Malt Liquor Showdown! Time for another taste review!
Malt liquor is not beer! Not technically anyway. The flavors can be very similar, but the main differences are the reduced or completely omitted presence of hops, and the higher sugar content compared to beer. They also tend to have higher ABV, though this isn't really the case with Mickey's.
I found the Silver City Brewery's DeLuxe Craft at a big wine and beer shop last week, and it got me thinking about Mickey's. So I found the latter, returned for the former, and did a side-by-side! I had fun with my last written tasting, so why not go again with another slightly obscure beverage...
The Mickey's (Milwaukee, WI) is classic stuff, my grandpa used to drink these when I was very young. That stubby, wide-mouthed green bottle is iconic alongside that wasp mascot. On the nose is quite similar to a typical lager, bready, yeasty, not a strong hop presence. Flavor-wise, it again reads as a lager, but with a slightly syrupy texture. This is one of the only beers I've ever seen that lists corn syrup (specifically NOT high fructose) as an ingredient, as well as a standard nutrition facts label. Anyway, malt forward with a smooth corn roundness on the tongue. Hoppy bitterness only comes in toward the end, has subtle fruity notes, and is quite weak. I assume this is because it uses hop extract rather than the real thing. No real complaints about this, it's nostalgic for me personally, and the sweetness makes it easy to pound. The pictogram on the underside of each cap is fun too, just like classic glass bottle SoBe bottles!
Silver City Brewery's (Bremerton, WA) DeLuxe Craft brings a slightly more refined presentation as well as flavor. Refined in terms of can design, meaning it fits well with the rest of their lineup while standing out with that classic turquoise hot rod color and script lettering. To be honest, Mickey's still wins in this category for me. On the nose, DeLuxe is fruitier than Mickey's, which comparatively has a heady, chronic scent. I could take either, both smells appeal to me. As I drink DeLuxe, I notice it's a fair bit more aggressively carbonated than Mickey's. DeLuxe also brings a longer lasting malt flavor and less corn syrupy-ness. The flaked corn mentioned on the bottom of the box tastes more real, and balanced against the barley. There may be some corn syrup in it though, because it is still softer and smoother than a regular lager. The hop extract (or however they hopped this) leaves the mouth with more fruity aromas than Mickey's, and dryer overall in terms of sweetness. But only JUST so. The higher alcohol content (5.6% vs 7%) opens up these flavors that much more.
I would personally give the win to DeLuxe here, as I prefer the bubbles, less sweetness, and more hoppy combination to Mickey's. This is in no way saying that Mickey's is bad, it rides high on nostalgia, drinkability, and availability. But the refined character just barely beats the bee.
