BEER REVIEWS: Singlecut Beersmith Can Round-Up

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

Back in the “before days,” I used to visit and spend time at breweries. And I always liked to order a flight or tasting to work my way through as many of their different offerings as possible.

Since I’m not visiting breweries at the moment (at least not for sitting in and drinking), I’m drinking a lot more beer at home and lately I found myself drinking a few different can offerings from an old time favorite in Astoria.

I haven’t been to Singlecut Beersmiths in many years. It’s a bit out of the way for me in a further part of Astoria (my old old stomping grounds), but I always appreciated their lager-focused creations and was happy to see them on tap at any bar.

So since I recently downed a few of their beers, here is a round-up the way I used to do it in the olden days.

First up, I sampled the All in All is All Maibock with Elderberries. I got the Nirvana reference but not completely sure how it works with elderberries for a pun. Regardless, I enjoyed this one. Like many of Singlecut’s beers, it veers on the side of classic lagers. This is a bock, so a bit stronger than you may expect but still not over the top at 6.6%.

The nice golden beer smelled of grains and honey and drank like a pretty traditional bitter lager with a subtle hint of elderberry at the end. It didn’t add much to the classic style, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When Singlecut first opened, they prided themselves on brewing lagers in a world of craft ales. But since then, they gave into the pressure and have quite a few IPAs on offer. Weird & Gilly was one of my favorites. This was a very pleasant juice bomb. The bitterness was smooth and approachable and very aromatic. A very fresh juicy IPA with a fair amount of complexity throughout.

Twist Off Extra Dry Lager reminds me of the easy drinking beer that many people learned to love in college and I just never developed a taste for. In fairness, my tastebuds have changed and I can appreciate a light bitter beer like this as long as it’s well-made. And this one is. I broke the first rule by not drinking it out of the can, but then you, dear reader, could not see what the liquid itself looked like.

As you see, it is clear and golden. It drinks very dry (as advertised) with bready notes and a light bitterness. It tasted great cold like a classic cream ale. Again, this isn’t immediately my favorite style but I do understand the appeal.

I should also mention that 10% of proceeds from this beer go to the Sweet Relief Foundation, which helps musicians navigate this uncertain economic time.

And finally we come to another nostalgic beer that is easy drinking and crisp. Very different from the IPA’s and Sours that are all the rage. This is modeled after a German Kolsch, a sort of hybrid beer incorporating characteristics of both an ale and a lager. The nose and palate came alive with hints of lemon and sweet grains. It was very refreshing with a honey backbone and a citrusy finish. According to the can, it was also made with ginger and milk sugars. Neither really played a significant role in the flavor profile and made me wonder how necessary they were in recipe or description.

I’m pleased to say Singlecut continues to churn out very drinkable beers – mostly modeled after classics and traditions. And I’m very excited to have created my own flights from the single cans I got at my nearby store. But, of course, this flight was much more expensive than the one ordered at the brewery.

Is Singlecut Beersmith’s All in All is All Maibock with Elderberries the best beer in NY? It’s very drinkable and light with a subtle hint of elderberries which I didn’t really find to add much. It still gets a 8 out of 10 .

Is Singlecut Beersmith’s Weird & Gilly the best beer in NY? Surprise, surprise but Singlecut makes a killer super juicy and drinkable IPA earning it a 9 out of 10 for having a lack of balance.

Is Singlecut Beersmith’s Twist Off Extra Dry Lager the best beer in NY? It’s not my favorite style, but this one is well-made and perfect for anyone looking to an alternative for those sessionable mass-produced light lagers. 7 out of 10.

Is Singlecut Beersmith’s Strictly Hand-held Honey Kolsch the best beer in NY? It gets an 8 out of 10 for being very refreshing with a nice hit of honey and lemon, but not much in the way of the promised ginger or milk sugar.