Balto Heroic Lager - Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

dickieb

Rhode Island

2.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

pours an average golden color, almost macro esque. The smell is very faint to me, with hints of grain. Flavor is also lacking with some lingering sweetness, and bit of hops worked in somewhere in the middle. This beer is drinkable, as their is nothing offensive about it, but the overall flavor and experience is rather bland. This is the least impressive of the thirsty dog brews

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2007 00:51:51 | More by dickieb

Bill235

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev +4.5%

05-13-2013 11:23:59 | More by Bill235

cliff1066

Virginia

3/5  rDev -3.5%

12-17-2012 05:15:56 | More by cliff1066

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Well being recently retired I guess this is why I found it at the House of 1,000 beers for a dollar and it was worth the dollar.

A - Well it's not very "golden" as others stated it looks more amber if anything with some haze and a 1/4 inch of head.

S - Smell is sweet with bread and caramel taking front stage and very little musky lager yeast. Not bad.

T - Well it was good so I am not sure of the low score (style discrepancy?) but I got some good toasted almond and a caramel finish which gave this "lager" some great character.

M - Light to medium it was good.

Overall I will have to see if they have any left because for a dollar it was one great "amber?" lager. Worth trying if you see it equally as inexpensive.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 17:40:01 | More by DrDemento456

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3/5  rDev -3.5%

02-16-2012 19:54:02 | More by Tyrawlings

amstelcat

Ohio

3/5  rDev -3.5%

11-27-2011 22:42:04 | More by amstelcat

xDeadGuYx

Ohio

3/5  rDev -3.5%

11-18-2011 17:25:27 | More by xDeadGuYx

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from notes

brownish amber with a small off white head on top. Very clear with tons of carbonation rippling up from the bottom of the glass.

smells of malted grain, rice, and a touch of grass. Nothing to write home about. After a few minutes it was taken over by a musty bread like aroma and that was about it.. Nice rounded caramel tones in the finish were brought there by a bready like grain and a touch of some earthy and grassy flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 02:01:29 | More by mikesgroove

Brenden

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer may be recently retired, but I did drink it. Notes are from last week.

Just as a note, I had no idea what I would have categorized this one as. I know that "golden lager" is not a style, and it was never specified. I don't know what led someone to categorize this as an amber/red, though.

The color is a deep gold with some clarity. A soft white head forms about one finger tall and fades relatively quickly. Light lacing is left behind in thin patches.
The nose is muted with hints of grains and a soft note of breads with maybe just the slightest mix of caramel malts and hops which, oddly, add little character.
The flavor follows suit, adding a spicy note and something very odd; a strange yeast strain perhaps? I honestly don't know what that weird flavor is and I've never tasted it in a beer before. Hops and malts are balanced, but they're light.
The mouthfeel is a little bland despite a medium body, but at least somewhat lively, though as it lingers it does weaken. It's still somewhat smooth and at least there's a nip at the beginning.
Well,I guess I won't be having this again since it's retired, but I wouldn't seek it out again anyway unless I was searching for a beer that would really confuse me as to what style it was supposed to be.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 21:04:44 | More by Brenden

HopHooligan

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Whata advertising campaign, put mans best friend on the label

A- Golden red color, little foam when poured from a bottle. Little
lacing that dissipated quickly.

S- toasted oat and caramel scent with a lil fruit.

T- Malty and syrupy, didn't taste like most lagers I've had. Bready
with small lemon flavor.

M- Nice medium carbonation with a light body feel.

D- I only got 1, but I could have easily polished off a 6er. Would be
a great everyday beer if it was cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 22:49:16 | More by HopHooligan

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Retired? Guess it's a good thing I found a bottle when I did!

