Hardway Summer Lager
Old Ox Brewery
- From:
- Old Ox Brewery
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- American Lager
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.69 | pDev: 8.4%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 16, 2023
- Added:
- May 11, 2016
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
This classic lager is a tribute to craft brewers who really do brew the "hard way." It was allowed to ferment at 50 degrees creating a bright, crisp, and clean summer quencher that features subtle notes of citrus and berry.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ShepardCommander:
Rated by ShepardCommander from Virginia
3.25/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Mar 02, 2017
3.25/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Mar 02, 2017
More User Ratings:
Rated by Rhettroactive from Virginia
3.9/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Easily the best beer I’ve had from Old Ox. I didn’t know they had this kinda lager in ‘em.
Jul 15, 2023
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland
3.7/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured from the can into a Libbey style pilsner glass.
Brass yellow body color, and lengthy carbonation. A bit of haze but mostly clear with a nice white two finger head and minimal retention and good collar.
Aroma is and interesting mix of hop oils of herb and citrus zest.
Palate is sharp hops. A bit of odd bitterness that is a bit indistinct but sort of hints to a dry lime. Overpowers much of the lagers malts and subtlety. Slightly crisp as well for easy drinking. Odd aftertaste that is a bit pasty and bitter sticky, with the hops really not complimenting. With some time a bit of hop sting levels out and some of the bready character kicks in nicely. Basic and solid mouthfeel with no faults.
A pretty simple and solid straightforward lager.
Sep 11, 2016Brass yellow body color, and lengthy carbonation. A bit of haze but mostly clear with a nice white two finger head and minimal retention and good collar.
Aroma is and interesting mix of hop oils of herb and citrus zest.
Palate is sharp hops. A bit of odd bitterness that is a bit indistinct but sort of hints to a dry lime. Overpowers much of the lagers malts and subtlety. Slightly crisp as well for easy drinking. Odd aftertaste that is a bit pasty and bitter sticky, with the hops really not complimenting. With some time a bit of hop sting levels out and some of the bready character kicks in nicely. Basic and solid mouthfeel with no faults.
A pretty simple and solid straightforward lager.
Reviewed by IvoryFoxhole from Virginia
3.61/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.61/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Can dated 7/8/16. Poured into Carton glasss.
L: Big foamy head with decent retention, leaves spotty lacing and a ring. Beer is a partly hazy straw.
S: Pretty standard Pils and Munich malts with Saaz hops. Hints at slightly bitter and crisp.
T: More or less as predicted by nose. Some bitter citrus and blackberry notes smoothed out by malt. Finish is a bit odd, almost cardboardish, which is not good.
F: Light body, medium carbonation for decent drying, but finish is all out of whack and construction is fair to middling.
O: Not sure if it would have been better a month ago, but there's better options out there and lagers are steadily improving these days.
Aug 20, 2016L: Big foamy head with decent retention, leaves spotty lacing and a ring. Beer is a partly hazy straw.
S: Pretty standard Pils and Munich malts with Saaz hops. Hints at slightly bitter and crisp.
T: More or less as predicted by nose. Some bitter citrus and blackberry notes smoothed out by malt. Finish is a bit odd, almost cardboardish, which is not good.
F: Light body, medium carbonation for decent drying, but finish is all out of whack and construction is fair to middling.
O: Not sure if it would have been better a month ago, but there's better options out there and lagers are steadily improving these days.
Reviewed by delta490 from Virginia
3.48/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.48/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
It is deep gold, effervescent with a thinner and slightly foamy white head. There is decent retention and while the head is mostly soapy it leaves small spots of lacing. The aroma has a hint of butter but mostly is light crackers and a little grass and pine. It just needs more oomph in both. The taste is much the same but the butter is absent. The body is light, a little tingle with a crisp finish.
Aug 08, 2016
Reviewed by AnalogReigns from North Carolina
3.87/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
3.87/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Surprisingly traditional classic pilsner (or Helles, or somewhere in-between). Germans or especially Czechs should be happy to drink this... I found this a surprise as Old Ox normally produces fairly heavy ales--not delicate lagers. Really excellent beer--whose name "Hardway" really seems to reflect the effort put into this smooth, hearty, lager. Highly recommended!
Jul 29, 2016
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
3.47/5 rDev -6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.47/5 rDev -6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at brewery:
Pours with fairly little head, at least barely retaining. The beer is also translucent at best.
Nose has some fruity notes in with a fairly neutral to cereal grain note. Not very strong, I want to say light citrus orange to even nectarine.
Not lightened by carbonation, but body is fairly light in and of itself. Ever so light tartness in with a malt opening is similar in flavor to the nose. This does turn a little bitter 2/3 the way through - a grassy bitterness that transforms into a light pine note. A nice ending that takes a little while to develop. Light metallic note at the end.
A bit more bitter than a lighter American lager, but not into Czech Pils bitter bite. Enjoyable but could use a little effervescence.
May 11, 2016Pours with fairly little head, at least barely retaining. The beer is also translucent at best.
Nose has some fruity notes in with a fairly neutral to cereal grain note. Not very strong, I want to say light citrus orange to even nectarine.
Not lightened by carbonation, but body is fairly light in and of itself. Ever so light tartness in with a malt opening is similar in flavor to the nose. This does turn a little bitter 2/3 the way through - a grassy bitterness that transforms into a light pine note. A nice ending that takes a little while to develop. Light metallic note at the end.
A bit more bitter than a lighter American lager, but not into Czech Pils bitter bite. Enjoyable but could use a little effervescence.
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