REVIEW 12: BROOKLYN LAGER

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Brooklyn Brewery

STYLE:  Amber Lager

ABV:  5.2%

PURCHASE:  60-oz. pitcher, $10.00

SERVING:  Said pitcher, poured into chilled pint glass. Not very heady from the tap--essentially just a thick wisp. A speedier pour from the pitcher into the glass, however, produced between two and three inches with solid retention.

APPEARANCE:  Reddish-amber and fairly transparent. Although, after poured into the glass, it took on a slightly lighter hue of dark gold. Barely off-white crown. Decent lacing around the glass.

BOUQUET:  A forefront of hops and citrus, backed up by a trace of malt and grains. Almost IPA-like in its aromatic profile.

PALATE:  Sweet entry that immediately gives way to a grapefruity bitterness. Features a body that is simultaneously thin but relatively rich in hoppiness--especially for an amber. An ever-so-minute hint of some sort of spice seems present, but is hard to pin down. Simple taste profile, and it tends to lose some luster after the second or third pint. Like a mild ale, the aftertaste takes on a tea-like nature. Relatively smooth overall drinkability with subtle carbonation.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  This is an amber lager bordering upon IPA--or at least APA--territory. In other words, it's a poor man's Sam Adams Boston Lager. Regardless, for a beer this hoppy, it's very agreeable to a long session. I rank it accordingly.




GRADE:  B