Whitetail Farmhouse Lager
Ever Grain Brewing Co.

Have you ever heard the adage of "One door closing means the opening of CANother"? The Pizza Boy horizontal became MUCH more involved than I initially imagined! Between long hours at work & not drinking as much as I would like as a result, it was a really protracted affair. It was also CANspirational in that they are based out of Enola, PA, on the west shore of the Susquehanna River, across from Harrisburg. Also on the west shore is Ever Grain in Camp Hill, PA & if that city seems familiar, then you may have been a Book of the Month Club member at one time. Fasten your seat belts as The CANQuest (tm) takes on this undertaking! 3/13.

From the CAN: "Ever Grain Farms"; "Native & Blended Ales".

I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into CANother of my Ollie's Discount Emporium Pilsner glasses. The foaming was relentless, so I allowed it some calming time to form two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with moderate retention. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Amber to Deep-Amber/Light-Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13). Nose had an interesting fruitiness, like raspberries and/or strawberries along with a sweetish malty breadiness. Hmm. Mouthfeel was medium, decent for a Lager. The taste was both fruity & nutty, like my late-Pops morning cereal: Wheaties or Cherrios with ground bran & fruit topping.

I was reminded of an "All In the Family" rant by Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker. He was holding forth on Gloria & Meathead's potential move to California - "Poifect! 'At'll be just poifect for ya, ya Meathead! 'At's Granola-land out 'ere!" "How's that, Archie?!?" "Every nut's a little fruity & every fruit's a little nutty!" LOL.

This had a really pleasant nutty fruitiness, or was it a fruity nuttiness? Hmm. Either way, it added up to something both unexpected & very pleasant.

I am sure that it was the malt that was driving it, but I am still not totally hip to how malting works. Garrett Oliver has become a bit of an expert on floor malting & I mean to hit him up about it when we next meet. I am not just name-dropping, either. I have a presence in the industry & the experts know that I am attentive when they hold forth.

I was REALLY impressed by the taste of this one. I blew it, though, calling it a German Pilsner. It is an Amber Lager & I will be shooting off a ChANge request when I am through. It had the right mix of sweet & bitter, although I am unsure that I could honestly say that I parsed a "Noble hop taste". The malt was the hero of the hour & it waffled between semi-sweet & semi-dry throughout. Dang, but this was gooood! How izzit that I am the only one to review it? Finish was closer to semi-dry & I felt the welling of a tear as I recharged my glass for the final time. This was a really good, well-made Lager, IMHO. YMMV.