Sweetwater Brewing Company Dank Tank Mean Joe Bean (365 Day 240)

By scot in 365 Days of American Craft Beer, Beer on Friday, July 29th, 2011

Sweetwater Dank Dank Mean Joe Bean

When I think specialty American craft beers, I think of two kinds: ones that use some type of hook that compliments the beer and ones that use some type of hook to take over the beer. I like the former.

Since I hear your mental thought of “Why?”. I will gladly expand. As I have said many times, I believe a beer should be well balanced. A well balanced beer will have subtle complexities that make the beer inviting, warming, and for want again. Brewers that make beers big and obnoxious to draw attention to themselves, seemingly narcissistic: “Hey, look what I can do. Everyone look at me.” Unfortunately these seem to be the beers that get most of the attention. After all isn’t it “American” to bigger, badder, bolder? No time for politics.

Dank Tank Mean Joe Bean by Sweetwater Brewing Company fits into that well balanced category. It uses coffee or some form of it to add a subtle complexity to a solid porter that is still the overall focus of the beer. The coffee adds a layer to the beer and doesn’t become the beer. Well done and worth your attention. Enjoy!

Aroma: 8 (25%), Taste: 9 (25%), Look: 10 (15%), Drinkability: 9 (35%), Overall: 8.9

Useless Fact: n 1982, a high school student from Los Angeles, California unscrambled the Rubik’s Cube in 22.95 seconds.