Extra
Burial Beer Co.

In efforts to round out their brewing portfolio, Burial eventually goes industrial. Their take on modernizing the American Lager lands them at the feet of pilsner history, but with a newer, hoppier take.

Glowing goldenrod cod in color, the richer than usual Extra floats a cottony, spirited froth that's uncharacteristically firm for the style. Curious aromatics of citrus, peppery grasses and a light floral perfume decorate the nose with a hint of cereal sweetness. Sweeter in taste, its part grain, part malt profile leaves impressions of light bread, soft dough and a hint of honey behind.

And as the cereal and grain relax on the middle palate, the hops come to life once more with suggestions of citrus, grapefruit and grape, stemming from the liberal use of El Dorado, Citra, Nelson and Cryo hops. As the lager trends playfully bitter, the late palate shows a balanced approach to malt and hops. With hints of lemongrass, peppery grasses and green botanicals, the lager is an updated take on a classic beer.

Medium-full for pilsner-type lagers, the beer finishes on the sweeter side of bitter-sweet with a malty-dry, hay-like aftertaste. Unfortunately all that hop usage is lost on a base style that's beyond salvageable. If the base beer was a crisper and cleaner German-styled lager, then this session would have fared much better.

 

 

 

A: Pours a clear pale to medium yellow in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising quickly from the bottom of the glass and moderate bright yellow + pale golden yellow + pale yellow colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall creamy sudsy foamy bright white head that slowly reduces to a handful of medium to large sized patches of thick film each covering a little more than 25% of the surface of the beer surrounded by a large patch of mottled very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of citrus/grapefruit + tropical/mango + tropical/passionfruit + gooseberry hops over the top of just shy of moderate flavors of biscuit + bready + pale + grainy malts with a light amount of grainy sweetness. Light aromas of lager yeast.

T: Upfront there are just shy of moderate flavors of biscuit + bready + pale + grainy malts with a light amount of grainy sweetness. That is followed by light flavors of lager yeast. Finally there are moderate flavors of citrus/grapefruit + tropical/mango + tropical/passionfruit + gooseberry hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which slowly fades away leaving a relatively clean finish.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp with a hint of dryness and a clean finish.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a very pleasantly refreshing crisp + clean mouthfeel. Enjoyable with good flavors + aromas from the dry hopping with new world hops. Really well constructed and I could easily have a few of these. Light and easy with some slightly more interesting flavors and aromas.