East County Fine Malt Liquor

East County Fine Malt Liquor was originally brewed in celebration of The Post’s 10th anniversary. Considering the Beer Judge Certification Program dropped Malt Liquor as a category a number of years ago, I am evaluating this beer as a BJCP category 34A, Commercial Specialty Beer. This category is “intended for reproductions or interpretations of specific commercial beers that don’t fit within defined styles.” Even this is not a great fit, in that this isn’t an attempt to replicate a specific brand, say, Olde English 800, as opposed to Schlitz Malt Liquor. My aim is to score this simply as an American malt liquor. Nevertheless, this category gives me a lot of leeway in appraising the beer. I’m also going to lean on the 2016 BJCP Guidelines, which still included American Malt Liquor as a category.

The beer pours brilliantly clear into the glass with a golden hue. The color is a bit deeper than your run-of-the-mill 40 oz. standard macro-brewed malt liquor. It develops a nice white lacy head, which lingers for a bit before receding. The aromas are all about the malt and grain adjuncts: sweet and fruity. There is a hint of hop aroma, but it is fairly subdued. Also evident are some green apple and other fruity notes, adding some appropriate complexity. Overall, it is clean and inviting. Nothing off-putting here.

On first taste, I am impressed with how clean and crisp the beer is. And when I say “clean and crisp,” I mean it in a positive way. Often, when you see macro breweries bragging about how “clean and crisp” their beer is, that simply translates into “watery.” This beer is definitely not watery. There is a pronounced malt and grain flavor that greets you immediately. Yet you never sense that the beer is heavy. There is a bit of hop bitterness, but very modest. The malt/grain-to-hop balance in this beer is spot on for a strong American lager. The beer finishes squeaky clean with no off-flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium-bodied without drifting into the heavy range. I didn’t detect any appreciable warmth in the beer, which is somewhat surprising given the 6.8% ABV punch it packs. Hmmm. Could be dangerous…! I also picked up on a bit of creaminess cutting through the ample carbonation. There is no astringency or any off-notes in the finish. Very clean!

All in all, I found this well-crafted strong American lager to be very enjoyable. It is well balanced and very smooth, yet without any trace of cloying sweetness. In a word, excellent. This is probably the best malt liquor I’ve ever had. It could actually give malt liquor a good reputation!