Lickinghole Creek Carrot Cake Imperial Amber Ale
Lickinghole Creek’s Carrot Cake Imperial Amber Ale isn’t a beer hiding behind an obscure name. I mean, it pretty much says what you’re getting right there on the label. The brewery used “hundreds of pounds of freshly grated carrots” in the making of this 9% ABV brew. But does that carrot and the blend of spices really translate to eating a slice of cake?
Well, yes and no. The carrot is certainly in the mix and the blend of cardamum, cinnamon, clove and more sits in the forefront of everything, but the flavors don’t quite come together as well as they could. The beer is rustic and earthy, which I particularly love, but the array of spices are a bit on the strong side though not as potpourri-ish as the company’s Redneck Soap Opera. I think a touch of sweetness to round out the earthy carrot flavor and grassy hop presence would do this beer a favor — and give it more of that cake character.
Carrot Cake isn’t a bad beer by any means. The earthy and natural rawness of this imperial amber ale are both aspects that I particularly enjoy. The spice blend could probably be toned down a bit and a little sweetness added to really give it more of a cake-like character. I’d be curious to see how this one does with a little more age in the bottle.