Sunday, April 10, 2011

Golden Beer

Tasted on a relaxing Sunday afternoon with 80 degree weather and enjoying the fact that I got up early and wrote all my papers in morning so I could enjoy the rest of the day! Thanks to Jen for picking this up in Hy-vee's assorted six pack. Served in my new Stone pint glass from Ribco.

Appearance: A brilliant pale golden color with absolute clarity. Carbonation is bubbly and persistent. There isn't much of a head aside from a slight white film and a foam ring within the glass.
Aroma: Some minor pungency and yeast breadiness. Otherwise very clean. Hop profile is slightly spicy like a pilsner (Hallertau) but with undertones of citrus and grass. Some wheat malt permeates through under the lagered aged flavor.
Taste: Taste is initially sweet and bready with a mild honey flavor. However, the Pilsner malt for light color encourages a minimal malt backbone. Much of the complexity arises in mid to aftertaste consisting of a young lager staleness and crisp hop finish. Generally dry and floral. Yeast pungency parallels nicely with the Hallertau. Grassy and epitomizing the floral flavor of beer. Subtle citrus flavor resides underneath it all, but only encourages the definition of a great lager. Leaves a pungent lager flavor in the mouth with a dash of malt wheat sweetness. I'm thoroughly impressed with the simplicity of the flavors.
Mouthfeel:  High carbonation, but suited for the style. Light body, but smooth with a bite of refreshing flavor and crisp dryness to the finish.
Overall Impression: Just sipping this beer reminds me of almost every beer I had in Australia. I wish that I would have liked them then because right now I feel like sitting outside a pub and talking to random Australians about where I should go and how strange my accent it. Absolutely a perfect beer to sit back and drink on a hot day. Incredibly refreshing and crisp. A fantastic substitute for the Eco-Miller-Anhauser beers, but with more class and hand-crafted-ness I actually see myself seeking this beer out again, next time I'm craving a lager. Way to go Abita!

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