What's the last malt-forward beer that impressed you? (That's not high ABV or barrel-aged.)

Dampf Schwarzbier from Humboldt Regeneration.
Love the combination of roasty and chocolatey flavors with a light, easy drinking body

 

Oskar Blues Beerito and
Conshohocken Puddler Row ESB

 

I love that beer, I had it at the brewery on a visit last year and I'm so happy it's a year rounder now.
Locally I buy Antagonist ESB from Barrier (I think I'm the only one, they are all into the haze these days). Nice and toasty.
Montauk Driftwood Ale is another ESB I like but now it's a fall seasonal, guess it should be out any day.
It takes courage to release something besides a NEIPA or milkshake mess these days, happy to support those that do.

 

Love Great Lakes Elliot Ness

 

My favorite Robust Porter is Hill Farmstead Everett. For my palate this beer is absolutely sublime!

A few years back I was able to get a growler fill at a nearby craft beer bar and conduct a blind side-by-side taste with my homebrewed version of Everett. The ‘good news’ for me is that my homebrewed version, which I brew every year, came pretty close. Especially since we get irregular drops of Hill Farmstead beers in the Philly area.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-580.402889/#post-4657907

Cheers to Hill Farmstead!

 

Extra Stockton Bitter from Odd Bird Brewing, a small brewery in NJ that opened at the beginning of 2020. A little biscuit, a little caramel, some lightly toasted malt and nuttiness. Earthy hops to round everything out. Perfectly balanced flavor between mildly sweet malt and bitter hops. Impressive body and flavor for 4.3% ABV. They were serving this on cask at the brewery right before COVID hit but I missed out.

Brb going out to purchase a 6-pack of Shipping Out of Boston.

 

The Future Is Unwritten, Small Change Brewing
For a dark English Mild Ale at just 3.1% abv, I thought the balance and layers of flavors were really excellent.

Bannatyne's Scotch Ale, Cambridge Brewing
A classic Scotch Ale, but new try for me. I was able to pick up a growler a few weeks ago during Covid shutdowns and it did not disappoint!

 

Me, recently in the Jack's Abby thread:

 

I'd really like to see Biere de Garde (especially things on the Ambree or Brune end of things) take hold in the US craft scene, especially since lagers are far more prevalent than they used to be. The malt of an ESB with the dryness of a saison, and the clean fermentation of a lager, what's not to love?

That being said, the last malty beer that really impressed me was me testing my homebrewed Biere de Garde. Bottle conditioned now, and am going to lager in bottles best I can. The Omega Gulo yeast is awesome.

 

Love Shipping Out of Boston, but for me, it's Von Trapp Dunkel. I love all of Von Trapp's lagers, but the Dunkel packs an unreal amount of flavor--strong bread crust and caramel with a touch of fig--into such an easy-drinking beer. It's one of my favorites

 

Couldn't agree more. I've been buying 12 packs all summer.

Since we're just using “malt forward” as the category I'm going to have to go with Bell's Third Coast, this was one of the best beers I've ever had.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/1891/?ba=officerbill#review

 

Guinness Over the Moon.

Hit the style nicely and it was brewed here in the States.

 

I was blown away by Wayfinder's Helles last time I was in Portland.

 

I've sent them many many annoying messages asking to get that blood orange weirdness out of the variety pack - I finally can't wait to find one. It's really sounds like the perfect lager pack.

 

It truly is, both in terms of quality and variety.

I'll also throw out a good word for the Troegs helles When in Doubt, which is excellent, although the 15 pack it comes in isn't as good as the JA 12 pack.

 

You got those for the online tasting, right?

 

A half liter of Weihenstephaner 1516 Kellerbier on a recent hot afternoon in the shade. Nice bready malt flavor, but still crisp and refreshing.