Carmen's Carrot Cake
Sonder Brewing

 

I get kind of a candy corn flavor. Fortunately, I like candy corn. And fruit cake. And eggnog. That's right, I'm a disciple of the unholy holiday treat trifecta.

AND NOW THIS BEER

WHAT THE FUCK

 

Look - I love the look of this beer, thick and orange
Smell - Smells dead onto a carrot cake
Taste - taste pretty close but not as close as the smell
Feel - only thing lacking here was how thin it is, wish it was thicker since its suppose to be a carrot cake
Overall - besides for the thickness, this beer is outstanding

 

Great Desert Beer

This in fact is a Kolsch, I confirmed this talking to the brewer, which makes this all the better. Poured, the beer looks like Tang -- bright orange in a way that will make you look thrice because you don't believe it can be so.

And it tastes like carrot cake, without the texture of carrots. In fact, there's not much carrot flavor (thankfully), but all the spice, graham, and cream cheese frosting flavors carry through to the end. The simple base means no lingering sweetness or beetus issues here.

Dessert ale with carrots, graham cracker, vanilla, and cinnamon. I'm not absolutely certain what the style is. On the menu at Bottle Lodge where I enjoyed it on tap, it listed it as a Kolsh (but it doesn't confirm this on the can). Poured from a can into a Founders tulip. The color of this pour is unlike anything I've seen in a beer. It's solid haze and the exact color of a carrot - bright orange. If I held a carrot up to this glass it would be perfectly camouflaged. The beer sports about a finger of off-white foam that very quickly dies down to nothing. The nose is startling - I can smell the cream cheese frosting on a piece of carrot cake. I also get notes of graham cracker and cinnamon.

Medium-light body with a firm feel. The beer is somewhat sweet up front. I get flavors of fresh bread, graham, vanilla, and carrot. It really does taste like a piece of carrot cake. At around mid-palate the flavors start to recede and the malt and hops come forward a bit, reminding you this is a beer. The finish is rather short-lived, with some of the graham and vanilla lingering briefly.

A really interesting beer. Unlike any I have had so far. I really enjoyed it. The flavors are subtle and mild, so it's easy to drink and not over the top. I could see this as a fall beer for people who are a little tired of pumpkin ales. Highly recommended for those seeking out new flavors. Just keep in mind it's not an imperial ale, so the flavors aren't too intense. Nevertheless, what is there is darn good.