Manahan's Black Lager
People's Brewing Company

My first growler purchase, and it’s a new beer from the local brewery – People’s Black Lager. Sounds like a great reason to take a beer home from the taproom.

A: Not black, but very dark, chocolate brown; close enough. Has a bit of light coming through, but only a small, small fraction. A half-inch of light eggshell foam forms, though it settles quickly to a few spots of smooth fizz. Slick lacing above in moderate quantities.

S: Mild, but exceptionally pleasant: touches of light char, spent coffee grounds, chocolate, toasted grain husk, and granola. It’s a tribute to roasted malt, and it’s great. Hints of raspberry and yeasty wheat bread toward the end, keep it light yet not restrained.

T: As the nose implied, this is boldly roasty; unfortunately, the flavors aren’t very thick. Crisp roasts and bread crusts come through almost instantly, giving a strong indication of burnt toast and espresso beans. There’s very little chocolate in the body – just a moment or two of cocoa chalkiness – which gives the bitters a smaller pedestal to stand on. Cherry cordial, caramel flavoring, sweet cinnamon-sugar, watery soda: slick, lightly sugary flavors. Finishes with a metallic mineral note that’s not uncommon from this brewer, and with some light lager yeasts.

M: Light is an understatement – it’s bordering on watery. The trade-off is that it’s relatively refreshing for the style.

O: An interesting beer from People’s Brewing. The black lager style isn’t one of those overdone styles in the American craft beer scene, and I’m glad these guys took a chance with it – it turned out to be a nice experiment in uncommon taste.