Black and Tan - Yuengling Review
Winters are for dark stouts, porters, and ales as the season begs for beers rich enough to replace meals. But going from light IPA and lager summer to dark winter can be tricky, so we thought we’d give Black and Tan from Yuengling a try.
Black and Tan is an American version of the English half-and-half, but with 60% of Yuengling’s Dark Porter (brewed since 1829) and 40% of their Pilsner-style Premium Beer, this mix creating a 4.6% ABV and 17 IBU beer.
I’ve never had a half-and-half (though I have seen many floating around an Irish pub I frequent), but I’m excited to try this summer-to-winter transition beer, and also not a little curious to see how a macro brewer pulls off specialty beers. Let’s get those sweaters and beards and start drinking some beers!
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Milk chocolate head over a rich black beer offering a red tinge when held up to the light.
On the Nose--Rich in roasted and sweet malt but with a clean character coming from the Pilsner side. My mouth is truly watering.
On the Palate--Sweet caramel malt gives way to a mildly bitter coffee that leads into a dry and clean finish, just like a good Pilsner would, but with that touch of dark malt dryness. Black and Tan has a medium body and offers a mild floral hoppiness that makes it very much a Yuengling beer. Rich and hearty flavor with a sessionable ABV.
Final Thoughts:
Macro beers can be cheap and fun to drink but they aren’t known for a whole lot of flavor, and after you’ve had really good beer they can be difficult to go back to. Yeungling, I must admit, is one of the few macro beers I can still drink with some joy, and that is true of their Black and Tan. Overall, it’s nice to look at, has a nice aroma, and is nice to drink. It’s a unique beer with a unique flavor that reminds me a bit of a dunkel, which is one of my favorite styles of beer, but Black and Tan offers a crisp and clean flavor that balances the hearty and rich malts of the porter. It’s very much a Yuengling beer.
Black and Tan is not the most complex or challenging beer but it is a good, palatable (and rather cheap) winter beer, and I enjoy very much that Yuengling offers many specialty and seasonal beers, all of which outpace similar offerings from their macro counterparts.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew