There Is No “I” in Steam
Ex Novo Brewing
- From:
- Ex Novo Brewing
- New Mexico, United States
- Style:
- California Common / Steam Beer
- ABV:
- 5.8%
- Score:
- +6 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.77 | pDev: 3.45%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 2
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 05, 2025
- Added:
- Oct 22, 2024
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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Toasted/bready malt aroma. Medium body. Bready malt flavor balanced with a clean hop bitterness.
Deep gold/light amber color with off-white head. Toasted/bready malt aroma. Medium body. Bready malt flavor balanced with a clean hop bitterness. Hella quaffable hybrid lager/ale. Some slight fruitiness in the aroma from the warmer fermentation temperatures is balanced with the crisp finish from the Noble hops. Inspired by Anchor Steam, this beer is fermented with a lager yeast at warmer-than-normal lager temperature (in this case, 60 degrees F), which provides a bit of fruity ester character to the beer. It’s a historical style (museum beer) originally brewed in the San Francisco vicinity in the late 1800’s. From the Anchor website: “steam” was a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice. While the origin of the name remains shrouded in mystery, it likely relates to the original practice of fermenting the beer on San Francisco’s rooftops in a cool climate. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air naturally cooled the fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans.
Style: California Common / Lager
Flavor Profile: Malty
Availability: On Tap / Occasional
IBU: 40
Hops: Northern Brewer
Yeasts: Que Bueno
Malts: 2-row / C40 / Vienna
Deep gold/light amber color with off-white head. Toasted/bready malt aroma. Medium body. Bready malt flavor balanced with a clean hop bitterness. Hella quaffable hybrid lager/ale. Some slight fruitiness in the aroma from the warmer fermentation temperatures is balanced with the crisp finish from the Noble hops. Inspired by Anchor Steam, this beer is fermented with a lager yeast at warmer-than-normal lager temperature (in this case, 60 degrees F), which provides a bit of fruity ester character to the beer. It’s a historical style (museum beer) originally brewed in the San Francisco vicinity in the late 1800’s. From the Anchor website: “steam” was a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice. While the origin of the name remains shrouded in mystery, it likely relates to the original practice of fermenting the beer on San Francisco’s rooftops in a cool climate. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air naturally cooled the fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans.
Style: California Common / Lager
Flavor Profile: Malty
Availability: On Tap / Occasional
IBU: 40
Hops: Northern Brewer
Yeasts: Que Bueno
Malts: 2-row / C40 / Vienna
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan
3.72/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Ex Novo’s take on the classic steam beer (aka California common). This pours a caramel amber in color with a malt-forward, bready aroma and a touch of hops on the finish.
Aug 05, 2025
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
3.99/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Clear, copper hued pour; dense and lively carbonation; thick, frothy, off-white head. Rich, malty nose; soft toffee fumes. Fine, mild malt flavor; very light caramel; well-balanced bitterness off-setting the sweetness. Medium mouthfeel; smooth; very light touch of residual sugar stickiness.
This refreshing and easy drinking beer packs some excellent flavor and eye appeal. Malty, balanced, and nicely complex for this relatively uncommon beer style.
ABV: 5.8%; pouring temperature: 50.1 °F; canning info: 12/27/24
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)
Feb 09, 2025This refreshing and easy drinking beer packs some excellent flavor and eye appeal. Malty, balanced, and nicely complex for this relatively uncommon beer style.
ABV: 5.8%; pouring temperature: 50.1 °F; canning info: 12/27/24
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)
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