Name: Necro Alchemy
Brewer: Kings County Brewers Collective (KCBC) (United States)
Style: Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer (Base Style: Kellerbier: Pale Kellerbier)
ABV: 5%
Review Year: 2019
Necro Alchemy, brewed by the Brooklyn’s Kings County Brewers Collective (KCBC) and metal band, Tomb, offers a caffeinated alternative to the traditional Kellerbier– something not just suitable for the beer gardens in the summer but also in the metropolitan cafes around the world.
Necro Alchemy features Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans and Hallertau Blanc hops. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans are known to impart floral and sweet aromas and complex, fruity, tea-like, floral, and lemon flavors. Meanwhile, Hallertau Blanc is a German hop variety that is found to contribute aromas of cassis, elderflower, grapes, grapefruit, and lemongrass, together with flavors of white wine and fruit.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) with the Kellerbier: Pale Kellerbier (7C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Necro Alchemy pours a slightly cloudy moon yellow color with a white head. The nose initially opens up with light maltiness (e.g., straw) then followed by mocha notes, which are contributed likely by the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans used. Conforming to style, this beer has a crisp and light body, with a flavor profile evoking caramel sweetness, coffee, and cream. Meanwhile, maltiness and hop bitterness are moderate and low, respectively. A dry finish is also noted.
THE VERDICT
In conclusion, KCBC’s Necro Alchemy offers a caffeinated alternative to the traditional Kellerbier. Because of this, we are now convinced that coffee-inspired Kellerbiers have their rightful places not just in beer gardens during summer, but also in metropolitan coffeeshops around the world.
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