I have to admit that I don’t have much experience in the world of malt liquor beverages. When I say “much experience”, I mean zero experience. But since I’ve been hearing and reading more and more about the return of this style of beer, I thought it prudent to at least try a malt liquor from a brewer that I know produces a quality beer. It didn’t hurt that I found the name of the beer amusing. A hard-workin’ man enjoying his brew after what was no doubt a grueling day at work adorns the bottle. We can only hope that the malt liquor beverage that sports an alcohol level of 7.2% and comes in a 22-oz. bottle will make his after work parental responsibilities easier to bear. The label states that the beer is dedicated to Henry Jackson Smart, the man that inspired what we know today as “Father’s Day.” I’m not sure I understand the marketing strategy behind this, but I guess it wins the dubious “Malt Liquor with the most emphasis on family values” award. It sure beats out the now classic Colt 45 marketing push featuring Billy Dee Williams telling us that their malt liquor “works every time.” “Daddy, what is Mr. Williams talking about?”
Dad’s Little Helper poured nicely. It had a small head that dispersed fairly quickly, but the color was a nice deep copper. The aroma was almost non-existent; just faint hints of sweet corn and malt. The taste was smooth and was anything but over the top as I had expected. Flavors did not come across distinct, but instead were muddled together making it hard to describe. The only dominant flavor was the obvious: malt. Once past that traces of corn, hops, and sweet fruit came through jumbled together. It finished with a taste that was something like bananas soaked in alcohol.
I found the beer interesting enough but I can’t say I’ll be a repeat customer. The drink just didn’t have enough character to make it on the MVP list. I think Rogue has done a fine job of taking a somewhat harsh beverage and smoothing it out and making it palatable, but I can’t help but ask why? Are there that many consumers out there waiting for an upscale malt liquor? It still doesn’t come close to providing the satisfaction that comes with experiencing the complexity of a fine beer. But if you are looking for that malt liquor that you can bring home to mama, I guess this is it.
Recommended listening for the Rogue’s malt liquor…funkadelic sounds from Beck:
Beck’s 1999 cheese-fest album is full of funky tunes that conjure up Prince and George Clinton. The album celebrates all that is fun and frivolous about Beck, making you forget just how talented an artist he is. Highlights are “Nicotine and Gravy”, “Debra”, and “Mixed Bizness”.
It’s hard to really call this a malt liquor. It has none of the bitterness of say, old english or colt 45. But like Billy Dee says it really “works every time”. It is not even on the same level as what most people define ‘malt liquor’ as. The flavor is far too smooth and complex, so I think it’s more of a retro advertising campaign more than anything.