Kellerbier
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant

An unfiltered lager? What the?

Pours with a huge head that slowly recedes. It is so energetic that I can't pour more than about two thirds of the bottle into the pint glass. The body is an opaque orange with a golden aura. The aforementioned head is cream colored and leaves a bit of a sticky lace. Wonderful hoppy aroma with a bit of yeast notes behind the hops.

Once the head is mostly settled, I decide to pour the remaining beer into the glass. I'm greeted by a delayed explosion of foam as I sit at my computer. As I jump up and rush to the sink, I knock over the dog and my chair, while leaving a trail of splattered foam across the floor. I'm now praying the wife doesn't kill me when she notices the sweet aroma of fermented malt permeates the den and the guest bathroom!

Back to the beer. Once the eruption of Mt. Manayunk has settled, I decide to take a taste. A hint of malt sweetness up front is quickly supplanted by a hops explosion. No one flavor dominates, but pine and various citrus notes compete for top billing, to be joined by some yeast spiciness, all bathed in a smooth bitterness. Hints of bubble gum creep in as the sweetness of the malt fights to be acknowledged once again. The finish is mostly a great hop bitterness, but it takes on the multiple personalities of the hops' aromas and flavors. The mouthfeel is very solid and enjoyable, while the drinkability is very good. This is like a weizen, an IPA, and a vienna lager all rolled into one. What a great experience. Thanks to WilliamPhila PA for this great and unique beer.

Appearance: Pours an unfiltered hazy golden color with natural carbonation, white head dies quickly. On the nose a hoppy aroma, some citrus notes, hints of some malts. The body is medium and is very drinkable, the mouthfeel is smooth. On the palate there are light citrus notes, hints of different fruits / perhaps pears, little bitterness in there, very freshing...makes for a decent brew for the summer.

The Kellerbier is an unfiltered and naturally carbonated lager, aged for a minimum of 28 days, and brewed from German Pilsen malt along with an unusual combination of American hops based on the German Hallertauer. The varieties include Mount Hood, Liberty, Crystal and Ultra. Although it is 100% unfiltered and heavily dry-hopped, it pours fairly clearly. The aroma is full of hops with a light citrus note, and backed by solid malt. The taste is well balanced between malt and hops; and finishes dry but not overly bitter. This beer is more than a Munich Helles, but not quite a Pilsner. It is definitely not a Kolsch. The body is medium to full, yet very drinkable. An excellent beer for those seeking a little bit more. For some bizarre reason, the brewpub served the last batch under the name of their American Premium lager - Bohemian Blonde. I was told that they did this because they were out of the Blonde, and I believe it, but cannot understand why you would do that. The current batch seems lighter and much less hoppy. I assume that they're dumbing down the recipe to make it more accessible to the everyday Heineken drinker. A sad shame.

Light, Bright pale malt Lager. Is quite hopped and is very refreshing. This would be a great summer beer. Very drinkable lager with just enough hop bitterness.