Vienna Lager
TAPS Brewery

I had picked up this bottle and three of its brethren at Country Garden Six-Pack, but the Vienna Lager required an approved picture before I would open it. Approval went through the other day, so I am (briefly) back on The Great Bottle Purge of the Summer of 2014! Whee!

From the bottle: "Crafted Lager Beer"; "At TAPS, we make our craft beers using only the finest quality ingredients and traditional brewing methods. To ensure that our beers are satisfyingly full of flavor and aroma, they are allowed to mature naturally and no additives are used. With special malt and hop varieties, Vienna Lager offers a unique experience for you to enjoy. The Brewmaster [undersigned illegibly]".

Ha! I just happened to read tone77's review. I make no guarantees in our trades and if a bottle happens to find its way in, c'est la guerre!

I am so anxious to pop the cap on this one after months of waiting. I do not have any great expectations, but the anticipation has been building to a thunderous crescendo. It would have been great if it had made some sort of noise when I did it, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. A gentle pour created a brief finger of fizzy, bone-white head that surprisingly held in before finally fading away to wisps. Color was a pretty Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had the same vinegar-like sharpness that I have noted in their other beers and I imagine that it has something to do with their yeast. Mouthfeel was medium with a lot of carbonation in evidence. The problem with Lagers is that there is nothing for mistakes and impurities to hide behind and here, the taste was quite sharp and unpleasant. Finish was bitter, tart and jsy generally unpleasant.

Another canned beer courtesy of th... wait a minute. WTF? This is not a canned beer. A bottle from woodychandler? Unthinkable, but true. Poured from an 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is kind of unusual, and not in a good way. Green apples, plastics, if I were blindfolded I would swear this is a Minhas product. Taste is also just a bit off. More green apples, sweetness, some malts, not terrible, but something just ain't right. Feels light in the mouth and overall there is nothing special about this beer.

 

Dated 02/12 bottle.

The best thing about this beer is the wonderful bosphorus view from where you drink it in Bebek, Istanbul.

Poured a honey golden colour with a little head that disappeared quickly. The first impression was the strong fermented smell, almost cheesy. Lingering white bread/citrus flavour with high carbonation. Hearty mouthfeel with a nice smooth finish.

The bottle design/logo could be improved. Good overall attempt at Vienna from Taps.

Golden color, lots of carbonation, impressive lacing. Smells like sugar and grain. Taste is pretty pleasant--some fruitiness, a lot of grain, finishes with a hell of a lot of sweetness which I found cloying by the end of the glass, but enough carbonation to keep my mouth happy the rest of the time. Respectable example of the style and a pleasant drink on the Bosphorus. Might have again.

This beer pours out as a light golden color with a rather big head that settles quickly. The aroma isn't very strong, it's mostly grains and malts on the nose. The flavor of this brew is mild and relatively light. The flavors are much like the aroma, there really isn't too much else going on in here. The mouthfeel is light too, I wasn't overly thrilled with this beer. I admit that it's drinkable but for me I was just hoping for a little bit of something to say wow this was really good.

Solid, but modest, white head. Leaves a nice blanket of lace. Pours a hazy, gold color.

Pale malt aromas. It also smells a little bit like slightly soured milk.

First impression is the very high level of carbonation. This is a mostly malty, but dry, beer. Enough hop to keep the brew from being one-dimensional. Still, overall, this beer, while a good example of a marzen/Vienna, is not very interesting.