Detroit Lager
Detroit Beer Co.

Golden body, light chill haze with a thin layer of white foam that transgresses to a measly skin quickly. Aroma is mild; notes of spicy Saaz hops, grass, & faintly sweet pilsner malt. Mild bread & honey. Taste is crisp & clean, though somewhat lacking. Notes of bread, pilsner malt, grass & spicy leaves from the Saaz, & the lightest tough of lemon zest in the finish. Some faint metallic notes here & there with a yeasty coating finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I find with a lot of lagers produced by craft brewers, this one has a greater sweet tone to it more than anything else. This keeps it somewhat one-dimensional, but it's consistent and nice enough to drink. Feels quite creamy and smooth on the way down too.

 

I picked up a bottle of Detroit Beer Co's Detroit Lager last week for $1.59 at The Lager Mill. I was in the mood for something lighter today and it's been a while since I had a Lager so I thought I should give this one from Detroit a try, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks ok and it has an old school look to it, it's not that eye catching. It poured a nice pale golden color that was slightly amber and pretty clear, it had two and a half fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thin layer that stayed till the end and left a little lacing. This beer looks good and is pretty standard for a American Pale Lager.

S- The aroma starts off a little sweet and imparts some grain, bread, sweet corn, and cereal aromas along with a slight spice and herbal aroma that may have come from some hops. This Lager has a pretty average aroma that is true to the style but it's still pretty dull.

T- This beer tastes much more like a German Pilsener then a American Pale Lager. It starts off with a large amount of sweet malts and grains that impart a sweet grainy and bready flavor. After that comes a light amount of hops that impart a spicy and herbal flavor with the spices sticking out the most. It had a light amount of medium bitterness with a sweet and bitter grainy aftertaste. The flavor is average and pretty close to a German or Czech Pilsener.

M- Smooth, slightly creamy, a little sweet, medium body, and a nice amount of medium carbonation. Besides the slightly cloying sweetness the mouthfeel was a little above average.

Overall I thought that this was an ok beer that was much closer to being a German or Czech Pilsener then an American Pale Lager, to me it tasted like a German Pilsener that didn't have to take the trip overseas to America. This beer had ok drinkability and went down pretty smooth but the sweetness would prevent me from having more than two of these. What I liked most about this beer was the appearance and hop profile, it looked pretty good for it's style and the spicy hops worked well with this beer. What I liked least about this beer was the sweetness, it would be better if it was toned down just a little. I wouldn't seek this beer out, but if I was in the D for a baseball game or something this might hit the spot, but there are tons of other Pilseners I would rather have. I wasn't too impressed with this beer, but with no off flavors I wasn't that unimpressed either, so that makes it pretty middle of the road. The name is a little misleading and I would like to see it changed to Detroit Pilsener since even the label says that is what it is, just because it is lagered doesn't mean it should simply be called a Lager. This isn't as bad as their Special Export and not as good as their Chocolate Stout, so far I think that this is a pretty mediocre brewery, I have yet to be impressed with any of their beers and this beer is no exception.

Appearance - Pours an orange-amber color with a half inch off-white head that lingers a little longer than most beers. Has very nice lacing.

Smell - Bread, grain, corn, and some spices.

Taste - Has a very toasty flavor to it.. with caramel, barley, and a pretty bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with high carbonation.

Overall - Not a bad beer, just pretty spicy.. Not for someone with acid reflux.

 

Presentation: 12 oz bottle into a standard pint. Thanks to beveritt for passing this one along from the state up north.

A- Pours a very pale golden, with an explosive, massive off white head, necessitating a multi-stage pour. Head fades slowly into a thin cap. Globs of lacing stick to the side.

S- Grainy/corny, with a hint of bready notes, and a slight twinge of herbal/spicy hops.

T- Surprisingly spicy hop flavor mixes well with the malty/grainy sweetness. Bitterness is moderate.

M- Lively carbonation. Light feel. Crisp and refreshing.

D- Good. It doesn't wow you in any major ways, but definitely a sessionable beer.

Future outlook: This was a pretty solid lager...No real need to repeat, but happy to have tried.

Had this one on tap at Grill One Eleven.

Very nice appearance. Very golden. Very clear.

Not much there on the nose just smelled like every other lager I've ever had.

Taste was good but nothing to write home about. A very light beer but still with some flavors happening that were very nice.

Nice light mouthfeel and very drinkable.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy light orange. Thin off-white head.

Smell: Reminds me a bit of Bell's Pale Ale. Sweet and flowery.

Taste: Bitterness is a little higher than most pale lagers. Sweetness is also a bit more than you would normally expect from the style.

A: slow pour resulted in a half finger head atop of a burnt orange beer.
Head dissipates quickly and very little lacing remains.

S: some buttery malts up front.

T: taste follows the smell. Nice malts and some yeast. Not terribly exciting but sweeter than expected for the style.

M: medium bodied and a good ammount of carbonation.

D: not sure about the abv but could make a decent session beer. A little more sweetness and taste than your typical lager.