Elevator Dopplebock
Hell's Basement

355ml can - the label depicts the expected goat, yes, but in this case it's ramming a traditional Alberta grain elevator. Simple is good sometimes. And yeah, that's how they spell the style in the name.

This beer pours a clear, medium bronzed amber colour, with a teeming tower of puffy, loosely foamy, and bubbly tan head, which leaves some random splotchy lace around the glass as it lazily sinks out of sight.

It smells of biscuity and grainy cereal malt, white grape juice, a twinge of musty yeastiness, melted brown sugar, and some very plain earthy, leafy, and gently soused-up floral hop bitters. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, wine gums, a still indistinct musty essence, simple syrup, and more well-understated musty, weedy, and gently perfumed floral hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its palate-satiating frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, and generally smooth, with a wee airy creaminess sneaking in as things warm up a bit out of le frigo. It finishes off-dry, that biscuity Red Shed malt propping up another 'berta brew as ever was.

Overall - this comes across as a sensible enough offering, nice and warming without an overt boozy kick. And maybe now we know what may have happened to all those dilapidated farm out-buildings I used to see on drives around this still fine province of ours.