Thursday, September 19, 2013

Evil Twin Spicy Nachos Beer Review

5:44:00 PM  Charleston Craft Beer  No comments



Evil Twin Spicy Nachos
5.6% abv

            “Spicy Nachos” is apparently the nickname of Westbrook Brewing owner Ed Westbrook, although no one is quite sure what it means.  That’s also his face on the bottle label.  Evil Twin celebrated this moniker by brewing a beer at Westbrook that actually tastes like spicy nachos.  The beer is a pale ale and is brewed with corn and jalapeno peppers, and is available in the Lowcountry on limited release.

             I love spicy chili beers.  And while I’m usually pretty late to the party as far as trying out new beers, I was eagerly anticipating this one prior to its release.  I showed up at House of Brews just as the guys from Westbrook were dropping off the first case of 22oz bombers, and waited 20 minutes in the back for one to cool off in the fridge.  When I finally did get to crack it open, it was even better than I’d hoped. 

            The beer smells just stadium nachos, not an uncommon scent for someone who grew up a short walk from Notre Dame stadium.  In fact, weird as it sounds, my Spicy Nachos experience conjured up vivid childhood memories from game day Saturdays in South Bend, IN.  My dad has worked for Notre Dame for decades, and while not a big football fan, has gotten season tickets to give his family in Michigan an excuse to come visit.  My Great Uncle Tony and Aunt Irene were the biggest Irish fans I knew and, old and feeble as they were, always came down for the best home game of the year.  When they would arrive my mom would create a spread of chips and her homemade salsa, made with vegetables from her own garden in our backyard.   That taste and smell signified game day for me.

            The tastes from Spicy Nachos are not overly complex, which I like.  The beer seems to get straight to the point: the first taste was a hot and spicy kick to the back of the throat.  The jalapeno flavor is remarkably crisp and fresh, as if you just plucked one from a garden and took a crunchy bite out of it.  This mixes well with the corn, which takes a back seat to jalapenos, in creating that very discernable nacho taste, blanketing the palate and lingering on a bed of hops. 

            Although I first tried Spicy Nachos on a hot and humid August evening, I felt like I was in the Midwest on a cool autumn morning, walking my Great Aunt and Uncle up to the stadium with my dad before kickoff.  And while I can’t promise that you will have any sort of similar memory relapse as a result of drinking this excellent beer, I can guarantee that you will be impressed.  Again, it’s only out on limited release, so get it while it’s hot.

Review By Joe Geglio

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