Spectral Focus New England Style Lager
South County Brewing Co.
- From:
- South County Brewing Co.
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- Helles
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.83 | pDev: 6.53%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Sep 08, 2018
- Added:
- Feb 10, 2017
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
Spectral Focus is a modern take on India Pale Lager. This beer starts as a Helles style lager base recipe and but gets large amounts of whirlpool/dry hops with American Northwest and Australian hops. The body is medium and finishes with a unique honey bread note. The contrast of the single German malt and lager yeast with a modern hop profile is just killer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania
3.81/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Can dated 8/31/18 (direct from the brewery's cooler) into pint glass. Pours a clear pale yellow with a persistent bright-white head. Initial impression is citrus (lemon, grapefruit) and melon, with bready malts balancing to some extent. Mouthfeel is crisp and a little thin. Finish is dry and has a noticeable hops bite.
The can says "India Pale Lager". Didn't know that was a style, but apparently it's a hoppy lager - ?
South County is my favorite local brewery, but this is not one of my favorites.
Sep 08, 2018The can says "India Pale Lager". Didn't know that was a style, but apparently it's a hoppy lager - ?
South County is my favorite local brewery, but this is not one of my favorites.
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania
3.53/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A thanks to the founding father of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz.can. Has a bright yellow color with a 1/2 inch head. smell is of citrus, light malts. Taste is hoppy for the style, grapefruit, light malts. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer, but if you are looking for an authentic helles lager, keep on looking, because this ain't it.
Jan 03, 2018
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania
3.59/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pounder can into snifter appears clear yellow with a white cap.
An aroma of sulfur, bready grain and herbal hops.
It tastes bitter with herbs yet grainy and sweet with a touch of sulfur in the finish.
Not bad, its crisp and easy drinking.
Oct 27, 2017An aroma of sulfur, bready grain and herbal hops.
It tastes bitter with herbs yet grainy and sweet with a touch of sulfur in the finish.
Not bad, its crisp and easy drinking.
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania
3.51/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.51/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
I am CANfounded by this one! What is a "New England Style Lager"? The CANQuest (tm) CANtinues to unearth all sorts of new & different beers.
From the CAN: "Best kept cold; Drink fresh; Do not age; Pour into a glass".
My my, so many dictums! It is a good thing that it was a 16-fl. oz. pint CAN or I might have taken out my irritation in the form of an inverted Glug! When I Crack!ed open the CAN, I got a small spritz, revealing a brimful craft CAN. This further cemented the idea that a gentle Glug was in order. It seemed to work out as my chosen glass allowed for nucleation, so loads of CO2 bubbles were visible and an in-glass swirl raised nearly three fingers of dense, foamy, bone-white head with decent retention. Color was a gorgeous Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 -5) (CAN read "3.4") with NE (Nebraska, NOT New England)=quality clarity, prompting a visit from The Gelt Gang of Mammon, Midas & Croesus. Nose was quite hoppy for a Lager, making me think that it is perhaps an IPL, instead of a Munich Helles Lager. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, not watery, but about what I generally expect & get from a Lager. The taste had a sort of citrusy bitterness, kind of grapefruity, but not exactly. It did NOT have the clean maltiness of a Helles, though. The eerie label depicts a lot of hops, suggesting that it was meant to be hop-driven. In that case, it was not bad, although everything else got lost in the mix as a result. Finish was dry and pleasant, but at the same time, it was awfully hoppy for its current style. I am going to look into this one & report back!
Sep 02, 2017From the CAN: "Best kept cold; Drink fresh; Do not age; Pour into a glass".
My my, so many dictums! It is a good thing that it was a 16-fl. oz. pint CAN or I might have taken out my irritation in the form of an inverted Glug! When I Crack!ed open the CAN, I got a small spritz, revealing a brimful craft CAN. This further cemented the idea that a gentle Glug was in order. It seemed to work out as my chosen glass allowed for nucleation, so loads of CO2 bubbles were visible and an in-glass swirl raised nearly three fingers of dense, foamy, bone-white head with decent retention. Color was a gorgeous Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 -5) (CAN read "3.4") with NE (Nebraska, NOT New England)=quality clarity, prompting a visit from The Gelt Gang of Mammon, Midas & Croesus. Nose was quite hoppy for a Lager, making me think that it is perhaps an IPL, instead of a Munich Helles Lager. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, not watery, but about what I generally expect & get from a Lager. The taste had a sort of citrusy bitterness, kind of grapefruity, but not exactly. It did NOT have the clean maltiness of a Helles, though. The eerie label depicts a lot of hops, suggesting that it was meant to be hop-driven. In that case, it was not bad, although everything else got lost in the mix as a result. Finish was dry and pleasant, but at the same time, it was awfully hoppy for its current style. I am going to look into this one & report back!
Reviewed by citizencane from Pennsylvania
3.34/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours pale to moderate cloudy yellow with slight head and abundant lacing from can to glass. Smells of diluted corn and a hint of malt. Taste is malt with some lemon. Feel is crisp and okay. Not thin, but I have no idea why this is considered a New England style lager. Currently debating cutting my losses and giving this away or making this one a drain pour.
Aug 03, 2017
Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania
4.16/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this on 2017-07-29 in Columbia, PA from a 16oz canned on 2017-07-21
A - Moderately-clear gold with a 1-finger white head and decent lace.
S - Melon, melon, melon. Honey, white bread and floral. Sweet and nice.
T - Echos the smells quite well with the addition of light-medium piney bitterness to balance the sweetness. This lingers into the finish and sticks around awhile. More so than the Surly Hell lager I had two days ago.
M - Medium body and carbonation. Creamy at first then finishes with some dry prickle.
O - It's a very tasty lager. Plenty of flavor for 5% and it smells good too. A nice take on the IPL style.
Jul 29, 2017A - Moderately-clear gold with a 1-finger white head and decent lace.
S - Melon, melon, melon. Honey, white bread and floral. Sweet and nice.
T - Echos the smells quite well with the addition of light-medium piney bitterness to balance the sweetness. This lingers into the finish and sticks around awhile. More so than the Surly Hell lager I had two days ago.
M - Medium body and carbonation. Creamy at first then finishes with some dry prickle.
O - It's a very tasty lager. Plenty of flavor for 5% and it smells good too. A nice take on the IPL style.
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