First of all allow me to reintroduce myself. Have been away quite a bit the last few weeks which meant no new postings to Views on Brews. There was a nephew's wedding, the 4th of July extended weekend, and in between those two events we picked up a rescue dog. It's been six years since our beloved yellow lab had passed, but we were finally ready to take the plunge again. So now we have a rescue who came to us from a shelter in Mississippi. He was treated for heartworm and generally seems to have had a fairly joyless life. But he is a sweet thing and very loving to us. He was advertised as a yellow lab/cocker spaniel mix, but we detect beagle in the face and eyes as well.
And now down to business.
Shebeen Brewing Company in Wolcott, CT has been on my radar for a while now. They opened recently just a couple of years ago to some real notice here in the local press. Maybe it was the articles in the local papers. Or maybe it was the fact that they were making a brew called Cannoli Beer. I mean come on that's not fair - two of my favorite things in the whole world combined into one? Did I make it to heaven after all? Whatever the reason I've been on the lookout for their offerings ever since.
So it was with great pleasure that I came across a six pack of cans at one of my local package stores. It was the Irish Pale Ale. Even the can had a different look to it.
Should have known I was in for a unique experience as soon as I brought it to the register. The owner asked me if I had tried this before. I said that no, I had come across the Black IPA, but had been wanting to try anything from Shebeen for a while now. He gave me this non-committal look. He warned me to be prepared for a different taste. It's definitely different, or words to that effect were what he told me. So just be ready.
Of course that made me want to sample the Irish Pale Ale as soon as possible. Unfortunately I did have to put some cans in the fridge and let them rest and reach a suitable temperature. But then I did give it a shot.
First thing I noticed, and you might as well even from a fuzzy picture, is that the color is not at all pale. At least not if you're used to an American style pale ale.
Then there was the aroma. Very subtle, not overpowering, but a definite hint of sweetness.
After that I took my first swallow. The first sensation that greeted me wasn't the flavor, but the texture. There was a silkiness to this brew I had not come across before. This beer has a totally different feel to it. The feel wasn't necessarily good or bad, but it was unique.
As for the taste, just as with the aroma, there was the hint of sweetness. It bordered on a roasted sweetness, almost like some domestic Vanilla Porter's I've sampled. Just not as sweet. Maybe it was the "Irish" in the name but I swear I detected some smoky peat-like accents in the aftertaste.
So what to make of this brew? Having checked out their site since I see Irish Pale Ale advertised as a session beer. It is light and only 4.9% ABV. Maybe it's just my personal prejudice but anything that is sweet, or even has hints of sweetness, strikes me as too rich or too heavy for a session beer.
I had no problem finishing the six pack, though not in one sitting! And I would get it again (after trying some of their other brews first!), but it's not a session beer. It is a very unique brew and should be approached in that spirit. It would be a good beer for sharing a six pack between 2 or 3 of your fellow beer enthusiasts. And I'm betting it's one where they either really like it or hate it.
Overall I give Shebeen's Irish Pale Ale 7 mugs out of 10. Points for achieving that unique velvety, silky feel. Points for a unique beer overall in color and taste. Be warned though, heed the words of my local package store owner, "be prepared for something different".