Gold Leaf Lager
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
- From:
- Devils Backbone Brewing Company
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- Helles
Ranked #335 - ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 82
Ranked #35,305 - Avg:
- 3.59 | pDev: 13.65%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 60
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 09, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 24, 2008
- Wants:
- 6
- Gots:
- 59
SCORE
82
Good
82
Good
Golden Lager.
While Gold Leaf is on the lighter side, it takes five weeks to perfect this traditional German-style lager. An homage to the days when beers were made 100% from malted barley, Gold Leaf is brewed with four European malts tempered with a touch of three imported hops. Plus, it’s got subtle bready notes. And since it’s not super hoppy or dark, this beer doesn’t hide any flavor inconsistencies. That just keeps us honest.
Malts: Pilsner, Weyermann Pilsner, Vienna, Acidulated Malt
Hops: Northern Brewer, Saaz, Tettnang
IBU: 21
COLOR: Gold
While Gold Leaf is on the lighter side, it takes five weeks to perfect this traditional German-style lager. An homage to the days when beers were made 100% from malted barley, Gold Leaf is brewed with four European malts tempered with a touch of three imported hops. Plus, it’s got subtle bready notes. And since it’s not super hoppy or dark, this beer doesn’t hide any flavor inconsistencies. That just keeps us honest.
Malts: Pilsner, Weyermann Pilsner, Vienna, Acidulated Malt
Hops: Northern Brewer, Saaz, Tettnang
IBU: 21
COLOR: Gold
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by County_Posey:
Rated by County_Posey
3.65/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Jan 10, 2023
3.65/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Jan 10, 2023
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by brewerburgundy from West Virginia
3.46/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle, tulip, best by 10/22/21.
Clear light gold with a small rush of white head that leaves nothing.
Delicate clean bread and a spicy note.
This is a very light beer, but there are nuggets of flavor that match the aroma. White bread, grass, and spicy hop leaf.
Very light body with low carbonation. The bubbles are very gentle and it’s not flat, but they are small and obsequious.
This is a fine “easy” beer for the new craft drinker or discerning session beer seeker.
Feb 11, 2022Clear light gold with a small rush of white head that leaves nothing.
Delicate clean bread and a spicy note.
This is a very light beer, but there are nuggets of flavor that match the aroma. White bread, grass, and spicy hop leaf.
Very light body with low carbonation. The bubbles are very gentle and it’s not flat, but they are small and obsequious.
This is a fine “easy” beer for the new craft drinker or discerning session beer seeker.
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio
3.78/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle, served in a shaker glass. Best by 07/24/21.
Appearance: Bright/clear pale gold. Thin white head with sheets and strands of persistent lacing.
Smell: Clean bready aroma with a hint of noble hops.
Taste: Tastes a lot like it smells, but a bit more bitterness. Crisp finish.
Mouthfeel: Chewy and good carbonation.
Overall / Drinkability: A good simple helles lager. By itself it is a little plain, but this would go well with food. Easily drinkable.
Jul 03, 2021Appearance: Bright/clear pale gold. Thin white head with sheets and strands of persistent lacing.
Smell: Clean bready aroma with a hint of noble hops.
Taste: Tastes a lot like it smells, but a bit more bitterness. Crisp finish.
Mouthfeel: Chewy and good carbonation.
Overall / Drinkability: A good simple helles lager. By itself it is a little plain, but this would go well with food. Easily drinkable.
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.17/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.17/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
12 oz cans served in a standard pint glass.
The aroma is overly dank, suggesting wet hay.
The flavor is much milder, cleaner, and brighter than the aroma suggests.
Light, semi-dry feel with medium - high carbonation.
Oct 09, 2020The aroma is overly dank, suggesting wet hay.
The flavor is much milder, cleaner, and brighter than the aroma suggests.
Light, semi-dry feel with medium - high carbonation.
Reviewed by MrOH from Virginia
4.44/5 rDev +23.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +23.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Brilliant light golden color, nice white head, good retention, streaky lace
Grainy, sweet malt aroma
Tastes like it smells
Light bodied, appropriate carbonation
I dig it for what it is.
Sep 09, 2020Grainy, sweet malt aroma
Tastes like it smells
Light bodied, appropriate carbonation
I dig it for what it is.
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana
4.74/5 rDev +32%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.74/5 rDev +32%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Gold Leaf has a very thick, spongy, off-white head, a clear, bubbly, gold appearance, and minimal glass lacing. The aroma is of sweet, white bread crust and musty grain. The flavor is of white bread crust, with a slight bitterness. It has a medium body and a crisp finish.
RJT
May 26, 2020RJT
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania
3.53/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is full of malts, a bit in the sweet side. Taste is crisp, malts, light hops are present, highly refreshing. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a beer I would like to try again during the summer.
Mar 12, 2020
Reviewed by jmc65267 from Georgia
3.53/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pretty fine. Nothing to complain about. The smell is okay and the taste is fine. It’s all okay. The feel is the best part but it’s nothing to write home about.
Mar 10, 2020Reviewed by DamnBecker
4.04/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Well carbonated and tasty beer. This is the best of Devil's Backbone beers and the least overly sweet, amber depth is nice but can be too much after 3-4 (hard to drink all night).
Dec 17, 2019
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