Snake River Lager - Snake River Brewing Company & Brewpub

MadScientist

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A medium copper with excellent clarity. The rocky, off-white head is long lasting and leaves some lacing on the glass.

S: A medium aroma that gives the impression of Munich malt and a light earthy hops aroma. The malt bring a light toasty character. Maybe a slight raisin like aroma from the malt like that in an old ale otherwise pretty clean.

T: A fair amount of German malt flavor with a light bit of malt sweetness. There is an almost equal hops bitterness and medium-light earth hops flavor. The balance is about even. The finish is medium with a grainy, malty aftertaste.

M: Smooth and moderately creamy with a medium-light body and medium-low level of carbonation.

O: A flavorful lager with a good balance of flavor and a creamy body. It a good beer.

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 01:54:49 | More by MadScientist

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is clear amber orange in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that quickly died down, leaving some bubbles covering the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of sweet caramel and toasted malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has a moderate amount of malty sweetness along with hints of toffee. Slight hints of earthly hops are detectable.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I liked this beer because it was dominated by sweet malty flavors but wasn't that difficult to drink because the mouthfeel wasn't too heavy.

Serving type: can

05-14-2013 02:15:28 | More by metter98

Gmann

New York

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a slightly hazy copper with a short white head that settled into a sparse cap

The aroma is of a doughy malt and peppery hop. There is a general fruitiness to the aroma.

The taste is quite doughy and has a strong fruitiness. Notes of caramel and toffee. Kind of a overripe berry. Some peppery hop. Quite sweet.

The feel is moderate with fizzy carbonation. Sweet on the palate almost cloying.

An ok lager. Way too sweet almost tastes old.

Serving type: can

05-06-2013 02:11:18 | More by Gmann

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear reddish amber in color with some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some ruby red highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense beige head that quickly reduces to a medium to large patch of extremely thin film and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of caramel malts with a touch of sweetness and some light earthy hops.

T: Similar to the taste, this beer starts out with the moderate flavors of slightly toasted caramel malts with a touch of sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of earthy hops and just a touch of light fruits. Light amounts of bitterness which fades rather quickly.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Almost creamy.

O: This beer is easy to drink and sessionable - I think it is one of the better American Vienna Lagers I have had recently. Definitely one I would get again and love the fact that it is available in cans (makes it a great choice for outdoor summer activities).

Serving type: can

05-02-2013 23:32:09 | More by dbrauneis

AgentZero

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Amber colored beer that leaves some spots on the side.

S - Huge nose, with a lot of grain and some malts.

T - Taste is grainy off the bat. It never fully fills out though, leaving you wanting on the end. Caramel malts. Nothing offensive here, but nothing memorable.

M - Highly carbonated, medium-light bodied.

O - It's not bad, this is a beer I would enjoy while eating pizza. Washes down your food with decent taste and nothing offensive.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 20:45:21 | More by AgentZero

Bockrules

New Mexico

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured from the bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a slightly hazy coppery amber with yeast floating around to form intricate patterns. Plenty of carbonation rises to the creamy, two-finger, off-white head. 3/4ths down the glass, the head is a thin layer of bubbles. Leaves behind substantial splotches of lacing.

S - Nice big smell of caramel and nutty malt upon opening the bottle. In the glass caramelized sugar, molasses and earthy hops come though.

T - Lots of sweet caramel upfront. The body is not nearly as good as the nose suggests and sugary-sweet caramel malt dominates, while nutty notes and somewhat out of place hops attempt to provide some balance. Splash of earthy hops as the beer passes over the back of the tongue followed by a nutty caramel finish.

M - Super carbonated and on the thinner side of medium bodied. Too highly carbonated and could stand to be have a bit more substance.

This is the first Vienna Lager I have reviewed in over 3 years! Nice to see another example of the style, although nowhere near as good as Eliot Ness. Although it looks and smells like a great beer, the flavor seems weak and slightly out of place and the mouthfeel is almost competing with PBR. I would drink this in a pinch while traveling through the Yellowstone area, but can think of numerous local beers I'd select over it.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 07:40:04 | More by Bockrules

cosmicevan

New York

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

another hearty thanks goes out to pokesbeerdude for sending the snake river love my way! enjoyed from my blue point snifter.

a - brew poured a semi-transparent auburn brown with a HUGE super foamy creamy head. as the head vanished into...ya know, i don't really know where the head goes when it goes away...none-the-less, it left MASSIVE milk shake like chunks on the side of the glass. the glass was coated. looks appetizing.

s - sweet toasted malts with a good amount of grain and barley. some hints of brown sugar.

t - hoo ha!!! tastes pretty awesome. i'm a big fan of this style...love me some sam adams boston lager and blue point toasted lager...but this beer takes the cake. really wonderful sweet malts. perfect amount of grain and caramel.

m - crisp and refreshing. soft carbonation.

o - overall, paint me impressed. snake river steps to the plate AGAIN!!! hell of a beer. worth checking out even if you don't dig lagers...this one might turn you around. for the style, i couldn't imagine this beer being any better.

