The Raven Special Lager
B.W. Beer Works USA
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- Vienna Lager
Ranked #175 - ABV:
- 5.25%
- Score:
- 78
Ranked #45,498 - Avg:
- 3.41 | pDev: 14.37%
- Reviews:
- 76
- Ratings:
- From:
- B.W. Beer Works USA
- Maryland, United States
- Avail:
- Year-round
- Wants
- 6
- Gots
- 41
SCORE
78
Okay
78
Okay
Notes:
The Raven Special Lager is a perfect balanced lager beer that goes well with any kind of food, but particularly with spicy food or when you just want to sit down and enjoy a beer with friends. With a shot of Woodford Reserve chased with chilled Raven is a near perfect combination. The rich golden colored beer is an exceptionally smooth Southern German lager, somewhat malty but well balanced between the hops and malt. Experiencing the clean finish and pleasant lingering aftertaste of The Raven Special Lager, one can truly say that The Taste Is Poetic.
18 IBU
18 IBU
Reviews: 76
| Ratings: 199
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3.99/5 rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Smell: wet cardboard. musty. unimpressive
Taste: Grain, corn, caramel, sugar, molasses, biscuit, salt, grahm cracer, bread, cream, pepper, coriander.
Feel: creamy. not a cream ale, but this feels quite creamy. delightful. Small bubbles, coating the mouth but not oily. Cream, creme, potato, potatoe.
Overall: Blown away by this. I'm not much of a pilsner or lager drinker. I prefer something with a little more oomph, a little more personality, a punch in the face; a hop bomb, or a syrupy stout. But this was a pleasant surprise. Truly creamy mouthfeel, soft but plentiful carbonation that coats the tongue. Truly some very subtle tastes of toffee and/or caramel that might be lost in an aggressive stout or IPA that I love. Maybe I need to drink more of these subtle beers...
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Smell: wet cardboard. musty. unimpressive
Taste: Grain, corn, caramel, sugar, molasses, biscuit, salt, grahm cracer, bread, cream, pepper, coriander.
Feel: creamy. not a cream ale, but this feels quite creamy. delightful. Small bubbles, coating the mouth but not oily. Cream, creme, potato, potatoe.
Overall: Blown away by this. I'm not much of a pilsner or lager drinker. I prefer something with a little more oomph, a little more personality, a punch in the face; a hop bomb, or a syrupy stout. But this was a pleasant surprise. Truly creamy mouthfeel, soft but plentiful carbonation that coats the tongue. Truly some very subtle tastes of toffee and/or caramel that might be lost in an aggressive stout or IPA that I love. Maybe I need to drink more of these subtle beers...
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2.68/5 rDev -21.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
Amber in color. Somewhat clear in appearance. Caramel and sweet malt. No real other discerning flavors. Hints of cardboard. Lower carb. Drinks more like an Amber. Flat out not good.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
Amber in color. Somewhat clear in appearance. Caramel and sweet malt. No real other discerning flavors. Hints of cardboard. Lower carb. Drinks more like an Amber. Flat out not good.
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4.14/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a clear amber color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and slight lacing. Smells of sweet malt, caramel malt, slight pale malt, hint of hops, hint of earthiness, hint of yeast, hint of dough, and a hint of alcohol. Fits the style of a Vienna Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of fresh pale malt, fresh sweet malt, slight caramel malt, slight citrus hops, slight yeast, hint of tea, and a hint of dough. Overall, good appearance, feel, and body, with a great blend and freshness.
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look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a clear amber color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and slight lacing. Smells of sweet malt, caramel malt, slight pale malt, hint of hops, hint of earthiness, hint of yeast, hint of dough, and a hint of alcohol. Fits the style of a Vienna Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of fresh pale malt, fresh sweet malt, slight caramel malt, slight citrus hops, slight yeast, hint of tea, and a hint of dough. Overall, good appearance, feel, and body, with a great blend and freshness.
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3.8/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Look: Pours a yellowish tangerine color. Has a very wimpy foamy head that dissipates quite quickly. Its slightly hazy, but clear enough to see bubbles rushing to the top. Not bad looking, but nothing special.
Smell: Not very strong of an aroma. Mostly just getting fruit and citrus. Some orange. Maybe a tad bit of honey and nuttiness in the background.
