Coney Island Lager

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Vienna
San Francisco, California USA

Pretty, clear auburn with a thin, fizzy head. Nose sweet with a bit of fruit, but pretty simple stuff, not much dancing up. Flavor is quite sweet, a bit cloying. Decent hop bite and the end, nice and crisp. Somewhat bready in the malts, tries for a bit of depth but the sweetness kind of takes over. Not a particularly impressive beer, but pretty good, certainly would be nice on a hot day, very drinkable stuff. And it’s a Vienna, which there aren’t nearly enough of.

Date: 07/13/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Mini Beer Fest

Appearance: clear amber, wispy off white head,
Aroma: sweet caramel malt aroma, nice floral hops,
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, touch of candy, light earthyness adds balance, light bitter finish,
-------- /> Date: 07/17/2008
Source: tasting
Score: 2.5 to 2.9

getting a lot bigger earthy and spicy hop character in the flavor,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Translucent amber from a big scary bottle. Nice head and color. Light orange zest on the nose with a nice yeasty bread quality. Flavor follows through with a nice hoppy bite but balanced with a nutty malt background. Well done in it’s own right.

Thankfully I suffer from neither an irrational fear of clowns nor any qualms about being a wee bit of a freak myself. Take that, mix in some various lagers from Coney Island Brewing, and voila.
Currently only available in a 22oz bomber, my Coney Island Lager pours a deep orange amber hue, definitely a surprise from the light yellow lager I was expecting. A decent head of foam lingers, and then fades into a miniscule ring around my glass. In the nose I get some sweet malt and nutty character, with a crisp oily hop presence lingering in the background. Coney has had a few minutes to "warm" since I first poured her, and as I take my first quaff, an explosion of wet hop oils, bitter lemon rind and fresh cut grass. Backing it up are light sweet caramel and nutty notes. Despite its malty picture, hops are definitely taking precedence in the Coney Island Lager. As I delve deeper into my brew, the malty background of nuts and light caramel sweetness blends more smoothly with the domineering hop profile. A wet, medium body beer, the oils and hop esters seek solace under a soothing malty cover. This is definitely a beer that can benefit from a few minutes of "warming" to truly bring out all the flavor profiles in a palate pleasing balance.
Overall, an interesting interpretation of the lager style. While not overly intense in hops and malts, Coney Island Lager blends the two for a heavier palate. I would definitely enjoy another, but I wouldn’t consider her my favorite lager flavor.

Bomber. Clear orange/gold with an off white head. Sweet orange blossom nose, bready, light grain. Medium bodied, decent lace. Flavors fulfill the promises of the nose. Tasty and drinkable.

Bottle 650 ml
Appearance: Clear amber lager with creamy slightly darker top. Low visible carbonation. Little lacing shown. 3-
Nose: Sweet caramel malt with citric west hop twist. Slight straw grainy bottom with black tea feel. 6+
Flavor/Palate : Thinner front with tart fruity citric hops, slight woody English bitter like middle. Less body than average Vienna and with much higher alpha hop profile. More of American dark lager than Vienna.

22oz bottle, red cap. Amber color, tan head. Aroma of fresh malt combined with herbal hops. Flavor has a spicy bite. Sweet malt, honey, caramel. Bitter hop flavors. Creamy texture, woody finsih. A very impressive lager. Surprisingly enjoyable.

St. Petersburg, Fl. - Shep’s Deli - 22 oz bomber. Medium copper colored pour with a bubbly, airy white head. Not much of an aroma, a hint of fresh lake water and some graininess. Hint of bittersweetness in the flavor with some mild nutty flavors, a hint of caramel and a touch of bland lager. Nothing offensive here - just does not set my world on fire. Clean, even mouthfeel. Mark this one as average. Unlike other Coney Island brews this one does not sport a phallic symbol....unless I just do not "get" the smiling circus guy.