Gold Band Export
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

 

22 ounce bottle into lager glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours fairly crystal clear deep orange/light copper color with a small dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of honey, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of caramel, nutty, roast, pepper, and herbal/grassy earthiness. A bit of fruity aromas, but not too overwhelming. Nice and pleasant aromas with bready malts and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of honey, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of caramel, nutty, roast, pepper, and herbal/grassy earthiness. Very mild herbal, grassy, spicy, roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of honey, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light honey/nutty, and herbal/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice robustness of bready malts and light earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Nicely clean on lager flavors, not overly fruity. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6.3%. Overall this is a very good Munich dunkel
lager. All around nice robustness of bready malts and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Just as tad too fruity than acceptable for the style. This has nicely rich Munich malts, with solid hop balance against sweetness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.

Caramel aroma with a touch of spice. Pours a clear amber with a dusting of off white head. Rich malt flavor, with hints of caramel and clove, and a mild earthy bitter finish. Full mouthfeel, and a solid example of the style.

Shimmering brass-amber with a minimal off-white head dying to nothing but a thin khaki ring.

Smell is toast, bread, corn and white grape.

Taste starts with semi-sweet toasted barley, nearing Honey Smacks, with corn and red grape. The swallow turns semi-bitter with grassiness.

Smooth, medium to full bodied with a big, wet froth finishing semi-dry, this is really drinkable, tasty and complex for a style that most people might scoff at. It has a good toastiness amid the sweetness, and then the slightly bitter finish that follows is very welcome.