Taste: Follows the nose almost exactly. Citrus is right up front with a few other flavors of honey resting in the background. There is also a little bit of a biscuit taste after the finish.
Feel: Crisp and refreshing. Not a dry finish what so ever. The carbonation is appropriate for the style and balances the mouth feel very well.
Overall: I'd drink this brew on a hot summer day. It's refreshing to drink. It doesn't stand out as an amazing beer, but it's decent.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Look: Pours a yellowish tangerine color. Has a very wimpy foamy head that dissipates quite quickly. Its slightly hazy, but clear enough to see bubbles rushing to the top. Not bad looking, but nothing special.
Smell: Not very strong of an aroma. Mostly just getting fruit and citrus. Some orange. Maybe a tad bit of honey and nuttiness in the background.
Taste: Follows the nose almost exactly. Citrus is right up front with a few other flavors of honey resting in the background. There is also a little bit of a biscuit taste after the finish.
Feel: Crisp and refreshing. Not a dry finish what so ever. The carbonation is appropriate for the style and balances the mouth feel very well.
Overall: I'd drink this brew on a hot summer day. It's refreshing to drink. It doesn't stand out as an amazing beer, but it's decent.
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3.52/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the BNA Party last week.Slightly hazy deep yellow color. bready biscuity aroma and flavor with a faint floral spicy hop to counter. Nice intermission beer.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the BNA Party last week.Slightly hazy deep yellow color. bready biscuity aroma and flavor with a faint floral spicy hop to counter. Nice intermission beer.
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3.65/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from the bottle into a pokal glass, just like on the label being held there from Mr. Poe himself heh heh..
Light faint creamy and very faint tan head on creation, but only about a finger, but manages to keep a half creamed puck. Body color is a nice chestnut amber and quite clear with lots of rising carbonation very finely. Solid looking brew.
Slight toasty malts but a good sticky caramel and yeast sensation. Hits into a bit of sweet syrupy quality but relatively straight forward with no surprises.
Palate manages a little bit of a downplayed mouthfeel that sort of tunes everything down. Slightly watery grain finish and flavors, not unlike the caramel aroma but with less of a malt depth or hinting sticky residue. Strangely numbing finish, almost kind of a mild novocaine like quality but not horrifically bad or that noticeable. More watery caramel, a touch of hardly discerning clove spice perhaps.
A relatively just ok brew, but seems to miss a bit of malt depth and flavor.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from the bottle into a pokal glass, just like on the label being held there from Mr. Poe himself heh heh..
Light faint creamy and very faint tan head on creation, but only about a finger, but manages to keep a half creamed puck. Body color is a nice chestnut amber and quite clear with lots of rising carbonation very finely. Solid looking brew.
Slight toasty malts but a good sticky caramel and yeast sensation. Hits into a bit of sweet syrupy quality but relatively straight forward with no surprises.
Palate manages a little bit of a downplayed mouthfeel that sort of tunes everything down. Slightly watery grain finish and flavors, not unlike the caramel aroma but with less of a malt depth or hinting sticky residue. Strangely numbing finish, almost kind of a mild novocaine like quality but not horrifically bad or that noticeable. More watery caramel, a touch of hardly discerning clove spice perhaps.
A relatively just ok brew, but seems to miss a bit of malt depth and flavor.
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3.71/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: foamy, doesn't stay long. Nice color, changing between lemon yellow and amber. A little bit cloudy,
S: complex, flowers and grass, old wooden furniture.
T: nice balance between sweet and bitter, not as complex as one would expect from the smell.
M: well carbonated, full-bodied.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: foamy, doesn't stay long. Nice color, changing between lemon yellow and amber. A little bit cloudy,
S: complex, flowers and grass, old wooden furniture.
T: nice balance between sweet and bitter, not as complex as one would expect from the smell.
M: well carbonated, full-bodied.
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3.35/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sampled on 12/27/13 with Arithmeticus
Appearance: The color was a caramel with an orangish/reddish hue, decent carb, nice lacing and creamy head.
Smell: Not much there, and what we did smell was that of apples and metal
Taste: Compared to the other lagers we tried during the session, this had more of a toffee taste and more spices. It was definitely more complex. It had a soft finish too.
