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Duotang by Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.

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Eighty-Eight Brewing Co. is one of a newer generation of Calgary breweries. I think they opened in 2018—the same year as Cabin and Annex Ale Project. (I think. Correct me if I am wrong, please.) Overall, I've been quite impressed with their branding, package design and—most importantly—their beer.

There's a reason I mentioned Eighty-Eight in the same sentence as Cabin and Annex Ale Project and that is simply that I think the three breweries are exceptional representations of the Calgary brewing scene. As an Edmontonian, it pains me to say it but I have to give credit where credit is due: Calgary is making better beer. I've tasted most of Eighty-Eight's lineup—at least what is available in Edmonton—but this is my first proper review.

  • Name: Duotang
  • Brewery: Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.
  • Style: (Dry-hopped) Sour
  • Alc/vol: 5%
  • OG: unknown
  • FG: unknown
  • IBU: 8
  • Malt: unknown
  • Hops: Amarillo
  • Yeast: Lactobacillus
Appearance: As always, the packaging is exceptional. The Eighty-Eight brand is well designed and their labelling is highly consistent, relying on colour palettes to differentiate their core offerings. This beer was poured from a 500mL bottle into a Speigelau tulip glass. Colour is golden yellow. Head was minimal and dissipated quickly. There was a bit of sediment on the bottom of the bottle—I refrained from pouring the entire bottle to avoid disturbing it.

Aroma: Lemon or lime, primarily. Some bread or cracker, too. Also grass.

Flavour: This is a milder, friendlier sour without the intense mouth-puckering tartness of many others. The beer strikes a very nice balance between the sour quality of the beer and the hop characteristics. There's citrus, but also a pleasant vegetal or grassy quality, likely from the dry-hopping.

Mouthfeel: A thinner, drier beer. Carbonation seems to be on lower side but feels about right for the beer and style.

Overall: A very balanced and really accessible sour—a gateway to the style, for sure. I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in starting an exploration of sour beers. I'd personally order this in between IPAs for a change of pace.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada

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