sling shot I Radical road brewing co.
Toronto, ON
ABV: 5.0%
IBU'S: 35
Style: California common (steam beer)
Colour: Mind your own business
Price: $2.85/473ml can
ABV: 5.0%
IBU'S: 35
Style: California common (steam beer)
Colour: Mind your own business
Price: $2.85/473ml can
In a craft beer world where resurrections of every obscure beer style are commonplace, it seems to have taken an inordinate amount of time for this brewing style to find its way into the Ontario craft beer scene, but here it is. California common is a beer stye that would be more practically known as "steam beer," had it not been for Anchor Brewing out of San Francisco who trademarked the term "steam beer" to protect the fact that they claim to have invented the style. So some nerd coined the phrase "California common" in an attempt to sound cool and at the same time respect the jerks over at Anchor.
I'm gonna call it steam beer from here on in because it's easier to type, and I couldn't give a shit what the dorks at Anchor Brewing have to say about it. So what in the hell is steam beer? In a nutshell, many moons ago, development in the American west was moving faster than supply, so basically these pioneering motherfuckers were brewing lager at ale temperatures because they couldn't wait for refrigeration to arrive (and it's warm out there). The result was a much fuller flavoured lager with extra effervescence and a deeper hue. The legend has it that large amounts of steam were created during the brewing process, hence the name, but this cannot be confirmed or denied because nobody wants to ruin Anchor's nice little story (I'm just ragging on Anchor Brewing to be a dick. They actually produce really good beer).
So Radical Road has tried their hand at the style, and what they've come up with seems like a pretty swell take on the style. The first clue that this is no ordinary lager is because I can drink a can without hating my life. Another clue is also evident right from the pour, as Sling Shot produces a really handsome deep copper hue, as opposed to the usual boring-ass pale golden hue of the boring-ass lager community. The world famous effervescence of Anchor Steam and some of the original American steam beers isn't as evident with Sling Shot, but it doesn't really matter because this beer still has a really lively but mellow micro-carbonation and full mouth-feel that doesn't hollow out at any point. Obviously this cannot be said for the majority of the droves of boring-ass lagers out there. In the flavour department, Sling Shot definitely delivers on a fuller flavoured lager, and while it's not completely immune from a tinge of Molson Export-like background taste, there is definitely more of a malt presence than your average boring-ass lager. The finish very nice, very clean and crisp, although I'm not sure how all 35 of those bittering units were measured, because I could barely discern more than 7 to 8 bittering units during each sip. At any rate, this is a beer worth trying for any craft beer connoisseur, and I dare say that you could probably trick a Labbat 50 drinker into drinking this, and then proceed to tease the shit out of them for being a craft beer drinker. At $2.85 per can, Sling Shot also provides some really good value for a beer that would definitely serve as a nice refresher during the hot summer months.
You can check out my review of Anchor Steam Beer, the original, if you so desire.
I'm gonna call it steam beer from here on in because it's easier to type, and I couldn't give a shit what the dorks at Anchor Brewing have to say about it. So what in the hell is steam beer? In a nutshell, many moons ago, development in the American west was moving faster than supply, so basically these pioneering motherfuckers were brewing lager at ale temperatures because they couldn't wait for refrigeration to arrive (and it's warm out there). The result was a much fuller flavoured lager with extra effervescence and a deeper hue. The legend has it that large amounts of steam were created during the brewing process, hence the name, but this cannot be confirmed or denied because nobody wants to ruin Anchor's nice little story (I'm just ragging on Anchor Brewing to be a dick. They actually produce really good beer).
So Radical Road has tried their hand at the style, and what they've come up with seems like a pretty swell take on the style. The first clue that this is no ordinary lager is because I can drink a can without hating my life. Another clue is also evident right from the pour, as Sling Shot produces a really handsome deep copper hue, as opposed to the usual boring-ass pale golden hue of the boring-ass lager community. The world famous effervescence of Anchor Steam and some of the original American steam beers isn't as evident with Sling Shot, but it doesn't really matter because this beer still has a really lively but mellow micro-carbonation and full mouth-feel that doesn't hollow out at any point. Obviously this cannot be said for the majority of the droves of boring-ass lagers out there. In the flavour department, Sling Shot definitely delivers on a fuller flavoured lager, and while it's not completely immune from a tinge of Molson Export-like background taste, there is definitely more of a malt presence than your average boring-ass lager. The finish very nice, very clean and crisp, although I'm not sure how all 35 of those bittering units were measured, because I could barely discern more than 7 to 8 bittering units during each sip. At any rate, this is a beer worth trying for any craft beer connoisseur, and I dare say that you could probably trick a Labbat 50 drinker into drinking this, and then proceed to tease the shit out of them for being a craft beer drinker. At $2.85 per can, Sling Shot also provides some really good value for a beer that would definitely serve as a nice refresher during the hot summer months.
You can check out my review of Anchor Steam Beer, the original, if you so desire.
