Awkward 40 Hands
Lost Grove Brewing

a malt liquor done with payette, a weird style but a fun project and actually a real nice beer, preferrable for me to their kolsch they had while i was in that was done with hopworks, believe it or not. rich golden to brassy color with some body but good clarity and shine. it pours with a half inch of white head, but it cant hang on, and this looks near still after a minute. the nose is sweet to me and fuller, but it isnt cheap like the macro produced malt liquor types, not metallic or adjuncty really, has a slight husky and hully grain thing, and a honey note, light on the hops but balanced, not much from the yeast but its cohesive overall, smells like a beer. the flavor has some minerality but it should not be confused with metallic character, i think its nice, and it flatters the fuller richer grain this is apparently built on, some honey type malt to me, a little toasted even nutty nuance, bready anyway, and then some stronger alcohol notes coming out as it warms even though its not real strong overall i dont think, thats the part that makes this present a touch cheap, not its flavor per se. a little lingering minerality on the palate and some residual sugar too, but this drinks like a bolder lager type that really hits the mark pretty well for me, is nice with the underrated pizza at the original lost grove location, and it warms up better than any more widely available commercial example of the style. no complaints.

Pour at Beer & Friends. Hazy golden pour with a sparse white head. Malty aroma, corn, adjunct grains. Taste is sweet, grainy and dry. Sticky finish. Not that great.