I've always been interested in the difference between canning runs of beer and how recipes seem to change and evolve with each rebrew a brewery does. Much Ado About Muffin, from Siren Craft Brewery is billed as a 5.5% Blueberry Muffin Pale Ale that I happened to get two different batches of - the earlier batch I'll refer to as v1 and the following month's rebrewed that I'll refer to as v2. I had read some feedback on the rebrew and that it appeared there was a recipe tweak, and the idea hit me to see what - if any - changes seemed to exist between both batches. With my faithful sidekick (ha) - my husband - by my side, we sat down, cracked both cans, and got down to it.
To start, both iterations were identical in physical appearance and I was worried there would be no difference at all...until I got to the smell.
V2 had a slightly sweeter and fuller fruit smell with the added dash of what I made out as vanilla, while V1 smelled more like a stereotypical beer with an added bit of acidity.
In terms of taste, I would say that v2 had a stronger blueberry taste to it - which didn't surprise me based on the aromas I got from both. V1 was far more like a standard pale with subtle fruit elements while v2 was far less beer-like and heavier on the fruit (according to my taste buds, but my husband disagreed). From his perspective, he thought v2 was far more subtle in fruit than v1, but we both agreed that v2 was sweeter. I found both to be sweet in different ways - v1 having more of a cider-quality sweetness and v2 being more of a "warm" sweetness.
For me, I felt like v2 had a fuller and more well-rounded and well-balanced taste and the addition of the vanilla mellowed out the natural acidity of the blueberries. I didn't find either to be particularly thick in mouthfeel, even for v2 which felt like it must have had a lot of fruit puree added to get that fullness and freshness. .
THE VERDICT:
My husband's pick for the favourite was v1 because he said that it had a "more prominent taste" and was fruitier for his taste buds while still maintaining the beer taste. He felt that v2 was more blueberry-specific in taste, but he liked that v1 was better fruit (in general) and beer combination.
What worked out perfectly is that my preferred favourite was v2. I appreciated the fuller blueberry offering. My husband's remark about it was that you could "tell it's Siren. It tastes like a Siren beer", and I think that really sums it up for me.
Beyond the difference in taste just between v1 and v2, I found it very interesting how different our taste buds varied while being grateful that we did choose different variants (meaning I didn't have to share the remainder of the can). Thankfully, we clearly compliment each other well. Though I enjoyed both versions in their own way, I can honestly say this beer was even better fresh off the tap at the Siren Tap Yard. Regardless of what you think about any version of "Much Ado" in a can, it's worth checking out fresh if you're passing through Finchampstead.
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