Cornballer - The Bruery

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.7/5  rDev +23%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looks like typical malt liquor, yellow, no head. That's where the comparison stops.

Massive hop blast of pine and grapefruit from this one. Couldn't help but think of ganja as well.

Taste, even more hops, can't believe the alcohol isn't noticeable at all, this is barleywine alcohol territory, but the body feels so thin and effortless to drink. Love the idea of lightening up the body of a beer with corn as long as you supersaturate it with hops hops hops like this one does, comes off like the new breed, simcoe, summit, amarillo or citrus, I'd bet at least 2-3 of those are present.

Very clean, dry, light, but hoppy. This is the ultimate summer round the pool beer I'd say. Yeah, session stuff has its place, but this is 4th of July let's shoot bottle rockets down the street party stuff. A great spritz zest feel on its feet, won't weigh you down or leave you feeling like it is lacking flavor.

Would love to be able to score growlers of this stuff regularly.

Serving type: growler

04-16-2011 05:51:20 | More by Beerandraiderfan

allyourbeers

California

4.7/5  rDev +23%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Looks like typical malt liquor, yellow, no head. That's where the comparison stops.

Massive hop blast of pine and grapefruit from this one. Couldn't help but think of ganja as well.

Taste, even more hops, can't believe the alcohol isn't noticeable at all, this is barleywine alcohol territory, but the body feels so thin and effortless to drink. Love the idea of lightening up the body of a beer with corn as long as you supersaturate it with hops hops hops like this one does, comes off like the new breed, simcoe, summit, amarillo or citrus, I'd bet at least 2-3 of those are present.

Very clean, dry, light, but hoppy. This is the ultimate summer round the pool beer I'd say. Yeah, session stuff has its place, but this is 4th of July let's shoot bottle rockets down the street party stuff. A great spritz zest feel on its feet, won't weigh you down or leave you feeling like it is lacking flavor.

Would love to be able to score growlers of this stuff regularly.

Serving type: growler

10-07-2011 21:38:55 | More by allyourbeers

nkersten

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A HUGE thanks to Alex and TORINO for scoring this one. Poured into a plastic cup, opaque yellow with a small white head that settles to a collar. Huge hoppy aroma with lots of tropical fruit, some pine, big pineapple hops, and a bit of malty sweetness. Hop flavors dominate the taste, lots of resinous pine hops, some creamy corn and rice adjunct, bitter finish. This beer is so hoppy that the adjuncts dont even matter. Very crisp lager finish, I already have a headache from drinking too much of this. Full body with a light carbonation. As far as malt liquors go, this stuff is amazing. One of the most drinkable 9.5% abv beers I have ever had, for sure in the top five malt liquors ever made. Thanks to TORINO for sending this stuff to Alex, you are only encouraging him to get more malt liquor. Well done.

Serving type: growler

03-05-2011 07:26:26 | More by nkersten

MasterSki

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Review #1250. Big thanks to t0rin0. This treat was found amongst some other fine brews he contributed to our upcoming malt liquor showdown. Served in a plastic cup.

A - Pours with a finger of white foam that features good retention and eventually settles to a thin cap, leaving behind spotty lace. The body is a prototypical piss yellow, and only its haziness hints that it has higher pedigree.

S - I think the Bruery has created a new style - the IML (India Malt Liquor). Huge amounts of pine, citrus zest, cat pee, and a very neutral malt character. There's a hint of creamed corn sweetness as it warms up.

T - Loads of citrus, some pine, a bit of sweet malt character, and a clean lager finish that is largely devoid of alcohol. There's less of the corn sweetness than was suggested by the aroma. Some mild hop bitterness lingers.

M - Medium body that is light for 9.5%, but probably accurate for the style. Carbonation is much lower than you'd get from a canned malt liquor, but I'm guessing that is due to the growler fill - would have to try it on-tap to get an accurate carbonation level. Finishes dry, with light residual stickiness. Even though there is minimal alcohol, my face started to feel warm and flush after a couple pours.

D - This stuff is great - I couldn't stop drinking it. If actual malt liquors sold at the gas station tasted like this, I could save myself a ton of money on craft beer. Please Bruery, sell this in 40oz bottles or 24oz cans.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is basically Humulus lager but with higher alcohol due to the corn addition.

