Sunday, September 15, 2013

Odd Side Bean Flicker: Review

Odd Side Bean Flicker
Odd Side Ales
Grand Haven, Michigan, USA


Satisfying stimulation of sessionable self exploration!
Blonde Ale made with coffee
4.5% abv

My wife and I tried a couple of these last week.  She liked it and I was just plain ol’ dumbfounded.  (Ignorance is bliss)  This ale has the coffee profile that would fit a porter or a stout but has a golden ale backbone.  It just seemed really strange to me.

Appearance: golden body with a one finger white head, that lays down to a thin film in no time; not much on the lacing; plenty of carbonation bubbles rising to the top;


Aroma: a little coffee bean and then a light golden ale note and then more coffee; each time I get a whiff of golden ale the hazelnut coffee with light cream overrides everything; then the next sniff a vanilla caramel popcorn coffee; then back to hazelnut; if this was a dark porter my mind would not be confused but, the body of this ale is golden; just picked up a Bailey’s and coffee note

Flavors/Mouthfeel: changes with every sip I take just like the aroma; each time I think I get a hint of fresh golden grains that remind me that I am drinking a Golden Ale wham! Coffee and then hazelnut coffee with light cream then coffee again – well just read the aroma notes and that is what it tastes like; plenty of carbonation on the feel just like a Golden Ale; a light golden ale feel and a medium body coffee feel;


To the Point: on the bottle it says, ‘Satisfying stimulation of self exploration’ … oops … I left out ‘sessionable’ self exploration.  I always hope that self-exploration is satisfying and stimulating but sessionable?  OOhhh, I get it … my perception of beer is the ‘self-exploration’.  Bean Flicker is challenging my beer perception with this Blonde ale that is made with coffee.  And in my ‘self-exploration’ during this second bottle of Bean Flicker my hard view of the first bottle softened a bit and I started to like this ale a little bit more. 

I just don’t think I can drink two of these Bean Flickers back to back.  So much for, ‘sessionable self exploration’.  I guess I am a one and done kind of guy. 

Okay, I got myself up to do this ‘sessionable self exploration,’ that Odd Side Ales talk about here.  I poured myself a second glass to see if I can reach this concept of ‘Satisfying stimulation.’ 


Yeah, the first one was just fine – having a second one was like having a second helping of apple pie – I should have just left it at one and done.  


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