Aroma is strong, malty and fruity. It pours a clear golden amber with a thick off-white head that does not stick around too long. Flavor does not quite match the aroma, being malty with a hint of fruit and a touch of hops but mostly unremarkable; still, it satisfies. Texture is smooth and tingly, rather typical.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2009 23:24:31 | More by Cyberkedi

dsa7783

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single, twelve-ounce bottle copped from Nikki's Liquors in Providence...
Not too sure if this qualifies as an Amber lager... Seemed almost like a Blonde to me...
Golden, light hue with no head nor lacing...
Smell: Light-lager aroma with hints of vanilla thrown into the mix...
Taste: Very vanilla-like flavor with only slight hints of amber and grains...
Decent mouthfeel along with an alright level of drinkability...
Very light on the overall amber red flavor... Certainly an interesting sample, though I wouldn't rate this brew too highly...

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2008 00:20:33 | More by dsa7783

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

3.88/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle to a pint glass the liquid is a clear yellow gold with good carbonation. The head is 2 fingers white and leaves some lace.

The smell is lightly roasted malt and a slight lemongrass hopy finish.

The taste follows nice malt very easy to gulp this brew, notes of biscuit and lemon in the finish. Nice

The mouthfeel is ok good lighter body and nice carbonation.

The drinkability is good quite an easy brew to drink and plenty refreshing. Prosit, MK

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2008 14:33:42 | More by MuenchenerKindl

kinger

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Quality brewer, decent lager. Aroma is crisp and light with a minimal scent of pale malt and a nice sweet kicker. Bottle says there is a caramel presence and I'm sure this is what I'm smelling, pleasant. Poured a rather dark golden color with a medium amber tint, great color. Minimal head that diminishes and very little lacing, rather disappointing. Flavor is sturdy and very good, I'm not a huge lager fan but there is enough involved with this one to hold my interest. Dry and slightly malty the amber malt and caramel blend in nicely. Crisp and dry there is a clean mouthfeel with a mildly sweet finish. This beer complimented my sausage pizza real well, for what it is it's a decent beer. Overall I like more complex and heavier beers but this is nice for it's style.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2008 16:40:33 | More by kinger

mhewes

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A : Pours a nice golden color with a little bit of head that disappears real quickly.

S : Mainly a malty aroma with some fruit and hops notes

T : Mainly a malt flavor. No hop presence. There's something else in the flavor that I can't identify and didn't see in the other reviews.

M : Light, good carbonation

D : It's ok but I'd probably pass on it.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2008 00:24:47 | More by mhewes

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.3/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of grainy malts, caramel, some hops and a touch of fruit.

T: The taste is bready and a little sweet with flavors of caramel, grain and some fruit. There's a decent hops presence that provides some balance and a touch of smokiness in the background. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, this is a decent beer but there really isn't anything to it that stands out enough to make me select it over many others.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2008 02:56:08 | More by TheManiacalOne

becktone

Ohio

2.63/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Eye: Light in color, orangeish amber/lightly orange tinted golden. Red hues. It is clear with a nice white head , creamy in appearance with a nice size, and some good lacing though it seems to be quickly dissipating. Looks like it might be stabilizing
at about 3/4 of a finger. Pretty good overall.

Nose: Quite malty, smells quite a bit like LME. Especially the light or amber. Not much in the way of hops, actually I don't smell any hops. Just lots of concentrated caramel and malt. I mean, it doesn't smell much like beer, like I said, LME, its like that this beer wasn't even fermented or perhaps the LME wasn't even diluted with water, just what it smells like to me. And just not appealing to me.

Tongue: Quite malty on the palate, not really that much going on here, just some middle of the road malt flavor. Hard to describe, again LME, syrupy. Just enough hop to five some sembance to balance. Tastes too processed, not authentic. In my opinion this needs work.

Mouthefeel and Drinkability: I feel like the beer is light on the tongue, but that part of it is heavy like a syrup. Finish is drying. Carbonation is okay, a bit on the higher side and a bit coarse but I guess thats okay. This is definitely not one I'll be buying again, it is not worth $7-9 a sixer. Really, I don't think that this is even worth $6 a sixer. It just doesn't taste real. Sure its easy enough to drink, but just not nearly good enough to justify spending money on it. At first I thought that I really liked this beer, but upon closer inspection and actually drinking it out of the glass, my perception has changed quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2008 03:20:08 | More by becktone

BeerlyHuman

Ohio

1.43/5  rDev -54%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Picked up a single in the dollar bin at the local beverage center. Poured into a pint mason jar.