Serving type: growler

03-05-2011 18:24:28 | More by MasterSki

largadeer

Kentucky

4.28/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Beer Revolution. Pale hazy straw yellow, looks almost like a witbier. The head shows excellent longevity. Awesomely dank hop nose of marijuana and citrus, a bit grassy and vegetal. There's a note of Corn Flakes beneath the abundance of hops. Tastes very much like a DIPA. Marijuana, fresh herbs, citrus, lemon oil. Punchy citrus peel bitterness in the finish. Little in the way of malt, perhaps a touch of corn. The mouthfeel is almost gritty, probably from liberal use of hop pellets. Light bodied and very dry. Basically a gimmicky DIPA, but a very good one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2011 23:43:24 | More by largadeer

jsanford

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap as part of a flight at the Bruery Provisions Shop. I was excited to see this on the menu, never thought I'd get to try it. Oh, and major props on the Arrested Development reference!

A - Pale straw with a thin white head that recedes to a slight ring.
S - HUGE aromas of fresh, pungent hops, nice and "green" with a whiff of "cattiness". Bit of citrus and sweet corn in here as well. Definitely stand up to the title of hoppiest beer the Bruery has ever made, this is ridiculous (in a good way)!
T - Again, a full-out hop assault, lots of citrus, dank weed, and cat, with a subtle corn sugar sweetness.
M - Slick and sharp, with a medium body and crisp carbonation. No sign of the high ABV, this stuff could be dangerous.
O - A wonderful take on a Malt Liquor, this really take the style to a whole new level!

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 15:07:38 | More by jsanford

jrallen34

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler courtesy of Sean, poured into my Narke tulip... The body is a very murky honey gold that has a neon tint to it, not liking it. The head is bright white, ok retention, not so on the lace... The aroma is very strong, you can almost see alcohol waifing up from the glass. Other notes of grassy flowers. Not bad at all. A hoppy citrus ipa... The taste is nice floral hops on the front, alcohol and hops in the middle, a lot of alcohol on the finish. Reminds me of a lesser dipa.

Worth trying.

Serving type: growler

03-20-2011 01:53:06 | More by jrallen34

DovaliHops

California

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was stoked to see this on tap at Beer Revolution, Oakland on Saturday. Pours a slightly hazy, yellow-gold straw color with a medium white head. Scent is extremely hoppy with a bit of graininess to it. There are also aromas of weed and citrus. Taste is IN YOUR FACE BITTER HOPPINESS. I did not see this coming. This is like no other "malt liquor" I've ever had. Taste is very hoppy and bitter with some nice citrus and pine notes. The corn flavor is there, but not overwhelming in any way. A bit of booziness as well. Mouthfeel is fairly light and crisp with a nice bite at the end. Drinkability is fair...as this was a delicious beer, I think one would do me just right. Overall, if this is an actual "malt liquor", then it's the best damn malt liquor I've ever had. It could easily be labeled as a DIPA and kick ass in rating IMO. Great beer!

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 07:20:36 | More by DovaliHops

mrkrispy

California

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was fortunate enough to have a friend share his growler with me. I had heard about the cornballer and being someone that isn't shy about giving a malt liquor an occasional fight, I had to try it.

Pours a hazy yellow with a tint of green (from the dry hops?).
Slightly fluorescent?

MASSIVE grassy and dank hop aroma, not getting any floral or fruity hop aromas.

Somewhat light body, has a familiar taste of corn/rice adjunct beers with a faint faint sweetness that isn't a malt-sweetness...and is also dry? Interesting. Finishes with a hoppy and moderately bitter finish that quickly clears up. A few more tastes....not a lot of complexity but quite drinkable.
Hops in the flavor similar to the aroma, slight citrusy notes that make it a refreshing drink. My inclination is that of a hoppy XPA that is unbalanced and corny. Not getting any fusels or jet-fuel flavors. By the bottom of the glass I feel the alcohol.

I love the huge explosion of hops , it is refreshing but kind of a one-note beer. A great SoCal take on the old and tired malt liquor style, but done without the harsh off flavors. I see it as taking an Xtreme interpretation of a San Diego IPA with a even-more diminished malt bill and clean yeast and giving you a Hop punch to the face. With the exception of the huge hop smack this beer fits the style but is cleaner than macro versions. Job well done.

Serving type: growler

03-17-2011 17:43:06 | More by mrkrispy

Sean9689

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growlier thanks to my main CA homie, Gorefiendus. You are uber-generous for all that you do!

A - Pours golden yellow, big frothy white head, nice lacing along the sides of the glass and a thin cps on top with a thick ring around the glass.

S - Hops and alcohol, plain and simple. Lots of citrus notes, good bitterness, large dose of alcohol.

T - Taste is similar. Nice bitterness, hops, citrus, big malts and a decent alcohol kick. Bitter and hot alcohol finish.

M - Light to medium, good carbonation, oily malty finish.

D - Pretty damn good. I could pass out drinking this stuff, which I might just do here in a few hours.

