Evening Edition
Beyond the Pale Brewing Company

 

 

Appearance: Poured with a thumb of head that produced some mild lace and managed to keep the top foamy for a while. The body is a nearly black but shows a nearly opaque brown when held up to the light.

Smell: Fair subdued as mild burnt toffee malt stands center stage with maybe a touch of endive in the background. Warming didn't really help its case very much, as it's solid, but a bit too mild.

Taste: Mild toffee malt that gives way to it's more charred notes as mild herbal bitterness rounds things off. I swear I am picking up a mild cherry note as well at the end. Solid without a lot of bells and whistles.

Mouthfeel: Transistioning is solid, although it's not a long journey. The carbonation helps out the entire beer which is also good. Aftertaste is a mainly focusing on that charred toffee note, that manages to pull of that slight dry snap at the end that makes you want to quaff more but not get out of control.

Drinkability: Medium bodied and refreshing. A great combo for a lager, and that it offer a nice charred and mild bitterness to it makes it interesting as well. This is your late night spring quaffer, when things have cooled down and you want to take things easier at the end of the night.

Final Thoughts: I honestly didn't expect this to be as good as it was. I saw the can and thought, "Well...this is probably a lighter lager, that's dark in name only given the low ABV. That said though, this was something I'd happily enjoy again. Thumbs Up.

April 25 2024

 

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Dec 20 2023 and served slightly chilled.

Pours clear chestnut brown with ruby red highlights; gathered atop is one finger of tight, foamy, light beige-coloured head that melts away within two or three minutes. A narrow collar and some filmy wisps on the surface are all that remain; minimal lace generation. Toasted bread and roasted grains on the nose, with minor notes of cocoa, chicory and faint smokiness.

Flavourful at only 3.8%, but well-balanced as well - i.e. not too saccharine, in fact it finishes relatively dry. Bready malts, toast, roasted grains and light cocoa notes are all discernible, with a touch of herbal hops and roasty bitterness on the back end. Faintly malty/chocolate-y finish that dries considerably. Light in body, with assertive carbonation that prickles & prods the palate continuously, remaining lively right down to the last few gulps. Crisp mouthfeel; eminently quaffable.

Final Grade: 3.9, a B+. Beyond the Pale's Evening Edition is very intriguing as a session option, but I tend to prefer pale lagers over dark ones. That being said, I do think this is quite well made, and I do not have any serious complaints to register - it's tasty, it feels good on the tongue, and it drinks oh so easily. A fine alternative to, say, Budvar Dark, which has been my usual dark lager go-to for years now. Recommended if you enjoy dark lagers, or if you're in the market for low abv brews.

473ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for around $3.75CDN. Canned December 20, 2023.

Appearance - Clear dark brown color about the color of chestnuts. A finger of loose off tan head is poured and stays for a brief period.

Smell - Lots of roasty notes, plenty of dark bread and some hints of sweetness in the form of chocolate.

Taste - Bread, dark chocolate, hints of cocoa powder. Good depth of flavor.

Mouthfeel - Medium light bodied with fizzy and expressive carbonation. Easy to drink.

Overall - This is the type of beer I could drink all day. Easy to drink, flavorful, very good aromatics and on the light side, the ABV could still catch up to you but harder to do as you'll be bloated and full of gas long before then. I wish more brewers put out full flavor but lighter brews like this a Czech Dark Lager as well as some of the traditional English styles.

Can: Poured a black color lager with a large brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of roasted malt notes with some chocolate notes and some dry bitter notes. Taste is also a mix of roasted malt with light black chocolate notes with a semi-dry finish. Body is about average for style with good carbonation. Easy drinking black lager with some good character.