Let's Give Lagers Some Love (2024)

Augustiner Bräu - Edelstoff

 

Been eyeing this thread for a while now. Big-time lager appreciator. So, long-time listener, first-time caller here!

This is a more local offering in Central IL - Blind Pig Reserve. Not the greatest lager you’ll ever taste but at $6.99/4pk it’s hard to beat. Cheers!!

 

@jmdrpi - This was a shared/mutual collaboration: WL teamed up with Wild East & Alternate Ending to practice/hone decoction schedules + CZ resourcing/ingredients [networking]

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Czech Style - Raquette Lake

Cross-posted with the Mid-Atlantic thread.

A decent Pilsner, a bit too astringent for me, but it works well with tortilla chips and a cool Autumn afternoon of Football. It improves with a little warmth.

Crisp water crackers and grain, the aroma is simple and quite nice. The flavor is far too bitter and astringent, with malt grains being secondary and no hop flavors. That astringency builds into an eternal finish. Warmth adds mild sweetness. The body is thin with a sharp nylon texture. ABC as expected, fizzy carbonation.

 

Drive by them every time I go visit my kid, but never stopped by to try the beer.

 

It’s mostly nothing to write home about but I’ll do this one. Used to see it on draft (and cheap) all over Peoria. Seems to be less the case the past half year or so. Still see 4pks though. Cheers!!

 

Wander Lightly, consumed last night at Wisconsinburger (burger pictured for scale purposes):

 

Bought some Paulaner Pils today because I'm in the need for some lighter, crisper beers -- even as Old Man Winter bears down.

I like how they label it "Bavarian Pilsner." New style category for BA?

@zid

 

Bell's Brillosa Vienna-style Lager. I enjoy the nutty-like malt profile that this style offers, and it's definitely evident in this one.

 

New from Bell's? ISO.

 

@elNopalero added it to this site in Sept '23 and noted it was just released. Maybe he meant for the '23 version because I thought I could recall having it going back a couple years farther than that (I had it on tap at the Café), but I can't rely upon my memory nowadays. I bought a single bottle a couple weeks ago at the General Store, and it has a specific label like Bell's uses for distributed beers (as compared to General Store releases), so maybe you will see it.

 

It very well could be an older annual release. In 2023 they had a release party as part of a Latinx Heritage Month celebration. No such luck this year. Glad to see it’s circulating and getting some nice attention! @PapaGoose03 Grab a second bottle and pair it with some take out from Taqueria San Francisco or Nina’s!

 

God Tier

Needa visit them again soon
A tankard of anything they make is in order

 

Back in the rotation from my local fave.

Bready, nutty, good balance of noble hops. Spot-on to style.

 

Light Lager - Raquette River

Now that’s a clear beer! Crisp, clean, mild bitterness, light sweetness. Lots of grain, hops present as pepper and light lemon. Polished metallic texture with a sharp edge. Super easy drinking and surprisingly tasty.

 

Bell's Rye Pale Lager - I think this is the ugliest beer that I've ever had, but the citrusy hops and spiciness from the rye made me overlook this. (General Store and Eccentric Café release only.)

 

Bohemian Dusk - Jack’s Abbey

This is a great beer! Enjoyed it just outside Buffalo (East Aurora - 189 Burger) with a good burger. Malty brown bread, sweet toffee, pecans, in the aroma. Lightly toasted and nutty more sweet than bitter (neither very pronounced). Definitely going to seek out more of this Czech Dark Lager. Cross posted with the NE thread, and back home now.



As a side note, 189 Burger has great atmosphere, burgers, and bourbon. They usually have one or two good beers as well. Definitely a worthy place to visit if you like bourbon and burgers. The upstairs is pretty cool, maybe next time I’ll get a picture from above. https://www.oneeightynine.com/

 

I discovered Short's Local's Light this year. It is an excellent everyday style lager. Each time I open one, I am happy that I did.

 

If you ever find yourself in Toronto and like a good Czech style pale lager, this is the beer for you. My favourite local beer, from my favourite local brewery. Sklepník from Godspeed, particularly the version that spends time in the pitch lined barrels made for them by Urquel. Being the only brewery for which Urquel has ever made one of their barrels makes the experience rather unique on this side of the Atlantic as well.

After years of being an inveterate ticker, who buys one or two of each beer to keep the novelty going, I buy this stuff by the case whenever available. It’s a big process to re-line the barrel with pitch, requiring some serious temporary adjustments to their space (see their Instagram posts for a brief account of the rigmarole and brief loss of patio), but it is definitely worth it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9m-MqSuBY1/?igsh=MTJmOGRscnF3NHE2MQ==

Cheers!