Wild*Boy Hopped Lager
Straub Brewery

 

Light gold color and nearly clear. The head starts at two fingers but it only leaves sporadic spots on the glass.

Strong caramel aroma. Low hop nose.

The flavor is both darker and more bitter than the smell indicates. Still, the caramel is dominant with a touch of bittersweet chocolate. Good carbonation but with a fuller body. The finish features black pepper which lasts a decent amount of time in the aftertaste.

 

I picked this up as a single bottle at Giant Food Stores and I am curious to try it. I have visited the Straub Brewery in St. Marys, PA several times & I am glad to see them branching out.

From the Bottle: "Peter Strab Signature Brews"; "Hopped Lager"; "India-Style Pale Lager"; "Refreshing Cold-Conditioned Lager".

I Pop!ped the cap & began a slow, gentle pour into the awaiting glass. Once accomplished, an in-glass swirl raised two-plus fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, bone-white head that was kind enough to leave some nice lacing in its wake. Color was a solid Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) with NE-quality clarity. BUPGOO! Nose had an unexpected pine mintiness. Ooh. Mouthfeel was medium, big for a Lager. The taste was really piney, quite unexpected, lightly malty and with a cool mintiness. Finish was cool & dry, very much of pine-mint. Mmm. I was really impressed with this one.

 

poured into a custom shaped grip glass: color is straw gold, a bit of haze, head is off white with fine bubbles, 1/2 inch presentation, head lingers and laces the glass.

Smell is lemony, herbal, citrus rind, grass, sweeter malt.

Taste is hoppy but different with herbal, lemony, citrus, grass flavors, malt is neutral some biscuit, light sweetness.

Mouthfeel is crisp, moderate carbonation, pleasant.

Overall a good hopped lager, more grassy/herbally hopped lager than some other IPLs.

 

 

 

Staraub Brewery Inc. "Wild Boy Hopped Lager India-Style Pale Lager"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, "BOTTLED 042617J" and sampled 081417
$2.17 @ Giant Eagle, Indiana, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: Heehee, I remember when Straub had just one beer. Then they had two when they added Straub Light. Now they've got a bunch and I appreciate that, so let's see how this "Wild*Boy" goes. It looks good: clear golden/amber body beneath a two-finger thick head of slightly off-white. The aroma is fantastic! It's mildly lemony, floral, gently spicy, and lightly grassy over a sweetish, grainy malt base. It reminds me of Crystal and Saaz hops although I know that's not right. The head has dropped at this point but it still has a pretty thick surface covering, and it's left some nice lace behind where it's been. The flavor is unfortunately not as lively as the aroma suggests, with a fairly dense maltiness that wraps the hop flavors tightly and allows them to give off an almost minty note instead of the lemon and spice and grass found in the nose. It's an IPL though, so I'll have to give it room. It's pretty solidly bitter as well, although that follows. Hmmmm, looking at it now it seems pretty well balanced, and it finishes dry but not too bitter (63 IBUs listed) with some lemon and spice and grass lingering. I'm not sure what the alcohol is but it never shows, although I can't imagine it would. What is the alcohol here? Just 5.6%? That's hardly enough for an IPL, but OK, it tastes like an IPL. It's medium bodied and crisp. Overall I'll call it OK. The aroma offered great potential but the flavor just didn't live up to it. Still, probably worth trying.