Pike Brewing Cerveza Rosanna

Today I hustled over to Pike Brewing to try their Cerveza Rosanna, a chili beer brewed for yesterday's Cinco de Mayo. A lot of chili beers are just a gimmick, crappy beers with the only draw being the novelty of spiciness. However, when a craft brewer attempts one I'm always interested in trying it since I figure they'll do something interesting and the beer underneath has the potential to be skillfully crafted. I realize a lot of people find the idea of spicy chili beer disgusting, but if you like both beer and spicy things, marrying the two isn't so crazy.

Brewer Drew Cluley used green chili peppers and poblanos in the Cerveza Rosanna from an old recipe that the brewery's owners, Charles and Rose Finkel, brought back since re-acquiring the brewery in 2006. I've gotta say that the Rosanna is a good beer. Served on cask, it's a clear amber color and you can pick up the faint smell of peppers in the aroma. Sweetness from the malt hits your tastebuds first and then spiciness hits the back of your mouth and throat. The burn from the chili lingers but doesn't overwhelm. Serving the beer on cask lets the flavors come out more strongly than if it had a lot of carbonation, something that works since the beer is solidly executed underneath the spiciness.

Most amber ales don't have flavors that jump out at you. I think the best examples of the style are ones that have a distinctively hoppy edge or some other characteristic that makes them unique. The Pike Cerveza Rosanna fits into that category by substituting a spicy edge for a hoppy edge. While a little of this beer may go a long way, it's a well-made and interesting beer that's worth trying. Unfortunately, it won't be on for long. The Pike is estimating that they only have enough of the cask left to make it through some of happy hour tonight. If you want to try some, you'd better get down there soon.