Down to the Fire II
Holy Mountain Brewing Company - Interbay Brewery + Taproom

16oz can

Pours two fingers of dense white foam into my Pilsner glass. Retention is average and the head fades within a minute or two. Lacing is very patchy. Body is a somewhat cloudy straw yellow. Looks ok.

Nose has fresh cut grass, light lemon, and a little bit of bread. While I assume the dandelions are mostly for shits and giggles, there is a small floral presence, so who knows!? Not getting any pepper. Pretty significant depth for a lager, especially with the bread, and decent complexity.

Has more of a noble hop spice on the flavor. Far less bread, this drinks like a more traditional pale lager. There is however a nice soft floral character that comes out with some warmth and provides a little creaminess to the flavor. While this is nicer in some regards, it does lack some of the complexity the nose had. I’ll begrudgingly give this a 4 because it is good, but it’s lacking any huge character.

Carbonation is elevated, this drinks very crisp. Body has some character to it - a little bit of weight, and even has some pepper in the back of the throat. Somewhat dry, with a substantial puckering bitterness. A little abrasive at times, but it’s very alive. Good mouthfeel.

Drinkability is very nice.

Overall nice, but the flavor could have done more to meet the nose half way. Perhaps I’m getting pickier.