Mouthfeel: creamy mouthfeel with light, decent carbonation
Overall: One of the better lagers we had during our session. Would I have it again? Yep.
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look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sampled on 12/27/13 with Arithmeticus
Appearance: The color was a caramel with an orangish/reddish hue, decent carb, nice lacing and creamy head.
Smell: Not much there, and what we did smell was that of apples and metal
Taste: Compared to the other lagers we tried during the session, this had more of a toffee taste and more spices. It was definitely more complex. It had a soft finish too.
Mouthfeel: creamy mouthfeel with light, decent carbonation
Overall: One of the better lagers we had during our session. Would I have it again? Yep.
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3.5/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Malty but not sweet, it is well balanced. Soft citrus noble hop character. Carbonated enough to be crisp yet still highly drinkable. You could put these down one after another really easily. Weak aroma smells mostly like stereotypical lager malt. The hops are most prevalent at the tale end where they linger on the tongue.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Malty but not sweet, it is well balanced. Soft citrus noble hop character. Carbonated enough to be crisp yet still highly drinkable. You could put these down one after another really easily. Weak aroma smells mostly like stereotypical lager malt. The hops are most prevalent at the tale end where they linger on the tongue.
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3.5/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I had this on tap at Federal Taphouse in Lancaster PA, served chilled in a shaker pint.
The color is golden with a good clarity and white cap with tiny bead.
the aroma has a malty sweet ester with light yeast breadiness and mild nutty accent. The feel is good with creamy effect from carbonation with mild sweetness and light toasted texture.
The taste is good with clean overall flavor with bready and mild malt with toastiness in the taste and a mild yeast taste which has a gentle fruitiness and slight hop spice adds to the taste. Overall this is a good lager, but not overly complex -pretty average for the style w/ good drinkabliity.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I had this on tap at Federal Taphouse in Lancaster PA, served chilled in a shaker pint.
The color is golden with a good clarity and white cap with tiny bead.
the aroma has a malty sweet ester with light yeast breadiness and mild nutty accent. The feel is good with creamy effect from carbonation with mild sweetness and light toasted texture.
The taste is good with clean overall flavor with bready and mild malt with toastiness in the taste and a mild yeast taste which has a gentle fruitiness and slight hop spice adds to the taste. Overall this is a good lager, but not overly complex -pretty average for the style w/ good drinkabliity.
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2.88/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
A: Pours a clear amber color - this is darker than I anticipated. The head is one fingers high, and barely off-white in shading. Not much in the way of either retention or lacing.
S: The primary notes are toasted malts and a hint of noble hops. Some fleeting caramel sweetness also invades the nose ever-so-slightly. Pretty basic, but not bad.
T: Plenty of caramel and toffee to start, which turns slightly nutty and toasty near the middle...and also slightly metallic on the finish. Faint hoppy hints also appear on the back end; I want more of this to appear. If nothing else, the flavors seem to improve slightly as the carbonation slows down.
M: This has too much of a rough, coarse feel for me going down. The high carbonation is welcoming, but the way it cuts through the otherwise sweet texture isn't. Should be more drinkable, as well.
O: This should be reclassified as an amber, or perhaps even a Vienna lager. At the very least, it's an acceptably mediocre amber/Vienna. Not bad, but I don't see much reason to pick this up over SA Boston Lager, which is cleaner, crisper, easier to drink, and available everywhere.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
A: Pours a clear amber color - this is darker than I anticipated. The head is one fingers high, and barely off-white in shading. Not much in the way of either retention or lacing.
S: The primary notes are toasted malts and a hint of noble hops. Some fleeting caramel sweetness also invades the nose ever-so-slightly. Pretty basic, but not bad.
T: Plenty of caramel and toffee to start, which turns slightly nutty and toasty near the middle...and also slightly metallic on the finish. Faint hoppy hints also appear on the back end; I want more of this to appear. If nothing else, the flavors seem to improve slightly as the carbonation slows down.
M: This has too much of a rough, coarse feel for me going down. The high carbonation is welcoming, but the way it cuts through the otherwise sweet texture isn't. Should be more drinkable, as well.
O: This should be reclassified as an amber, or perhaps even a Vienna lager. At the very least, it's an acceptably mediocre amber/Vienna. Not bad, but I don't see much reason to pick this up over SA Boston Lager, which is cleaner, crisper, easier to drink, and available everywhere.