Serving type: can

08-22-2012 04:27:40 | More by cosmicevan

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from undated can to a mug this beer arrives a translucent copper color with a one finger light tan head with decent retention though little lacing. The nose is mild and rather nondescript though hints of toasted malt and a hint of lager yeast. Not much to report really. Not bad just not there. The flavor is more pronounced with a mild pilsner toast malt flavor, mild earthy hops, sweet but not overly so. Lighter bodied and creamy. Overall, this isn't my favorite, not bad, just not a lot going on. Would be nice on a hot summer day I guess.

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 13:29:45 | More by hopfacebrew

Duff27

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Half inch tall fizzy off white head. Beer itself is clear amber in color. Good head retention and some lacing.

S- Aroma is sweet and bready.

T- More sweet malts. Would have to say the sweetness overpowers any bittering effect the hops have. Caramels, nuttiness. Drinks it's low ABV.

M- Medium mouthfeel, good solid carbonation.

D/O- What a tasty, yet (relatively) low alcohol beer! Snake River continues to impress me (although this is only my second SR offering). Could contend with an Vienna lager out there. Definitely worth a pick up if you are into session(able) beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 01:13:44 | More by Duff27

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a reddish-copper with a one finger tan head that slowly fades and leaves lacing on the glass.

S - Malty, bready, and some spices.

T - Spices, toast, roasted malts, nutty.

D - Average carbonation and body.

O - Not what I was expecting from a lager. WY tick.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 01:40:50 | More by HuskyinPDX

July2Nov

Hawaii

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Nice clean darker bronze color with a finger and a half inch head that ends with a moderate amount of lacing and a sturdy froth on top.

Smell: Baked malts, buttery and some citrus (lemon).

Taste & Mouthfeel: Good roasted malted bread flavor with a citrus finish. Simple and clean. Lighter to slightly medium in body.

Overall: While not a taste altering beer, it is very drinkable and easy going. The lightness of it makes it appealing and certainly would go down well at a cookout.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 04:42:32 | More by July2Nov

isualum12

Idaho

2.78/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on tap at boise beer festival.

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy light red hint color with a fluffy head. Lots of legs on the glass.
Smell: caramel, wood, earth.
Taste: Starts with a bread flavor shows a little buttersscottch on the it.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, more carbonation the I would like

Drinkability: This is one of those beers I end up having once a year and afterwards I am glad I had it but not reaching for another...

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 20:25:59 | More by isualum12

climax

Kansas

3.03/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This offering pours a deep rich copper. The head is bubbly and good sized, retention is admirable as well. Not much lace left behind however.

The aroma is clean and malty, not overly impressive. There is a slight snap of hops, it runs away as quick is it is detected. There is a clean lager front and a subtle caramel toast backbone.

The malty flavor is a bit of strange funk to it, tomato soup maybe? That somewhat distracts me from the bready flavors intended. The hop flavor is slightly sweet and slightly citrus, it's presence is understated but it's in there.

The body is light to medium with a fairly creamy feel. The carbonation is light but effective. The finish is a bit oily until the very end. Not much going on with this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 00:43:19 | More by climax

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle ordered from the brewery as part of a mixed 12-pack. Served in a pilsner glass.

Pours brings a copper-red brew that is mostly transparent with some visible carbonation. Thin white head without too much retention power. Some spotty lacing on the sides of the glass. The nose brings forward a brew with a bit of oxidation along with some light amber malt and bread crust. The flavor falls along the same lines. There is some doughy malt sweetness and a hint of toffee. Very mild earthy hop presence lingering in the background. Medium body with okay carbonation and a bit of an off finish. Drinks decently enough, though I'm not a huge fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 01:56:27 | More by Thorpe429

bagpiper2005

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour: Clear, deep red-amber in color. A finger and a half of white head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass.

Smell: Malts dominate the nose. Rich caramel and molasses aroma with a slight underlying floral hop note. Slightly fruity.

Taste: Just as with the smell, it's all about the malt. Flavors of caramel and honey kick things off up front, which then gives way into a rich biscuity taste. Back end finishes clean with a light hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: For 4.8% ABV and being a Lager, this beer is a heavyweight! High carbonation, yet incredibly smooth and a bit creamy.

Drinkability: Smooth drinking beer, but it's very filling. Not exactly a session beer (like you would normally think of a lager being).

Final Notes: A lager that drinks like an ale. Full flavored, full bodied, and delicious. A great utility beer, it would pair well with just about any food you throw at it. Give it a try!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 23:14:04 | More by bagpiper2005

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer is orange / amber, darker than expected, with a nice head of white medium and small bubbles, moderate carbonation, minimal lacing.

Beer is sweet, mildly caramel in the nose.

Beer is medium in body and a little flavorless, no aftertaste, minimal sweetness on the front and a clean wet finish. It's heavier than I expected but unoffensive, a decent lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 18:08:03 | More by drabmuh

richkrull

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this one out of a mixed 6pack from Brennan's in Oconomowoc, WI.

