North Shore Lager
Castle Danger Brewery
- From:
- Castle Danger Brewery
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Vienna Lager
- ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.93 | pDev: 5.85%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 11
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 10, 2022
- Added:
- Jan 03, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 4
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
North Shore Lager is a classic Vienna-style lager with a brilliant amber color. It is a balanced beer with flavors of toasted bread, caramel, and spicy Noble hops that finishes clean and dry. Enjoy this smooth malty beer year-round, but particularly with a cool breeze off Lake Superior. It’s the perfect complement to your North Shore experience.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota
4.06/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a crystal clear amber with a large but short lived cream head. Spotty lacing. Aroma is roasted caramel malt and rye bread. Flavor follows the nose. Feel is on the lighter side of medium bodied and well carbonated. Overall a fabulous Vienna Lager, prefer this one over Sam Adam's Boston Lager.
Jul 30, 2021
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota
3.94/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
North Shore Lager pours a copper color, with a long lasting, lacing head. Aroma is weaker, but sweet, sugary, hints of caramel. Flavor, is a little sweet, a little sugary, hints of toast and caramel. Good body and feel. Overall, very good lager, good flavors, a little stronger then others.
Jul 25, 2021
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin
4.05/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.05/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a clear, copper brown color with a soft white head. SRM of 17-19. (3.75)
Aroma: Very mild aromas of sweet bread malt, somewhat German. Some mild honey and faint toast. Hints of red fruit and honey. (3.75)
Flavor: Mild flavors too that follow the nose. More bready German malt aromas upfront. They turn slightly toasty with some honey and light lemon & red fruit hops on the back end. Somewhat earthy, but smooth and malty caramel finish. Appeases the palate (4.25)
Feel: Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Malty and finishes smooth. (3.75)
Compared to Lift Bridge Elevated Amber 4/12/21: Pours a nearly identical appearance. Milder aromas. More brown bread malt aromas. Less red fruit citrus, and caramel flavors. Winner: NorthShore
Compared to Leinenkugal's Toasted Bock 12/20/21: Pours a lighter color with a milder head. Stronger aromas. More hoppy, red fruit, pine. Less soggy brown bread. Overall, more flavorful. Winner: NorthShore
Overall: A milder but authentic Vienna Lager. It has milder aromas and flavors. It won't jump out at you. However, the aromas and flavors seem to be authentic and toasty. Mostly sweet brown bread/toast with hints of lemon, red fruit hops and honey sweetness on the end. Drinks quite similar to an American Oktoberfest or Bock. Incredibly smooth, malty, and drinkable. Not a robust beer, but definitely brewed true to style.
(Final Rating: 3.90) *Note the flavor significantly improves as it warms*
Apr 12, 2021Aroma: Very mild aromas of sweet bread malt, somewhat German. Some mild honey and faint toast. Hints of red fruit and honey. (3.75)
Flavor: Mild flavors too that follow the nose. More bready German malt aromas upfront. They turn slightly toasty with some honey and light lemon & red fruit hops on the back end. Somewhat earthy, but smooth and malty caramel finish. Appeases the palate (4.25)
Feel: Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Malty and finishes smooth. (3.75)
Compared to Lift Bridge Elevated Amber 4/12/21: Pours a nearly identical appearance. Milder aromas. More brown bread malt aromas. Less red fruit citrus, and caramel flavors. Winner: NorthShore
Compared to Leinenkugal's Toasted Bock 12/20/21: Pours a lighter color with a milder head. Stronger aromas. More hoppy, red fruit, pine. Less soggy brown bread. Overall, more flavorful. Winner: NorthShore
Overall: A milder but authentic Vienna Lager. It has milder aromas and flavors. It won't jump out at you. However, the aromas and flavors seem to be authentic and toasty. Mostly sweet brown bread/toast with hints of lemon, red fruit hops and honey sweetness on the end. Drinks quite similar to an American Oktoberfest or Bock. Incredibly smooth, malty, and drinkable. Not a robust beer, but definitely brewed true to style.
(Final Rating: 3.90) *Note the flavor significantly improves as it warms*
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota
3.94/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz can. Stamped date on can bottom is '11/03/20'.
Mostly clear, deep amber colored body. Thin cap of white head sticks around. Scattered patterns of lacing.
Aroma of toasty malt and sweet caramel.
Taste of toasty malt and sweet caramel. Has some hop spiciness.
Medium mouth feel, with some froth. Very good carbonation.
Well balanced amber lager. Crisp and clean.
Feb 08, 2021Mostly clear, deep amber colored body. Thin cap of white head sticks around. Scattered patterns of lacing.
Aroma of toasty malt and sweet caramel.
Taste of toasty malt and sweet caramel. Has some hop spiciness.
Medium mouth feel, with some froth. Very good carbonation.
Well balanced amber lager. Crisp and clean.
Rated by sccrneo from Minnesota
3.44/5 rDev -12.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.44/5 rDev -12.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Golden brown, a little light for an Amber
Smooth, slightly sweet with a subtle bitterness that lingers
Sep 06, 2020Smooth, slightly sweet with a subtle bitterness that lingers
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota
4.06/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 5
4.06/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 5
12oz can from the local poison distribution center
Copper, white ring, splotches of foam. Smells like dry leaves and sweet malt. Kinda tastes like hard water, leans malty and sweet, but with the bitter hops still representing. More of an amber lager than a vienna
These guys are understated geniuses: layers of greatness underneath the simplicity. I feel blessed to have a lager this great so fresh and available to me
Jul 29, 2020Copper, white ring, splotches of foam. Smells like dry leaves and sweet malt. Kinda tastes like hard water, leans malty and sweet, but with the bitter hops still representing. More of an amber lager than a vienna
These guys are understated geniuses: layers of greatness underneath the simplicity. I feel blessed to have a lager this great so fresh and available to me
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
3.79/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz can. Poured out a clear, copper color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It smelled of toasted caramel, biscuity malt and floral notes. Rich caramel and bready malt taste with a slight bitterness.
Jan 03, 2020
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
3.75/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap. Copper amber color. White head with lace.
Caramel, toffee, and biscuits. Earthy hops with a bit of floral. Smooth. Fairly malty. Light to medium bodied.
Aug 08, 2019Caramel, toffee, and biscuits. Earthy hops with a bit of floral. Smooth. Fairly malty. Light to medium bodied.
Rated by Taybeh from Minnesota
3.87/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.87/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I
Apr 19, 2019
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!