Great Notion’s spicy corn lager – Children of the Corn
Great Notion opened their doors back in 2016 in Portland, Oregon and was immediately sought after for their amazing hazies and sour brews.
Fast forward eight years and they have continued their success and grown exponentially. They now have eight location (four in Portland, two in Seattle, and two in California – Berkeley and Sacramento) and can even ship beer right to your door if you live in California, Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, Virginia, Washington DC, New Hampshire, Vermont, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Ohio, or Anchorage, Alaska!
I have enjoyed their beers for a long time but recently found out I’ve never shared them on Belt’s Beer Garden. And today I have the perfect beer from them for this time of year.
It might be a day late but I have the ultimate Halloween beer – Children of the Corn Lager. This corn Lager was brewed with Pilsner and Vienna malt and then fermented with lime and Guajillo and Ancho chili peppers. It features a 5.1% ABV and you can get a four pack for $13 right now on their website (normally $16).
Pouring an mostly clear amber color, this lager had a massive build up of eggshell white head – nearly three fingers high – followed by every single bubble vanishing within twenty seconds. There was not a single piece of foam left atop the beer or left on the side of the glass. They disappeared like all those horror film villains after you see them in the mirror for a split second.
The smell was mostly sweet and soft, like a traditional corn lager. It was big on the cereal-like aroma that many give off but with one difference. The addition of the chilis added a very subtle spice to the aroma. It wasn’t much but it was enough to let you know they were there. The lime was even more subtle and not all that noticeable in the scent.
Each sip begins quite clean and easy with nothing happening for the first few moments. But then those Guajillo and Ancho chilis began to chase down my taste buds. It wasn’t super spicy but that heat from the peppers didn’t give up…it just kept slowly coming towards me like Jason or Michael Myers.
The lime, who was even slower to appear, finally showed up and was able to slow their pursuit even more, adding a nice little tart flavor that balanced out the beer nicely.
By the midway point, the chilis had begun to fade entirely and the lime and corn took over. The back half of the sip was mostly a traditional corn lager – a little sweetness, a little syrupy thickness, and a nice zesty lime flavor to give it some pop.
It finished a bit sticky, with that syrupy resinous feeling lingering on, and with a dash of the pepper heat still prickling the back of my tongue.
Children of the Corn Lager had a little sweet and a little heat…making it perfect for fall. If you like a little spice in your life, you should check this beer out.
