Golden Hammer Organic Lager
Hopworks Brewery

 

Had this on 2021-12-21 near Pittsburgh, PA from a 12oz canned 2021-05-04

A - Almost-clear straw-gold with a 1-finger head and nice lace

S - Pils malt, white grapes and floral spice. On the mild side.

T - Sourdough, Pils malt, touch of lemon, pepper and muted white grapes. Call it an American Helles since it finishes dryer and with a bit more bitterness than the best German examples.

M - Light-medium body and carbonation. On the light side

O - A decent Helles with no flaws but I'd prefer a Weihenstephaner Helles for an every day brew.

i have been buying more craft lager than ever lately, its just been appealing to me to slam cans all weekend long most weeks, so this was the selection today, cool cans, definitely the packaging sold me here, also again very cool to have this be organic, i respect these guys for sourcing those ingredients so often, i know its not easy (or cheap). this is almost all the way clear with a tall white head, very frothy and lasting, great carbonation activity in my glass, and a light but active appearance. it smells and taste quite fresh, which is not always the case with their beer in idaho, minimally hoppy to me, slightly herbal and only a touch bitter, almost a german pils complexion to the grain from what i perceive, minerals, crackers, white flour, baked basic pizza crust, that kind of thing. the flavor is cohesive and somewhat robust for what it is, more hops here than i can smell, and some definite european character to the lager yeast. it comes together well, is flavorful for its low abv, is crispy to finish without being overly dry or just gone at the end. affordable for being organic, well made, and seemingly fresher than their hoppy stuff has been here. works well as a late summer or early fall lager too, a little bigger feeling and a little more going on than the pure summer quencher examples of the style. im happy with my pick!

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear golden color with a one finger head of white foam. The head fades rather fast leaving a tiny bit of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is mainly of a grainy and slightly bready smell mixed with lots of caramel sweetness and a touch of peach and apricot. Along with these aromas comes a little bit of grass and a touch of herb.
Taste – The taste begins with a cracker malt taste that has lots of caramel and some light fruit sweetness. As the taste advances some grainy flavors come to the tongue and are joined by a little bit of a herbal hop taste. These tastes take the flavor profile to the end and leave one with a crisp and rather clean taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is light and crisp with a higher carbonation level. For the style and the flavors, the feel is excellent and makes for a very crisp and refreshing brew overall.
Overall – A rather easy drinking and tasty brew overall. Not the best lager out there, but decent none the less.

 

A: Pours a clear golden/yellow color. At first a one finger white head forms, but recedes quickly, a little too quickly. Light lace is left behind.
S: First thing I get in the nose is a honey like sweetness. Light spicy/herbal and floral hop aromas. Not particularly vibrant, but simple and enjoyable.
T: Again that honey like sweetness up front. Other than that, the malts are fairly neutral here. Would like more of a biscuit or cracker malt character to come through. Light acidic/spicy.herbal hops in the finish, though again not very vibrant. No real bitterness lingering, though I wouldn't expect a lot for the style. Though that just highlights how middle of the road this seems to me, and maybe give it some distinguishing characteristic.
M/O: A light body and moderate carbonation. Smooth at the same time. Not particularly dry,. Certainly not hard to drink, as it is no frills and not something you need to think a lot about. Which has its charm.

This is pretty average, which is far from bad or not enjoyable. Something for a hot summer day, and grilling outside. Which has its place. Though there are many lagers available to me, locally and regionally made at that, that are superb. I will be reach for those over this in future.