Strange toasted orange color with sediment throughout. Kinda ugly. Minimal head.

Smell was like old soup starting to ferment. Not good soup either.

Taste was very odd not at all clean like most lagers. Hard to describe this one.

Drinkability??? Barely got this one down.

Possibly a bad bottle (I hope) but wont chance another purchase. Most happy I didnt get a 6 pack.

One of my favorite beers is Siberian Night by Thirsty Dog and I love Old Leghumper as well. This should be discontinued in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2008 21:08:16 | More by BeerlyHuman

Proteus93

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A slightly murky straw pour, decent finger and a half, off-white head.

S: Not a very strong aroma at all... some sweet maltiness with light hops.

T: Flavours are not bad. Sweet, malty, but kind of lacking in hops balance. They only seem to come out post-finish. Not a bad tasting brew, but not really complex at all.

M + D: A light-medium body, but the carbonation is reasonable and it's certainly drinkable. This is an easy one to quaff. I picked this one up because my son liked that it had a puppy on the label. I would get it again for that reasoning and not complain about drinking it, but it's not something to go out of ones way for.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2008 23:58:03 | More by Proteus93

johanvond

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This Golden lager pours with a white head and dark golden body. It has Big malt flavors that areand carmely. you can smell the hops and the pilsner malts. Slightly dry in finnish with a body that is moderate in viscosity. The hops are low in taste and only tasted in the end. All in all Balto ends up being a clean and mellow lager. Its easy dinking but theres not to much to talk about.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2008 00:04:25 | More by johanvond

CDBeerDisappear

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy orange gold in color with two inch creamy beige head that dissipates quickly leaving a foamy ring and chunks of lacing. It has a Noble hop aroma Taste is caramel malt first then followed up with a refreshing floral hoppiness. I really like this beer. It is not a crisp beer and that should be a fault for a pilsner but NOT a red lager.

There is something in the taste that I don’t know how to describe and I have not seen a description of what I am looking for in other reviews. Having said that I think the beer is way under rated. I will be drinking more of this. And I’d say give it a try if you like lagers and don’t expect them to be pilsners.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2007 21:37:28 | More by CDBeerDisappear

rowew

Colorado

1.73/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Presentation: 12 oz longneck, label has a dog. Contract brewed at Frederick. Plenty of info including IBUs and OG, but no date.

Appearance: Clear gold with just a hint of orange, average head, poor retention.

Smell: A bit of malt, almost smells like corn, cooked vegetables.

Taste: Ugh, all cooked vegetables. A bit of metallic taste - this is not good.

Overall impression: Barely drinkable - too many off flavors, and nothing that makes me want to drink more of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2007 01:03:18 | More by rowew

scruffwhor

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a light, whipped egg white head. No retention at all. Looks like a rusty amber and burnt orange peel color with some sediment floating around my glass. The aroma is a dull and light amber malt with some stale hints of bread. The taste doesn't really lend much to this beer. Pretty bland malts and some sparse hint of piney hops.Pretty easy to drink if its free.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2007 19:51:40 | More by scruffwhor

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a three finger off-white head that fades quickly to a ring leaving no lace. Clear amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Slight hoppy nose. Flavor is sweet with hoppy overtones, unusually for a lager. $1.80 for a 12oz bottle from Tully’s Beer and Wine Well, ME.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2007 12:47:02 | More by jdhilt

jwc215

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours hazy dark gold with a one-finger head that descends to a thin cover.

The smell is of some grain and a touch of lemon.

The taste is of sweet malt, bready, towards caramelish. Not much balance to the sweetness, other than a touch of unfortunate apple-like sourness. Bready, fruity, fairly dry finish.

It seems thicker than it is, but wondering if that comes from too much yeast coming through. Not much depth to it with a watery consistency despite the touch of off-kilter thickness. The aftertaste is less than desirable.

Not impressed. Not horrible, but things don't mesh well. Sweet with an odd sourish fruitiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2007 20:08:05 | More by jwc215