Velvet Season
Breakside Brewery - SE Taproom

an excellent pale german lager, i like that the lighter festbier types are blowing up in recent years, this is a darn good one, light but still malt driven, nutty without being caramelized or sweet, and with an authentic old world lager strain correctly deployed, this hits for session fall drinking in a real nice way. perfectly clear honey colored brew, way lighter in color than most marzen types, frothy inch plus of white head, looks gorgeous. i smell crackers and biscuits and pale baked goods, way less rich than a lot of these, hints of almond flour, golden raisin, and pizza dough, lightly floral and bitter hops through the back half, real tidy fermentation, this seems dialed. the flavor agrees, fresher than most pale european malt base, that munich depth without the vienna sweetness, dry but full flavored, authentic. the hops are herbal and start about midway through, noble, lightly spicy, and bitter enough to help the finish be crisp. the yeast is right on, bready and drying, picking up the minerals in the water, at its most flavorful right on the swallow. this is really well done, breakside is good at everything, and this is another side of their skill set. awesome carbonation, high drinkability, nice take on this style, yum!