Ballykilcavan looks to be aiming for all the trendy targets with its Clancy's Cans series. A fruited Berliner weiss was first, and they've followed that with a DDH IPA and a couple of pastry stouts.
Clancy's Cans #2, then, is the aforementioned IPA. It's a bit of a whopper at 7.5% ABV and does not present as expected. I normally assume "DDH", if it means anything, to mean hazy, while this is a pure limpid golden colour. It's thick, hot and bitter in a very west-coast sort of way, with an almost waxy tang adding to the lemon and bergamot flavours. I wasn't surprised to learn that American classics Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra are doing the work. The balancing malt is like golden syrup, and does a good job holding back the hop excesses without turning the beer sweet. This is one of those all too rare big-yet-balanced IPAs; solidly enjoyable and not trying anything fancy or clever. One expects a certain oddness from limited-edition small-batch beers. Maybe the normalness of this one is what makes it odd. Either way, I'll take it.
"Tiramisu Dessert Stout" is what we're dealing with for Clancy's Cans #3. This one is 7.8% ABV, so it's just as well I like my tiramisu with a kick to it. It smells of coffee and chocolate, which is promising, but the follow-through isn't great. For a self-proclaimed "dessert" beer, it's thin, roasty and rather dry. Fine for stout in general, but this sub-style demands a full body which isn't delivered. I liked the roasty bite, and there's a little chocolate, but you're on your own if you're looking for mascarpone or liqueur. So it's not a tiramisu dessert stout; it's an absolutely fine medium-dry extra stout, and should be happy with being that. If nobody else is saying it: maybe Ballykilcavan should have released a nice extra stout without trying to do anything gimmicky.
Regardless, we push on to Clancy's Cans #4, a "walnut whip stout", with vanilla and walnuts. That hasn't affected the head retention -- it's lovely and creamy looking, and the texture follows that up, aided by 7.4% ABV. There's a nice balance between the sweet and bitter sides: milk chocolate and custard bumps up against a dry and bitter roast. Brown sugar and mocha linger on the lips after swallowing. If the description "classic pastry stout" means anything, this beer is it. While inarguably dessertish, it's a proper extra stout to its core. As such, it's a delight to drink. I can't say it tastes much like walnut, but there's enough going on for that not to be a problem.
I guess Clancy is going to keep canning into 2021. The brewery seems to be having fun with them, and I'll gladly go along for the ride.
Porterhouse Barrel Aged Celebration Stout
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*Origin: Ireland | Date: 2011 | ABV: 11% | On The Beer Nut: *February 2012
This is the third version of Porterhouse Celebration Stout to feature on
the blo...
3 months ago
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