Cannoli Beer
Shebeen Brewing Company

 

 

Shebeen Brewing Co. "Cannoli Beer"
16 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$2.79 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: What a beautiful head of rocky off-white! It was initially over two fingers thick but it's since subsided and become denser. The body beneath it is a very hazy chestnut brown in color. I find nutmeg and cinnamon in the aroma over a medium caramel malt base. Let's see if the flavor follows... yes, absolutely. The nutmeg is more prominent than the cinnamon, which thankfully isn't overdone or it would taste like a pumpkin beer, and the malt has that medium caramel flavor but that's not overdone either. I'm not finding the vanilla that the label notes but that probably just because the spices are overriding it; it's probably helping it to appear a little sweeter than it is though. I've just noticed that the head has now died down but it's got a nice wide collar, and the lacing is fantastic with thick creamy sheets that show rings where I took sips. Back to the taste, a firm bitterness balances it and it finishes dry in conjunction with the spices and the cinnamon lingers in the aftertaste. It's spicier than I expected as I've never had a Cannoli that spicy, but maybe that's just my experience. Ah, I'm finding some vanilla now, lingering in the aftertaste. It's medium bodied and gently crisp. Overall I think it's just a touch too spicy but like i said about tasting Canollis, maybe that's just me, some people are more sensitive to different flavors than others. Would I drink it again? Yeah, it's pleasant and charming. How often and when? Not often, but then again I don't drink spiced beers that often at all except for Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas, all of which would be perfect for this. I don't really see it as a dessert beer on it's own but I guess it could work, but I'd imagine you could pair it fairly readily with an assortment of items. Personally I'd like this alongside some buttery baked sweet potatoes. So, overall, pretty decent as far as spiced ales go.

4.25/3.75/4/3.75/3.75 = 3.88

 

 

L - surprisingly thick. Looks sugary. Legs and everything! Dark crimson brownish copper.

S - brown sugar and cinammon. Lots of spices. Allspice and nutmeg.

T - definitely a dessert beer. Same flavors in the nose with bits of vanilla and caramel malts. Sweet.

F - medium body, kinda prickly carbonation. Peppers the tongue.

O - this beer gets a lot of shit because it's Shebeen and kinda sorta not really a beer, but it nails what it sets out to do. Can't fault them for that. They know the audience they're going after and they deliver.

 

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had copper-brown color and a thick, cloudy texture. There was a huge, creamy, off-white, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A nice, enticing aroma of a lot of spices, vanilla, and a slight graininess.

T: Tasted of a hint of the aforementioned grains (not too much), several different spices (cinnamon and especially nutmeg), light vanilla notes, some malt, and a slightly acidic quality in the finish. Quite spicy, with many of them in the front of the flavor; the finish is slightly thin, but this is a minor issue. An interesting flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is one of those beers that will never be a crowd pleaser. It just won't appeal to everyone. On the other hand, some, like myself, enjoyed this one greatly.

Pours nice and brown with a moderate head that sticks around. Smells of cinnamon and sweetness. Taste follows up and it absolutely nails what it says it is. Usually not a fan of the spiced beers but this is one of the best I have had. If your a hop head you likely won't enjoy it but if you enjoy some maltiness and sweetness you may enjoy it. Different and worth a try if you want something different. Some will love it or hate it...I really liked it.

I tried this bomber alone poured chilled in a mug.

The color is deep copper with translucent clarity and 2 finger khaki head. The smell has a light spice aroma that increases as it is swirled with a mild fruity yeast ester and cinnamon mostly with slight nutmeg woody scent and smooth vanilla odor. The feel is good with a lightly bitter texture for a 'dessert' beer spicy up front with mild malt sweetness and slight spice astringency in the back with a medium carbonation level and semi-dry finish.

The flavor has good malt base with slight toasted and gently sweet taste with moderately strong nutmeg and subtle cinnamon with gentle nuttiness from nutmeg adding to the woody taste with slight creaminess perhaps vanilla influenced with slight fruitiness of yeast and mild minty quality from nutmeg in the finish. The cinnamon flavor continues as it finishes semi-dry. This was better than I expected -this got better the more I drank of this the spice flavor really comes forward after the chill wears off. The only drawback is it is a little vegetal but at least it has a natural spice quality-not too much vanilla or sweetness.

 

 

Pours a brownish copper with little head. The nose is sweet - pretty darn close to an authentic cannoli smell. The flavor is also very sweet but in an artificial and medicinal way. The body is far too thin to effectively carry something this sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

This is swill. Say what you will about Bud/Coors/Miller, at least they produce a product that doesn't trigger my gag reflex. The aroma, wow, totally artificial, sweet cinnamon and nutmeg (which i love in cookies) but does not entice me to take a drink in this abomination. Seriously it took me a minute and a half to find the courage to take a drink. The flavor is worse than the aroma. Plastics. It was a good thing in The Graduate, but it utterly sucks in this beer. All the while, fellow BA @pagriley is cackling his ass off as I pour this beer on to the driveway. Aussie bastard!

L - light copper with off white head
S - Sharp and acidic and a slight chemically off note
T - acidic bite, with chemical sweetness. Please make it stop...
F - light bodied and spritz

Overall a super weird beer....