Serving type: growler

03-20-2011 02:10:44 | More by Sean9689

dragonWhale

New York

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this on tap at the Bruery on my cruise-through.
Brilliant, almost clear straw color with a small little white head. It looks so delicate in the glass that I could just wipe out its life in an instant. But this is no ordinary fizzy yellow lager. Pleasant citrus hops bang for victory against an earthen must, corn and flowers. They are not in perfect harmony, but it's wonderful to be sipping on such a flavorful malt liquor. Alcohol apparent, but the hops do what they can to hide it. Not so much a burn as a pleasant hello. A little sweet, but on the lower end of sweet for a malt liquor, for sure. A tasty treat from the fine folks of the Bruery.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 22:37:20 | More by dragonWhale

snpub540

California

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pale cloudy yellow with a thin white ring of bubbles. Slight amount of lacing left on the glass. Looks are very deceiving.

Smell is a burst of resiny hops with grass, pine and grapefruit popping straight out.

Taste is a nice nice mix of grapefruit with a hint of pineapple and a dry pine finish. Sweet alcohol flavor mixed in at the end but its not aggressive.

Thin body but it just delivers in terms of taste and aroma. This is a hop heads dream.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2011 19:45:22 | More by snpub540

DoubleJ

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Bruery Provisions, on to the beer:

Looks like a Belgian ale with its bright yellow color and haze in the body. It's certainly a lot more attractive than your typical malt liquor. It wasn't the only characteristic that was better than the typical malt liquor; the nose took me be surprise. I was expecting a ton of corn, and got a more hop dominant aroma with modest corn in the back. More specifically, milled corn at the base while tropical fruits and pine pull through.

Now it gets fun. The beer starts off with light tropical flavors. Pineapple too. And the corn? Usually corn in beer tastes rancid, but here it tastes a lot like sweet white corn eaten from the cob. In this context, it is excecuted well. Alcohol is difficult to find, on the smooth side of things, relatively easy to consume.

Business as usual from The Bruery, another oddball beer that works.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2011 06:25:00 | More by DoubleJ

Gobzilla

California

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a golden straw yellow in color with pale yellow highlights and had a finger of frothy head leaving plenty of lacing sticking to the glass.

S: the aroma had more hoppy character then expected with citrusy, malty sweetness, grassy and hints of the corn but no booze was detected.

T: the taste was also hop forward like the nose would suggest alongside citrusy, grassy, sweet malty accents and a touch of corn to it as well that was well hidden along with the booze.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a sweet, citrusy, grassy, and hoppy finish.

D: drank really good and was definitely better than your average malt liquors, definitely glad I got to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 03:44:29 | More by Gobzilla

marqoid

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from growler into Bruery Tulip ~ 3weeks after being filled at the brewery.

A: Pale yellow with a slight green tinge. Minimal white head.
S: Right up front is hops, fairly piney/earthy. Pretty simple, but pleasant and while straight forward it is not overpowering.
T: Again, primarily hops, with some sweet corn base. A bit boozy, but with a neutral flavor and no burn.
M: Very thin, but moderate+ carbonation. Refreshing despite being somewhat boozy.
O: This is a great unusual take on a well know style. I really hope they keep this one around.

Serving type: growler

07-06-2011 04:53:51 | More by marqoid

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried this one at the tasting room.

A - Pours a light clear yellow with a white head that stuck around for a little bit.

S - Hoppier than expected, some sweet corn/sugar scents.

T - hoppy pine, slight sweetness.

D - Lower carbonation. Very light body.

O - didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2011 02:26:41 | More by HuskyinPDX

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

growler thanks to gcphilli

Pours a hazed straw yellow color with plenty of lacing and retention which rests on top.

An unexpected bite of floral hops in the nose, some grain and bread malt. Slight fruit sweetness too.

Some hoppy bitterness up front with floral notes and citrus pith. Grain and corn malt character with some light body. Biting juiciness and slight citrus. Finishes with alcohol bite.

Medium body, high carbonation, slightly creamy for some reason. A decent drinker for what it is, and it definitely defies what I might usually consider a malt liquor.

Serving type: growler

05-30-2011 06:40:17 | More by xnicknj

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a weird beer.

64oz thanks to Caleb! Poured into my .5l swiss boot (I only break this out a few times a year for special beers).

A- pale pale dirty yellow beer with a huge snowdrift of a head. Head is brilliantly shimmering and laces rather nicely.

S- Piny, citrus, not much else. Very hoppy.

T- A huge hop assault greets me at first sip. Scathing bitterness, mostly pine resin but also floral/fruity. Bitterness isn't overkill, but there's something about it I just can't fully embrace it. Mild oorn sweetness is fleeting, it's too hoppy to get much out of it.

M- A bit gritty/grainy, body is thinner than I expected. A good attempt at a malt liquor in this category.