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3.2/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Kings Row Gastropub in Pasadena, CA.
Pours a clear orange with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is of malt, spice, and scented baby wipe aromas. Taste is much the same with malt and spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer with an odd smell but the taste is decent enough.
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Kings Row Gastropub in Pasadena, CA.
Pours a clear orange with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is of malt, spice, and scented baby wipe aromas. Taste is much the same with malt and spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer with an odd smell but the taste is decent enough.
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3.08/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.
If only I'd brought an extra bottle or two of this home with me for when I was watching the Super Bowl or John Cusack's performance in The Raven... Regardless, this stuff pours a clear pale sunset brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises mild biscuit and very light flowers. I think I get some hard water, but that may be from the glass (my apartment's water is harder than bricks). The taste brings in more of the same, along with a few drops of honey-like sweetness peeking through from time to time. The body straddles the line between hefty light and light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a nice, if nondescript, little beer, nothing worth sneezing at, and nothing bad enough to wipe your nose on. Worth a go, at least.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.
If only I'd brought an extra bottle or two of this home with me for when I was watching the Super Bowl or John Cusack's performance in The Raven... Regardless, this stuff pours a clear pale sunset brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises mild biscuit and very light flowers. I think I get some hard water, but that may be from the glass (my apartment's water is harder than bricks). The taste brings in more of the same, along with a few drops of honey-like sweetness peeking through from time to time. The body straddles the line between hefty light and light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a nice, if nondescript, little beer, nothing worth sneezing at, and nothing bad enough to wipe your nose on. Worth a go, at least.
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3.28/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
12oz bottle poured into pilsener glass.
A: Pours a dark golden color. Nice clarity throughout. Lackluster white head eventually fades down to almost nothing. Little to no lacing left behind.
S:Not much to the nose on this one, that I could pick up. Slightly bready with some grains. Light hints of sweetness and flowery hops.
T: The taste matches the nose pretty well, except the sweetness is a bit more profound throughout. A light spark of hop bitterness in the finish to balance out that initial sweetness. The most surprising factor here is that this beer actually warms up gracefully and doesn't become undrinkable like other lagers.
M: Crisp and clean with a decent, well-rounded carbonation. Relatively average in this department and overall quite drinkable.
O: This is essentially a run-of-the-mill lager. While it's nothing special, I will admit that this one boasts more flavor and goes down easier than most of the mass-produced lagers. For me, this is nothing more than something I'd bring a six-pack or two to a party full of people that don't really go for the crafts. It's nothing I'd recommend to anyone unless they were looking for a decent replacement for the mass-produced lagers and light beers.
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
12oz bottle poured into pilsener glass.
A: Pours a dark golden color. Nice clarity throughout. Lackluster white head eventually fades down to almost nothing. Little to no lacing left behind.
S:Not much to the nose on this one, that I could pick up. Slightly bready with some grains. Light hints of sweetness and flowery hops.
T: The taste matches the nose pretty well, except the sweetness is a bit more profound throughout. A light spark of hop bitterness in the finish to balance out that initial sweetness. The most surprising factor here is that this beer actually warms up gracefully and doesn't become undrinkable like other lagers.
M: Crisp and clean with a decent, well-rounded carbonation. Relatively average in this department and overall quite drinkable.
O: This is essentially a run-of-the-mill lager. While it's nothing special, I will admit that this one boasts more flavor and goes down easier than most of the mass-produced lagers. For me, this is nothing more than something I'd bring a six-pack or two to a party full of people that don't really go for the crafts. It's nothing I'd recommend to anyone unless they were looking for a decent replacement for the mass-produced lagers and light beers.
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3/5 rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Beligan Tulip glass.
A: Pours a dark copper hue with a white, 2-finger, frothy head that quickly dissipates leaving a good trail and solid lace.
S: Biscuity malt aroma with a slight caramel scent.
T: Similar to the smell there is a biscuity malt flavor with an overall sweetness that finishes sort of dry.
M: Medium body and medium carbonation.
O: Just a typical lager – nothing I would grab again.
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Beligan Tulip glass.
A: Pours a dark copper hue with a white, 2-finger, frothy head that quickly dissipates leaving a good trail and solid lace.
