but overall it was a nice change of pace for a can or two. I would drink this over a pumpkin beer any day.