John and Paul told us that “it’s getting better all the time, because it can’t get no worse.” * Have you ever noticed that whenever someone says it can’t get any worse, it does? Don’t despair (it doesn’t do much good anyway), there are good people working to make things better, as evidenced by the “Better is Possible” United Way initiative that this beer is supporting. Kudos to Sleeping Giant for your community support.
Enter their SMASH (Single Malt and Single Hop) lager Better is Possible, with NZ hops and some wheat in there, for better or for worse. Better is great, but here at COMDB we’re always looking for the best. This beer had its heart in the right place, unfortunately the road to hell is paved with good intentions. ** An explanation is warranted.
I want to start by saying that this beer was canned 1 month ago and bought yesterday. As fresh as it gets from the LCBO or The Beer Store. The reason I checked was because when I popped the top and poured I had one ounce of beer with a side of foam top stuffing, as in the rest of my glass being a veritable froth fest. This beer’s head took on a life of its own, expanding, growing and in general defying gravity. The sleeping giant within had awakened. Patience is a virtue that ironically is reserved for those of us with relatively less time left on this earth. The exception to that rule is a thirsty COM. Unfortunately exercising that virtue was my only course of action, no tenable plan B.
Foam receding to a manageable level, what was left was a hazy light golden slightly orange pour. Not a typical lager but who am I to judge? Actually, I am here to judge. The aroma was difficult to discern through the inches of insulation. The initial taste was malt with some unidentifiable fruit and dry bitters on the finish. The touch of fruit where the lager sweet used to be is no doubt the doings of those New Zealand hops. This SMASH was a mish mash of mild fruit, hops, malt, bitters and even some floral and spices photobombed the picture at one point, the wheat did not go unnoticed. Not the refreshing end of the evening light and lively lager I had hoped for.
Not our first SMASH. The armadillo from Amarillo was not well received at the 4th COMDB AGM, but Breakwall’s HipHop was a hit. Unfortunately, despite all its best intentions, this Better is Possible was not.
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