Rice Lager
Ellicottville Brewing Co.

 

Pours a clear pale gold. Medium foam. Light malt aroma. Mild sweet body. Fades quickly. Finishes clean. Green tea and pomegranate are present. Pretty thin. Goes down fast. Average at best.

Carbonated to the point of volatility, less than half of a pint can filled a clear glass Imperial pint mug. Almost half of the observed pour was its starchy white head. It receded unevenly, leaving very little glass lacing. It has an adjunct lager smell and nothing more, although the label claims this is crafted with green tea and pomegranate. Now that things have calmed a bit, the rest of the can may be emptied. This has to be one of the lightest amber colored beers you will find. Despite the swirling bubbles, it's nearly translucent. A trace of green tea can be detected by the taste buds, but the question is how much did reading the label help to find it? It may bring just a little help to the mild hops. Overall, this is sweet from the rice wort and it's easy to say the added pomegranate wouldn't be missed. As the glass drains, it becomes apparent that the tea contributes to making a sweet rice lager a little drier. That's a welcome characteristic. Also welcome is the spotting of some glass lacing. Of course, this is designed for those that can't tolerate wheat or barley malt based beers. For the others, it's not horrible, in fact, it's better than many adjunct lagers and other rice beers. It will also make those who can tolerate barley malt very thankful.