S: Biscuity malt aroma with a slight caramel scent.
T: Similar to the smell there is a biscuity malt flavor with an overall sweetness that finishes sort of dry.
M: Medium body and medium carbonation.
O: Just a typical lager – nothing I would grab again.
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3.24/5 rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Had on tap. Pours dark orange with fizzy white foam. Body is bright and light for style, with way higher carbonation than desired. Biscuit, caramel malt, and slight spices go well together, but there is nothing else for the beer to build on. Drinkable and forgettable
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Had on tap. Pours dark orange with fizzy white foam. Body is bright and light for style, with way higher carbonation than desired. Biscuit, caramel malt, and slight spices go well together, but there is nothing else for the beer to build on. Drinkable and forgettable
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2.64/5 rDev -22.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured chilled in ale glass in Rollingside tavern.
A: nice dark orange, little head, no lacing; relatively clear
S: malty, not much else going on
T: metallic aftertaste, almost a Euro-strong, but without the ABV; barley is of a darker roast that I would have expected.
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look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured chilled in ale glass in Rollingside tavern.
A: nice dark orange, little head, no lacing; relatively clear
S: malty, not much else going on
T: metallic aftertaste, almost a Euro-strong, but without the ABV; barley is of a darker roast that I would have expected.
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2.58/5 rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
cool bottle! looks ok when poured. typical euro pale lager...nose is too close to the bad adjunct world...taste is a bit sweet...malty with not enough hop balance. flows down the gullet fine. past the palate...nothing special. actually less. i prefer the gusto Schlitz. or, speaking of baltimore, Natty Boh...
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look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
cool bottle! looks ok when poured. typical euro pale lager...nose is too close to the bad adjunct world...taste is a bit sweet...malty with not enough hop balance. flows down the gullet fine. past the palate...nothing special. actually less. i prefer the gusto Schlitz. or, speaking of baltimore, Natty Boh...
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4/5 rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served from the bottle into a taster glass.
Pours a clear golden color with a nice white head and just a touch of lacing on the edges. The nose has a bit of light grain, faint hops, and just a touch of sweetness. The flavor is a really nice balance between light malt and very mild sweetness. Just a touch of grain flavor as well. Light body with good carbonation and just a bit of chewiness. Altogether, really a nice lager.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served from the bottle into a taster glass.
Pours a clear golden color with a nice white head and just a touch of lacing on the edges. The nose has a bit of light grain, faint hops, and just a touch of sweetness. The flavor is a really nice balance between light malt and very mild sweetness. Just a touch of grain flavor as well. Light body with good carbonation and just a bit of chewiness. Altogether, really a nice lager.
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3.5/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clea amber color with light head.
Nose has some toasty malts, light lager fruits, doesn't get much of a crisp lager aroma, slightest hint of syrup.
Taste brings more toasty malts, light amber malt flavors, sweet lager, light reddish copper malts, light dme, hint of lager fruit like flavor, just a slight metallic taste.
Mouth is fairly lighter bodied, decent carb.
Overall not bad, I was expecting worse, just a slight metallic flavor otherwise no real off flavors but no crisp or clean lager flavors either.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clea amber color with light head.
Nose has some toasty malts, light lager fruits, doesn't get much of a crisp lager aroma, slightest hint of syrup.
Taste brings more toasty malts, light amber malt flavors, sweet lager, light reddish copper malts, light dme, hint of lager fruit like flavor, just a slight metallic taste.
Mouth is fairly lighter bodied, decent carb.
Overall not bad, I was expecting worse, just a slight metallic flavor otherwise no real off flavors but no crisp or clean lager flavors either.
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3.74/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours amber with white fluffy head about one finger that dissipates quickly. very floral nose with a hint of some roasted malts in the background but very faint on those. Bitter flavor with some malt backgrounds. no real detection of the floral aromas I was getting in the taste. Defiantly lingers on the palette with a pungent flavor. This is a good strong lager but doesn't have any thing too interesting about it other than the box it comes in. Not a bad little beer but a little to pricey for the novelty when it is a pretty standard brew.
