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Sī Fáng
Off Color Brewing
Beer Geek Stats
- From:
- Off Color Brewing
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- European Pale Lager
- ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- Needs more ratings
- Avg:
- 4.16 | pDev: 2.16%
- Reviews:
- 2
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 12, 2023
- Added:
- Jan 27, 2023
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
n/a
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n/a
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Notes:
Sī Fáng, which loosely translates to “Secret Recipe”, is an International style pale lager brewed with black tea and Osmanthus flowers made in collaboration with our favorite dumpling shop in Chicago. Qing Xian Yuan (lovingly shortened to QXY) is a small, family owned dumpling shop located in Chinatown with modern take on handmade soup dumplings using a secret, family recipe that has evolved over the course of 300 years and 16 generations from their original dumpling shop in northern China during the Qing dynasty.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois
4.07/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.07/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bright gold, a little hazy on the second pour. Lasting finger of foam, spotty lace.
Sulfur aroma is mild initially, then dissipates. Pale malt comes through after it warms.
Smooth and understated, black tea is front and center, with a little bit of dry crackery pale malt behind it. Crisp and clean, mild and easy drinking. Supple carb, pairs well with food, try it with soup dumplings at QXY in Chinatown.
Feb 12, 2023Sulfur aroma is mild initially, then dissipates. Pale malt comes through after it warms.
Smooth and understated, black tea is front and center, with a little bit of dry crackery pale malt behind it. Crisp and clean, mild and easy drinking. Supple carb, pairs well with food, try it with soup dumplings at QXY in Chinatown.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Since I added this beer, let me explain my choice of "Light Lager" as there are several reasons.
The first is simple, 4.5% ABV is in the range for BA (albeit at the top.)
Second... While there do not seem to be adjuncts in Si Fang (as there are in most of the category), its all malt bill also sets a standard on the high end, but helps the style. Third... And since I like Off Color more than the leaders of the Light category, I wanted to give OCB a boost up and elevate the category.
Particularly, I've had tea used mostly in ales (OCB's Beer for Golf inspired by the Arnold Palmer being prominent.) But Si Fang is the first lager I can remember using both the drying and salivating qualities of tea. So it is good to taste tea on the clean side of the aisle, if I can use that legislative metaphor in which worldviews clash so badly (currently here.)
I bought a 4-pack from The Mousetrap today, so I will review Si Fang more closely shortly. But for tonight, let me record that I had Si Fang with Udon noodles (you know, the slurpy ones from Japan.) Well I'm happy to report that the Chinese dumplings-inspired beer and the Japanese staple food collaborate well together. (And it sure would be nice if geo-politics was as steadfast as different cultures' kitchens.)
2/9/23 I paired Si Fang again with the Udon dish, in part because I bought 4 servings from Costco. But what I did different was that I drank Si Fang side-by-side with Janjing Beer, a Chinese lager I'd never had. Si Fang won as its all barley bill sets it apart from the competition.
Jan 28, 2023The first is simple, 4.5% ABV is in the range for BA (albeit at the top.)
Second... While there do not seem to be adjuncts in Si Fang (as there are in most of the category), its all malt bill also sets a standard on the high end, but helps the style. Third... And since I like Off Color more than the leaders of the Light category, I wanted to give OCB a boost up and elevate the category.
Particularly, I've had tea used mostly in ales (OCB's Beer for Golf inspired by the Arnold Palmer being prominent.) But Si Fang is the first lager I can remember using both the drying and salivating qualities of tea. So it is good to taste tea on the clean side of the aisle, if I can use that legislative metaphor in which worldviews clash so badly (currently here.)
I bought a 4-pack from The Mousetrap today, so I will review Si Fang more closely shortly. But for tonight, let me record that I had Si Fang with Udon noodles (you know, the slurpy ones from Japan.) Well I'm happy to report that the Chinese dumplings-inspired beer and the Japanese staple food collaborate well together. (And it sure would be nice if geo-politics was as steadfast as different cultures' kitchens.)
2/9/23 I paired Si Fang again with the Udon dish, in part because I bought 4 servings from Costco. But what I did different was that I drank Si Fang side-by-side with Janjing Beer, a Chinese lager I'd never had. Si Fang won as its all barley bill sets it apart from the competition.
Sī Fáng from Off Color Brewing
Beer rating:
4.16 out of
5 with
2 ratings
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