Muddy Creek Lager - The Defiant Brewing Company

patriot76

New York

3.15/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from my growler into a 20oz. pint glass

A- Deep amber color with a slightly red hue. A finger width head that dissapates remarkably quickly.

S- The nose has a nice combination of what smell like American hops and caramel malt. Very straightforward and appetizing.

T- The nice hops and caramel malt show themselves very nicely. A well balanced taste that is very sessionalble.

M- The taste fills the entire palate right off the bat. It is a well balanced taste but the carbonation is unforgivably low for this style. It leaves a bit left to be desired.

O- Overall a good beer, not a great beer. It has strong points but one glaring week point which is the carbonation. I've had this beer a number of times and I'm always perplexed how it's a bit flat. I got my growler filled and brought it back because I thought I got a bad batch. The bartender poured it out, took a taste and said "Tastes right to me." He then filled up another growler and gave it to me, which I quickly took home...same thing, I just can't understand it.

Serving type: growler

09-11-2012 16:38:20 | More by patriot76

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

draft at the Park Ridge Marriott

A: No head or lacing, but that may be the pour.

S: Sweet, mildly roasted malt, caramel, toffee.

T: Follows the nose, but there are some unexpected, earthy hops on the end that really adds significantly to the beer. Flavor is mild and clean.

M: Thin and a bit watery.

O: Really very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 03:28:25 | More by greybeardloon

ferrari29

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer poured from a Growler into Peroni-Pilsener shaped glass

My first Growler review, glad I'm throwing back a beer straight from a Defiant vat

A - Beer pours with a healthy one finger white colored head; holds very well; glows with a healthy reddish-copper hue; bubbly and clear; some nice layered lacing formed around the edge of the glass

S - Nice lager airiness; crisp and clean; refreshing and cleans the senses; nutty malt nose; caramel

T - Roasted malt taste; nutty taste washes over the tongue; leaves a slightly buttery taste over the sides of the tongue; roasted malt finish comes over the back-end of the palate; pleasurable experience; touch of sweet caramel; not much of a hop scent to this beer, but the pine/grass flavor really comes out when you drink it

M - Buttery creamy taste; slight bitter after-taste; touch of tart feel on the sides of the tongue; smooth and easy to drink

D - I really enjoyed this beer, not sure why it got a B, but it definitely deserves a higher mark; maybe this beer should only be tasted from a tap or growler, but its really good

Serving type: growler

11-06-2011 20:06:59 | More by ferrari29

metter98

New York

3.33/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense white head that died down yet never completely faded away, also leaving thick rings of bubbles down the edges of the glass.
S: There are faint aromas of caramel and grainy malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but is stronger and has notes of caramel malts and a light amount of bitterness. Flavors from the hops are much stronger compared to those from the malts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied, slightly smooth and clean on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer isn’t overly difficult to drink, but could use more malts and hops to create stronger aromas and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 23:11:33 | More by metter98

9InchNails

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Creamy beige head. Copper penny color body. Sporadic big bubbles shoot straight up. Soap-like lacing clings to the glass.

Slight grainy bready aroma plus a weird smell I can't figure out.

Grain, bread, subtle citrus, earthiness, burnt grass, then this distant roasted malt flavor at the end. Crisp and clean flavor -- but this ain't your daddy's Budweiser, Coors or MGD.

Light to medium body, carbonation is on the light side. Keeps the mouth feeling moist. Feels okay in the mouth.

Interesting tasting Lager. Not a huge fan of Lager's anymore -- it's weird considering, Yuengling Lager and Miller Lite are the beers that got me into beer. Muddy Creek is certainly not horrible. I think this would be a good gateway for someone trying to get into beer, in general.

Serving type: growler

08-12-2011 06:38:58 | More by 9InchNails

plaid75

New York

4.28/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at the brewery.

Poured a light amber hue with a half finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a moderate herbal hop and light grainy malt.

The taste consisted of a vibrant herbal and citric hop atop a clean graininess. Seamless integration of both properties. Strong residual citrus bitterness and soft doughiness.

The mouthfeel was toward the cleaner side of the style.

Overall a very tasty and well balanced lager. Very quaffable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 20:41:31 | More by plaid75

devinoconnor

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a great classic lager with a little twist on the American style.

Pours a dirty brown color.

Smell is amber lager typical with hints of earthy undertones.

Taste is very smooth, a little hoppy and some cinnamon notes. Really smooth taste.

Goes down easy, but certainly a heavy lager than say a Yuengling. A little tougher drinking than other lagers, but worth it. Great lager.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2011 18:16:58 | More by devinoconnor

njmoons

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice clean and hoppy American lager. Easy drinking if you like your lager on the hoppy side. Nothing special, but solid

A: Odd brownish and kind of like a muddy creek. Light head which dissipated quickly.

