Officially, I've only had four
East Nashville beers. I'm pretty sure I've had more of their brews while I was out, but I can't really count something that I don't have a specific recollection of or didn't write up for this blog. Looking back at my reports on those beers, it's interesting that they started all the way back in April 2017 and both of those got middle-of-the-road reviews. Then, I got two standouts this year. Let's tee up another.
No sonnets will be written about the head on this beer. Or rather, any empty page is one; I'm trying to say there's no head atop the relatively clear, yellow beer with small specks of white detritus floating about in its depths. I'm smelling more malt than hops in the aroma, but I am getting some citrus behind the bready malt. It's a simple presentation, and I can't say it's really filling me with dramatic anticipation.
First sip is great. There's definitely citrus, but the bitterness and acidity is biting more than any of the flavors are catering to the tastebuds. The bread malt is a little crackery behind the citrus, but it's all sitting behind that unpleasant bite of an imbalanced brew. Maybe a swig will balance things out.
Tip-in is gentle carbonation tingle accompanied by an almost apple juice like simplicity in a pine and bread malt mix with a little acidity on top. The middle stretches into a bread-backed citrus that is smooth and relaxed; acid and pine are in tow, but they really aren't steering the ship. Bitterness rains down hard on the finish, and the malt doesn't know what to do with it. So, we just get more bitterness for the trail off.
Bottom Line: It says balanced on the can, but it doesn't say balanced in the beer.
1.5/5
