Longfin Lager - Ballast Point Brewing Company

DeanMoriarty

California

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Feeling like drinking something light tonight, I picked up a growler at Ballast Point/Home Brew Mart in San Diego for $10.99 and poured it into a Stone branded pint glass.

A: Pours the typical clear fizzy yellow look that one would expect from the style with a decent head that dissipates with the first sip, leaving very small amounts of lacing.

S: Sweet and malty, dried grass and hay with an unmistakable german yeast that reminds me of German beer halls in Munich - they nailed the style for sure!

T: Taste is on point with the nose - sweet and grainy with a very faint hint of hop on the back end. Again - very traditional Munich style lager. Could easily go toe to toe with Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräuhaus, Spaten or the likes.

M: This is where this one falls short for me - the body is nice for the style which is on the verge of medium-bodied, but the carbonation is too light which gives it a flat finish instead of that crisp clean finish that this style begs for.

Overall this beer is super tasty, ridiculously easy to drink, and a true tip of the hat to the German brewers who helped to get the beer craze going. Great all night drinker!

I heard this will be released in bottles soon if it hasn't already.

Serving type: growler

01-14-2012 06:16:53 | More by DeanMoriarty

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

05-16-2013 21:35:01 | More by InspectorBob

notchucknorris

California

4/5  rDev +12.4%

05-15-2013 04:31:32 | More by notchucknorris

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

05-14-2013 04:38:14 | More by Bouleboubier

CheapBeerBuzz

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

05-12-2013 14:18:51 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

mactrail

California

2.89/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Kind of a bland and malt-liqourish flavored brew. On tap at Mitch's Seafood by the sport-fishing piers.

Pours a clear amber with a modest head in the big 22 oz glass. More of the club soda taste. Not as crisp as I'd like in a lighter lager, but not very malty either. Drinkable but even less interesting than many industrial lagers. A slight tanginess is about the best I can say for it, and it still has that kind of sweet nearly insipid taste. An earthy tough to the not very bitter hops. I would hope for a good San Diego style lager from somebody around here to counteract all the over-hyped IPAs. However,the closest I can come to a favorite local lager is Craftsman in Pasadena.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2013 05:06:34 | More by mactrail

largadeer

California

4.25/5  rDev +19.4%

05-01-2013 02:32:36 | More by largadeer

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

04-30-2013 16:23:17 | More by rolltide8425

SoCalBeerIdiot

California

4/5  rDev +12.4%

04-21-2013 07:33:56 | More by SoCalBeerIdiot

beagle75

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A: Clear, pale golden color with over one finger of white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass.

S: Faintly toasty cracker, with a substantial vegetal quality of green plant stem. A trace of sulfurous metal anchors the other nuanced qualities firmly in the pale lager family.

T: Begins dry, with crisp Munich pale malt that is overstepped by herbaceous/spicy hop aromatics. Flavors turn distinctly sweet on the palate into the middle as malt becomes more refined. Fruit is delicate during the second act, like golden delicious apple. Flavors become diffuse into the finish, barely bitter but with a resurgent huskiness to the lightly toasted grain.

M: Thin viscosity, seltzery and energetic on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: Full of traditional qualities, this American pale lager does a credible job of measuring up to the German archetype. The constant craft beer drinker may be misled, dared to contemplate how this beer does not stand apart meaningfully from everyday adjunct lagers. In fact, the truth could not be farther away from such a thought. In a direct comparison, evidence of traditional ingredients and careful contemplation on the part of the brewer ooze from this product. It should not be mistaken for an aggressive, next-generation American craft pilsner such as Sam Adams Noble Pils or Green Flash Fizzy Yellow. This is for the old-school beer purists--and those that simply order 'a beer' when trying Beachwood BBQ for the first time.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:28:32 | More by beagle75

gshak

Texas

4/5  rDev +12.4%

04-17-2013 20:08:07 | More by gshak

Metatron6

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%

04-08-2013 23:47:59 | More by Metatron6

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4/5  rDev +12.4%

04-07-2013 01:26:27 | More by Rhettroactive

arfenhouse

California

3/5  rDev -15.7%

04-06-2013 03:15:57 | More by arfenhouse

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can courtesy of Shane. Thanks!

A: Pale straw color with a 1/2 inch of fluffy white head. Semi transparent and reminiscent of lighter beers.

N: Good mixture of some light lemon, grass, pale malt, and a touch of pine from the hops. Some light banana and green peppercorn. It has an appreciable sensation that works well for its style. Flavors are light and delicate.

T: A strong sense of hop bitterness followed up by a zesty pepper. The malt is the third tier here which I quite enjoy.

M: Easy sipper. Well within style.

O: I’m seeing a lot of low scores from what I assume are non-fresh bottles shipped across the country. I think the cans will mitigate this issue because this is a solid, refreshing beer with a touch of hops and spice to make it worth enjoying. Buy it fresh and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 00:06:50 | More by writerLJBerg

champ103

Texas

3.39/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Blind Pig in Champaign, IL

A: Pours a clear straw yellow color. A two finger white head forms. The head recedes after a minute, and leaves a bit of patchy lace.
S: Toasted malts and cereal grains. A very light sweetness in the nose. Not much else.
T: Light toasted malts. Cereal grains with a bit of sweetness. That is about it. Not much else here.
M/D: A light to medium body. Moderate carbonation, and fairly dry. Not hard to drink, but not enough here to make me come back for more.

Not bad, though I have had much better lagers. Several made at the Blind Pig Brewery itself. Nothing more than a slightly above average lager. Good for an intro into better examples of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 04:32:55 | More by champ103

bashiba

Iowa

3.14/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured a straw pale yellow. very thin white head.

The smell is very light and a touch grassy.

The flavor is light and grainy with a touch of noble hops in the finish, a bit of citrus and fresh cut grass.

The mouthfeel is light with medium carbonation.

Nothing bad, but on the boring and bland side for a brewery as good as ballast point.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 23:19:42 | More by bashiba

Bnoise11

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

03-18-2013 23:16:47 | More by Bnoise11

TheSixthRing

California

2.29/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Enjoy by date of 4/19/13

Appearance - Pours a touch hazy, pale yellow with a white, 1/2 finger head. Sub-par retention. Spotty touches of lace around the glass.

Smell - Subtle esters and a slight sourness.

Taste - Touches faintly on a bready malt character, hints of grain, then a ghostly mild lemon finish. Not much.

Mouthfeel - Is it possible to be lighter than water? Yes, yes it is. Virtually no carbonation. Bone dry, making it a bit of a chore to swallow. Maybe the worst body I've ever experienced with a beer.

Overall - Lagers are light in nature, but this is ridiculous. Boring, relatively flavorless and utterly disappointing. Sorry Ballast Point, this beer sucks.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:42:19 | More by TheSixthRing

KidsDoc

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

03-12-2013 04:17:02 | More by KidsDoc

CaptDavyJones

New York

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

03-11-2013 02:34:46 | More by CaptDavyJones

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

03-03-2013 03:32:20 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

ste5venla

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

02-21-2013 08:29:13 | More by ste5venla

Chucker17

South Dakota

4/5  rDev +12.4%

02-16-2013 00:14:01 | More by Chucker17

lupercmda

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -15.7%

01-27-2013 02:55:31 | More by lupercmda