November 13, 2019
B. Stiff & Sons Old Fashioned Ginger Beer | A Review
There’s nary a glass bottle to be found at the renowned Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado. This beloved craft beer producer is perhaps most famous for their exclusively canned brews which they churn out from three facilities established after their original home in Lyons. Its origins could be described as modest, being first brewed in 1997, down in the basement of the Oskar Blues brewpub and served alongside burgers and sandwiches. Now they’re the largest craft brewer to package exclusively in aluminum, an impressive feat that cannot be understated.
B. Stiff & Sons Old Fashioned Soda Pop Company is the non-alcoholic arm of the Oskar Blues empire. The brand name pays homage to a friend of founder Dale Katechis. Brian Stiff was an avid biker who died suddenly, leaving behind a family including two children. A fraction of the profit goes towards supporting them.
The original 2012 B. Stiff offering grew to be the fastest-selling craft root beer in Colorado and in 2016 it was joined by four more flavors, all with vintage appeal. Among them came this ginger beer but also released were cream, orange cream and black cherry sodas.
The can is bewildering to behold. Every inch of space has been crammed with something, from a portrait of a bird soaring over the Rockies to witty phrases like “Mary Ann and Ginger Beer” and “Try It, Mule Like It.” There are starred ribbons, comedic capitalization and two prominent logos front and center. “B. Stiff” appears in a circus font, “& Sons” in a grunge font and “Old Fashioned” is in script. It’s insane.
There’s some sciencey-sounding words in the ingredient list for this 150-calorie soda like sodium benzoate and sucrose acetate isobutyrate but no point getting carried away. They’re harmless. The first preserves flavor while the second prevents separation. The real attention-getter is ginger puree. Not “natural flavors;” not even extract. Puree! With cane sugar providing the sweetness, expectations ride high.
In the glass the opaque liquid tends toward the white end of the ginger beer color spectrum and gives off only a mild scent of ginger. The first performance is given by a dull sweetness which hands the stage to a very mild ginger with absolutely no prickling sensation. Lime speaks, softly. Just prior to the finish is an earthy, botanical blip, likely a product of the puree.
The progression is a cloud. Everything is soft with no hard edges. Smooth throughout, no heat from the ginger, no tart from the citrus. No excitement either. It’s altogether pretty standard, feeling like a ginger beer developed in a focus group. Absolutely inoffensive.
Though the can is quite shouty, the taste is anything but. The hype of ginger puree quiets after sampling, lacking the expected zing of fresh ginger. But all is not lost here. Disregard any expectations, judge it on its merits and here is found a gratifying experience. No, it won’t inspire backflips but it is pleasant, smooth and easy to drink and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Final Decision: Third Tier – Enjoyable
Purchased locally at: Spec’s
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