Highland Shining Rock Lager

Brewed by Highland Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Asheville, North Carolina USA

I found this at Five Points Bottle Shop in Athens, which looks much more respectable inside than out. I actually picked up a ton of stuff there. This is definitely the best beer store I’ve found in Georgia outside of Greens. Anyway, the beer pours a clear copper. The aroma is richly malty. There’s a caramel and honey quality to it and an earthy maltiness that’s quite satsifying. It’s perhaps a little too sweet for true quaffability, but tasty, nonetheless.

Pours a golden copper color with a tiny head of khaki. Sweet honeyed aromas with some perfumey hop notes. Nutty flavors drizzled with plenty of honey amd sticky sweetness. Dry and earthy hops peek through the honeyed sweetness. Malty as it can and should be. It’s only 6%, but I swear I could detect a moderately boozy feel to it. Hopheads need not apply here.

Date: 06/10/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear dark copper, fine beige head, streaks of drippy lace,
Aroma: sweet crystal and caramel malt aroma with nice floral hops,
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, nice bready character, good caramel sweetness, lots of earthy hops, long bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Pours a transparent copper orange with a spotty-lacing white head. Aroma of earthy, damp, slightly peaty malty notes with a touch of German lager yeast. Body starts fairly full and dark caramely malty sweet with a touch of toasty character and a mildly bready bittersweet finish. An interesting and pretty drinkable heller bock.

Thanks ucusty, bottle: Amber-orange pour. Aroma is caramelized malts and a bit biscuity. Flavor, not surprisingly, is lightly toasted caramel malts, medium-bodied, with a little bit of spicy hops lingering on the palate.

So I’m watching Headbanger’s Ball and I realize that I am drinking a beer that fails to evoke any sort of emotion out of me at all. It’s pretty sweet.

Tap @ Barley’s Taproom - This beer was a complete surprise to me. When I ordered it I was thinking of a traditional spring lager but when it arrived it was a dark red in color and looked like an ale. It was VERY tastey. Wonderful caramel malts with a slight hop finish. I would have thought this would of been a fall beer but I’m glad it came out now. I’ve ordered it 4 times at Barley’s and love it everytime I get it.

Dark copper pour, almost brown. Off white that quickly dissipates to one little "island" in the middle of the glass. Loads of toasted caramel malts on the nose. Drinking this cold was not enjoyable as once it warmed. Caramel malts up front and not as cloying once it had some time to breathe. Hints of wood and slightly roasty flavor. Slight hop spice on the finish. Overall a unique attempt, it is indeed a shame this replaced the tasgall ale.