Vienna Lager
Caledon Hills Brewing Co.

 

Pours a beautiful clear copper color with a sudsy white head. Beautiful Vienna lager. Nutty caramalt aromas on the nose with some spicy noble hops as well.

That nutty caramalt flavor is also prominent on the taste, with the spicy noble hops providing a nice finish with the crisp, clean mouthfeel. Really good stuff, IMHO.

Clear, colour of weak tea, rose-hued amber, Moderate short-lived head with no retention or lace. Very nice caramel malt nose. Gently bitter on the palate. Deliciously malty without being too sweet. Nice grainy backbone. I'm not generally too fussy about this style, but this is a well executed example that I would have again.

Pours a lighter amber, honeyed and golden hued, with a creamy, pale white head of about two inches. Supported by large, lone bubbles dotting the glass from the bottom to top, it's beautiful in the pokal/pilsner glass.

Delicious malts come forward first in the aroma. My bias immediately kicks in -- I know I am going to like this. A pleasant alcohol whiff belies the toasted character of the malts. A slight, and generalized spicy/floral hop aroma is present, but very hidden.

Very gentle on the palate, there is a slightly savoury edge to the malts that hit your tongue. Not unlike a lot of marzens I've had, but that makes sense for Vienna lagers which, IIRC, are a mix of vienna and pale malts with a light touch of noble hops, and a malt forward brew. Very rich towards the middle, with a slight toastiness that reminds you of deep malty, rich cereal grains and dense bread. More filling, sweet, and grainy than roasted, burnt or bitter. If I'm talking generally, it's because the palate is mostly a tour de force of malty flavours. Nothing incredibly unique, but that plays to it's strengths. It's classic malt flavours you know that make the base for many beers, but all the great and subtle inflections of those malts. Pale, toasted malts, a slight hint of caramel maltiness that might just be due to the richness of the malts in general.

Medium-light bodied with good carbonation, the sip is at once slightly creamy as it foams, and very crisp on the finish. Overall makes for a smooth drink, that is semi-dryish on the finish as well, which is mostly a slightly sweet, malty, dense bready taste on the tongue.

This is a great beer. What makes it great is the balance and subtlety to the flavours. I compared it to marzens earlier, both great beers, but I find the average marzen a little more intense in the malt department. Both have their places, and I love maltiness in all its forms. This makes for an excellent lager that is both more complex and eminently drinkable than every single macro out there. Caledon Hills once again, with great consistency, has excellent releases that never disappoint.