Old Scratch Amber Lager

This was one of the first beers that got me really interested in craft beer. I'd like to thank Joe Murphy for that. But, I'd like to also thank Joey Waldorf for getting me this beer to review! Enjoyed Friday evening before watching a marathon's worth of Dexter episodes while sipping on a hybrid cross of Great River's Big Cock IPA and Roller Dam Red.

Appearance: Crystal clear with a brilliant amber color. The head starts of soapy consistency, but poor retention leaves a cascaded foam across the surface of the beer. There isn't much happening within as carbonation looks to be absent.
Aroma: Malt forward with a grainy profile. Subtle yeast aromatics complement the caramel/bready backbone of this beer. Unfortunately this beer comes off as a bit oxidized.
Taste: Flavor is an interesting cross between a grainy malt bill and dry leaves. The oxidation really comes through here and almost overwhelms the rest of the malt. Caramel is predominant present with a slight butterscotch finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a surprising carbonation from the look of the beer, one that sizzles the surface of the tongue. Not as smooth as I'd like, going down.
Overall Impression: It's too bad there was a lot of stuff wrong with this beer. I feel the need to create a category of "Re-Do" beers - aka one's not properly preserved on the shelves, or poorly handled. Oh well.


70/100