Beer of the Weekend #1,054: Swarm

The beer of the weekend is Swarm, brewed by the Exile Brewing Company of Des Moines, Iowa.

Swarm

Serving type: 16-ounce can. There is no freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a nonic pint glass. The color is a nice, solid gold. A finger and a half of off-white, buttery, billowly head dissipates slowly, leaving trails of lacing along the glass.

Smell: It has a nice light aroma with a spicy edge. I get light malt, melon, a touch of lemon, and earthy hops.

Taste: It mostly mirrors the aroma with light malt, maybe a little adjunct rice, some must, melon, a touch of lemon, and earthy spice. It is a bit grassy, too. The mouthfeel is dry. It reminds me of Sapporo in a way; dry and simple, but it is not as sharp.

Fun facts about Swarm:

• Style: Exile calls it golden ale but the beer is classified as American blonde ale on BearAdvocate.

• Price: $9.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

• Alcohol content: 4.1 percent ABV.

• Swarm is a collaboration between Exile and the Swarm Collective, which is “is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation organized exclusively to enable and empower University of Iowa student-athletes to amplify their NIL opportunities by contributing their time and diversity of talents through charitable work for other non-profits” (https://iowaswarm.com/the-swarm-collective-teams-up-with-exile-brewing-company-for-custom-branded-beer/). Twenty percent of the beer’s sales are donated to the Swarm Collective. There used to be major barriers between college sports and alcohol, but now here I am, drinking a beer that supports college athletes. Go figure!


The Quiet Man’s grade: B+

Comments

Popular Posts