S: Nice mix of malt and hops

T: A little hoppy for me, but a nice amber lager favor. Crisp not too complex.

M: Appropriate to style

D: The hoppiness keeps this from being a session beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 17:34:44 | More by njmoons

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint at the Hop Devil Grill in NYC for $6.50. It appeared clear light brown with a short off-white head. This beer immediately reminded me of Sam Adam's Boston Lager, but it's a bit lighter. There's a mix of herbal and citrus hop flavors while the malts bring a mild chocolate cookie taste. All in all, it's a pretty tasty session beer. I wouldn't mind having a few.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2010 20:08:44 | More by tempest

rosmhuire

New York

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at Davey's Pub in Montvale, NJ on Christmas Eve 2009 (just a few miles from the brewery in Pearl River, NY

A: Big white head. Nice dark amber coloring.

S: I'm not getting much on the nose. A little malt-maybe.

T: Nice balance to the malt and hops, though the hope seem to be winning out (which isn't a bad thing). I was pleasantly surprised, as I had this during the summer here and was not impressed.

M: Medium-bodied. Nice carbonation.

D: I could see myself throwing back a few of these. Any more than 3 and you might get a bit full/bloated though.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2009 18:20:16 | More by rosmhuire

treehugger02010

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Defiant Brewing Company in Pearl River, NY. It came in a 10ish ounce mug.
Appearance: The body is a dark, clear brown. The head is small, tan, small bubbles, good retention and poor lacing.
Smell: The aromas are candy sugar, caramel and sparge.
Taste: The flavors are carmel, slight hint of toffee and candy.
Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is smooth but slightly crisp.
Drinkability: This beer is tasty.
Don't drink and review.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2009 01:40:36 | More by treehugger02010

njthebestofme

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

again i was impressed with this pale lager.. nice head retantion.. apprance was a nice darker yellow.. smell was pleasing.. and taste was hoppy and smooth.. i got to say this is a good lager.. i enjoyed every sip.. great brew when you sit dow nat the bar try this first and you will be pleased

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2009 06:26:51 | More by njthebestofme

barleywinebrewer

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - brown with a reddish edge, nice white head.

S - caramel and a hop note that has a noble hop note wiht a something extra which mutes this effect some.

T - caramel and an off hop note. something there that was not fully offputting but not a hope effect that worked right for me.

M - light to medium in body, nicely carbonated, essence of a lager but not quite as clean as I'd like.

D - decent overall, could work as a session beer. Me, I'll pass till they change the hops effect.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2008 01:40:52 | More by barleywinebrewer

leif86

California

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Brown with a little reddish hue, clear though. Foamy white head that doesn't last too long.

S: Caramel aroma with the hint of hops. Nothing really jumps out at you though.

T: Caramel. Chocolate. Cereal like taste. A very slightly hoppy finish. Not bad but not spectacular, well balanced though.

M: Thin but not too watery. Not over carbonated.

D: I could definitely drink back to back to back beers if only the beer was a little more desirable.

Serving type: growler

07-03-2008 21:48:38 | More by leif86

Patrick

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A clear but dark amber color with a pretty big off white head.

S: Lots of caramel, a little bit of hops are detectable. Some cereal grains as well.

T: Bitter up front, sweet taste of caramel in the middle, and some bitterness at the end.

M: A little thin at first, but bread like at the end. Well carbonated, crisp.

D: A decent brew, a bit too bitter up front, but not bad.

Serving type: growler

07-01-2008 02:46:13 | More by Patrick

madmanjf

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Mine came tapped from the storage tank and was nicely chilled, but not too cold.

The beer poured a medium to dark brown, fairly clear, with a subtle head. The aroma was that of toasted malt and the flavor matched the aroma as well. Additionally, there was not much of a hop presence which I felt was OK.

This beer was definately drinkable and I wouldn't mind pouring a second glass for myself.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2007 13:36:00 | More by madmanjf

maddogruss

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This poured a very dark brown out of my growler; ironically enough, like a muddy creek! It had a small white head with fast retention and decent lacing, nothing too overwhelming. The smell was very malty and earthy, almost like old beer. While this may seem unappetizing, it had me intrigued since I respect and admire the reputation adn brewing style of this brewery. The taste did not disappoint; again, an earthy, "muddy" taste was very evident. The mouthfeel was not typical of this brewery, which kind of caught me by surprise. It was alittle thinner than what I've been accustomed too from Defiant. Overall, a nice and smooth, easy going beer that's easy to drink.

Serving type: growler

04-05-2007 04:24:54 | More by maddogruss

ArrogantB

Colorado

2.65/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I received a corked and caged bottle from a trade with a ratebeerian. This thing had a lot of carbonation! The head took a while to settle down. The color was a ruddy brown. The smell was stinky, like a muddy creek. The taste was a standard lager taste to me. Decent beer but i couldn't get past the smell.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2007 15:55:47 | More by ArrogantB