Let's Give Lagers Some Love (2025)

I have always felt that the maibock style holds its age well. I purposely kept a 2024 version of this beer from one of my local breweries so that I could do a side-by-side to try to confirm that. Well, when I searched the back of the beer fridge I found a '23 version too, so I'm having a side-by-side-by-side for this experiment. The 2024 beer has an abv of 6.9% vs. 6.3 for the other two. The color and foam are the same (the '25 version was the last one poured, so it's quickly dying). So the taste becomes the characteristic to measure any difference.

All three beers tasted identical when cold, but none tasted as good as what I get cold on tap at the brewery. The hops are a bit up front in these beers. However, as they warmed they became balanced and stayed essentially the same taste in comparison to each other. Well maybe this year's beer had just a slightly brighter/fresher taste, but not by much. So I'll continue to buy maibocks whenever I see them without bothering to look for date stamps on the bottle or can. However, I think I will always prefer them fresh on tap.

 

The Ultimate Lawnmower Beer!?!

We are in the midst of a brutal (first of the year) heat wave in the Philly area. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a 12-pack of Yuengling Chetty (Lord Chesterfield) beer for summertime drinking and for this heat wave I cracked open my first can.

I really enjoy this beer. Ten years ago, I started a thread entitled “No love for American Adjunct Lagers?” and in the OP I discussed a bottle of Lord Chesterfield:

“Overall:

Within the context of an AAL beer this beer is a joy to drink. The highlights are the hop aroma and nice head retention. If you are looking for a nice thirst quenching beer (like I was yesterday after an 8 mile hike) this beer certainly does the ‘trick’.”

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/no-love-for-american-adjunct-lagers.313784/

This can of Yuengling Chetty really ‘hit the spot’ on today’s stinkin’ hot day!! I was a bit surprised how quickly I reached the halfway mark of this glass.

Cheers!



@John_M @jonphisher

P.S. Below is a video review by Ronald "Jay" Theriot and his remarks are pretty consistent with my perceptions of this beer.

 

And even more since you left the area. Plethora to the power of 10!

But, but, but...you already stated you never made the effort to drink Chetty so...

I am a fan of Sly Fox Pikeland Pils too!

After enjoying my can of Chetty I followed up with a glass of Jack's homebrewed Classic American Pilsner.

 

I finally got over to AA and also found the Von Trapp beers at Total Wine. They didn't have the Dunkel but I was able to get the mix-pack with the Helles, Pils, Vienna Lager and the Kolsch. I also picked up a sixer of the Schwarz.

I'm kind of thinking that Von Trapp is making this distribution of their beers to Michigan to be a permanent arrangement and not a one-time drop just to test the waters. The mix-pack carries a best-by date of 08/24/25 stamped on the outside and each beer can inside was stamped equal to that date or was within a 10-day period after that. So they seem to be keeping a flow of fresh beer. However, the Schwarz bb date is 05/19/25 so that would tend to indicate otherwise. (Hopefully their bb dates aren't longer than 12 months from canning.)

 

From what I remember when I reached out years ago is that Von Trapp uses a 5 month BBD window @PapaGoose03

 

11° Czech Dark Lager - Frequentem

Nice charred roast. Maybe not quite to style (my familiarity is lacking). Definitely tasty.

 

I think JH might be stretching the limits of AAL. Lord Chesterfield (LC) is pale and fermented with lager yeast, but may not undergo lagering. After all, they call it an Ale. Also Yuengling claims 32 IBU. That seems a little outside the current AAL standards. But JH is right that it could be a good lawnmower beer. I enjoyed it in the late 70s and early 80s (maybe better then?) when I could find it -- and the $1.39 price for a six pack of cans made it more attractive. Always rare to see it in NYC metro, and not a real bargain here. .

 

According to the internet:

"Yuengling Lord Chesterfield is cold conditioned. This means that after the initial fermentation, the beer is stored at low temperature, near freezing, for an extended period. This process is crucial for lagers..."

Unfortunate for you. But I can buy 12-packs for $12.99.

Cheers!

 

Drekker Crispzilla Rice Lager, 4.4% ABV. Pours pale golden, with a three-finger snow-white head that left some lacing. Aroma is malty and fruity. Taste is malty and hoppy, faintly sweet, moderately bitter. Quite dry mouthfeel, with light carbonation. Overall good.

3.83/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

The can is crushable.

 

Fretboard Brewing - Vlad Czech Pilsner



Clean and refreshing, with a crisp, dry finish.

 

Haven't had this one in a minute:
Schell's Lake Escape Kölsch style Ale 4.5%

 

What!?!

No fruit added to that Kolsch!?!

Cheers!

@AlcahueteJ

 

I suppose it could support fruity stuff but it's crispness and mildly dry finish are a thing I dig. It has some notions of fruit through "Hop ESP" and that's good enuf for me.