Keller Lager
von Trapp Brewing

 

 

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 1+ finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a skim cap; nice lacing;

S: not very aromatic; what's there is floral with a hint of grass;

T: floral for a moment, then subtle peach; mild bitterness on the finish;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish; crisp;

O: refreshing; easy drinking;

(12 oz can, BB 06/03/20; purchased sixer off shelf... poured into 14 oz mug

L: ridiculous volume of expanded-spongy white foam on the pour, taking two pours to empty can; is this by design?... cloudy, yellow liquid, sediment slug hanging below the foam-line... holds a rocky, but broken cap; laces in barnacles and splotches

S: dough-forward nose with fruity, herbal-grassy hops; their site suggests peach, and I'd agree I detect a peach skin note factoring into that fruit essence... vague medicinal-menthol undertone as well... overall, lovely intensity and expressive depth

T: bread, dried golden fruits up front, mildly white-wine vinous note in its finish; pungent hop hum... green, herbal hop blossoms in the aftertaste, along with a lightly-bitter bite colored by a softly nutty, earthy yeast... more than halfway through and the repeating character is peach/grapefruit green tea with a barley water base

F: over-carbonated and/or dried out by the sediment?; light, dry, with a peppery prickle lingering; little roundness to its body, the delicate chewiness of which has gotta be from the yeast... smooths out over the duration

O: this was the second can I'd opened from the pack; explosive foam consistent between both... helps to take one's time sipping through this... a quality lager like the others I've tried from them; I'll definitely enjoy the rest of the sixer (1660)

 

BB date : 5/11/20

Slightly hazy medium gold, with slight orange tint. One finger of quickly-dissipating white head, that leaves a ring, & slight lacing.

Smells of bready malt , and mixed citrus zest.

Taste is dried lemon , tangerine rind, light spiciness (noble hops?), and a light bread crust (malt) flavor. Moderate bitterness, that lingers awhile after finish.

Feel is light, oily , with moderate, very,very finely sharp carbonation.

Overall, good and enjoyable. Hoppier than I expected, so not what I wanted at the time I grabbed this, but good for another day . Comes across as a session IPA with a bit more malt backbone than is standard for the type. Not a bad thing, if you know to expect it.

A moderate pour yielded a finger of white creamy and soapy foam with very long retention and sticky large rings of lace. A small rocky raft formed in the middle. Poured a hazy straw color, turned very hazy when the yeasty dregs dropped in.

Big smell of rising bread dough, some fresh baked and toasted bread arrive late. A faint smell of the paste used in schools decades ago is pleasant. Very faint herbal and floral hops.

The taste is semi-sweet with low bitterness, hops are more noticeable with some citrus added in and build to average. Clean and well attenuated, the yeasts taste shines and blends with the malt instead of being a distraction. The finish is quick and would be crisp if not for the appropriate amount of yeast and malt. The aftertaste is mild and very short.

Medium light body with abundant carbonation, smooth and session-able. This is an excellent example of the style, a Keller-ed version of their Helles Golden Lager I believe. Highly recommended.

Hey, kids, what time izzit? Nope, not Howdy Dooit time! It's Lager Time! I am CANtinuing to tie up some loose ends from The CANQuest (tm) as beers emerge from The Backlog during this time of self-isolation & quarantine. I have done brewery horizontals with these next few in the past, but these represent the lost lambs & strays that have finally turned up.

From the CAN: "'A little of Austria[,] a lot of Vermont'"; "This classic German Kellerbier is a naturally cloudy and smooth Lager featuring Grüngeist hops."; "Brewed on the grounds of Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, this lager is crafted with the finest traditional ingredients and our pure Vermont spring water."; "IBU: 30"; "Vermont Mountain Spring Water"; "When in Stowe, be sure to visit our bierhall. Prost!"

I did some in-CAN agitation before Crack!ing open the vent since if they were going to cop to its being cloudy, then I was going to help it along. The Crack! released a slight spritz across my fingertips as a result of my action, but so be it. I went with a steady, free-flowing Glug into the awaiting glass & sat back as it foamed up beautifully to form just over a finger of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head with excellent retention. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5). Nose had a toasty maltiness along with a lemony, grassy quality, the latter undoubtedly courtesy of the Green Ghost/Green Spirit. Mouthfeel was medium, but big for a Lager. The taste was lemony & toasty with a hint of peach. Yum. Finish was semi-dry & very tasty & refreshing. This was a great find at an incredibly low price point! I would happily fill my beach-bound Summer cooler with this one. YMMV.

 

 

 

Medium carbonation with a slightly thin feel.
Aroma is citrus, mild pine, malt
..taste is citrus,pine, bitterness shows up and then dominates the flavor. Some malt and bread in the background
I usually enjoy von trapp beer and suspect a lot of people would like this. To me it came off like an ipa with an identity crisis as to what it is trying to be

 

A: Pours a hazy yellow color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a thin cap that leaves good lacing

S: Grassy and floral hops up front along with some light bready malt

T: Follows the nose. Very grassy up front along with some lighter floral notes and bready malt. Finishes with lingering grassy notes

M: Light-medium bodies with moderate carbonation

O: A solid Keller that is super easy to drink

 

 

 

 

Picked up a six-pack at the brewery. BB: 06/03/20. Great representation of the style. Super grainy and earthy with lightly toasted malt. So darn smooth with an incredibly clean finish. So easy drinking that if I were a local, this would be in my regular rotation.

Can best by 06/20:
Light gold with a white haze, structured bubble leave a woven pattern of lace at the top of the glass. Lacing further down is lighter. Nose is peach/apricot, some Pilsner malt, and oddly a hint of wood that I didn't expect. A light leaning medium with moderate carbonation makes this easy enough to drink.

Taste starts with the malt with a mix of grassy and piney bitterness backing it up. The bitterness is firm but not overpowering. I don't really get much of the peach or apricot from the nose, but a touch of a lemon flavor comes in the middle. The ending has a lingering mildly bitter cilantro / light pine woody flavor.

This wasn't exactly as expected, but wasn't wildly wide of the mark, either. Expectations aside, I found it easy enough to drink and found no issue grabbing another one to follow it up.