tdracer
I have done quite a few beer-up-the-chuff chook, & I agree that the taste is subtle when using beer, sometimes not even noticeable.
What I have found, to produce imo better results, is to put water in the beer-can. I mix up some butter, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary & fresh pureed garlic into a paste, then spread it thinly under the skin of the whole chook. The steam from the beer-can keeps the chook nice and moist, and the mixture under the skin permeates the flesh.