Test Batch #8 Lager
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Lager
ABV:
3.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 15.34%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
8
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 04, 2013
Added:
Dec 11, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by ffejherb:
Photo of ffejherb
Rated by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +37%

Dec 14, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
(Review from notes I found that are 2 years old.) Cask offering served in a nonic from the hand pump. The brew appears a golden yellow color with some particulate stuck in suspension. A frothy finger of white head sits atop with pretty decent retention and thick patchy lace.

The smell is very citrus and fruit forward with hops. Quite fresh and tropical smelling of fruits and rinds. There is a light biscuit backing of grain present. Across the back, it picks up a bit of melon character.

The taste is mildly fruity with some tropical hop aspects. Fruity rinds and straw to hay-like grainy backing. The bitterness is grassy and provides just enough character to contrast the sweetness. There is a mild yeasty aspect across the back that gets more herbal and green.

This is a very light bodied brew that is lightly carbonated. Overall a bit watery but easy drinking. A pleasantly surprising hop character to the nose but the taste needs some reworking. Not bad for a mild lager.
Dec 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by StormKing47 from Pennsylvania

Feb 07, 2013
Photo of orangesol
Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

3.77/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on cask at Al's of Hampden. This is the very first pour of the Dry Hopped Citra Firkin.

A - Pours pale copper orange with a nice one and a half finger tall white head leaving spotty lace down the glass.

S - Smells of pungent citra hops, tropical fruits; mostly grapefruit and oranges; and some lightly toasted grains. This one has an amazing smell to it.

T - Starts off with a nice light citric hop bite quickly giving way to hints of lightly toasted caramel malt and dulled citric fruits. Finish is a mix of light sweetness and dulled hop bitterness. The regular version of this one was good but this one is a little bit better thanks to all those hops. If you were expecting a regular lager from this one you may be disappointed but if you like hoppy beers than this one is for you.

M - Medium-Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Smooth, slightly bitter feel that doesn't linger on the pallet for very long. The feel isn't anything special but the low ABV makes very easy to pound.

O - Pretty tasty stuff. I had the regular version of this beer right before this one and it was good but this dry hopped version was a whole other animal. I wish the smell had carried over into the taste a bit more but a great start.
Jan 04, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by VikeMan from Pennsylvania

Jan 01, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by fester71 from Pennsylvania

Dec 19, 2011
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I had this on cask at Al's served in a nonic from the handpump.

This is more of a pale lager in appearance IMO no real red or amber, but there is a slight haze from the dry hopping in the cask. The smell is a big hoppy blast of citra -slightly floral and tropical with a slight catty accent, mild citrus of course which is unusual for so much hop aroma in a lager -but hey to each (brewer) their own, right? The feel is good, but lacks balance. The body is good for the low abv with mild malt nuance, however it finishes a bit weak with too much hop acidity/astringency.

The flavor is pretty decent if you expect a hop dosed lager going in you will not be surprised. The taste has some mild toasted malt flavor which is immediately usurped by the tangy citrus taste of the citra hops which kind of overwhelm the beer mid-taste into the finish. I am all for a hoppy lager, but I prefer a little balance to keep from getting the tase of biting a citrus rind at the end. All in all I am not sure what the lagering did for this except maybe to bring a little malt taste to the low abv beer. It drinks more like a 3.5% IPA. I was not dissapointed based on the other samples I have had but would prefer less of a hop assault in an American style lager.
Dec 15, 2011
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Dry-hopped with citra, from a handpull at Al's.

A: The lager is a pale copper color, very light and bright. The cask consistently generates a finger and a half of dense white foam. Not much in the way of lacing after the head dissapates.

S: The citra dry-hopping adds a rich dimension to the lager, taking over the nose with an orange rind bitterness. The lighter grainy lager notes are present beneath the hops and come through in mild tones when the hops subside.

T: The hops continue with their strength, orange with a leafy finish, indication of the ample dry-hopping. The lager's varied graininess follows, a pale biscuity flavor that brings sweeter finishing notes, soft fruits to the forefront. The leafy hoppiness, richer and sweeter, still hang around near the finish, a reminder that they are never far from the palate. A good start.

M: The mouthfeel is seemingly dominated by the hops, citra driving a hard bargain. The low strength, only 3.5%, is a nice break as well. Even with the bold hoppiness, the strength never gets (can't get in the way really) in the way.
Dec 11, 2011
Test Batch #8 Lager from Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
Beer rating: 3.65 out of 5 with 8 ratings