Hacksaaz Jim Chuggin'
Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse

Served in a straightened tulip glass at Middleton's on Main.

The second in AtG's Greats of Wrestling series pays tribute to Hacksaw Jim Duggan with a Saaz-packed pils. It pours a clear straw topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises flowers, sweet biscuit, and light grass. The taste brings in more of the same, though the aforementioned sweetness has been toned down, allowing a wheat-y kind of flavor to pervade the backbone. The hops are fairly subdued, especially considering the bombast in the brewery's marketing, but they're definitely there and provide a healthy and pleasant counterpoint to the now-subtle malts. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation, a sorta/kinda creamy feel, and a mostly crisp finish. Overall, a pretty nice pils, one that doesn't go overboard on the hops, but one that also understands how easily boredom and blandness can set in. Gotta love balance, baby.