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look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours amber with white fluffy head about one finger that dissipates quickly. very floral nose with a hint of some roasted malts in the background but very faint on those. Bitter flavor with some malt backgrounds. no real detection of the floral aromas I was getting in the taste. Defiantly lingers on the palette with a pungent flavor. This is a good strong lager but doesn't have any thing too interesting about it other than the box it comes in. Not a bad little beer but a little to pricey for the novelty when it is a pretty standard brew.
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3.03/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
First had: at Philly Craft Beer Fest '07
Poured a clear burnt umber with a small off-white head that dissipated quickly. Grains and toasted malts in the aroma. Toasty malts in the taste, grainy, woody, with some caramel sweetness. Some hop bitterness comes in towards the end, leaving a dry and somewhat bland aftertaste. Still an overall ok brew; light-medium mouthfeel, and pretty drinkable. Though after the fest, I never saw the stuff again.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
First had: at Philly Craft Beer Fest '07
Poured a clear burnt umber with a small off-white head that dissipated quickly. Grains and toasted malts in the aroma. Toasty malts in the taste, grainy, woody, with some caramel sweetness. Some hop bitterness comes in towards the end, leaving a dry and somewhat bland aftertaste. Still an overall ok brew; light-medium mouthfeel, and pretty drinkable. Though after the fest, I never saw the stuff again.
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3.67/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - pours crystal clear golden color with a half inch of fluffy white foam. a small amount of visible carbonation.
S - strong bready pale malts. grassy, hay like aroma. some nice sweetness, some fruity notes. faint earthy hops.
T/M - very grainy pale malts up front. the malts make up the majority of the flavor. a little bit of nuttiness and grassy flavor help transition into a very mild hoppy back end where there's also a nice honey note to give the beer some sweetness. really crisp, clean finish. light bodied almost like water, mild carbonation.
Overall is isn't a bad brew. nice, clean flavors, really refreshing and sessionable. I would drink this again for sure.
675 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - pours crystal clear golden color with a half inch of fluffy white foam. a small amount of visible carbonation.
S - strong bready pale malts. grassy, hay like aroma. some nice sweetness, some fruity notes. faint earthy hops.
T/M - very grainy pale malts up front. the malts make up the majority of the flavor. a little bit of nuttiness and grassy flavor help transition into a very mild hoppy back end where there's also a nice honey note to give the beer some sweetness. really crisp, clean finish. light bodied almost like water, mild carbonation.
Overall is isn't a bad brew. nice, clean flavors, really refreshing and sessionable. I would drink this again for sure.
675 characters
2.55/5 rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
A: deep gold, a little bit of orange hue as well. white bubbly head diminishes to a thin rim. large carbonation bubbles can be seen. clear.
S: a minor fruitiness. maybe green apple. the sweetness slightly resembles candy corn. struggling to find a hop component.
T: a really subtle graininess. the malt actually seems less obvious here than in the nose. a little similar to cooked white rice.
M: super light body with a pretty hard carbonation.
D: pretty boring beer, fitting right in with the style. probably has one of the coolest bottle caps with a pic of edgar allen poe on it.
588 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
A: deep gold, a little bit of orange hue as well. white bubbly head diminishes to a thin rim. large carbonation bubbles can be seen. clear.
S: a minor fruitiness. maybe green apple. the sweetness slightly resembles candy corn. struggling to find a hop component.
T: a really subtle graininess. the malt actually seems less obvious here than in the nose. a little similar to cooked white rice.
M: super light body with a pretty hard carbonation.
D: pretty boring beer, fitting right in with the style. probably has one of the coolest bottle caps with a pic of edgar allen poe on it.
588 characters
3.35/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a clear, rust color with half-inch head that fades quickly. The aroma has a balance of dough, maple, and grass. It's flavor begins with caramel followed by maple, honey, and orange notes. It has just enough hops to give a good balance. The mouthfeel is slightly thin but smooth providing for a high drinkability. Recommended!
341 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a clear, rust color with half-inch head that fades quickly. The aroma has a balance of dough, maple, and grass. It's flavor begins with caramel followed by maple, honey, and orange notes. It has just enough hops to give a good balance. The mouthfeel is slightly thin but smooth providing for a high drinkability. Recommended!
341 characters
The Raven Special Lager from B.W. Beer Works USA
Beer rating:
78 out of
100 with
199 ratings
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