The Cincinnati Man reviews a couple beers a week. You can find other reviews here.
A while back, I picked up this Moerlein Discovery Pack and, just because Moerlein’s a Cincinnati brewery, I’m breaking up the pack and reviewing the beers separately. You can find the other reviews here and here.
This review concerns one of the more reverently held Moerlein brews: OTR Ale.
OTR is classified, as far as I can tell, as an American Pale Ale. It’s got the bitterness of an ale, as well as the clarity and mouthfeel of your standard APA, but its color is a fair bit darker, browner that what I’m used to seeing with the few APA’s I’ve had.
Alongside that familiar bitterness that should come with this classification of beer, there was something I didn’t expect–the round sensation of sweet nuts (no, not that kind of nuts, you jerk). The best way I can describe it would be almost akin to a cashew flavor deep in the background of the beer’s palate.
An interesting beer for sure, and one I’d probably drink again, I don’t know that I’d call OTR Ale a “classic” APA in terms of being definitive of the classification. It’s more of a “hip” craft take on what an APA is supposed to be–you’re definitely not going to lose any cool points drinking this at the next grillout you go to. You might even get one or two stolen from you.
Overall, I’d put OTR Ale as an “Excellent” on the TCM Crap-to-Superb scale. Christian Moerlein’s OTR Ale enjoys distribution all over the damn place; go to your nearest fine beer dealer and give it a try.
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OTR invariably gives me a hangover, and I’m not sure why. The effects of 1 are comparable to 4 or 5 mortal beers.