East Coast Common

California commons are a unique beer. It’s an American lager, but fermented at ale temperatures. It’s synonymous with Anchor Steam and is typically a showcase for Northern Brewer hops, which are woody and minty. While this beer may call itself a California Common, it’s much more like an IPA. It pours a deep golden color approaching an orange hue, with brilliant clarity and a medium-white head that lingers. In the aroma, fruity notes explode from the glass with citrus and tropical fruits – mango, passion fruit, melon and grapefruit – leading the charge. There’s mild toasty malt and light caramel sweetness underneath the hops. The flavor is similar, but with more of a malt presence.  A graham-crackery grain bill with light honey-like sweetness and a touch of toast can be found beneath the waves of fruit – grapefruit, passionfruit, mango, honeydew melon, pear, and lemon. It has a medium body and carbonation that finishes fairly dry with lingering hops and a medium bitterness and no astringency. Perhaps some of the esters are from a steam ferment and the appearance is spot-on, but otherwise the California Common label is confusing. Despite the nomenclature snafu, this is an otherwise great beer by any name.