Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager

Formerly brewed at Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Premium Lager
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Date: 04/21/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, 50 More Beers on the Wall

hazy dark yellow, wispy white head, sweet caramel malt aroma with light earthy hops, lots of caramel flavor, touch of sweetness, well balanced earthy hops lead to a light 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

This beer has something of a bannana, oat flavor that just seems to disagree with my tastes for beer. Overall though, nothing dominates too much and it’s neither too sweet nor too hoppy -- clearly well crafted. It isn’t to my tastes, but, being from Smuttynose, it’s a well-made beer nonetheless.

Aug. 17, 2007; 12 oz. bottle. Purchased as part of a Smuttynose sampler 12-pack. Wasn’t at all expecting such a full-bodied beer, and am more than a little surprised to note that it weighs-in at only 4.5% ABV. Gold-orange in color, with a malty, but relatively bright, aroma. Very well-balanced flavor, but the finish is too watery, probably suffering from the low alcohol content. A pretty durn good (long) session brew, though.

Slightly lighter colored for a Vienna. Flavor consists mostly of toasted white bread with a crisp hop finish. Nice balance.

My first Smutty, and I have to admit that I’m not impressed. Pours to a golden yellow with a hint of orange tint, and a thin white head that dissipates fairly quickly and leaves fair lacing. A mild nose of floral hops leads to a fairly tingly mouthfeel, and the taste is a continuation of the mild hoopiness. At only 4.5%, no alcohol ever made itself known, and the finish was o fmedium duration, with nothing standing out. I’d read a lot about the Smuty’s that I’m unable to get in GA, and look forward to my next, but this was not a great start. basically a HO-HUM beer.

Cloudy brew that is slightly darker than the ubiquitous pale yellow american lager. Has brownish orange hints. Aroma is slightly sour and changes to a rather volatile sweet alky olfactory. Taste is quite strong, Creamy strong ale initial impressions. Building malty bitterness on the back of the palate. Carbonation is barely there but what is present comes across rather creamy. Interesting hop bite almost like it is a pale ale. Not quite as good as point amber or dos equis amber. Perhaps a little better than Great Lakes Eliot Ness and schell firebrick. On par with Penn Pilsner.

350 mL bottle. Clear golden with a small fizzy white head. Wheat and malt aroma. Malty sweetness with a wheat bread taste and a crisp clean finish.

Bottle Light golden pour with a little head. Malt and grassy hop aroma. Flavor is also a bit grassy in the hops. Pretty well balanced. Great session brew.