Dive Bar Lager
Grains of Wrath

Had on tap. Pale yellow somewhat cloudy body with a fat finger of white foam and very thick lazy lacing. Classic lager malt with corn flair in the nose with hints of bread and grass. Taste doubles down on the malt, biscuit emerges though. Feel is light and bright but never thins out, appropriately high level of carbonation lends a crisper finish. Solid

16oz can, canned nearly 4 months ago. Doubt the age will be an issue, but if it is, I’m not holding back, cause I bought this straight from the brewery.

Pours nearly two fingers of white head into my Willi glass. I can hear it lightly fizzing, but the head has good thickness to it. That being said, the retention is subpar and fades within a minute or two. Initial lacing looks decent. Body is a hazy yellow, with minimal bubbles coming up. So far this looks ok, not amazing; stylistically, the haze is an issue.

Nose has a big dose of bready grain up front, maybe a little much for an American lager, but I’m not complaining. Noticeable fruity esters, but tasteful, light, and they don’t feel out of place - banana? Hops are elevated for a lager, grassy and spicy. Despite the big-er malt nose, this still smells pretty attenuated and crisp. Given the style, they are definitely taking some creative liberties, assuming all these flavors are intended, which should become obvious on the flavor. Smells quite good.

Drinks a little different than the nose, but at times it comes together even better. Hops are at the forefront, leading the way, spicy and grassy indeed. Light notes of lemon come out with time. Malt is not nearly as assertive, but does a very good job of supporting and smoothing out the hops for the most part. Not getting many esters, which would lead me to believe that the light touch on the nose was intended. This is quite nice.

Carbonation is medium-high. Body is medium. Not sweet nor dry, well balanced. Perceived bitterness is high. Despite the high bitterness, the malt balances it very well and makes for a smooth palate, while remaining crisp. Great mouthfeel.

Drinkability is good as a medium speed drinker, but the bitterness slows it down from being a chugger. I had this last night after already having a few drinks, and there were certainly lighter options I could have/should have gone to.

Appearance turned out decent. Lacing took a minute to grab on, but wasn’t too bad after that.

Overall a really nice hoppy lager. I’d be pretty hesitant to call this an American lager, and definitely not a “dive bar” lager, but hey, it is what it is. Hops do get a little sharp towards the end, but this is still very good.

Look: Semi-opaque straw yellow with an admirable head that billows up and quickly settles to a film, leaving minimal lacing behind
Aroma: Straw, biscuit-like malt, floral notes, a little honey, and warm bread
Taste: Floral notes along with a surprising fruit note – almost cane berry-like (raspberry, blackberry, etc.) hit first before bready and biscuit-led malt comes onto the scene along with a little sweet honey note. Straw and flowers hold the middle until it finishes with floral and berry notes
Mouthfeel: Light but not watery at all, very crisp and clean throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a crisp finish
Overall: I dig it. Any reference to dive bars has my attention and I figured I should try a new beer from a brewery I’m not very experienced with. A no-nonsense, quaffable, and flavorful lager with an interesting twist as I kept getting this quick, semi-tart cane berry note up front and lightly again on the finish which I don’t know if it was intentional, but I enjoyed it and it wasn’t strong enough to throw anyone off as to the general style or presentation of the beer

Clear gold with three fingers of white foamy head.
Smell corn and malt
Taste is corn, malt some grassy herbal hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel is light with proper carbonation. Mouthfeel is lightly dry and slightly sweet.
Overall a tasty low ball lager. Canned on date 06/28/19. Pint can.