After a long weekend, I found myself searching for a local favorite in the fridge and coming up huge. A couple weeks ago I had stashed a delicious brew by Two Brothers (see brewery tour article). The name (Cane and Ebel) is rather catchy, using the brother’s surname and the biblical story of Cane and Able. Granted I’m not sure why they used the term “cane” for sure, but I liked the play on words.

It is a highly hopped red ale (similar to Rogue’s Santa Reserve and Summit Horizon) that utilizes Thai Palm sugar and Rye grain. The use of this sugar, malts, hops, and the specialty rye grain make the aromas and flavors complex and vast.

Hops: The biggest aspect of this beer. There is a deep fruity bouquet with citrus notes of orange, pineapple, and grapefruit. They provide a nice bitter bite on the sides and back of the tongue along with a lingering hoppy finish.

Malts: A great foundation of caramel, toffee, and toasted grains in both the nose and taste. It is hard to pick up the malt sweetness over the palm sugar, but there is some residual toasted bready notes in the aftertaste.

Thai Palm Sugar: Provides additional sugars for yeast to feed on pushing the ABV to 7%. The sweetness that rolls in on the front of the tongue might be a combination of the malts and sugar, but I accredit this to the sugar. Palm sugar gives caramel, butterscotch, and brown sugar flavors, of which I thought the latter was true. I do feel it helped to lighten the mouthfeel, without sacrificing the body.

Rye Grains: The use of this grain gives a spicy, dry flavor to beers. In this example, there is a noticeable snap or pop on the malt side due to its use. It might add a little to the bitterness of the beer as well.

Overall, I savored this beer from the labeling to its complex aftertaste. It has character and conviction. At least you can take comfort in knowing you won’t be murdered upon finishing your last sip. Enjoy a well made beer!

ABV: 7.0%

Grade: A