Over the spring I’d received samples of three fairly different beers from Cannon Beach’s Public Coast Brewing, one a retooled year-round beer and two seasonal specialties. Time for a review roundup!

’67 Blonde Lager

New to the brewery’s core lineup this year, ’67 Blonde Lager is “a reimagined classic of the 2018 World Cup Winner, the ’67 Blonde Ale”; as such, it replaces the Ale as a lighter staple year-round. More details from the press release are here; it’s a 5% ABV lager, brewed with two-row malt, pilsner malt, rice flakes, and Lemondrop hops.

Appearance: Deep golden color, nice and clear. Fizzy white head that didn’t last.

Smell: Nicely grainy with a touch of DMS, and a mild note of hops—not particularly distinct, maybe a touch spicy/earthy reminiscent of German hops. Light overall.

Taste: Crisp, light, grainy with a touch of corn character (could be the DMS, could be corn itself if it was used?) with a lingering sweetness. A slight fruitiness comes out as it warms, and there’s a light toasted wheatiness rounding it out. Light hops.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and fairly crisp, good finish but not particularly dry.

Overall: It’s a nice and drinkable lager, a touch sweet perhaps so maybe it’s a tad under attenuated but otherwise it’s fine.

Raspberry Tart Ale

This springtime seasonal is brewed with raspberry purée and is 5.7% ABV. It’s brewed with malted wheat and also uses Lemondrop hops (more here). It’s a special release currently available on tap at the brewpub as well as in cans.

Appearance: Deep red-pink with some haziness. A head of pink foam on the pour that didn’t last.

Smell: Fresh, tart raspberries, with a bright acidity. Behind the fruit there’s a lactic acid tang and a touch of earthy malt (wheat?). The fruit is the star here.

Taste: It’s tart and crisp and a bit puckering; there’s berry but it’s sour and tangy like you picked the tart raspberry of the batch, but fresh. Bracing. Elements of wheat, light grassiness, earthy fruit notes. It’s not obnoxiously sour, which I appreciate!

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a puckery tang that you feel at the back. The acidity gives it a crisp, sharp note, with a snappy finish.

Overall: Great fruit in the nose, nice flavor without being too over the top. Summery!

Benny’s Maple Oat-Stack Stout

Also available on draft and in cans, this specialty is a dessert-like concoction brewed with maple syrup and Ceylon cinnamon. It’s an oatmeal stout take on the brewery’s Black Stack Stout (or, if you like, the “Stack” series which also features StackStock Candy Cap Stout), riffing on the nearby prominent Haystack Rock.

There are more details here, but it’s brewed with chocolate malt, oat malt, Prinz Malt, and biscuit malt, and along with the samples the company sent to me was a package of Oregon Bigleaf Maple Bonbons from Ranger Chocolate. It’s 7.5% ABV and the general description calls out the character of “fresh stack of oat flapjacks and maple syrup.”

Appearance: Very dark brown to black, no light passes through. Whipped tan head with good lacing.

Smell: Maple and cinnamon that gives a smoky-sweet character, a touch chocolatey and yes, kind of a pancakes with syrup thing going on. Pretty dessert-y. Some roast and maybe a note of sugar plums.

Taste: More roasty on the tongue, with a bit of smoky tannin character, probably from the cinnamon. The maple is rich but dried out (well attenuated) with a bit of a “sap” note—sweetish resin. There’s a nice dark malt-driven bitterness with a bit of dark coffee and cocoa nibs. Cinnamon is smoky but subtle.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full-bodied, roast and attenuation give a bit of dryness in the finish. Not syrupy or cloying like you might expect.

Overall: This is a really nice stout with some interesting things going on—all of which work. Pairs fine with the Ranger bonbons.