Amber Lager
Wolverine State Brewing Company

Thanks Chris.
This was poured into a lager glass.
The appearance was a dull red/amber color with a slight transparency about it. Slight carbonation could be seen rising at a moderate pace. Slim cap of white foamy head slid off fairly quick. Barely any lace.
The aroma had some lagery yeasty bready notes strolling into some caramel/toffee malts. Slight grassy hops underneath.
The flavor leaned towards the malty side bringing some slight toastiness. Mild aftertaste of toast and yeasty breadiness.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied. Pretty good sessionability. Carbonation and ABV felt on par. Yeasty and bready finish.
Overall, wannabe Sam Adams flagship that isn't a bad option to come back to.

I was surprised by how good this was. Full of flavor with a good body. My only criticism is that it comes off a bit sweet and syrupy for my tastes. However it was a little warm when I drank it and that could have contributed. I'll try to update this review on how it tastes right out of the fridge next time I drink one of these.

 

On tap into a pint glass

A - Beer arrives at the table with a head that is 1 finger in height and is white in color. The head is fairly creamy and dissipates slowly to a thin lacing. The beer itself is a light golden copper color and clear with light carbonation visible in the form of small bubbles rising slowly toward the surface. 4/5

S - Caramel and buttered white bread really come out fairly strong on the nose and are then backed up by orange peel and grapefruit with just a hint of spiciness. Almost textbook Vienna in terms of aroma notes. 3.75/5

T - Just like the nose, caramel comes out right away although this time it is a bit lighter than what the nose would suggest. This transitions into a buttered white bread note and then into a bit of spice/coriander and orange peel before getting into the grapefruit hoppiness which is quite more than expected per the style. Bitterness is light to medium with just a light lingering bitterness. 3.75/5

M - Light and crisp throughout the entire profile with a moderate carbonation burn that lasts for roughly the first 2/3 of the sip. Slightly drying with a short lingering dryness upon swallowing. 3.75/5

O - Enjoyable lighter beer, especially when enjoying some morning soccer with the guys. Surprisingly good amount of flavor for the low abv and good consistency from beginning to end. 3.75/5

 

 

Very metallic taste but that could be from a bad transport

If there was an all-around beer this would be it for me. I like to contrast hoppy IPA type beers like Gulo Gulo or Two Hearted with a milder, malty, smooth beer like this. The brewery's production seems quite consistent a couple of years in and this is a quality reliable product.

Appearance - 4.25/5
Deep orange-brown in color. Fairly clear. A lot of carbonation can be seen rising at a fairly rapid rate. About two fingers of head on initial pour. Dissipates down to one finger after settling for a minute. Decent lacing.

Smell - 3.5/5
Strong malty beer aroma. I was about to write that this smelled like an amber, then I realized it it an amber...haha. So I guess it smells like the typical amber. A slightly fruity malt aroma, along with small alcohol smell.

Taste - 4/5
The taste is quite nice. Nice slightly sweet deep malty taste. Perhaps a bit of fruity flavor, along with some alcohol taste. The bottle says this is an amber lager, but it tastes almost like an amber ale in my opinion.

Mouthfeel - 4.25/5
The beer is light to medium bodied, and is very smooth, yet with a moderate carbonation bite. I really like the lightness and smoothness of this beer, and I feel it complements the taste well.

Overall - 4/5
Overall, this tasted like a quality amber ale, only a bit lighter in body. The taste was great and I loved the feel of this beer.

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle into lager glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy deep copper color with a 1 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of caramel, toast, biscuit, brown sugar, light roast, herbal, floral, light pepper, and toast/yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of dark/bready malt and moderate earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toast, biscuit, brown sugar, light roast, herbal, floral, light pepper, and toast/yeast earthiness. Light earthy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, biscuit, brown sugar, light chocolate, herbal, floral, light pepper, and toast/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness and balance of dark/bready malts and moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, crisp, and slightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with a minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Vienna lager! All around good balance and robustness of dark/bready malt and moderate earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering.