Loophole - Sangria-Style
Taxman Brewing Co.

This is the tenth (& last 8=( ) in a run-through of beers that came to me CANtesy of @jkblr for inCANsion in The CANQuest (tm). I remain grateful for the hook-ups!

From the CAN: "imperial golden ale with fruit and spices and aged in red wine barrels"; "Unlock the Vault, our series committed to the careful, prolonged conditioning and blending of barrel-aged ales. Take advantage of Loophole, a special release golden ale featuring citrus, berries and stonefruit, aged in red wine barrels with a pinch of cinnamon."; "Declare Yourself"; "Belgian Inspired American Crafted"; "IBU 26".

I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. The first thing that I noticed was that its aging had left it no longer "golden" in color. 8=O It attempted to foam, but quickly fell away to be a mere skim of wisps atop this rather strange-looking offering. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22). Nose was more like a spiced Wassail, making me wish that they would bottle this one. What?!? Yes, because I have gotten very good at preparing warmed beers & wines & this one seemed to beg to be warmed & served in a mug. I got notes of orange peel, sour cherries, cinnamon & ginger from the nose. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was more like a spiced red wine with a definite vinousness plus cinnamon & nutmeg as well as orange slices. 8=O This would probably be CANtastic, lightly heated in a double boiler or a low crock pot & deCANted into a mug. I have done this on many ocCANsions to great response. In this case, I was not really digging it cold, but I'd bet that it would be bangin' if warmed. The taste was much more vinous than beer-like. Finish was semi-dry to dry, even with the inclusion of spices. Interesting. For me, one was enough until I CAN get some to warm. YMMV.

This is the beer for your girlfriend who doesn’t like beer and wants a sangria but you make her have a beer because you’re at a brewery and the whole point is to drink beer and she doesn’t really like it but kinda likes it and says I guess this is ok for a beer and neither of you are fully satisfied but you found some kind of compromise that sort of works but you both agree next time she’ll just have a wine cooler and you’ll have the beer you actually want.

Look: Deep hues of red and brown, almost dark pink, with white head and some lacing.

Smell: Berries and sweet red wine.

Taste: Some kind of berry medley, sweet and sour, spilled into a Belgian ale.

Feel: decent medium body, dry.

Overall: if there is such thing as a red Smurf, which I believe there is, then I’d swear this is straight-up red Smurf jizz.

Sort of looks like a beer. Light brown pour with a really reddish hue. Resembles a lot of cherry or raspberry beers. The head is fleeting. While it’s there, it’s white bubbles with a splash of pink.

Smells like sangria. Lots of red fruits. The wine barrels are on display.

Tastes like a poor man’s fruity Belgian. Like an ordinary brown ale was simply mixed with some fruit juice.

Fruity and tart with bitterness evolving in the finish.

Good alcohol level, but the beer is only average.

12oz canned 2/7/20 (one month ago) poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 9% ABV 26 IBU. The beer pours moderately dense light brown with red / orange highlights. The head is khaki colored and recedes to a pencil thin ring and island. No lacing. The aroma is fruity with hints of yeast and cinnamon. The taste is fruity (citrus, berry, stonefruit- as advertised) with cinnamon and a much lighter taste than the color would indicate. The red wine barrel influence is subtle, but there. Minimal bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just above average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, weird, but good.