Franzke & LA Bedlam at the Bank Golden Ale
Conshohocken Brewing Company

 

Poured into a narrow pint glass: color is gold, head is big - like 3 inches big and remains a solid inch thick, head is off white with fine to small bubbles.

Smell is strangely vegetal but not in bad away, just not attractive for the beer; otherwise limited malt and hop aroma.

Taste is more defined and not vegetal - toast and crisp malt, grassy and herbal hops, very noble in character with a light tea flavor.

Mouthfeel is crisp upfront, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness.

Overall a very drinkable golden ale - maybe some depth to the malt with warmth and a bit bitter but overall very drinkable.

 

Hopes run high, but expectations don't, as the pint empties into a clear glass liter mug. To a Philadelphia Phillies fan, no one beats Larry Anderson's wit behind the microphone. It may not be his true home, but he gets Philadelphia, embraces Philadelphia and is loved by Philadelphia. Scott Franzke is a total pro, who could make a Senate filibuster interesting. But, he's also a great straight man for L.A. The pair deserves the tribute, but will the brewery be up to it? The answer starts by observing the brew. It looks as much as a lager as an ale. The color is very slightly cloudy, light and bright amber. There's a delightful just-off-white head that's not nearly excessive and seems to be enduring. There's not much aroma. What's there is mildly hoppy, in a citrus way and surprisingly wheaty. Thankfully, the wheat aspect is for the nose, not the taste. This is a blond ale, with unpronounced malt and hop character. No it's not bad, no it's not distinguishable from many other brews, including the better lagers, like Pilsners. Were it as sharp as L.A.'s wit, it would be much better. Rich as Franzke's tone, ditto. There's really nothing special here, but if it's a tribute to that pair, that's good enough.

16 oz can - at Citizens Bank Park for a Phillies game

clear, medium yellow golden color, white head. aroma and flavor of Crackery malt, a little sweet. thinner bodied, easy drinking.

 

 

Conshohocken Brewing Co. "Franzke & LA Bedlam at the Bank Golden Ale"
16 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$2 @ Weis, Conshohocken, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: I have no idea who Franke and LA are but this beer benefits kid's sports so I'm down with that. It's poured a lightly hazy golden body beneath a finger's width of white foam. The aroma is floral, grassy, spicy, and herbal from the hops, and lightly sweetish, grainy, and wheaty from the malt. It has a little bit of a tomato plant stalk aroma. On to the taste... it's really not that different at all. I'm not sure exactly what's going on with the malt but it seems to me to be more complex than it needs to be. I think I can definitely say that for the hops but don't expect that it's brash or bold or anything, I'm just saying that there's more there than is needed. I could be wrong about that though, these could just be Perle or Spalt hops that just don't get along with my tastes. Regardless, most people won't taste even half of what I'm tasting, they'll just say that it tastes like "beer", and I'm pretty sure that was the plan all a long. It's 4.5% alcohol by volume which is low enough that you can drink a little bit more of it than usual, and high enough that people won't cry "You can't even get drunk off of 3.2 beer!" (which is actually 4% ABV). It's medium bodied and gently crisp, and although there's a good amount of malt flavor to it it's still quite refreshing. The bitterness is on the median side and it finishes dry, grassy, and a bit herbal and spicy. All in all, despite the fact that I think this is a little more complex than it needs to be, it delivers what I assume was intended as a great ball park beer. It's not too light, it's got a lot of flavor, and you can drink a few of them.
Review #8,637