Eighteen beers sampled to date and the Fanzine selections continue to be delivered to my doorstep! Another three have arrived today, appearing to be a promising line-up.
All 330mls, the third set of Fanzine beers are as follows:
- Jet Trash V2
- Zip Code
- Clown King
Mandatory ‘Jet Trash V2’ Facts
- Untappd Rating: 3.75 (at time of writing)
- ABV: 6.9%
- IBU: 65
- Style: IPA
- Tagline: V2 – Double Dry-Hop Edition
- Descriptive Comment: Pre-boarding now.
Whenever I try a fanzine beer that has a predecessor of the same name, I always re-read my reviews of the ones that have come before. I attempt to remember how they tasted, as trying to compare it to some I may have consumed 6 – 8 weeks ago is really difficult! “Jet Trash V2” poured a beautiful light golden colour, which was totally transparent and had very little carbonation. The white foam head settled within moments and aromas were a light mixture of citrus and hops. This was superbly matched on sampling: the beer maintained a crisp and refreshing lager texture but provided a greater complexity of flavour due to the IPA style. A smooth bitterness washed over at the end, cleansing the palate, ready for the next sip and every taste thereafter.
Rating: 3.25/5. “Jet Trash V2” is really good and arguably hoppier in flavour than its V1 brother (which dates right back to the first Fanzine box). In comparison, I feel V2 falls down slightly in overall flavour, as it did not have the same deep resinous notes I adored. Despite this, it is still an enjoyable can!
Mandatory ‘Zip Code’ Facts
- Untappd Rating: 3.21 (at time of writing)
- ABV: 4.2%
- IBU: 25
- Style: Lager
- Tagline: Franconian Style Kellerbier
- Descriptive Comment: Lager unzipped.
From some brief reading, Kellerbier is the name used to describe a hop-filled lager from Franconia (a southern region of Germany). The neon-orange can produced a beer vaguely matching the colour, but reassuringly it was not fluorescent! On the nose there were lots of malty notes and first sips were fairly non-descript: merely clean and crisp. It was a light beer with a moderately carbonated mouthfeel. On further sampling, the beer gave light hop notes that blended together with some smooth malt flavours.
Rating: 3.0/5. “Zip Code” is what a lager is meant to be – light, fresh and crisp. I could easily drink a handful of these in a beer garden.
Mandatory ‘Clown King’ Facts
- Untappd Rating: 3.8 (at time of writing)
- ABV: 12%
- IBU: 65
- Style: Barley Wine
- Tagline: American Barley Wine
- Descriptive comment: Behold the Big Top beast.
Who on earth is the “Big Top Beast”?! Would this be his drink of choice? I feel that there is a story behind this new fanzine beer… The can was a vibrant electric blue and looked really good. It poured a wonderfully deep, ruby-oak colour that was quite clear in appearance. A complete head wasn’t formed – merely a row of tan bubbles sitting at the glass edge. The aromas that rose from the glass were surprisingly IPA-like, with some fruit notes too. On sampling the beer was incredibly smooth, with a luxurious silky feel. It had the predominant flavour of a light toffee, which then rolled into a fruity bitterness. It ended on a mild warmth, though not a harsh ‘boozy-hit’.
Rating: 4.5/5. “Clown King” knows how to make a good barley wine. If this is the Clown King’s drink of choice, then I’ll happily sit back, relax and share a few of these with him! This is the first barley wine I’ve sampled that I could have more than one of without it being overwhelming. It’s rich, full of flavour and like an IPA on steroids.
Box Rating: 3.58/5
Fanzine Rating to Date: 3.34/5
Enjoy your beers! Let me know what’s on your beer menu.
Dr Beer
