Gold Leaf Lager
Devils Backbone Brewing Company

Gold Leaf LagerGold Leaf Lager
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From:
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Helles
Ranked #272
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,424
Avg:
3.58 | pDev: 13.41%
Reviews:
60
Ratings:
225
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 10, 2023
Added:
Dec 24, 2008
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  59
Golden Lager.

While Gold Leaf is on the lighter side, it takes five weeks to perfect this traditional German-style lager. An homage to the days when beers were made 100% from malted barley, Gold Leaf is brewed with four European malts tempered with a touch of three imported hops. Plus, it’s got subtle bready notes. And since it’s not super hoppy or dark, this beer doesn’t hide any flavor inconsistencies. That just keeps us honest.

Malts: Pilsner, Weyermann Pilsner, Vienna, Acidulated Malt
Hops: Northern Brewer, Saaz, Tettnang
IBU: 21
COLOR: Gold
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by argock:
Photo of argock
Reviewed by argock from Virginia

3.72/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 12 oz can into a clear glass 16 oz mug. No freshness date on the can. Purchased at Market Street WIneshop (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Clear straw yellow with 2-finger ivory head with average retention and only a few spots of lace.

S: Bready, malty aroma with lightly spicy, herbal and grassy noble hops nose

T: Clean and crisp with a inobtrusive bready malt flavor and capped with a light honeysuckle, herbal, grassy, lightly spicy hops bitterness. I think it is a little too bitter for the style, but not way off, maybe 3-5 IBUs too many.

M: Very crisp and finishes dry with light body and a bit too low in the carbonation department.

O: I liked GLL but it has a few tweaks in lowering the hop bitterness a few IBUs and upping the carbonation a tad. Still, a refreshing brew, great for summer.
Jul 16, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Photo of brewerburgundy
Reviewed by brewerburgundy from West Virginia

3.46/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle, tulip, best by 10/22/21.

Clear light gold with a small rush of white head that leaves nothing.

Delicate clean bread and a spicy note.

This is a very light beer, but there are nuggets of flavor that match the aroma. White bread, grass, and spicy hop leaf.

Very light body with low carbonation. The bubbles are very gentle and it’s not flat, but they are small and obsequious.

This is a fine “easy” beer for the new craft drinker or discerning session beer seeker.
Feb 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.78 by Pens1967 from Louisiana

Aug 30, 2021
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle, served in a shaker glass. Best by 07/24/21.

Appearance: Bright/clear pale gold. Thin white head with sheets and strands of persistent lacing.

Smell: Clean bready aroma with a hint of noble hops.

Taste: Tastes a lot like it smells, but a bit more bitterness. Crisp finish.

Mouthfeel: Chewy and good carbonation.

Overall / Drinkability: A good simple helles lager. By itself it is a little plain, but this would go well with food. Easily drinkable.
Jul 03, 2021
 
Rated: 3.59 by xx_adolfhitler42069_xx from Virginia

Jan 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by Urk1127 from New Jersey

Dec 30, 2020
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.17/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
12 oz cans served in a standard pint glass.
The aroma is overly dank, suggesting wet hay.
The flavor is much milder, cleaner, and brighter than the aroma suggests.
Light, semi-dry feel with medium - high carbonation.
Oct 09, 2020
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.44/5  rDev +24%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Brilliant light golden color, nice white head, good retention, streaky lace
Grainy, sweet malt aroma
Tastes like it smells
Light bodied, appropriate carbonation
I dig it for what it is.
Sep 09, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by Velivolus1 from Vermont

Aug 01, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by ryanf2192 from District of Columbia

Jul 13, 2020
Photo of RonaldTheriot
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana

4.74/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Gold Leaf has a very thick, spongy, off-white head, a clear, bubbly, gold appearance, and minimal glass lacing. The aroma is of sweet, white bread crust and musty grain. The flavor is of white bread crust, with a slight bitterness. It has a medium body and a crisp finish.

RJT
May 26, 2020
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is full of malts, a bit in the sweet side. Taste is crisp, malts, light hops are present, highly refreshing. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a beer I would like to try again during the summer.
Mar 12, 2020
Photo of jmc65267
Reviewed by jmc65267 from Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pretty fine. Nothing to complain about. The smell is okay and the taste is fine. It’s all okay. The feel is the best part but it’s nothing to write home about.
Mar 10, 2020
 
Rated: 3.53 by metter98 from New York

Feb 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.29 by gschultz1942 from North Carolina

Jan 26, 2020
Photo of DamnBecker
Reviewed by DamnBecker

4.04/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Well carbonated and tasty beer. This is the best of Devil's Backbone beers and the least overly sweet, amber depth is nice but can be too much after 3-4 (hard to drink all night).
Dec 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.78 by Wrigfen from South Carolina

Dec 06, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Velivolus from Vermont

Nov 25, 2019
Photo of wac9
Rated by wac9 from Pennsylvania

3.06/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Very. Nice
Sep 28, 2019
Gold Leaf Lager from Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 225 ratings