Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 5%
Joe’s Take
Regional brew review time! This month we have “Cereal for Dinner” by Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. in Charleston, SC. Nick left one of these at my house last weekend and as they say, “finders keepers.” I’m not usually a breakfast for dinner kind of guy, let alone cereal for dinner, but this beer was definitely enjoyable. Served out of a nicely designed can into a pilsner glass, it poured a nice pale yellow gold color and was moderately hazy. A robust head formed that quickly dissipated to a still surface of beer, leaving no trace of lace behind. The narrow pilsner glass I used trapped the aromatics well, but I suspect a wide rimmed glass may make it more difficult to pick up the volatile compounds released by the beer. To me, the smell was on par for the name as I picked up sweet vanilla, that breakfast-esque grain, and some delicious malty notes. “Cereal for Dinner” had a creamy, viscous mouthfeel (thanks to the lactose in the brew) with medium carbonation. On tasting the breakfast vibes didn’t stop. It reminded me of a bowl of “honey bunches of oats” with some almond milk. I picked up some hearty cereal grain flavors, honey sweetness, and hints of granola. There was little hop character and bitterness, as to be expected for the style. On retronasal olfaction, I detected notes of sweet malt, the slightest hint of alcohol, and even some corn notes. This beer definitely lives up to its name and I wouldn’t think twice about pairing it with some cereal…for dinner. I could also see myself enjoying this with some buttery syrupy waffles or lighter desserts. I might use caution if drinking it with a full breakfast menu, as strong breakfast meats like bacon or sausage might overpower some of the more delicate flavors. I think Edmund’s Oast did a great job with this one and it even has me reconsidering cereal as a dinner option…
Appearance: Yellow, blonde, somewhat pale, not incredibly clear (4/5)
Aroma: Malty, cereal (lives up to its name), vanilla, almond, honey bunches of oats (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Viscous, wet, full bodied, medium carbonation (4.5/5)
Taste: Like breakfast, bowl of cereal with almond milk, grainy, oats, hearty – as it warms more sweet tones become apparent (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Highly drinkable, creamy mouthfeel may make it seem more heavy than it is (4/5)
Total: 21/25
Nick’s Take
With a name like “Cereal for Dinner”, the beer almost sells itself. When my fiancée and I stopped at a bottle shop in Charleston, SC on our way back home, our eyes were drawn to a display of Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. beers. The previous day, we had gone to their brewery/taproom and thoroughly enjoyed all the beers we tried (and we had tried more than a few). One that we didn’t see on the draft list was “Cereal for Dinner” but here it was in 16 oz. cans in a Charleston bottle shop. Among some other selections, we brought home a 4-pack of this blonde ale. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I had a cooler of miscellaneous beers over at Joe’s to celebrate his birthday; apparently, I had placed the one “Cereal for Dinner” can I brought in Joe’s fridge, and, well, you know the rest. Luckily, I had spares at home so we could do a proper review.
I poured this blonde ale into my glass, and was a bit shocked to see the level of haziness to the light golden color. A very pronounced collar of foam arrived at the top, and it had a slightly thick consistency. The aroma was sweet, yet reminiscent of a sour beer (hello, lactose). I also found some notes that reminded me of amaretto/almond liqueur. After bringing the glass to my lips and taking a small sip, I found a good level of carbonation in the beer. It has medium body and little mouthcoat. The sweetness I smelled presented itself as vanilla extract, almond liqueur, and some grains – think bran or flakes cereal – in the beer’s flavor, and it had a slight alcohol finish in taste and retronasal olfaction – very surprising for a beer only clocking in 5% ABV, but not unpleasant or boozy. Overall, I really enjoyed this blonde ale, which was unique in flavor profile and is a great representation of its namesake.
Appearance: Hazy, light golden color with a good head of foam (4/5)
Aroma: Sweet, vanilla, hint of sour, amaretto (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Medium body, good level of carbonation, sugary mouthcoat (4.5/5)
Taste: Vanilla extract, amaretto/almond liqueur that contributed to a light alcohol finish; not much souring from the lactose despite the aroma suggesting it (4/5)
Drinkability: I would say it’s a sessionable beer for me and I would enjoy drinking again; lends itself to be a “dessert” beer (4.5/5)
Total: 21/25
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