Thunder Hawk
Gig Harbor Brewing Co.

a solid american lager, among the best beer i had during my quick visit to the brewery this week, crystal clear, radiant golden, almost nitro looking creamy white head, intricate web lacing, gorgeous pour really, lively and a little fuller overall. the nose and taste are different, this is not neutral on malt or in the ferment, and while it does read ever so slightly amateur to me at first, its also cool that it has as much personality as it does, wet stone minerality, doughy yeastiness, graphite, a little honey from the grain but it smells drier too, a biscuit thing, very little hops in play, decidedly american in terms of lager styles, no confusing this for helles or anything. the flavor maybe is slightly metallic, like a little brassy tinge there, but it doesnt present like a flaw, and while i wouldnt quite call this clean, i think its close, and i like that this is different a little bit while still fitting in the style guidelines pretty exactly. a bit more body, a faint toasted warmth to the grain, which is the main flavor agent here, light clover floral character, almost a corn thing, ample carbonation, pleasant richness on the finish that doesnt make it heavy, not sure it warms up great or that the overall quality is epic, but i liked the beer and think its far better than the throwaway blondes and such you often see at these types of spots, good lager yeast character, light twang at temperature, four season beer for sure. a good introduction to this place for me...