Bronze Medal
Industrial Arts Brewing Company - Beacon

a really delicious hoppy lager here, i have been impressed with these guys in limited exposure to their beers. its a little bit hearty and full on the malt side, certainly a lot more robust on the grain side than most pale lagers, short of the vienna range or anything, but somewhere squarely in between. the hops are great on this, a spicy noble character and a lot of oiliness, almost slick as i drink it, unexpectedly complex there too, with a crazy freshness and pungency that usually doesnt come in a beer like this. it must be dry hopped late in the lagering process for the hops to appear so fresh here. the yeast doesnt have a ton of flavor but is lightly european to me, clean in its fermenting work, and doing its best to crisp this up in the mouthfeel. high carbonation and a round body, a nice drinker for cooler weather, perhaps a bit substantial come summer time, but i like this being a bit more built up this time of year. the hops are awesome, not super bitter but still pushing that india pale lager range. tasty and unique.

On draught at the brewery. It pours a cloudy, orange-brown, amber color with a thin, ecru-colored head and a thin coating of lacing in the glass. It has the Vienna Lager smell of caramel malt and mild floral hops. The taste is really intriguing: it opens like an ESB - with sweet malt but also with lots of hops. But the caramel kicks in at mid-sip and it finishes like a Marzen. Its feel is light and crisp with pleasant carbonation and it's highly drinkable with an ABV of 5.8% Overall, I liked Bronze Medal the more I drank it. This is a beer the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I really enjoyed it.

 

From a crowler canned 11/11

It is a copper/bronze color and super clear. The moderate off white head disappeared quickly.

Smells like an Amber Ale with lager yeast. So basically a Vienna. Fairly malty. It has that Marzen like toasted bread with a restrained caramel sweetness. For being described as a “hoppy lager” nothing jumps out in the aroma. Maybe a touch of citrus.

A rich bready flavor is followed by a toasted note and a sort of bitter toffee. The back end features the aforementioned hops. Some floral and citrus but equally bitter. There is a prominent lingering bitterness that I didn’t see coming.

Very lively bodied with a higher carbonation that makes it a bit bubbly/airy, but enough body that it doesn’t seem watery. Very dry finish, but smooth otherwise.

An interesting and sort of perplexing beer, but a tasty one nonetheless. Overall I would probably describe it as a better, hoppier Dos Equis. I could easily describe this as an IPL, or good Amber AAL too. Reminds me of Nargannessett a lot. Would make for a great blind tasting.

Overall this one comes across as a hefty "American" Vienna Lager. It's certainly hoppy, but not overly so, which really works in its favor. Initially I may have been expecting an amber IPL, but that's not this beer at all. The malt is toasty and deeply flavored, yet rich and rounded. The hops give a superb citrus airy quality, as well as a zingy spicy zip. It's extremely well balanced, with each element complementary and working hand in hand.

What a fine drinkable and tasty amber lager this is, nothing too fancy, with just enough complexity to maintain interest throughout.