Detroit Special Export – Detroit Brewing Co.

As annoying as it is when family goes someplace nice and doesn’t take you with them (I haven’t been taken on a family vacation since I was 15, or about half my life), it is nice when your Mum stops on her way back from Florida and picks you up a mixed case of beer from a bottle-shop in the states (thanks Mum!).  While you will likely never find this beer for sale in Ontario, the Detroit Brewing Co is a micro brewer in Michigan (that being said, I couldn’t find any reference to this beer on their website, or beeradvocate.  Ratebeer had one entry, so at least I know I’m not dreaming).  Incidentally, Detroit Special Export is a fitting beer for my Mum to bring me, as her mother lived in Detroit for a while as a child, after her family immigrated from Oxford.  So, aside from my Mum, this one’s for you Grandma!  I’m sure you’re one part happy that I write so much, two parts annoyed that it’s about beer.

Detroit Special Export - Detroit Brewing Co.

Detroit Special Export - Detroit Brewing Co.

From a 355ml bottle with no freshness date (or abv for that matter), Detroit Special Export pours a reddish brown, with a short dense head.  Aroma is rich and malty, almost toffee, with a bit of hops that are a little piney, but fairly mild in the nose.  Whoah, the taste is immediately very hoppy and quite bitter.  Caramelly sweetness is present throughout the flavour, but there are big bitter hops right off the top, and they pop back up in the finish.  Hard to pick a taste from the hops; they are much more a feeling.  It’s like the brewer dumped both the bittering and aroma hops in the boil at the 15 minute mark and went off for a cup of coffee.  But not in a bad way.  The really bitter hops hold up well against the fairly medium body, no doubt from the fairly sweet graininess.  Drinks a bit like a Fullers ESB, pretty complex and chewy.  Wish I knew the alcohol in it; it drinks like it’s at least 6%.  I probably wouldn’t drink a bunch of these in a row, but it would definitely hold up well with a big dinner.  Robust and malty, not so complicated it would mask the food.  I bet it would be killer in a stew.  All in all, I like this.  Perhaps it needs a little tweaking, as I would like a little more hops in the nose, but it’s quite nice.

Cheers Detroit Brewing Co.

Brewery Information

Detroit Brewing Company LogoDon’t really know much about this company.  Their website just has their logo and a line to email them for information. Basically, they’re a brewery in Detroit.  Ummmm, they probably like the Red Wings.  That’s all I’ve got.

http://www.detroitbrewingco.com/

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