Corbin's Cannon
Backward Flag Brewing Company

Good afternoon and evening, fellow Advocates of Beer and Tasters of new Malts, Hops, Yeast, Waters and whatever else may have found its way into your beer.

Corbin’s Cannon is a “smoked stout” from Backward Flag Brewing Company out of Forked River, New Jersey. This beer is new, as is the brewery.

Look: Upon pouring this beer, a carbonation issue is evident. A hands worth of beige colored foam erupts from the glass. I suck the foam down, but not fast enough. Inside I go for some paper towel. The liquid is an opaque dark brown color. There is no visible carbonation.

Smell: This beer is clearly smoked. It reminds me of a Schlenkerla Rauchbier on the nose, but not as intense. It is smokey and meaty. There is also some coffee and chocolate. A hint of charred wood. A rich, sweet and savory aroma.

Taste: Smokey, bitter and woody. Quite pleasant. It’s hard to pick out due to the smoke, but the beer seems a touch oxidized to me. It does not detract from the beer though.

Feel: Initially this beer is overly carbonated (no surprises here) and drinks like seltzer. However, after sipping for a few minutes the carbonation seems to adjust itself more toward normal. Odd. I’ve had this experience before with overcarbed beers where they seem to adjust themselves after being opened for a few minutes. I don’t know why. Perhaps the “release” of co2? Still quite prickly, but rounds itself out a bit.

Overall: It’s a decent smoked beer. It hits the spot for such a mood.

DATE: March 29, 2019... OCCASION: celebrating the house's closing and our first tour of potential new homes with a beer whose story caught my eye as much as its bad-ass label... GLASSWARE: Duvel tulip... despite my slow-paced pour, a full five-fingered mountain of thick, craggy brown froth... minutes tick, and still it postures arrogantly... its dark black body completes a beer worthy of a cannon in its title... my goodness, the first whiff! distilled liquid bacon! burnt caramel, toffee, some lactic presence, a little peat, and a strong stench of stewed vegetables--this asks a lot of its drinker, but I feel up to it... it sips with medium strength, a sting at its tail end, and a buzz at the teeth... smoky? yes, like a kielbasa's spiciness and a taylor ham's meatiness... other flavors include rauch-ish iron, peat, sea salt (this gets a bit like an Islay scotch with its iodine element), cola, and berry hints make this more than meets the eyes... in fact, its initial intensity rolls back after the, uh, smoke clears, and it even has some herbal/hempen aspects that evoke an earthy, gritty tone... and a sweet finish of marshmallow or toffee makes this even sweeter... tough to pin down, but appreciating every minute of it, I am glad to have picked this off the shelf at the new beer store in Phillipsburg, the name of which escapes me...

 

16 ounce can, poured in to a stemmed snifter glass. "Best by 4/18/2019. Brewed by chicks." Uh, ok.

Opaque 95% black in color with a gentle touch of dark brown hue. Malted milk froth on top, 2F worth that recedes to a sturdy film leaving some lines of lacing

Smokey roasted malt, molasses, hardwood oak char, subtle cocoa.

Dark roasted malt to the point of ashen, Jersey style. Kinda like it's been on the backyard charcoal Weber with the
roasted oysters and clams. Smokey and cooked, not burnt. Some cinnamon and spice with a touch of cherry.

I'll go with full body and feel. It sips easily and hold up throughout. A touch of sweet then a clean dry lingering spice
finish.

Genuine smoked character without any evidence of the artificial mineral / metallic "smoke".