California Dry Hop Lager

California Dry Hop Lager

Sudwerk Brewing Co.

Davis, CA

Brewers at Sudwerk experimented with hop blends for four years before deciding on this
combination of Amarillo, Simcoe and Cascade hops.

ABV: 5

ABW: 3.98

COLOR: 4

BITTERNESS: 28

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1048

AVAILABLE: ca

The earthy hop bouquet of lemon, tangerine and resin leaps from the golden amber liquid, but it is mixed with a healthy dose of sweet grain. The lager is crisp on the palate with a bit of grainy sweetness and a slight citrus hop punch that fades quickly along with its thin head. It’s not redefining anything for me, but that’s not a bad thing. The world needs more solid lagers with hop content, and not over-the-top hops for the sake of hops. In the end, a few of these on Sunday during the games seems like a good place in the rotation.
- John Holl

“Redefining the American lager,” says the can. “By making it smell like an IPA,” counter I. Which is, I admit, an overstatement, since without the fruity malt of a warm-fermented ale, the citrus in the nose of this bright golden lager is more a generous spray of lemon oil over a bed of carnations than an IPAish lemon and grapefruit. On the palate, it stays just off-dry and crisp, with more lemon oil hoppiness and hints of dry grain and fresh hay and perhaps a touch of onion, finishing dryly bitter.
- Stephen Beaumont

John Holl
John is the editor of All About Beer Magazine, the host of The Beer Briefing on iHeart Radio, and the author of three books, including The American Craft Beer Cookbook. Find him on Twitter @John_Holl.

Stephen Beaumont
Co-author of both The World Atlas of Beer and The Pocket Beer Guide (with Tim Webb), Stephen travels the world sampling beer, hosting dinners and tastings, and eating too much airport food.