Poured a deep amber color, not much head at all. Smells a bit of caramel. Good scent, not too strong. Rich caramel flavor throughout. This is a pretty good beer. I could drink a few more of these. Not my favorite beer, but definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 02:27:30 | More by richkrull

jrallen34

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Huge thanks to Alex for this Wyoming tick. 12oz bottle into a small tasting glass...Pours a light copper clear body, not appealing. A big head, lots of carbonation, good retention, spotty lacing...A strong malty aroma, lots of caramel and sugar on the front. Toasted nuts and faint floral hops on the back do not hide the light skunk finish...The taste is overshadowed by the super light and watery feel, as soon as it hits my lips I'm bored and disappointed. The taste itself is nothing special, skunk and oak with a caramel finish. The hops are gone.

Not much of fan of this. After the brewery hype I'd love to try some of their other offerings, but this is one worth skipping.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 03:19:53 | More by jrallen34

MasterSki

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pilsener glass. Thanks to pokesbeerdude for this one. Best by November 30th, 2010.

A - Pours with three fingers of creamy white foam that dissipates to a thick, chunky cap leaving splotches of lace. Copper-amber body that is transparent and has lots of tiny bubbles.

S - Faint floral noble hops over top of toasted grains, nuts, and notes of caramel and cocoa. Perhaps a touch of fruitiness as well. This is surprisingly good for a random lager from Wyoming.

T - Unfortunately the flavor takes a step backward and loses some depth. Mostly bread and caramel, with some light hop bitterness in the finish that lingers into the aftertaste.

M - Carbonation is a little too zesty for me. Body is medium and surprisingly heavy for a 4.8% brew. Quite smooth and creamy. Finishes a little sticky.

D - This is a little too heavy to be a superb session lager, but it's a pretty solid Vienna all the same. I think I like Eliot Ness a bit more, but it's nice to see another American brewers making this style of brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 23:21:58 | More by MasterSki

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass

Thanks to TMoney2591 FTT

This one pours a deep orange-red color. The finger of foam fades away in a moderate fashion. The smell is of caramel malts and there are some orange zest and clove spices. The taste is a bit off. There are plenty of malts but there is a watery iron-like taste that seems to ruin what would be a good flavor. The mouthfeel is ok. It's carbonated to the right about with good viscosity for the style. It's pretty drinkable but the off parts of the flavor seem to dictate that it's not as drinkable as it could be.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 02:06:42 | More by Vdubb86

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine June 2007.

The world needs more lagers, like this Vienna Lager brewed with Tettnang and Saaz hops, along with Pale, Vienna, Munich and Caramel malts.

A rich honey-amber offering that displays plenty of active carbonation, and a creamy white-ringed lace above and good retention throughout. Aroma is pretty mel- low and clean, with notes of caramel and brown breads. Lively bite, followed by some herbal and lemon flavors from Noble hops. Smooth on the palate. Nice medium body that's round, malty and consistent. Tons of toasty and bready notes, with an embedded caramel sweetness. Tea-like at times. Crackery toward the finish, which has some coarse dry grain to it. Bready linger.

Man, this is one toasty beer! Perhaps a bit too much. After a while, the toasty flavors tend to dominate and overwhelm each sip. A bit less would allow the hops to shine through, cleaning things up and providing some more balance. That said, this is a Lager worth seeking out and trying.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 19:03:02 | More by BeerAdvocate

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Another VDubb appointee in the ongoing Leaving Falls Church uber-bender. It pours a clear russet topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises greens, flowers, butternut squash, and a healthy contingent of toffee. The taste is similar, but tends more toward mandarin orange notes than florals. The toffee is more of a sweeter caramel now as well, with some left-over butter spread over the proceedings. The body is a very light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, a nice sessionable brew, something I could see myself downing regularly in the mountains of Wyoming.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 10:30:30 | More by TMoney2591

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a dark amber, almost hazy, beer with a centimeter or two of foam. Not much lacing worth mentioning. The nose is filled with malty caramel, a touch of fruit and bread. The malty character extend to palate. Solidly malty on the medium bodied palate. Grain and bread is the backbone of this beer. It finishes with the lightest touch of bitterness from the hops.

I appreciate malty beers and I appreciate this one, but it feels to me that bitterness should be expressed a tad more for this style. Perhaps this is a more traditional representation of the style? In any case, this is a beer worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 01:54:45 | More by BeardedBoffin

Tballz420

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper colored brew, somewhat hazy. Nice sized tan head, lots o' lace. Nose is sweet lagered caramels. Toasted caramel malts for the taste, some fruity hops. Im not recalling a vienna's relationship to ta oktober at the moment, but this reminds me of a german oktober. Medium mouth. Not bad overall, actually pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 05:21:17 | More by Tballz420

thedetective

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this beer at the brewery a couple of weeks ago. The orange-brown color was a nice indication of the type of taste it was going to bring. The caramel malt is nice and strong and this beer is a very good example of a vienna lager. Carbonation was at a great level having it on tap,and Though I wouldn't say that it is quite on the level of the Eliot Ness from Great Lakes, it's still a great beer. I think that darker lagers are often one of the most overlooked beers. I didn't pick up on any of the vinegary taste that was mentioned in the earlier review, but I did catch a great balance of hop and malt, and I would like to try it in the bottle to see the differences.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2010 17:42:30 | More by thedetective