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Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

Lagers

Not Your Grandfather’s Lager

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Pale Lager

Pale lagers are the standard international beer style, as personified by products from Miller to Heineken. This style is the generic spin-off of the pilsner style. Pale lagers are generally light- to medium-bodied with a light-to-medium hop impression and a clean, crisp malt character. Quality, from a flavor point of view, is very variable within this style and many examples use a proportion of non-malt additives such as rice or corn. Alcohol content is typically between 3.5-5 percent ABV, with the upper end of the range being preferable if one is to get a true lager mouthfeel.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

87 Tiger Crystal Beer, Asia Pacific Breweries (China). 4.3% ABV (10/10)
Yellow color. Aromas of apple scone and scrambled eggs with a crisp, round dryish light to medium body and a banana pudding, dusty mineral and citrus rind finish.

87 Stegmaier Gold Medal Beer, The Lion Brewery (PA). 4.6% ABV (11/08)
Bright golden color. Toasted herb bread, nut, and faint roasted vegetable aromas follow through on a crisp, round entry to a dryish medium body nice balance and depth. Finishes with a touch of pear skin, rind, and earth. Nice.

87 Moretti Lager, Birra Moretti (Italy). 4.6% ABV (10/10)
Pure golden color. Aromas of lemon, herb bread and corn with a crisp, dryish medium body and a grainy, grassy earth accented finish.

87 Lager, River Horse Brewery (NJ). 4.7% ABV (10/08)
Slightly hazy golden amber color. Roasted unshelled nuts, grapefruit, and mild melted cheese aromas follow through on a soft, round entry to a dryish medium body with a touch of stewed okra. Finishes with a zesty lemon rind, toasted bread, and metal ore fade.

87 Islander Pale Lager, Vancouver Island Brewery (Canada). 5% ABV (11/09)
Golden color. Aromas of honeyed muffin follow through on a soft, supple entry to a dryish medium body with toasted grain and sweet, lettuce-like notes. Finishes with a crisp, mild citrus and cream accented fade. A solid session beer that will shine at the table.

87 Ensign Fred Pale Lager, Grumpy Troll Brewery (WI). 9.2% ABV (11/09)
Interesting sour yeast, roasted chestnut, herbal hop, and turmeric aromas follow through on a soft, gentle entry to a dryish and slightly sour light-to-medium body with roasted corn and plantain notes. Finishes with a toasty, grassy, mineral accented fade.

87 Ekstra Lager Beer, Svyturys (Lithuania). 5.2% ABV (10/08)
Bright golden yellow color with a pillowy blanket. Reserved aromas of egg custard and brioche follow through on a supple, smooth entry to a creamy, dry-yet-fruity medium body with a caramelized nut and loamy earth notes. Finishes crisply with lemon-peach yogurt and a touch of pepper and alfalfa. A fine food beer to pair with goat cheese pizza.

87 Baltika Cooler, Baltika Brewery (Russia). 4.7% ABV (10/08)
Bright golden yellow color. Dried honey, Asian pear, and toasted apple bread aromas follow through on a round, zesty entry to a dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body with apple sauce, honeyed green tea, and praline accents. Finishes with a touch of woody roasted nuts, honey, and very mild earthy hops. A refreshing backyard party beer.

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