Beer For Cafés
Off Color Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've now had all but one of Off Color's Beer For series. I rated above the average for all but 2 of the 9 in the series. This makes 3. I think Off Color should focus on tweaking the recipes of the successful ones... of which Cafe's could become one.

Cafe's opens with a decent color, but too little foam sticks around. Smells are ... different; really not enough fruit for an ale. I get mostly spices associated with chai. Tastes are almost pleasant, considering that I am trying to understand a different animal. Mouthfeel works; palate cleansed by enough bubbles... a medium mouth for a low ABV.

Advice? I agree with Emerge077... less clove is a start. That might even let the yeast let this Look like a beer and make some fruit.

3/15/22 The Ides of March ! I've edited the above and increased the rating and am glad I drank this again. I'm not sure how much Off Color changed the recipe from last year, but the cloves do seem to be less and the wheat more. I'm thinking I over-reacted last year with a low rating; in part, because Off Color tends to add one more ingredient that they probably should. If they can stifle that urge and Keep It Simple, their creativity may be less experimental. Counting @ Untappd.

Pale gold with bright clarity, rapid carb trails, loose sudsy foam, minimal spotty lace.

Aroma is all clove all the time, maybe a vague note of cinnamon underneath.

Tastes strongly of clove, with some cinnamon and ginger in the aftertaste. Black tea is there but the spices dominate.

Body is light, crisp, and carbonated. Phenolic character slightly numbs the palate. Slightly astringent.

While I love Chai tea, i'm not really a fan of heavy clove. While this beer isn't exactly subtle, the clove isn't a deal breaker for me, but it certainly dominates. I guess I was expecting more tea flavor and creamy smooth texture.