I don’t know about you, but I have noticed a new trend among the pseudo-craft beer brands lately. A couple of years ago, they were all about the White – Rickard’s White, Keith’s White. They were trying to emulate the refreshing taste of original witbier like Hoegaarden and Blanche de Chambly. Of course, they did not succeed, offering instead insipid versions of a wonderful style (check out my review of Rickard’s White here – one of the most withering reviews I have ever written. I couldn’t bring myself to review Keith’s version).
I bring this up because I have noticed in the past few months a new push – for Dark beer. Both Rickard’s (which is Molson-Coors) and Alexander Keith’s (which is AB-INBEV) have released beer called Dark. This follows on the heels of Sleeman’s (which is Sapporo) Original Dark.
This intrigued me enough that I did up a column on it, for the moment in Planet S, which ran last week. The thrust of my argument is that this trend is a good thing. Sure the beer being promoted is weak-kneed – offering slightly sweeter, darker versions of their regular beer. I can’t say it is bad, because it does have flavour, just not as much as I would expect from something labeled “dark” – and particularly due to their over-the-top advertising. If you mention “robust” and “coffee”, there had better be some dark roasted malts in that beer. And trust me, there ain’t.
But I stand by my positive evaluation. The reason is that if the big boys are getting into dark beer, their research is telling them that the beer public are asking for darker beer. And that means people are opening up to trying beer with flavour and body. Rickard’s and Keith’s Dark would not exist if the global corporations that run them didn’t think they needed to nip an exodus in the bud.
So, I say rejoice. If the big boys are doing dark, then dark is in. Feel free to read the whole article here. And after you do so, I offer a challenge. Name a beer that would take a Rickard’s/Keith’s Dark drinker to a real craft beer. Feel free to post your suggestion. The best one will be feature (with full credit) on whichever outlet I next decide to discuss this topic.
December 6, 2010 at 2:14 PM
I agree! The big guys can see the shift in the market (craft beer is the only really growing market slice), but it funny they can’t bring themselves to make something with flavour. I suggest Paddock Wood’s Black Cat lager as a slide to real beer. It is clean like a lager, but has a delicate shot of coffee and roast character, nothing over-the-top, but clearly there.
December 6, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Hi Steve,
Exactly! Black Cat is a good suggestion. I made it myself in the Planet S column. It fits all the features – dark, enough residual body and sweetness to give it a bit of weight, some light roast but overall quite clean and refreshing.
That is a good one.
Jason
December 6, 2010 at 11:12 PM
You’re right! Perhaps they noticed a decline in the sales of their ‘regulars’ & did some sniffing around-read market research-to see which way the wind blows. I haven’t tried their(Paddock Wood’s) Black Cat, however if it’s anything like their Bete Noire…;-) Or I suppose as somewhat of an alternate approach, since you mention Unibroue’s Blanche de Chambly in that first^paragraph I’d suggest Unibroue’s Maudite as a more complex beer than the Rickard’s or Keith’s. Then of course since the Maudite isn’t even an actual dark, either the Noire de Chambly or their Trois Pistoles are the next/final step.
December 7, 2010 at 12:18 AM
Oh & I neglected to mention Okanagan Springs’ Porter as a real craft beer, as your challenge asks. Or possibly-if I can suggest a stout-either Yukon Brewing’s Midnight Sun Espresso Stout or McAuslan Brewing’s St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. Or of course touching again on the mention of Blanche de Chambly, another Quebec stout Dieu du Ciel’s Peche Mortel. Although on second thought, it is Quite a jump from Rickard’s Dark to either the Peche Mortel or the St. Ambroise…yet what better way to illustrate the difference in quality?
December 7, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Regarding a dark beer to be used as a stepping stone for the Rickards/Keiths crowd, I can easily offer two, by region.
Western Canada: Okanagan Springs Black Lager
Eastern Canada: Hockley Dark
Fortunately both are available here in Alberta! Both are decent conversion beers for non-beer drinkers as well.
December 7, 2010 at 6:02 PM
I thought all hipsters trying to look cool by drinking dark beer were already drinking Guinness? Seriously, I don’t understand who the target market is with these “dark” beers, they are about 5 years late getting to market, as you now find people everywhere gulping down Guinness, people who would never consider drinking a craft beer.
I have tried the Rickards Dark, and your assessment is spot on, sweeter and fuller than their Red. It reminded me a lot of Big Rock Trad.
I think some of the best craft beers for the unintiated are brown ales. The sweetness and relatively mellow flavours make them approachable, but the best version also have hints of carmel, nuts, toast, roast, chocolate and coffee. On the prairies we have several excellent brown ales to choose from such as AK Amber, WR Brown, Bushwakker Sodbuster Brown and HP Sweet Nikki Brown. I always say I am not a big fan of brown ales in general (especially Newcastle, yuck!), but I would never turn down any of these fine offerings.
December 8, 2010 at 10:50 PM
I don’t know if you could call it a craft beer and it’s certainly not local, but what did it for me was Fuller’s London Porter. It’s got the coffee and the chocolate the Rickard’s etc. versions claim to have, but so much richer and so much “fuller”. But at 5% abv it’s not too bold or aggressive for tentative tastes.
Mill Street Coffee Porter’s not a bad one either.
December 8, 2010 at 10:55 PM
Thomas,
Fuller’s Porter is definitely a craft beer. It isn’t local, but that doesn’t diminish it. It is a fantastic beer and a very good suggestion for a gateway beer.
Thanks for the idea.
Jason
December 15, 2010 at 5:08 PM
I’d let pseudo dark beer drinkers have some Rogue mocha porter, or Rogue chocolate stout. Or, if they are really adventurous, Cannery Brewing blackberry Porter or Maple Stout- Just to keep things Canadian 😉
Maybe they’ll “see the light”
-Squared
December 15, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Hey Squared,
Great suggestions! All are accessible but offer some real dark beer flavour. Thanks for stopping by.
Jason