Light Beer
Gray Brewing Company

Pours a clear, pale yellow color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Good retention and decent lacing. Smells of pale malt, sweet malt, slight hop, grain, a little honey, slight citrus, and yeast. Fits and might exemplify the category of a Light Lager. Mouth feel is smooth and slightly thick with an average carbonation level. Tastes of yeast, hop, strong pale malt, sweet malt, slight wheat, and a hint of citrus. Wow, I will be honest and say I did not see this beer coming. What a great Light Lager, and from a brewery that I have not enjoyed in the past. This has just dethroned Sam Adams Light as my favorite Light Lager.

The first Macro Smackdown of 2008 will pit this bottle of Gray's Light Beer against a can of Blatz Light. It looks like neither one has a wide following. Today's MacSmack is yet another competition between a micro (Gray's) and a macro (Pabst). Let's see which one brews the superior light lager.

Medium amber (darker than most) with multiple fine bubble streams leading to an off-white cap that is on the small side despite a vigorous pour. Almost no lace makes it to the glass.

The noses couldn't be more different. This one is low on power at first, then begins to gain confidence as it warms. It's sweet and malty with a softly spicy, floral hop character that is unique among light lagers. The brewery must have added a secret ingredient.

I'm not sure what Gray's Brewing Company has done here, but this is one of the first light lagers that I can actually say is truly good beer, without having to add 'for a light lager'. It's pleasantly pale malty and has a cream ale-like vibe as well. No coarse graininess or nastiness is a huge positive. The only thing keeping the drinkability score from the next highest number is a slight sourness that creeps in as it warms.

The body/mouthfeel is bigger than most macro lagers, and even most all-malt lagers. How is it possible to have created such mouth candy with so few carbs? It's actually lightly lush and is perfectly carbonated.

My scores have always been a combination of overall quality and quality within the style guidelines. Going solely on the latter criterion, Gray's Light Beer would be right up there with some of the best beer in the world. In any case, it's the runaway winner of Macro Smackdown XXII. This stuff has to be tasted to be believed. Note: I'm betting that my rDev will be sky-high once a few more reviews are posted.