Spectrum Amber
13 Virtues Brewing

It's tough when you start with low expectations and even these aren't met. Spectrum is unexpectedly bad. It is a conflicted brew of pretty mahogany color that is largely clear and shows a light film of head and a smattering of lace. It is nearly devoid of any smell - a virtuous attribute in a beer this flawed.

In all seriousness, Spectrum tastes powerfully bad. It is not casually bad or somewhat misguided. It is sour, acrid, and spoiled. It hints vaguely at alt properties with a distant nuttiness. But these qualities are minimized in favor of harsh medicinal defects. Even the mouthfeel is somehow dusty.

As I drank this beer, I read the papers, putting down the glass for three or four minutes between sips. But each time I returned to take a sip, I was once again startled at how vile it is. It's as if my brain were trying to erase the very memory of the experience because it's too painful to rationally cope with.