Fireside Chat - 21st Amendment Brewery

jampics2

Ohio

2.53/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12oz can into a pint glass.

Fireside chat should make me cozy and confident, that is, if the branding is any indication. But it could all be a set-up to break some bad news, like when the president comes on the news with the pictures of his family on the mantle and tells us we're at war.

At least the first impression makes me excited to discover the beer's real message. Fireside chat sure looks good. It's an amber, chesnut and mahogany color with a beautiful white head. The head retention is fantastic without being too pillowy. There's some fantastic lace left behind.

The smell is OK too, but there's a hint that this chat may take a different direction. There's some mild toasted malt and lots of spices. Ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar are there, making this festive and appropriate for the Winter Warmer style. Unfortunately, there's some sour note and the spices just aren't that prominent.

This beer tastes horrible. I feel like this "fireside chat" started out with some good news about the economy then let me know that an asteriod is on an imminent path towards Earth and we'll all be dead in 10 minutes. Seriously, 21st Amendment, I get you have some cool branding but your beers generally suck. Spend less time being all market-ey and get your products up to par. This joke of a beer starts out with some roasted malt and toasted nuts, then there's a weird flavor gap where the mediocre spices fall flat. A touch of ginger and cinnamon, then water and a weird sour and metallic note in the aftertaste. This is just poorly conceieved and horribly executed. If my neighbor brought this over as his first homebrew, I would say it was a decent first attempt. For a professional brewery to release this is unnaceptable. Get your contractors under control or, here's a novel idea, brew your beer yourself!

The aftertaste is sweet with some plastic and metal. The beer has medium to light body with creamy carbonation. It doesn't feel bad, but the lingering artificial tastes make me never want another sip. This is going down the drain. I bought this single for $1.49 and I won't take another Big Mac priced gamble on another 21st Amendment beer again. Seriously, who is buying this stuff? The black IPA sucked, the IPA has less flavor in the whole can than Avery or Oskar Blues have in one sip, and the watermelon beer tastes like corn. Stop the madness, you're doing a disservice to craft beer.

Serving type: can

11-04-2010 17:22:01 | More by jampics2

mcphish22

Maryland

4/5  rDev +17.6%

05-18-2013 01:31:12 | More by mcphish22

JakeDebus

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%

05-15-2013 18:07:03 | More by JakeDebus

HawkIPA

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%

05-15-2013 17:31:03 | More by HawkIPA

Zimm

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -19.1%

05-15-2013 17:11:53 | More by Zimm

gpblackgt

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +17.6%

05-13-2013 23:10:19 | More by gpblackgt

MCDub

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +17.6%

05-10-2013 14:24:12 | More by MCDub

waddellc2

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%

05-07-2013 14:40:25 | More by waddellc2

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%

05-07-2013 13:18:35 | More by tommyguz

SeanGC

New York

4.25/5  rDev +25%

05-05-2013 22:19:58 | More by SeanGC

JoeBlevins

Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -19.1%

04-14-2013 17:18:55 | More by JoeBlevins

Aosemidey

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%

04-14-2013 02:07:00 | More by Aosemidey

hef

Maryland

3/5  rDev -11.8%

04-13-2013 15:14:23 | More by hef

Srabe

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +25%

04-12-2013 22:21:03 | More by Srabe

HumphreyLee

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%

04-05-2013 07:04:15 | More by HumphreyLee

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%

04-01-2013 02:08:55 | More by jimmah120

YardmanFTB

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of my favorite spiced winter beers and it comes from a place that doesn't even have a winter (San Francisco). It is a dark English-style ale spiced with cinnamon and other spices common in winter ales. I find it to be a great mix between a malty English Ale and a spiced American-style winter Ale. A great beer.

Serving type: can

03-26-2013 02:44:09 | More by YardmanFTB

DiscGolfRobot

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%

03-25-2013 17:08:17 | More by DiscGolfRobot

Localdrinklax

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +17.6%

03-20-2013 02:33:07 | More by Localdrinklax

nickfl

Florida

3.79/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours with one finger of light tan foam on top of a dark brown body with clear, amber highlights showing through.

S - Mint, nutmeg, cardamom, and dark cherries with a bready malt background.

T - Thick, brown malt up front with some brown sugar. More of the spice character comes out in the middle as notes of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon come out. Finishes with more dark bread, spices, and a bit of caramel.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly dry finish.

D - Not bad, the spice aroma is still pungent even though this can has some age on it and it is a bit unique compared to many other spiced beers Ive tried. A fairly well handled example of a spiced beer.

Serving type: can

03-18-2013 23:06:00 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single finger head with poor retention but nice lace on a near clear deep amber red body. Aroma is very sweet and well represented with nutmeg, cherry, mint and cinnamon, all spice really. Flavors of the winter season with more nutmeg, gingerbread, nutmeg and hint of peppermint. Some caramel malt base as well. A lot thicker than expected, moderate carbonation and fairly oily coating the palate. Very interesting with this one managing to have many of the same flavors as others in the class but the overall flavors and body make it different and therefore memorable.

Serving type: can

03-18-2013 23:04:39 | More by kylehay2004

roywilliams

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +17.6%

03-18-2013 18:15:12 | More by roywilliams

JacobGumina

California

4/5  rDev +17.6%

03-15-2013 04:13:28 | More by JacobGumina

Duvel

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%

03-09-2013 15:55:46 | More by Duvel

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.71/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

We pop the tab and pour a brew of the deepest ruby red. It holds a two finger tall head of big, cakey, light brown bubbles on a rough pour. It leaves patterned lacing down the sides of the glass as it recedes at a slow pace. No haze is noted, but bulky sediment sits suspended about the foot of the glass. Carbonation appears light. The aroma is hugely robust, with sweet and biting cranberry, tart raspberry, candied cherries buttery caramel and coffee malts, burnt gingerbread, spicy booze, clove, lightly limey hops, and raw allspice. Our first impression is that the opening act is highly bittered, but it gives way to a smooth follow through, with cleanly stark components. As we sip, big metallics, soured coffee malts, raw cinnamon, lactics, and light leathers start things off. The peak comes with plenty of bitterness, drying coffee bean maltiness, earthy muskiness, and juicy, wet yeast. The finish washes with less bitterness, but the smoke and depth of caramel and coffee grain, more yeast, molasses sweetness, and spice of allspice, pumpkin, ginger, and pecan nuttiness. The aftertaste breathes of toffee sweetness, raw coffee malts, mild grapefruit and herbal hoppiness, strawberry fruitiness, raw leathers, charred smokiness, salts, white sugars, and distant booziness. The body is medium, and the carbonation is light to medium, but with hearty froth and cream on the front. The sip otherwise gives nice slurp, smack, and pop. Pucker adds to the astringent dryness as it clears away an initial coating. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks decently.

Overall, what we liked best about this beer was the true winteriness and warmth of the spice and depth of malts. While we do wish things had fleshed out a bit more fully through the flavoring, each component was nicely contributory to the final sip, adding nice depth and excitement throughout. The nose gave big fruity sweetness, and smelled a bit more like a bock, at times, than a warmer. Mouthfeel also ultimately added to the experience, helping to keep you happy with almost every sip.

Serving type: can

03-09-2013 02:49:07 | More by TheBrewo