Smoked Lager
Blue Stallion Brewing Co.

 

Great smoky taste, not too strong. It leaves a great aftertaste, similar to smoked Gouda. Excellent lager.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the feminine grace of pilsner manifests in a grain sweetness and soft bitterness in order to favor a waft of campfire. This shows a more masculine tone to make the Bamberg-inspired lager quite a "Fred & Ginger" in remarkable balance.

Light gold in color, the ale doesn't disclose its manly tone at first. Its lightly hazy appearance gives the ale a slightly deeper color than the typical pilsner but its appearance is soft and appealing. Its fluffy white head carries an arid visual texture and laces the glass with intricate patterns as the lager fades.

But even before the glass is lifted for that first taste, the overwhelming scent of sweet mesquite captivates the senses. Mouth watering aromas of barbecue and jerky come to mind with its firm meaty scent. Getting past the smoke influence, there's a delicate note of floral honeysuckle and bread crust. Any soft sulfur tone from yeast is easily dwarfed underneath the smoke.

Equally as hearty to taste, the sweetness of pilsner malt greets the early palate with croissant, light sugar cookie and the crust of fresh baked bread. The savory sweetness seamlessly morphs into the taste of mesquite and smoked meat as the seared beechwood folds into the beer with ease. Its finish relies on the arid dryness of sawdust and slight peppercorn rather than bombarding the throat with bitter hops.

Likewise, the beer's moderate sweetness gives its body added heft for a weight that matches its hearty taste. But the beer is still a lager at heart and retains a large sense of refreshment and easy drinking. Its final impressions are dry and nearly powdery instead of warm with alcohol. An aftertaste of- you guessed it... smoke revisits the palate deep into the session and well after.

The lager shows remarkable refinement and great control of the recipe. Where smoke flavor is quickly overwhelming it really shows a kinder hand to nail down this type of taste, aroma, body and base character without projecting ash or overwrought phenol character.

 

 

 

 

I've had this lager twice, once on the second day of operation and again two weeks later. This beer is best served fresh as it holds more smoke and meat flavor.

The appearance is a bit like a root beer with a light brown tone and a thin wispy head.

The scent is of smoked meats, slightly sweet and cured with some jerky qualities. Hints of char and smoke accompany the sweet meats.

On the freshest day the sweet meat flavor pushes through with cured pork and spicy beef jerky flavor. The smoke itself comes near the end with a bit of old fashioned char and campfire ember. The feel is very light, almost watery, and has such an ease and refreshing touch. Almost velvety this holds a great deal of character and simple flavor.