Tag Archives: speakeasy

Butchertown Black Ale is a limited release brew from San Francisco’s Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, one of the better microbreweries in the city by the bay. It’s full flavored American Black Ale, full of malty and hoppy goodness. I can really taste the malt and piney hops, and it has a bit of a burnt smokey flavor as well. The Speakeasy brewmaster says that flavors of grapefruit, pine, currants and red wine come through before overturning to a malt depth intricacy of dark, toasted bread, pumpernickel, subtle notes of dark fruits and hints of dark chocolate, tobacco and leather. Try as I might, I can’t taste the leather and that’s probably a good thing. I think a lot of people would be put off by the bold taste, especially if you usually drink Bud or Coors. But if you like microbrews, this is a great choice. It’s 8.2% alcohol, a fairly typical amount for a good microbrewed ale. It has a cool name too. It was inspired by San Francisco’s Butchertown district where they used to slaughter livestock back in the day. Now it’s where the Speakeasy brewery stands. It’s worth buying. Look for the beer with a picture of a happy cow on the bottle. I don’t know why the cow is so happy. It’s almost as if it doesn’t know that it’s the mascot for a beer named after a slaughterhouse district.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young