Ivins' Famous Lemon Shandy
Conshohocken Brewing Company

 

To keep this series going and against better judgment, a pint can has been cracked open and poured into a clear glass liter mug. It fits, as there's no foamy head here. There's not much head at all. It's a cloudy lemon-amber color that's not hard to look at. There's no glass lacing to be had. Not much aroma here, except that some lemon and some beer characteristics can be detected. The body is thin, perhaps not as thin as an adjunct lager, but thin. Thin, too, is the lemon aspect. If the trouble is made to add milk sugar to the wort, why not add a little more lemon to provide a little more taste and tartness? This is too flavorless and too thinly bodied to be recommended.

16 ounce can poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Canned on 5/2/22, so three and a half weeks old. Sweet!

L---Lightly hazy, light golden yellow color. Medium white head faded quickly to a ring and didn't leave much lacing.

S---Well, obviously lemon. There's something unidentifiable, but off-putting in there as well.

T---Lemon and vanilla. I assume this is supposed to mirror the Ivin's lemon snap cookies the beer is based on.

F---Light & airy. Quite proper for the style.

O---Decent for what it is.

 

Conshohocken Brewing Co. "Ivins' Famous Lemon Shandy"
16 fl. oz. can, "CANNED ON 05/20/21 08:53". Sampled on 11/21/21.
$2 @ ACME #371, Bala Cynwyd, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: When I first saw this on the shelf I passed it by because who really needs another lemon shandy, right? Then I noticed that it was 5.0% ALC. BY VOL. and I thought, hmmm, maybe it's not as sweet as some, and then when I read that it was brewed with Ivins' Lemon Snap Cookies and aged on lemon that clinched the deal. So here we go. It's a hazy gold in color beneath a massive head of white that surprisingly holds quite well. I can hear the bubbles popping though, so I'll assume that it's the carbonation that's keeping it up. OK, by now it has dropped to a thin surface covering, and BAM! it's gone. The aroma is lemony and biscuity. That's got to be coming from the cookies. It's almost like an almost burnt sugar cookie, yet the lemon remains the dominant note. It's surprisingly like real lemons as well. I can't say that I'm in love with the aroma but it is at least very interesting. On to the taste, well I was definitely right in calling this out as being less sweet than other versions, and in fact, it's surprisingly tart. There is some sugar to it which balances it, and that browned sugar cookie flavor remains. There's lots of real lemon lingering in the finish as well. Damn! This is one unique beer. I don't know that I can describe it any better than I already have, you'll just have to try it for yourself and see. There's hardly any bitterness to it but none is needed as it has a good amount of acidity to dry it in the finish. In the mouth it's medium bodied and zesty with acidity and CO2. The more I drink the more tart it seems to become, probably because it's lingering in my mouth. Ahh, so what to say about this that I haven't already? I don't know. It's good. It's quite refreshing. I'm not sure I'd want to have more than one though. I give it a lot of credit for originality though.
Review #7,567

16oz can purchased from the fridge as part of a 4-pack for $10.99. Canned on 5/20/21, so this is exactly four weeks old.

Look: Has a nice golden color with a medium haze and a bit of viscosity. No head retention.

Smell: Smells like summer in a glass - fresh lemony aroma full of lemon oil, zest, pith, and pulp. Smells a lot like lemon dish soap, in a good way. Some other floral aromas like lavender coming through. Other aromas of subtle grassiness, mild spice, malt, and biscuity notes. A bit of creamy vanilla as well from the lactose.

Taste: This is a very tasty and refreshing shandy beer. It's very creative with the use of lemon snap cookies and lactose. Up front, really nice lemon flavor, a touch of sweetness. The finish has very low if any bitterness, and leaves with a bit of sweetness. As I am getting into this, more of that biscuity cookie character along with the lemony flavor is becoming perceived on the finish. It's very nice.

Feel: Nice mouthfeel. It's crisp and very drinkable and not too sweet. Perfectly carbonated.

Overall: This is a summer chugger. I like it because it's different from the run of the mill lemon shandy beer, much more creative and trendy, and it's not too sweet. Who doesn't love a lemon shandy to quench the thirst on a hot summer day? It's delicious!

Product Details (from website)
Ivins' Famous Lemon Shandy is a collaboration brew with our friends at Acme, inspired by their delicious Ivins’ Famous Lemon Snap cookies. Brewed with over 200 lbs. of lemon cookies, pale malt, flaked wheat, lactose and then conditioned on lemon; Ivins’ Famous Lemon Shandy is sweet, lemony and refreshing!