D- Moderate but goes down pretty easy. A head-scratcher.. I wasn't in love with it but I enjoyed it enough to polish off 3/4 of a growler in a sitting. I think with some tweaks on the hops- I found them too bitter and lacking depth- this one could be a real winner.

Thanks again, Caleb!

Serving type: growler

03-07-2011 19:07:40 | More by ShogoKawada

Overlord

California

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy straw gold with a big, one to two inch white foam head. Sudsy!

Smells like fresh grass with some straw and a bit of grapefruit, along with a yeasty twang to it. Interesting aroma, not what I expected. I detect nothing about this that makes me think "malt liquor." Pretty straight-forward hop profile.

Taste is more yeasty/zesty than expected, with an almost mineral edge to it. Almost no citrus in the flavor, it's basically grass with that yeast zest. Extremely straight-forward.

Liked it. Nice fluffy mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2011 11:32:19 | More by Overlord

jethrodium

California

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Beer Revolution. Pours a very cloudy light yellow. Almost looks like a hefeweizen. Small, puffy white head that has pretty good retention and leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass. Aroma is strong citrus (grapefruit and orange) and pine hops. A little bit of corn sweetness on the nose as well as some light grass and weed. The initial taste is a sweet grapefruit and light pine. This goes into a bit of a corn sweetness and some light fresh cut grass. The finish is clean with a decent bitterness. Medium body. A little bit on the sweet side, but certainly not syrupy. Relatively low carbonation. Mild astringency. Overall a pretty good beer. With the amount of hop flavors it drinks more like a DIPA than anything else.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 05:14:28 | More by jethrodium

Sideswipe

California

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

At The Bruery. Into a tasting glass.

One finger head which fades quickly. Hazy gold color. The nose is hops and something a bit off-putting, the corn maybe? Taste is bitter hops and hemp. This is very close to IPA territory, the corn adds a different dimension to it though. The hops are super bitter, but citrus flavors are absent. Feel is medium with a high level of carbonation. Can't detect much of the ABV due to the bitterness. Not bad, but not my favorite either.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 20:57:58 | More by Sideswipe

dgilks

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy pale gold colour with a smooth white head. Fair head retention.

Big, grassy, citrussy hop nose with some grapefruit and dank herb notes.

Big alcoholic flavour with a hefty hop bitterness. Mild citrus. Seriously hoppy for a 'malt liquor'.

Medium light body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

An interesting beer for which I have no real point of reference. It's definitely weird but oddly decent.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2011 10:52:40 | More by dgilks

Halcyondays

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at The Bruery,

A: Pours an opaque goldenrod with a medium white head. Pretty good retention, some lace.

S: Very hoppy on the nose with some corn, English peas, and pot.

T: Really hop dominated. The malt flavour is pretty much non-existent, and there is a minor corn play. The grassiness is intense, some secondary pine notes as well.

M: Medium-bodied, crisp, fairly soft carbonation, easy going.

D: This is all hops, so you better like them going in. Good flavour, not a lot of nuance to it, but in the end an enjoyable effort.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 01:51:22 | More by Halcyondays

Retsinis

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got a chance to try this yesterday at the Bruery tasting room, on tap of course, poured into a full serving glass.

The beer pours a very light straw yellow color, hazy, cloudy, with a thin, light, and murky head of carbonation that rested on top. Some lacing.

The beer smelled like Ganja to me to be perfectly honest, very strange. Huge hop aroma up front, fresh cut crab grass, hay (though not in that funky barnyard sour way), and green corn on the stalk.

Taste was also very hoppy, with some corn in the background, much less then I was expecting. Some pine, citrus, bitter bite, with a dry finish.

The mouth feel was light, crisp, and a bit
gritty. Like so many Bruery beers, it does not taste as strong as it is, 9.5%, more like 6%, dangerous in that regard.

Overall, this tasted more like a higher ABV, hopped up pale ale, nothing like any malt liquor I've ever had that's for sure, and though it is not my style, it is certainly an interesting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 19:42:58 | More by Retsinis

AgentZero

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler shipped by ArthurPendragon.

A - Cloudy light yellow color with nice bubbles flowwing to the top. Huge frothy head that left spots on the sides. Pretty impressive looking beer.

S - Smells like a super citrusy APA or maybe IPA with a healthy dose of alcohol. Corn is pretty evident, but it's not a bad thing.

T - Taste follows suit with the citrusy hops and corn. It's like a very boozy and citrusy APA. It tastes decent enough but you really have to like alcohol to like this one.

M - Crisp, light bodied, good carbonation bite.

O - It's great, for a malt liquor, which makes it a decent, but not awesome, beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 01:59:05 | More by AgentZero