Yoerg's Beer
Yoerg Brewing Company
- From:
- Yoerg Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- California Common / Steam Beer
- ABV:
- 4.9%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.68 | pDev: 8.7%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Jun 16, 2019
- Added:
- Aug 07, 2016
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
When Anthony Yoerg came to the United States from Bavaria, the brewing scene was in its infancy and British styled ales dominated production. But Anthony had a different way of making beer. When he first began in Saint Paul, he aged his beer in caves, lagering them for four weeks before he released them to the public. The end result was a smoother, silkier and much more drinkable style of beer.
100% steam-brewed, just as it was over 150 years ago, using 100% Minnesota Barley (three different toast levels), Washington State Hops, and a touch of Celeia Hops for aromatics. Yoerg's Beer is a big, malty, roasty/toasty brew with a haunting dance of hops in the background, It's fragrant, powerful, and just might be the most serious lager to come out of the Midwest since, well, since The Yoerg Brewing Company closed their doors in 1952.
100% steam-brewed, just as it was over 150 years ago, using 100% Minnesota Barley (three different toast levels), Washington State Hops, and a touch of Celeia Hops for aromatics. Yoerg's Beer is a big, malty, roasty/toasty brew with a haunting dance of hops in the background, It's fragrant, powerful, and just might be the most serious lager to come out of the Midwest since, well, since The Yoerg Brewing Company closed their doors in 1952.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
3.57/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle. Poured out a clear, golden-orange color with a small, off-white head of foam. It smelled of caramel and bready notes. It tasted sweet and slightly malty with a caramel finish.
Jan 02, 2018
Reviewed by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota
3.52/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This beer pours a murky golden amber color. The head was minimal - 1 finger, white, and dissipated fairly quickly. The nose is somewhat sweet smelling - malty also. The taste is slightly sweet. There isn't much beyond that. Some maltiness to it. Not too watery. Overall not bad, but nothing to write home about.
Feb 19, 2017
Reviewed by Czequershuus from Minnesota
2.75/5 rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
2.75/5 rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
This beer pours a slightly hazy copper with a large head. The aroma is rich with biscuity malts, coconut, and othger nutty smells. The flavor is very sweet, with biscuit and caramel toned malts, burnt orange, and butter. The mouthfeel is thick, syrupy, and coating. Overall while the aromas here were interesting, the flavor was too unbalanced and sweet.
Jan 03, 2017
Reviewed by ZAP from Minnesota
3.97/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L-Hazy, cloudy tan/burnt orange color...minimal head..
S-Earthy hops...breads..toffeel....a hint of bright citrus
T-Toffee like malt impression...tasty....hops add earthy notes...nice flavor
F-Light side of medium bodied....lower carbonation makes this a nice drinker..
O-I was expecting a throwback to the American Lagers of the old days and this may be a great example. I have no idea. It is listed as a steam beer which makes sense. To me it drinks more like an English Bitter or ESB. Paid $10.99 in Park Rapids for it. If that is the going price I may occasionally buy it again but if the true price is closer to $7.99-8.99 I would likely reach for it more often. It's a good solid beer.
Dec 21, 2016S-Earthy hops...breads..toffeel....a hint of bright citrus
T-Toffee like malt impression...tasty....hops add earthy notes...nice flavor
F-Light side of medium bodied....lower carbonation makes this a nice drinker..
O-I was expecting a throwback to the American Lagers of the old days and this may be a great example. I have no idea. It is listed as a steam beer which makes sense. To me it drinks more like an English Bitter or ESB. Paid $10.99 in Park Rapids for it. If that is the going price I may occasionally buy it again but if the true price is closer to $7.99-8.99 I would likely reach for it more often. It's a good solid beer.
Reviewed by morimech from Minnesota
3.77/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Hazy amber color with a finger of head that settled to a thin cap. Moderate amount of lacing is left down the glass. Aroma of unripen grains, a little citrus specifically orange, and caramel. Flavor of caramel, fruity esters, and finishes with spice and earth. Mild bitterness. Light body and feels a little thin but is nicely carbonated. Seems to have been fermented at a lower temperature than most others of the style, like Anchor Steam Beer, as the esters and phenols are not as high in Yoerg's as it is in others. I prefer this approach.
Dec 09, 2016
Reviewed by Taybeh from Minnesota
3.62/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
from a single into a willibecher, this pours a cloudy amber with a big puffy head. Lots of flavor here (fruity esters, some mild earthy hops, lots of bready notes) but it doesn't all mesh together quite as well as it might...if it did, this could be a really fine common...as is, it is still pretty good.
Sep 19, 2016
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.18/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Yoerg's beer pours a slightly hazy copper amber under a persistent, cream colored foam cap sustained by continuous streams of bubbles rapidly rising from the bottom of the glass. The glass gives off rich malt aromas with a hint of caramel and spice. A rich malt backbone with light caramel and biscuit finishes with a moderately high bitter hop accent. The hop bitterness and malt sweetness are nicely balanced. Yoerg's beer has a relatively clean fermentation character. Any fruity esters in the beer are faint. This is a very well made, well balanced full flavored beer that you can drink everyday.
