No Label Brewing Co El Carlito

Yeasty/bready nose with a pleasant ester note. Rather than a clove/banana balance, the aroma pits clove against a more perfumed floral ester. It gives the beer a quirky note from the get-go. Really leans into the bread-like quality in the body, gives it a nice chew. Leans towards ripe banana with some medicinal underpinnings, this combined with the fully body land a little clunky on the swallow. The flavor pulls in some more familiar banana, but the floral essence comes back in the aftertaste. Pleasant, hits the notes for the style.

Loads of meaty smoke-like notes jump out of the glass giving the impression of a roaring campfire. Roast and smoky notes merge with a peppery heat in the flavor along with a woody characteristic that furthers the campfire theme. The heat of the pepper lingers in the back of the throat well into the finish but it is not overdone or in anyway harsh. This unique and novel concept is actually fairly well executed and drinks exactly like you'd expect a spicy campfire to taste like. Smoked beer and pepper beer worlds collide, and the product is quirky yet cool and shockingly well delivered.

Nice roast malt aromatics of coffee, toffee, caramel, toast, and bread crust balance well with some subtle but pleasant floral hop notes. The sip leans quite hard into the roast and toes the line of becoming heavy handed. The caramel, toffee, and coffee notes are well balanced and enjoyable, but they seem to come across a bit more reminiscent of a dunkel or a brown ale. The finish is clean, lightly bitter and crisp. A clean, easy drinking, and enjoyable roast forward lager that doesn't care what style you call it. It will be consumed rapidly nonetheless. Bright copper color with sticky off white foam. Some lightly roasted malt aromas followed by coffee and bread crust. Really nice grassy malt flavors throughout. The bitterness matches the sweetness really well allowing for structure and drinkability. Finishes quick and clean. This beer may be a bit roasty for Vienna Lager but drinks like a great brown ale.