Brooklyn - Lager

Tonights brew is of another from Brooklyn Brewery.  After having a very enjoyable experience with their Local 1 I was excited to get back on the Brooklyn bandwagon and give their flagship lager a go.  Brooklyn's website, which is quite nice I must say, gives me some solid information about the roots of this brew.  Aside from learning that this is their original beer the brewery was based on, I also found they use a Vienna style base for their lager. These tend to be very malt forward and silky smooth.  However, reading further into their description I find they dry hop with a mixture of European and American hops; Hallertauer and Cascade as an example.  Brooklyn also accentuates the bitterness as well.  The good news is that they aren't fooling themselves which what this beer actually is - an American Amber Lager.

My glass fills with a brilliantly clear amber color, who would have thunk?  An egg shell white foam lingers around after settling into my pint.  A sweet malt supported by subtle floral and citrus notes create a very inviting aroma.  I had to take a few sips before I was able to figure out how to describe this lager.  The best I can do is a slightly sweet, slightly bitter, smooth finisher. Some bready notes mix in with a subdued citrus flavor put forth by the hops.  Medium carbonation smooths out the finish.  Alcohol is hiding in here somewhere but I cant find it.

Overall - I don't think I've tasted a lager quite like this before.  I definitely like it.  I wouldn't mind going back to the fridge for another.  Although, I was hoping to experience a little more of the Vienna lager characteristics of the bready, toasty malt and I ended up getting more hop bitterness than I wanted.  Now that I know what to expect I think the other five left in my six pack will be more enjoyable than the first.  Certainly worth a try and something I can see myself purchasing again.