By As I sit and write this, it’s late October, and I’m sitting outside enjoying the cool, night air.
This time of year, my craft beer tastes tend to change from all the citrusy IPAs, and I start looking for dark stouts and porters, rich in coffee and chocolate flavors.
Which got me thinking – what’s a good year-‘round beer?
After some thought, it occurred to me: Vienna Lager from Devils Backbone Brewing Company.
Lagers are typically more mild in flavor, and Vienna-style lagers (originating in Austria) are brewed with a slightly different blend of malts than their German neighbors. As a result, then tend to be darker and sweeter, and I think they have more flavor than a typical American lager.
Like many lagers, this one is easy to drink especially with its mild 5.2% ABV alcohol content. It has good carbonation with a dark, golden color, a mild yeast flavor, and slightly bitter/sour aftertaste. This isn’t a bitter, hoppy beer. It has a bready aroma, and the taste is very malty-sweet, with what’s almost like a toffee flavor.
It’s a great beer for summer barbecues, mowing the lawn, or just something easy to enjoy during a ballgame or on a snow day.
Definitely one for the casual beer drinker, particularly if you typically drink something like Yuengling lager or even pilsners or Oktoberfest/Marzen beers. For experienced beer fans, trying this is a no-brainer. You’ll quickly see why it’s a multiple-award-winner.
So what’s your favorite year-‘round beer? Let us know in the comments below.
Cheers!
Frank About Beer 