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Our second beer from Paperback Brewing is Fancy Pants Kolsch.
That is a crazy design for the crowler, though I really do like the sign that doubles as the beer description, that is quite clever. This Germanic beer has a fancy name for a time when most people are wearing shorts. It pours a bright and clear yellow. The taste is crisp with a bit of salty minerality to it. The aroma has a nice corn and grain sweet note to it. Not fizzy but forceful, I just wish it was a little less salty.
Looks like the next packaging step is close to upon us…..
Oskar Blues has taken that step by adding a new lid and cap to the traditional crowler. Will this put the final nail in the growler? Or can both coexist?
Straight from the silver crowler purchased at the pier location of King Harbor comes this golden ale with spruce tips.
This is one of the yellowest beers that I have seen. Crystal clear. When first opened, the earthy pine notes are significant. As it warms, those tree notes fade off a bit but the beer retains a strong back end flavor of spruce tree. At 6.1%, the beer might be a skosh strong for a simple golden ale but the white bread toast notes bring it back into lighter territory.
Those who like smashing names together will probably quickly get the new name. 1/2 can and 1/2 growler from Oskar Blues in Colorado. I have had insanely big cans from Mission Brewing in San Deigo but these you re-use instead of recycle.
Here is their quickie description, “A Crowler™ (CAN + growler) is a 32-ounce CAN filled with fresh craft beer from the source. Yep, draft beer in a portable growler-sized CAN. It’s the newest innovation coming from the Oskar Blues Brewery taproom and their development partner Ball Corporation, the pioneers of the American craft beer-in-a-CAN movement.”