Lucky Strike
Spring House Brewing Company

The pour of a pint can into a clear glass Imperial pint mug should have gone easier for this style of beer. Instead, a big stark white fluffy head got in the way. This is not the head of a barley malt based beer, something a true Dortmunder is. The big fluffy mess on top of this pour recedes unevenly and unattractively, just like almost every other wheat infused brew does. Thankfully, there's really no staying power, so quickly the beer can be readily consumed. This one doesn't even smell malty. It smells more like Budweiser and that's not a compliment. It does taste a little better, but it's more because of a slightly bitter hopping, rather than a malty taste inclusion. A Dortmunder style lager is supposed to have more malt than the average lager in its taste. This doesn't. It may be slightly more hoppy, but that, although a nice taste addition, isn't what this category is all about. OK, it's better than Budweiser by virtue of its hoppiness. But its near barley malt absence leads to no bready sweetness and hurts its body. Overlooked, because of the foam, it's the slightly cloudy color of an adjunct lager. It's a recommended pass, if you're interested.