Smoked Lager
Empyrean Brewing Company

This beer was only available at Lazlo's in Lincoln, NE (on tap).

Had a golden brown appearance with a small head. Odor was like beef jerky (i love beef jerky, so that was good). Taste was actually as if you had smoked a beer. hearty and full flavor. Aftertaste was smoky and pleasant and the most impressive part. Only had one but imagine i could have had a whole bunch. My first smoked beer and i was happy with it.

Clear, ruby-brown in hue, the liquid is fairly dark in appearance. The head was beige in color; it was served with about one finger of foam, the head quickly faded to a thin, bubbly cap that was thicker around the edges but not naked in the middle. This small cap lasted the entire consumption. There was some subsequent lacing, for a bit it seemed widespread but eventually there was only some spotty residue. Overall this beer looks good. The nose fails to say much as it is served fairly cold, which is typical of Lazlo’s. However, even after it warms I only get suggestions of sweetness from the malt and traces of hickory smoke. There isn’t much here, it is a clean lager with a trace of earthy smoke. I love Smoked Beers and this one is lacking in that department. Overall the potency is too soft. The palate is good but not forceful at all, the smokiness is very minimal, there is “a good taste” to this beer but the flavors are far from aggressive. The palate is simple but well rounded. Clean, mostly. There is a gentle earthiness from the hops I assume, this is found throughout the palate. Weak (I mean weak) hints of bacon at the back, near the swallow. There are some equally weak notes of roasty malt. Hops add some light bitterness, grassy notes too. There is a decidedly German flair here, it is not a Rauchbier but it is “similar” (aside from the huge fact that this beer is not assertive or nearly as tasty or as dirty). Okay, maybe there are no similarities but there is still a German influence. The palate is nice but too simple to be good, it is not on the same level as Z Lager by Fort Collins Brewery. Medium in body, rigid on the tongue, solid carbonation, the mouthfeel is stiff, not pliable. I like the firmness and how it creates a sense of bulk. It is easy to drink, in that typical lager sense. I was very disappointed by the effort, I drove to Lincoln to try this beer and it was a dud. Kudos to Empyrean for trying a style like this, I hope it can interest some people but it won’t “wow” the beer geek. I sampled this on-tap at Lazlo’s in the Haymarket.