Abzug
Heater Allen Brewing

AbzugAbzug
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From:
Heater Allen Brewing
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Vienna Lager
Ranked #39
ABV:
4.1%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,701
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 5.73%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
28
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 18, 2023
Added:
Feb 17, 2009
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
In the late 1800s, Vienna brewers made three versions of their amber lagers. The highest alcohol version was called Marzen or Fest Bier. The lowest alcohol version was called Abzug, which means "discount" or "reduction" in German. These beers were the Austrian version of session beers. Our version tips the scales at 3.75% alcohol by volume. It's crisp, refreshing, with a nice floral Saaz hop nose, a malty palate, and a clean finish. This is the beer we brew for the wineries during harvest, but it's available to everyone.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by VanKieft:
Photo of VanKieft
Rated by VanKieft from Oregon

4/5  rDev +4.2%

Mar 23, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.66/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Amber, clear, nice white head that revives easily from a medium collar. Nose and taste are slightly reminiscent of brew day - especially the nose, with a lightly toasted grainy maltiness. Spicy and slightly floral hops chime in more as the beer warms. The taste (and subsequently feel) are a bit light and watered down, allowing the spicy hop bitterness a bit more leeway than I expected. Even knowing it’s a table/session beer, I want the malt more involved than I experienced.
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of TheBricenator
Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: An almost clear light orange/dark yellow in color with a great-looking pure white head that quickly forms a pillow, slowly settling to reveal copious amounts of lacing left behind
Aroma: Freshly baked bread, floral hops, lightly toasted bread, wafts of toffee, light honey, and melanoidin
Taste: Starts off with a kiss of toffee and melanoidin before the bready malt crashes in bringing toast, bread, crust, and wafts of baking to the table. Floral notes take hold in the middle with butterfly bush and magnolia in play and closes with a little honey and more bready malt
Mouthfeel: Light but full, extremely clean, medium-high carbonation, and smooth and soft on the finish
Overall: This is really tasty stuff. I’m a huge fan of Lisa’s libations and this particular brew has eluded me for years so when I finally saw it, it was a no-brainer purchase and totally worth it. A delicious and well-made Vienna – already a sucker style for me – plus so well put-together that everything works in harmony to deliver a tasty and awesome drinking experience. To the surprise of no one, I would highly recommend trying this
Jun 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Ajlvt from Washington

Aug 18, 2022
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz. can. Deep golden. Smells of toasted bread, spicy hops, light grass. Tastes of grassy and spicy hops with a light toasted malt backbone. Pleasant bitterness. Light body, very flavorful, especially for the size. Good stuff.
Jun 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3.33 by pkalix from California

May 28, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 26, 2022
 
Rated: 4.21 by heerboth from Pennsylvania

Jul 31, 2021
 
Rated: 3.81 by Sound_Explorer from Washington

Apr 25, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Somewhat cloudy dark amber body with a huge cream head. Smell and tastes are clones: caramel malts lead with floral yeast, light toast, and a steady but gentle springy hop presence. Feel is clean but not the most crisp, the malts shape the most but hops do elevate the palate a bit, carbonation is higher but not a detraction, a smaller body for sure. The wife liked it
Mar 23, 2021
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.99/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Golden amber body, clear and sharp; populous carbonation bubbles gently rising; fat and creamy white head. Bright and malty aroma infused with toffee and toasted grains. Toasty caramel flavor cross-fed with a moderate hop bitterness. Medium body; crisp and sharp on the palate counterpointed with a fine, dull residual sugar sweetness.

Abzug delivers on the Vienna lager hype. Rich and malty with a fine hop bitterness to gently cut into the overall malty sweetness.
Feb 06, 2021
 
Rated: 3.79 by WDJersey from Colorado

Dec 19, 2020
Photo of morimech
Reviewed by morimech from Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can canned on 10/26/2020
Pale amber color with a finger of head. Timid aroma but definitely get a hit of Vienna malts and some noble hops. Clean lager flavor with bready notes. Enough bitterness and a little spice from the hops. A hard water finish. A small beer which goes against the trends of todays breweries. Overall I like it.
Dec 14, 2020
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Darker amber bodied. Nice bready malt, a bit of wheat; light caramel, grainy cereal that finishes clean with a mild floral and spicy hop bite. Medium lighter bodied, good carb. Easy drinking, lots of flavor at 4.1%, pretty nicely done.
Dec 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3.85 by shelby415 from Oregon

Dec 09, 2020
Photo of RaulMondesi
Reviewed by RaulMondesi from California

3.59/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hmmm... Yeah... Umm...

This one poured the standard Vienna Lager copper like Lincoln on a penny. Aroma is a bit faint like when you almost pass out after holding your breath pass that place on the highway that smells like sulfur. Taste is a bit weird. Like watching “Mulholland Drive” for the 1,000th time, I don’t really understand it. Along with that is a sharp bite in the end like my mistress when she’s feeling freaky. Not bad, just kind of there and a lil different.

Peace!
Nov 21, 2020
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.84/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Re-released after a several year hiatus. I bought two cans from Tavour whose writeup (a good one, as most of their's are) indicates Abzug is a specialized Vienna, designed for that city's local farmworkers. Keeping to traditions, Heater Allen's Abzug is designed for Oregon's winery workers during harvest.

Abzug offers a pretty copper, but too modest a foam and lace that, to me, gives it only slightly above average Looks. Smells are mostly toasted malts with, maybe, some pear or other hard fruit back there. Tastes are balanced well with hops that leave a dry finish. Refreshing in my mouth.

For my brewer review.... Heater Allen seems to be a unique lager-producer in the land of Northwest hops and farmhouse innovation. But HA's website gives one of the clearest explanation of lagers. Their dedication to their niche is to be applauded. Besides they have a good story: husband homebrewer convinces his daughter to train to be headbrewer. All good... While Abzug was clean and well-crafted, my next brew from HA will be a marzen.
Nov 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.85 by MaximumYuks from Oregon

Nov 09, 2020
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Reviewed by constantine_272 from Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Nice mellow light amber, but with a couple of downsides. It starts sweet and malty with toasted oats and ample walnut meatiness. I like the start but it goes downhill with an overly sweet finish and an odd copper and nickel metal aftertaste. Not a huge fan of the finish. Though, like all Heater Allen beers I've had, it is supremely balanced and well crafted.
Jun 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.84 by jason_nwx from Oregon

Mar 10, 2016
Abzug from Heater Allen Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 28 ratings