Grazias
Mike Hess Brewing - Miramar

GraziasGrazias
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From:
Mike Hess Brewing - Miramar
 
California, United States
Style:
Cream Ale
Ranked #106
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
83
Ranked #24,351
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 12.09%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
150
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 21, 2024
Added:
Jan 03, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  29
Grazias is a mash-up of the second largest city in Austria, Graz and our second favorite word in the Spanish language, gracias. A twist on the old-world classic Vienna lager, our signature beer is smooth, malty and perfectly balanced with Noble hops. It has a creamy, smooth texture, and the malt contributes chocolate, vanilla and slightly toasted flavors that play off the German hops for a sublime flavor and a surprisingly dark color. See why the New York Times says “...the Vienna cream ale, Grazias, was unlike anything else I tasted that weekend, gently nut-toasty but refreshing all the same.”
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by irthesteve:
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Rated by irthesteve from California

4/5  rDev +9.9%

Jul 29, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Underwhelming. Only thing right is the consistency, mouth feel. Aroma and taste fail to meet the marks. Nice malty backbone, but too late in the game.
Feb 21, 2024
 
Rated: 3.81 by QuintusHorace from California

Sep 15, 2022
 
Rated: 3.65 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Mar 01, 2022
Photo of Beaver13
Reviewed by Beaver13 from Colorado

1.58/5  rDev -56.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
12 oz can. Pours light reddish amber with a small white head that quickly goes to a thin collar.

The aroma is sweet floral cream malts.

The flavor is sweet vegetal malty cream ale with some bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and a little thin.

Overall, not my favorite.
Mar 03, 2019
Photo of BucannonXC5
Reviewed by BucannonXC5 from California

3.84/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Type: 12-oz. can
Glass: Modern Times 16-oz. Willi Becher glass
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa, Calif.
Price: $1.50
Purchased: Nov. 25, 2018
Consumed: Dec. 1, 2018
Reviewed as: Cream Ale
Misc.: Canned on Oct. 25, 2018

Not that big a fan of Mike Hess beer, but I keep buying them. I do respect their beers and love the idea of rotating hops for Solis. Can’t believe I’d never had this one even on Untappd. Online description called for, “Grazias is a mash-up of the second largest city in Austria, Graz and our second favorite word in the Spanish language, gracias. Grazias is a twist on the old-world classic Vienna style, malty and perfectly balanced with German “noble” hops. It has a creamy, smooth texture; a deep amber color from the malt; and flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and light toast, which play off the German hops for a sublime result.” Not a lot of experience with cream ales with just five reviewed so far (out of almost 2,200).

Poured a clear copper color with two fingers of khaki white frothy head. Small amount of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Excellent uneven lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled caramel, toffee, wheat toast, grain, roasted malts, light chocolate, faint vanilla and notes of maple. Got more earthy grain notes from the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Taste was not quite as good as the nose, but does follow it. In order got caramel, wheat toast, rye spice, toffee, toasted grain, roasted malts, maple, light chocolate, light vanilla and pear. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt finish. (Feel - 3.75)

Really a solid beer overall. Would have it again for sure. (Overall - 3.75)

3.84 | 86 | B+
Dec 10, 2018
Photo of brewerburgundy
Reviewed by brewerburgundy from West Virginia

4.01/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz can, rocks glass, canned 10/25/18.

The color is definitely in the Vienna Lager spectrum, a coppery chestnut. There isn’t a ton of head, though that may be my pour and glass issue.

Vanilla, toasted malt, nutty, for a rich aroma.

Taking a sip of this thing brings you layer after layer of malt flavors and is a great showcase of a malts flavors rather than sweetness. There’s initially a sweet toast that gives way to nuttiness, and finally a caramel fullness.

Grazias is what I call medium bodied and has an exquisite balance of body, carbonation, and finish.

I really like this beer and can see drinking it occasionally as an alternative to a Porter or Stout when I want something not hoppy and pale. It’s called a Vienna Cream Ale, which isn’t explained on the can. Is it a Vienna Lager fermented at warmer temperatures? Is it a Cream Ale brewed with Vienna-like ingredients? Is there a difference? It is good though and comes in one of those cool cans where the whole top comes off.
Nov 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.8 by Heymecalvy from Massachusetts

Sep 01, 2018
Photo of Drew-Mullins
Rated by Drew-Mullins from California

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
One and only complaint: too bitter. For me the bitterness didn’t mix we’ll with the other qualities like the creaminess.
Aug 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.63 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Aug 05, 2018
Photo of HayBB
Rated by HayBB from Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4
Definitely creamy. Rich flavor and excellent mouth-feel.
Jul 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.3 by tottel from Netherlands

Jun 08, 2018
 
Rated: 3.77 by BennyProfane from California

Apr 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.22 by nataku00 from California

Apr 19, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Mar 01, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
not my favorite from these guys so far, this is a vienna amber type beer and cream ale fusion, with some corn in the mash and what must be a cold conditioning, but im not sure this is a lager. its just okay for me, a little sweet in the malt complexion up front, and sort of heavy for a beer across a couple of usually easy drinking styles. there is a nice chestnut character to the vienna malt, toasted and earthy and with a maple sweetness to it. the yeast is bready and old school, but it cannot dry this out, and while i like the autumnal flavor palate, i think the beer is pretty average overall. i wanted it to be more interesting with the corn in here, and i think i wanted it to be a bit more drinkable, especially from the pull top can where the whole lid comes off, those are pounders usually, but this one is a bit slower for me. the mike hess so far has been really back and forth in my limited experience. this one was forgettable, although its nice to see a brewery stick to their guns on a year round malty beer, i feel like these are a dying breed in this beer climate...
Dec 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.18 by holder1422 from South Dakota

Nov 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.67 by Lucnifter from California

Oct 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by mdfb79 from New York

Oct 09, 2017
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Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.74/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Can dated 4/4/17:
Ok, a Vienna cream ale - I'm going ale version of Mexican lager?

A nicely clear brown ale, a little dark for the compared to style, but not outrageously so. The head is not grand, but lasts quite nicely.

Nose does have the Vienna malt aspect, but there's an earthy bitterness that overcomes it a bit.

Taste sticks to the malty (and adjunct) side a little more than the nose indicates. A bit more full than a typical Mexican lager, the malt drives most the taste until the end. The anticipated earthy bitterness comes in late.

A tasty option, though a little heavier than my own pseudo-style comparison.
Sep 21, 2017
Grazias from Mike Hess Brewing - Miramar
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 150 ratings