Harder Day Malt Liquor
Steeplejack Brewing Company

Clear amber brew with plenty of foam in the Troubadour tulip. Warm and nutty flavor. Hops, of course, are not much in evidence but there's a spicy aftertaste and a little bitterness. This is so much better than the over-hopped IPAs I don't mind it at all for a change. I might, however, try sinking a shot of the hop juice in a glass of this. At 7.9 percent it's just on the strong side, but doesn't taste of alcohol. Fortunately you wouldn't mistake it for Country Club or Colt 45. From the 16 can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Dated 1/2/24.

Look: Pours a clear golden and quickly, a pillowy white head forms and settles, leaving nice lacing behind

Aroma: Cereal grains, faint floral hop notes, hints of corn, and soda crackers

Taste: Opens up with a light but flavorful note of steeped grains and light floral notes that build momentum and intensity as they settle in. Boiled corn and corn mash come into play in the middle and dominate until crackers, grains, and hops return to join the corn on the close

Mouthfeel: Full, clean, medium-high carbonation, and clean and crisp on the finish

Overall: I dig it. This is my first-ever craft Malt Liquor and even with a lot of bad memories from my past that incorporated this style, I wanted to try one since I never had so why not this new offering from these folks, especially since today was a ‘harder day.’ It’s about what I expected as it tastes and drinks like an imperial AAL, which is technically is. A lot of grains, plenty of corn, and just a kiss of floral hops but doesn’t come across as cheap nor sloppy, like the truly cheap versions do. Nice work on this Steeplejack and an approachable one to try for the masses