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Snake River Vienna Style Lager
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
BJCP Category: 3A Vienna Lager
Snake River Brewing Co. <visit site>
35
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[expand]Total Score: 32/50
A drinkable beer that, while marketed as a Vienna-style lager, could more easily pass for an English Pale Ale. more >
[close]Total Score: 32/50
Aroma: Caramel malt aroma dominates from the start with a hint of DMS and some alcohol notes creeping through. Light malt toastiness but barely perceptible. No hop aroma. No diacetyl. No fermentation esters. The aroma is very much a bottled English Pale Ale rather than a crisp lager. (6/12)
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Appearance: Amber color is appropriate to style. There is moderate carbonation but more would have enhanced the appearance. A good deal of chill haze for a lager that has extended cold conditioning and perhaps filtered. Thick, chewy head but it dissipated rapidly. (2/3)
Flavor: Caramel malt dominates flavor as well, with sufficient hop bitterness to balance the malt. No to low hop flavor. No toasted or roasted malt character. The latter is appropriate; the former would be welcome to add some needed complexity. Fermentation esters are low but noticeable. No diacetyl—good. Finish is balanced with caramel malt sweetness and just noticeable hop bitterness. There’s a lack of lager crispness expected for the style. (14/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium body, moderate carbonation. Smooth without astringency or creaminess. Not lager-crisp however. No alcohol warming—OK. (4/5)
Overall Impression: A drinkable beer that, while marketed as a Vienna-style lager, could more easily pass for an English Pale Ale. The dominant aroma and flavor is caramel, not appropriate to this style. The color and maltiness would be better achieved with Vienna and Munich malts and an extended decoction mash. Still this is quite drinkable and a second pint would (did) go great with a spicy burrito. (6/10) -
[expand]Total Score: 37/50
A delicious beer, full of deep caramel malt complexity, balanced with a hint of earthy noble hop character. Clean fermentation, as expected for the style. more >
[close]Total Score: 37/50
Aroma: Clean lager nose, clean fermentation, without any esters or off flavors. Toasty malt, with a slight sharp note. Subtle hop is earthy spice. Caramel toast emerges as the beer warms, and is more evident with a swirl to the glass. (8/12)
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Appearance: Coppery gold, brilliantly clear with a white foamy head that dissipates quickly to a thin layer of foam. Fine bubbles spiral to the top of the glass when the glass is swirled, though with little head retention. (2/3)
Flavor: At first sweet, but a rich toasty grainy malt character emerges mid-palate, developing in complexity. Caramel notes noted in the aroma are more pronounced in the flavor. Earthy hop flavor is subdued. Clean fermentation characters. Balanced with hop bitterness, but definitely leans toward the rich malt. Sweet finish reminds me of a Sugar Daddy, but fades to a clean, low hop bitterness, then gone. (16/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium body, a little fuller than I expect, and finish a little sticky. Carbonation is prickly, a little assertive at first. No astringency, a little alcoholic warmth lingers on the lips. (4/5)
Overall Impression: A delicious beer, full of deep caramel malt complexity, balanced with a hint of earthy noble hop character. Clean fermentation, as expected for the style. Very drinkable, but leans toward the description of a historical Oktoberfest/Märzen, with the rich caramel malt rather than a historic Vienna with the elegant toasty Vienna malt character. Would go very well with something peppery, like German fried potatoes the way my mom makes them, and a plain old kielbasa. Don’t serve too cold! (7/10) -
[expand]Total Score: 34/50
Nice session beer. Not quite as elegant as one would expect from a classic example, but this is a very good microbrewed interpretation of an elusive style. more >
[close]Total Score: 34/50
Aroma: Initial aroma is grainy with grassy notes, underpinned with a hint of cooked corn and toasted malt. No caramel malt, as appropriate. Clean ester profile with just a hint of alcohol. The overall character is fairly neutral—not quite as smooth as I would expect from German two-row malts, but is still pleasant. (7/12)
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Appearance: Adequate head retention, but not stellar although it leaves good lace on the glass. The clarity is excellent, and the orange/copper color is representative of this style. (3/3)
Flavor: The malt profile is clean, with toasted and bready notes and hints of the graininess and new-mown hay that were present in the aroma. It seems to be based on North American malt rather than continental, but processing conditions and water chemistry can blur the lines between the two. Hops are restrained, as appropriate, as are the esters. There are some lingering papery notes from a little bit of oxidation, but they are not too much of a distraction. (16/20)
Mouthfeel: Balanced, soft mouthfeel with a smooth finish and just a hint of astringency. Creaminess is a little lower than typical Austrian and German lagers. (3/5)
Overall Impression: Nice session beer. Not quite as elegant as one would expect from a classic example, but this is a very good microbrewed interpretation of an elusive style. Some tasters might describe the grassy character as being citrusy, but to me it seems to be derived from malt rather than hops. (8/10) -
[expand]Total Score: 37/50
The toasty malt flavor is nice, but the malt character could be richer, more intense and more “German.” The hint of roast is a bit much. more >
[close]Total Score: 37/50
Aroma: Smells metallic, like old bottle caps—odd. Grainy, toasty malt. Generally clean. Maybe a hint of roasted malt. Very little hops. Overall very subtle, including malt—the malt should be richer in character and stronger in intensity.
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Appearance: Big off-white head, settled rather quickly. Crystal clear. Amber-orange color, almost copper.
Flavor: Grainy malt, lightly toasty with a hint of roast that accentuates the dry finish. Medium bitterness. Medium-light earthy, floral hop flavor. Finish is generally malty and dry with a touch of hops; that's really nice. It didn't taste metallic (whew!), so I'm not sure what caused that odd aroma. Clean lager fermentation character. Don't serve too cold or the malt profile will be too suppressed. I could do without that bit of roast.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation gives a prickly mouthfeel and mouth-filling bubbles. Medium-light body. Way too much carbonation; this hurts the presentation significantly. Pour the beer back and forth between two glasses to knock some of it out.
Overall Impression: The toasty malt flavor is nice, but the malt character could be richer, more intense and more “German.” The hint of roast is a bit much. The dry finish is quite refreshing. The hop-malt balance and hop flavor seem spot on. Reduced carbonation would benefit the overall experience. That odd aroma was really distracting; not sure of source. The Vienna style is like a drier, lighter-bodied and less malty Oktoberfest; this beer fits that description fairly well, albeit with a few minor faults.
