Blanc Slate Lager
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

At long last, I am finally getting around to an extensive brewery horizontal to clear out a massive backlog in support of The CANQuest (tm). I knew that I had a number of their beers in abeyance, but it was not until I beCAN assembling them that I realized just how extensive my inventory actually was. 11/16.

From the CAN: "A Keller Lager Dry-Hopped with Hallertau Blanc Hops"; "Pizza. Beer. Happy."; "Proudly Brewed In Pennsylvania"; "Please Enjoy Fresh, Preferably With Pizza. Do Not Age."

For this one, I readied one of my now-many large Pilsner glasses scored at Ollie's. It seemed like a good choice for a 16-fl oz CAN to have its CANtents Glugged into. I beCAN with a Crack! of the vent, followed by a solid, steady C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. It foamed beautifully, forming two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head with decent retention. Color was a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5). Nose had a white wine grape-y vinousness as well as a crackery maltiness. Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but certainly big for a Lager. The taste had a white wine vinousness along with a crackery maltiness & I was reminded of being an educated, erudite sailor paraded to officer's functions in the hops of getting me to CANvert to a CANmission. White wines were generally the order of the day, as were hors d'oeuvres on crackers. I smiled, made nice, ate & drank heartily & then slowly slipped out to rejoin my buddies. This tasted like a soiree at the O Club & while such is fine for some, it was DEF not my bag. Finish held a pleasant vinous dryness, but I CANnot say for certain that I just drank a beer. YMMV.

sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into a pint glass. The beer has been in my fridge for a while, but toom it out recently to drink and didnt get to it. now I am.
The beer pours a bright clear gold with bleached white dense head of 2 cm.
This foam fades to a wispy surface layer quickly after the pour.
The aroma is some floral hoppy notes and some white grape and a bit of biscuity or cracker malt. Very clean nose that is direct and appealing.
first sip reveals a light body and crisp texture with fine and spacious carbonation. Easy drinking physical traits for this brew.
Flavor is similar to the nose with some crackery and biscuity malt mixing up front and then a little white grape again but then finishes with a dry and bitey vegetal hop finish. The hops linger after each swallow.
This is a fairly crushable yet diversely flavored brew. im glad to have picked it up and give it a run.
Nice well made lager.

On tap In a pint glass. Is slightly hazy golden color with a modest white head. Nice grassy/floral aroma. The taste followed suit with a moderate bitterness that was mainly grassy and floral with a clean finish. Overall very nice. No Off flavors. recommended.

 

The slightly cloudy golden amber colored beer pours out into Duvel glass with a 1” finely bubbled white head that recedes slowly but visibly to a cap and ring of foam and then to a thin irregular island of foam while leaving a thick web of partial rings, patches and legs of lacing that persist to the end of the beer. Sipping creates small scattered patches of lacing and a few long slender legs of lacing.

The aromas are full of the floral and fruity hops with some white wine grapes, grapefruit, lemongrass, berries and pineapple showing. In the background there’s a some crackery malt

The flavors are much as expected from the nose and showcase the white wine grapes backed up with the pineapple, grapefruit, lemongrass, berries and tropical fruits. The crackery malt stays in the background so this beer is mostly about showcasing what the hops bring to the show. The crackery malt provides just enough sweetness to soften the grassy bitterness from the hops.

The mouth feel is medium bodied and slightly prickly with the light, finely bubbled carbonation. The finish begins as the fruity and tropical flavors begin to recede so that the grassy bitterness shows for much longer as the bitterness moves to the back of the palate and begins its long slow fade away.

Overall I really like this beer. It’s enjoyable, drinkable, and showcases a variety of hops that has a lot of complexity to offer and some interesting combinations of aromas/flavors. I’ll be looking to have this one again. Clearly the name is appropriately chosen.