Sep 03, 2016
Reviewed by Koral from Minnesota
3.58/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Look: Copper colored lager, clear but darkened in color
Smell: malty with light hop aroma. malt character is pleasant
Taste: Clean lager with interestingly prominent malt flavor on the front end, finishes to light hop bitterness
Feel: clean lager feel, goes down smooth
Wasn't what I expected, but in a good way. Excellent lager, coming from a guy who isn't huge on lagers.
Aug 27, 2016Smell: malty with light hop aroma. malt character is pleasant
Taste: Clean lager with interestingly prominent malt flavor on the front end, finishes to light hop bitterness
Feel: clean lager feel, goes down smooth
Wasn't what I expected, but in a good way. Excellent lager, coming from a guy who isn't huge on lagers.
Reviewed by KarlHungus from Minnesota
3.98/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Yoerg's Beer pours a cloudy orange-red color. The head is a half inch in height, and recedes into a steady cap of foam. The aroma is quite bready with hints of caramel and toffee. There is no real hop presence. The taste is less sweet than the aroma leads on. There is more caramel and toffee, but still a strong breadiness. It is mellow, yet flavorful. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation that is, perhaps, a bit high for the style, but works nonetheless. Overall, this is a nice beer that I would have no problem drinking again.
Aug 12, 2016
Reviewed by Chaz from Minnesota
3.56/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a golden-amber in color, with excellent clarity and a full pale tan head. Good lacing throughout.
A bit of fruity ester on the nose, with a definite warm-fermented "steam" lager character, some biscuit malt, and a twang of classic domestic hops. A lighter, slightly sweet malt character is the lasting aromatic impression, and it's a good first impression.
First impression on the tongue and palate is equal parts light malt sweetness and lightly sharp hop bitterness, neither overwhelming the other. The bitterness lingers very nicely (think: milder European Pilsner), while the overall impression at the mid-palate is of a classically "clean" lager beer -- no flaws or off-character notes to mention.
This was brewed as a classic California Common ("steam" beer) and maintains the hallmark character of that style throughout the drink, albeit being a bit less stylistically assertive on the first sip than the famous Anchor Steam Beer.
Likewise, it is a bit more "hoppy" overall than (e.g.) Anchor Steam, but this is strictly in terms of the bitterness and the not-quite-mild, lingering bitterness.
And while different hops (and a different hopping regimen) are used in these two brands brewed in the same, basic style, it's also worth noting that there isn't anything approaching the type of hop aroma which so many novice Craft Beer drinkers might expect out of a beer which could otherwise be described as a "hoppy beer." To that end, this is certainly much hoppier -than an average- American amber or pale lager, but it's not a 'hop bomb' in any sense.
Altogether it's more akin the hop balance and profile found in Boston Brewing's Boston Lager.
But perhaps more notable than the hop character is the malt character. The balance of biscuit malt and lighter, sweet and caramel malt notes throughout the drink is something to admire. There's also a very light roasted malt character.
As for the drinkability, it's good for the style, and better than average. There's an excellent balance of bitterness and sweetness alongside a very good mouthfeel. This is a exceptionally drinkable beer, altogether and certainly more 'sessionable' than so many of the brands in the marketplace.
Altogether, it's a better than average example for the style.
Aug 07, 2016A bit of fruity ester on the nose, with a definite warm-fermented "steam" lager character, some biscuit malt, and a twang of classic domestic hops. A lighter, slightly sweet malt character is the lasting aromatic impression, and it's a good first impression.
First impression on the tongue and palate is equal parts light malt sweetness and lightly sharp hop bitterness, neither overwhelming the other. The bitterness lingers very nicely (think: milder European Pilsner), while the overall impression at the mid-palate is of a classically "clean" lager beer -- no flaws or off-character notes to mention.
This was brewed as a classic California Common ("steam" beer) and maintains the hallmark character of that style throughout the drink, albeit being a bit less stylistically assertive on the first sip than the famous Anchor Steam Beer.
Likewise, it is a bit more "hoppy" overall than (e.g.) Anchor Steam, but this is strictly in terms of the bitterness and the not-quite-mild, lingering bitterness.
And while different hops (and a different hopping regimen) are used in these two brands brewed in the same, basic style, it's also worth noting that there isn't anything approaching the type of hop aroma which so many novice Craft Beer drinkers might expect out of a beer which could otherwise be described as a "hoppy beer." To that end, this is certainly much hoppier -than an average- American amber or pale lager, but it's not a 'hop bomb' in any sense.
Altogether it's more akin the hop balance and profile found in Boston Brewing's Boston Lager.
But perhaps more notable than the hop character is the malt character. The balance of biscuit malt and lighter, sweet and caramel malt notes throughout the drink is something to admire. There's also a very light roasted malt character.
As for the drinkability, it's good for the style, and better than average. There's an excellent balance of bitterness and sweetness alongside a very good mouthfeel. This is a exceptionally drinkable beer, altogether and certainly more 'sessionable' than so many of the brands in the marketplace.
Altogether, it's a better than average example for the style.
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