Lodge Life
Athletic Brewing Co.

Tastes a bit watered down. Disappointed in this one.

Very Smokey. I really wanted to like this one, but couldn’t get past the overpowering smoke flavor. Guess i was hoping for more of a Winter Spice / Winter Warmer type thing. Oh well.

12 oz can, dated 12/31/24 so less than a month old

pours a very dark brown color, with thin cream colored head that fades. aroma is mild chocolate, a little smoke, some vanilla, touch of cinnamon. similar flavor, moderately sweet. medium bodied

 

 

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours dark deep red with a small light brown head. Smells of chocolate and fresh fruit. Tastes of fresh fruit and slight chocolate. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good NA Beer.

 

Can. Tan head. Dark brown color.

I like most of athletics offerings and for an NA, this does have a lot of flavor. I just don’t like how they marketed it. It should be labeled as a schwarzbier or something not a s’mores beer. It is all smoke. Some caramel and chocolate, but nothing like a s’mores, just a smokey fire.

Continuing my exploration of nonalcoholic options. In the glass this looks the part—black brown with generous foam. The foam doesn’t last, and the body is thin, lacking depth. There’s an unwelcome vegetal aroma, I assume from the (vegan) marshmallow. Flavor lacks a full on roastiness or much more, but to be fair I’ve also had worst.

A porter / stout.

 

CANNED 1/18/22

From the Athletic Brewing website: A campfire brew crafted with cinnamon, vanilla and cacao nibs, Lodge Life is a mouthwatering taste of life at the cabin. With a smoked malt undertone and a light hint of s’mores, it’s rich in flavor and a real treat to try. Warm your spirits, escape the everyday, and enjoy the Lodge Life wherever you are.

Sounds like it will hit the spot to me. It's cold, snowy and windy and while it's still morning, it's NA so fuck it I'm gonna drink it. A finger or so of head thins out to a ring in short order. Body is brownish copper red. Looks fine. Smells... whoa! I was skeptical about the smoked malt, but it's there and I like it. Combine it with the cinnamon and it gives things an Earthen undertone. Campfire vibes. I get where the other reviews state that it smells like potpourri, but I disagree with that assessment. It's more like a campfire-scented candle. Slightly-synthetic, sure, but not potpourri. Not getting much vanilla or cocoa (I refuse to be an asshole who says - or writes- cacao), but what's there appeals to me greatly. Actually, if you dig a little deeper, there is vanilla, but it's more of a balancing note than a main player. Tastes much like it smells. The smoke is still there, but it brings more of a charred character on the tongue. Combine it with the vanilla and it does, in fact, remind of a toasted marshmallow. Still not getting much chocolate (maybe a hint on the back of the tongue), but I like this a lot more than most beers that go for the whole S'mores thing. Most focus far too much on the sweet; I appreciate the balance and smoky campfire presence here. Mouthfeel is a little more robust than I would have guessed, too. Man, this isn't going to be for everyone, but I quite enjoy it. I really like what Athletic is doing.

Poured from 12oz can into a dimpled mug. Canned 12/13/21.

Appearance: dark brown hue with a clear body and a thin finger of frothy tan foam. Somewhere between a brown ale and a porter in color, I'd say.

Smell: quite sweet with a rather cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger thing going on. Very much a christmas cookie kind of aroma. There's a maltiness in there, but frankly I think the spicing is a bit overpowering for NA - there's not enough "beeriness" to hold it to account.

Taste: taste is maybe not quite as sweet as the aroma, but it's up there. There's chocolate character mixed in with all that spicing, and it's an interesting beverage, but it's unbalanced toward the sweetness side of the scale.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent level of carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: this beer isn't bad; certainly it's at least *interesting*. A spiced holiday dark beer ... that's NA. Perhaps not a beer that I'm going to go to regularly, but worth a shot if it sounds like it might be your thing.

Pours a near black, showing dark brown hues around the very edges of the glass. Head is two fingers of dense khaki foam. Aroma is caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and potpourri. It smells like a candle store in the mall, heavy on the sugary notes. The density of the sugary notes keeps any wort smell from leaking onto the nose, a common note amongst NA beers. Flavor profile is similar, hitting notes of potpourri, brown sugar, black tea, toffee, caramel, and molasses. It's sugar forward, with some late balance via toasty, bready malts. Flavor profile is notably less sugar forward than the nose. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a soft, creamy texture. Overall, this is just sweet and heavy enough, it would make for a pleasant fireside sipper, or something to down in the lodge between ski runs. It lacks a firm direction as far as beer style goes though.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 12oz can.