Truth be told, Backpocket's Dubuque outpost is really more
of a tied house as the beer is shipped in from Coralville but this is more
distinction than difference. As with 7 Hills Brewing Company that we visited earlier that day, Backpocket is located in the gentrifying Millwork District and is in
a building that was once home to Novelty Iron Works. And so the interior was
post-industrial chic with exposed joists and other structural bits lit by those
faux Edison lights or whatever you call them.
This theme of not being dunkely enough continued in my
mouth. There was very little of that grainy roastiness, no hints of chocolate
or coffee either. It was sweeter than I am used to for the style with both malty
and fruity (again, think plum) kinds of sweetness. There was also an earthy-floral
taste like vanilla as well. On the finish I tasted a lingering honey-like
sweetness complemented by a mild spicy hop flavor.
I've encountered this before – I think it was with Bull Falls'
Schwarzbier – where a dark lager wasn't dark enough and it comes across more
like an Altbier. As far as any semblance to a Dunkel, Slingshot misses the
mark. For starters, it's too light in color. Roastiness and some coffee and dark chocolate,
qualities which are normally present in the aroma and taste and are the things
I crave in the style, are basically M.I.A. here.
What redeems Slingshot is that vanilla flavor. Combined with
the sweetness, it gives the beer a cream soda-like countenance. And when the
beer is nice and cold, it dulls the sweetness a bit so you end up with this
slightly sweet, vaguely vanilla-y drink with a nice fizz to it. Now, I'd rather
have those Dunkel qualities on full display but Slingshot is a pleasant drink
that is not totally unlike cream soda which is really quite tasty, especially during
a heatwave. I found it to be a refreshing treat.
Junk food pairing: Slignshot will pair well with pizza
flavored foods such as Pepperoni Pizza Combos.
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