Charrette
Dark City Brewing Co.

I did not have a ChANce to CANpletely finish my Happy New Summer in the Dark with a Beer in the City Sunday (Week 757) with a brewery horizontal from Asbury Park, NJ's Dark City B.C., including this beer as a part of The CANQuest (tm).

From the CAN: "Rye India Pale Ale"; "Unfiltered. Store Cold. Drink Fresh."

I have submitted a ChANge Request to have this made into a Rye Beer since it no longer mentions anything about "Belgian" & I will be reviewing/rating it as such.

I read the earlier reviews & decided that the proper course of action would be to Crack! open the vent & CANduct a very slow, gentle Glug so as NOT to rouse any lees that may have settled on the kick/punt. I know that the CAN identified it as "Unfiltered", but I am less about mud & more into clarity. It foamed up to form two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with excellent retention. My efforts paid off as I was rewarded with a glass filled with a lightly-hazy Amber to Deep-Amber/Light-Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13) beer. Some haze is okay, the mud that @NeroFiddled described would be less-than-ideal. Nose had the distinct peppery spiciness of rye & my mouth beCAN to water. It had a very fresh, vegetal quality, like peppers picked from the garden - earthy & spicy! Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste was earthy, spicy & definitely of rye! Rye is a tricky grain to use since it breaks down very easily in the mash to become a glutinous jelly that, if allowed to set, will require a jackhammer to remove. Brewers have been increasingly willing to push the envelope in their rye percentage as far as the malt bill is CANcerned & I would be curious to find out where this one stands. It was VERY rye like - cool, dry, minty, spicy, just what I would want in a Rye Beer. Finish was dry, but not gaspingly so. This had a cool, minty burn that lingered after the swallow. Mmm. YMMV.

 

Dark City Brewing Co. "Charrette"
1 Pint can, "CANNED ON 11/03/17 12:09:48", contract brewed by Beltway Brewing Co., Sterling, VA
$4.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: I should have been more careful pouring this, just at the end a whole bunch of sediment came out. Oh well, now it's a cloudy deep amber-orange. - I wonder if it was intended to be cloudy? - The head is a finger-thick cap of frothy off-white and it appears as if it's going to stick around for at least a little bit. In the nose it's spicy and woody. I initially though "cinnamon", and it could be in there, but it's more like cinnamon bark than ground cinnamon. It's unusual in a beer. I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I'm sure the rye is giving it some spiciness, and the Belgian yeast as well, but it definitely seems like it's also had some spice added, maybe Ceylon mace. It's also leafy and tea-like. There cold be some Chai tea in there for all I know, and now that i think about it that kind of makes sense. Now that I think of that I'm thinking maybe green cardamom. In any case, it's spicy and not much else is getting through. On to the flavor... well, you guessed it, spicy. But it's not too spicy. It's not peppery which is nice. There seems to be a little bit there but it's at lower levels. And there seems to be some chocolate malt in there somewhere, although I'm not sure. It's grainy and sweetish followed by a little bit of fruitiness (mainly apple), and then I get a little bit of rye and what seems like chocolate. A very firm bitterness balances it, and it finishes dry with a dusting of residual spice. In the mouth it's medium bodied with a dextrinous edge, and a delicately effervescent carbonation that lends it a light caress before becoming smoother. Looking back it's still got a solid creamy cap on it, and there's some very nice lacing, except for the cloudiness I can hardly fault the appearance, and I'm going to just let the cloudiness go. Overall it's very nice, it just seems muddled. Nothing particularly stands out from what seems to be a fairly complex brew. I'm hoping they can refine this a little bit but I enjoyed it as it is.
Review# 5,968

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately my first experience with this brewery is far from a promising start. This is from a fresh can, and it's obvious right from pouring it that they are going for a NE take on the style in terms of mouthfeel and heavily dry hopped 'more is better' approach. Neither does the end result any favors. The result is an unsophisticated, oversaturated and distorted blend of flavors: pineapple/papaya concentrate, chai spice tea syrup, floral perfume. And the cottony/fuzzy feel only exacerbates the lack of clarity in the flavor/aroma. It's not a total drain pour, but it's hardly a pleasant drink.

 

 

 

The light tan head is very active and loose, crests about two fingers and sizzles down quickly from there, the lacing is extremely wispy with barely any stickiness. Cloudy orange rust hued liquid, fades to a yellowish cast at the rims and surface, just a few visible bubbles which move sluggishly. The nose has plenty of banana, bubblegum and whipped cream notes, spiced orange peel, minimal apple, pear fruit scents, needs to warm some before the rye becomes clearly apparent. Full-bodied, the carbonation is as soft as the visual inspection suggests, little movement in the mouth. More peppery here with good rye bite and a mineral water underpinning. Some cracker and bread crust, noticeable drop in citrus presence. The fruit closer to apricot, peach pit than apple. The bubblegum most present retronasally at the end. Modicum of dank herbaceous notes through the finish too. Tastes like a stylistic mash-up which is kind of what it is. Wears you out some drinking it, hardly to imagine putting back two 16 oz. cans in one sitting.

 

A: hazy golden amber color. There is a hint of light purple as well. Head pours 2 finger off-white

S: bubble gum, lemongrass, pear, green apple, grainy, and crackery. Belgian yeast definitely dominant in the aroma

T: bubblegum, pear, and a tea leaf bitterness upfront. There is a huge dry crackery presence in here as well. There is a peppery spice that combines with the bitterness to leave a lingering tinge on the tongue.

M: medium mouthfeel with big carbonation

O: an average beer here. I like the Belgian IPAs because of the yeast. This is a fair representation of the style - the pepper and hops create a lingering feeling on the tongue that works with the bubblegum in here