SF Brewer's Guild Imperial Common Lager
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

 

 

On tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear dark orange with a 1/2 inch beige head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Thin streaks of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, candy sweetness, fruit, and some alcohol aromas. Taste is of malt, fruit, citrus zest, and alcohol. A medium amount of bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and slightly sticky mouthfeel. Overall, this is an interesting take on the style compared to Anchor Steam that packs way more of an alcohol punch.

smell is barrel aged, vanilla character is slight but mixed with a classic, earthy fruity almost achorish steambeer character

taste is a good mix of sweetness, subtle vanilla and hoppiness that happens to hold the alcohol very well, this beer tastes about 5%

On tap at Barclays' in Oakland. First time I've tried this on a clean palate and I'm very curious. I love the style for it's deliciousness and local history but I can only think of a handful of brewers who have been able to pull it off successfully and I'm not sure if bal-aging is the best idea on this type of beer. Okay, enough speculation. Let's investigate...

Forms a very small but well retained pistaschio shell colored head. Body appears just about half a shade darker that Fritz' standard bearer.

One can't help but continue with the comparison to Anchor's version when reviewing this style, at least I can't. This seems slightly less hoppy than that beer with a sharper and sweeter malt profile.

Taste...hm. A lot going on, the effects of the barrel aging are somewhat subdued which I think is a good thing. Tastes more to-style that it smelled with a nice smooth yeasty and slightly dry bitter hop flavor. There's an interesting flowery aspect to the aftertaste which plays off the caramel malt flavor.

The lack of alcohol heat or sweetness is probably the strongest point on this one. Doesn't drink anywhere near it's listed ABV.

In the end this is an interesting concept and was a fun beer to have around for beer week. I'm glad I tried it but I'm not exactly going to get up in arms to petition Speakeasy & the rest of the guild to brew it again once it's gone. While it's very tasty I'd sooner reach for an Anchor Steam or Urban People's Common Lager.

On-tap at Blue Palms

A: The pour is a clear golden color with some orange notes to it with a white head and some mild lacing.

S: The nose is interesting with plenty of caramel and bready malt with a bit of oak and some mild peat.

T: I was slightly surprised that the peat was much more pronounced on the tongue than in the nose. The same bready and sweet malts were there as well as the vanilla and whiskey flavors.

M: The body is medium, a bit on the full side for a lager, with moderate carbonation.

D: I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this, but I suppose I was pleasantly surprised. Normally you don't think of lagers and barrel aging, but this one worked fairly well.

On tap at 515 in Santa Cruz as part of a flight. Pours amber in the sample-sized glass, with a small tan head. Aroma is grainy and bready with some caramel and oak. Flavor, in addition to the expected cereal grains and fresh bread, has a hint of lime, which could either be some sort of sour mash whiskey note or a crappy tap line (50/50 chance for each option). Very little spirit influence as far as I can tell, maybe a little thinning of the body with some astringency. Some dry earthy hoppiness but not a particularly characterful beer.

On tap at the Rose & Crown during SF Beer Week.

Clear golden-copper color with a small off-white head and good lacing.

Aroma is very biscuity and slightly woody. A little caramel and grain.

Flavor is biscuit and caramel malt, maybe a little grain. Oaky -bal aging is evident, as well as a slight hint of vanilla. Whiskey is extremely subtle. Flavor is similar to an amped-up -bal aged Fat Tire.

Very nice mouthfeel - medium bodied and fairly dry, with some slight hop bitterness.

Overall this beer is pretty good for what it is. Drinkability is high.

Collaboration brewed by the San Francisco Brewers Guild for the 2010 San Francisco Beer Week. Aged in St. George Single Malt barrels.

On-tap at Blue Palms in Hollywood. Served in a generic wide-mouth tulip.

Dark yet clear reddish brown with lava and red-orange highlights. Thin but dense lacing binds to the fine creamy collar. A large island of slick stands in for the lack of head.

Mild doughy malt and distinctive rustic hop notes (Northern Brewer?), but the whiskey comes across as well with subtle peated barley notes. Smells a bit like kiln-dried grains and fresh cold air blowing the marine layer out of the bay.

Caramel, leather, and apricot pits on the palate. Dry bready flavor comes next, accentuated by light grapefruit leading seamlessly into the finish which faintly suggests a sherry-aged single malt. Simple but well done, with a little more complexity in the esters from the barrel aging and perhaps a whisper of citrus (maybe from some late addition of some West Coast hops other than Northern Brewer?) compared to the standard bearers of the style.

Medium-light on the tongue, moderate carbonation (could maybe do with just a touch more) and slightly buttery (though not slick) feeling.

Not quite the 10%+ Anchor Steam on scotch and steroids that was originally advertised - but this is actually a very quaffable brew.