Dark Mast Black Lager
Pond Farm Brewing Company

My first from Pond Farm, I went on their website and see that this 7 year old is ready to expand its horizons. A husband and wife team is nearly the micro norm. It's nice that they named their micro after a nearby artist colony in wine country. But with micros losing market share, maybe Pond Farm can develop a more daring business strategy. For all those reasons and a more enterprising future, I give Pond Farm good Overall Hugs.

I was pleased to find that Dark Mast was gluten-reduced. (With celiac disease on the rise, it is good to try keep that segment of a declining market... but the whole de-gluten process confuses me.) Anyhow, Dark Mast Looks appetising; a nice foam that sticks around the glass. Smells are average, sweet malt but not much character. Tastes are balanced, but lack the drying sensation in the finish of a really good schwazbier. (Maybe the gluten-reducing process makes this difficult.) On the light side of medium-mouthed.

I'd like to try more from Pond Farm in a while to see how they've matured, but it doesn't need to be this one again.