Common Man Special Lager - Three Heads Brewing

utopiajane

New York

3.14/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a honey gold with a good head of foam from a vigorous pour that fell to some crags and really great lace. Nose is fruity hops, a little sour, a little skunk. Malt is caramel and grain. Good lager nose but starts to fall apart as it warms. The hops go grassy and catty and the spice character which is very faint goes sour in the nose. Malt gets breaddier but like sourdough. Taste is breaddy malt with a try at some sweet citrus in back. It puckers from bitter fruit because the lemon got pithy. Husky, grainy malt this is no girlie beer. Finished dry with plenty of full bodied malt. Drank ok but not great because of hops going sour and a taste of corn on the back palate. It was mildly astringent and even a little metallic. Can live without this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 10:12:56 | More by utopiajane

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.19/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pilsener:

A: hazy golden colored body with a one finger white foamy head, some carbonation is seen rising, some light lacing is left

S: sweet, somewhat grainy, light hops, some light fruit coming through as it warms

T: sweet and grainy through previously mentioned flavors

M: light to medium, sessionable, weird grainy aftertaste and finish

O: well, though not much of a fan of the style, still good for it, but for me, unsure if I'd come back to ... ???

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 17:10:18 | More by kangarooAdam59

Brad007

Vermont

3.08/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours a nice golden color with a frothy white head into my glass. Closer to a pilsener color. The category baffles me though.

Sweet and grainy with a tad bit of hop character. Also "fruity" like an ale.

Taste is pretty much the same. A mix of fruitiness and grainy malt. Something just doesn't sit right with me. Then again, I don't think I'm the biggest fan of this style.

Lingering malt/hop characteristics. Nothing much else.

Worth a try. I've just never been able to get into this style but I review anyway.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 16:34:32 | More by Brad007

obninsk23

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

$7.00 for 1 pint 6 oz bottle in MA. After pour the foam took over the glass for 10 minutes (red flag - not finished fermentation). Foam is amateur and annoying. Nice honey color. Smells nice - fresh hops, like cascades (the cheap ones). Tastes surprisingly good - nice fresh crisp, may be honey with bitter (perhaps a bit too bitter) finish. Overall slightly above average. Not worth $7.00. May be $3.85 is a fare deal.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 22:53:28 | More by obninsk23

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.05/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle share by argo0. Thanks!

The beer is pale golden with a subtle haze. Small white head with decent retention. The aroma brings lager scents, grain, some yeast, light floral hops. Some citrus and sourdough bread in the flavor. Earthy with some bitterness in the finish. Mediocre smell and aroma. Light in body with crisp carbonation. Overall, this was just OK.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 16:11:17 | More by Huhzubendah

ppoitras

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Savemore Discount Beverage, Clifton Park, NY.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 3" blonde head over the clear golden amber brew. Meringuey head snow-cones above the rim before eventually settling down some. Lacing is chunky and prevalent. Aroma points toward unwanted sour.

Taste starts with a peek of sweet, ample citrus in the middle, and a lot of rounded bitterness in the close. Aftertaste a bit off, but nowhere near what the nose was hinting. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, and drinkability is okay. Not all I hoped, but not as bad as feared either.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 19:42:23 | More by ppoitras

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy straw golden color with a fingers worth of head

S: Lager yeast, some light malts, and graininess. Possibly some earthy hops

T: Follows the nose. Clearly a lager. Has some light fruity notes, husky and grainy malts, and some grassy hops

M: Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Drying towards the end

O: I haven't had too many Cali Commons, but this matches up fairly well with the few I have had. Easy to drink and would appeal very well to any beer drinker, craft or not. Solid

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 21:47:46 | More by BEERMILER12

yesyouam

New York

3.85/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Three Heads Common Man is a cloudy, golden lager with a very generous, cream colored foam that lasts in huge lumps. It leaves a great ring of foamy lacing. It has an aroma of light grain, fruit and caramel. It smells fresh. It's soft and pretty full bodied. The finish is sharp, dry and acidic. There's a bitter lemon peel aftertaste. It's quite top-heavy with bitterness. It is a lot like an ale, maybe an IPA or an ESB. It's a very simple, well-blended flavor that keeps my attention.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 15:37:41 | More by yesyouam

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Recent bottle from Village Beer Merchant. Foaming yellow coloured body. Mildly cheesy. Average mouthfeel, appropriate carbonation. Neutral taste, nothing special. So-so drinkability for what it is. Better than a macro. I would certainly drink this again if only hot tapwater was available and I was thirsty.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:37:24 | More by northyorksammy

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We pour a brew of solid gold. The one finger white head is composed of big bubbles, but this shows poor retention, leaving only a rind of bubbles around our glasses. No sediment or haze is noted, and carbonation appears moderate. The nose fills with notes of adjuncty, pale malts, with a nice toast. Sesame seed, white corn, and grassy hops mix for the balance. Metallics also seep in, with an interesting metallic pseudo-Belgian yeast quality to them. Our first impression was that this tastes more like an adjuncty IPA or APA. The flavoring opens with big metallic bite that is further bittered by grassy hops, and barnyard malts, thick barley, and bright yeasts. The peak is a continuation of the grassy hops, and even paler malts. This makes for a simple yet hearty mix. We finish with sweeter notes of white sugar, apricot, and strawberry. These effectively cut the initial bitterness, allowing or the malts to really blossom by the end here. The aftertaste breathes of metallics, adjuncty grain, corn, and a residual grassy hop bitterness. The body is medium and the carbonation is standard. With each sip comes a bubbly, creamy slurp and smack, with a nice following pop. There is slight metallic astringency. The abv is easy and the beer drinks nicely.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the light, even flavoring. The hoppy inclusions are light enough to not be off-putting for someone who doesn’t like hops, but at the same time the malts were overly adjuncty, and lacked the quality of flavoring we were expecting.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 15:27:52 | More by TheBrewo

mdfb79

New York

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From 07/28/12 notes. Had this on tap at Jimmy's #43 on the LES in New York. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a hazy golden color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of spices, bready malts, light fruity malts, and some floral hops. Pretty nice.

t - Tastes of spices, bready malts, grains, wheat, fruit, and floral hops.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Body is super smooth and creamy, and crazy easy to drink. Awesome mouthfeel; best part of the beer.

o - Overall I thought this was a decent California common; a nice refreshing summer beer. Very easy to drink, would probably have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2012 15:55:19 | More by mdfb79

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a clear dark amber with a thin white head and modest lacing. The nose is bitter and hoppy, but it seems like they used that completely wrong hop...one which doesn't complement the lager yeastiness. The taste is equally disappointing with an average lager malt followed by a lingering and intense bitterness. Even as it warms it's still very bitter, but starts to balance out substantially. Not terrible, but not desirable either..

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 20:11:58 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Yeast, Malty, Mild Floral

T: Yeast, Matls, Mild Floral, Yeast (again)

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Somewhat Yeasty

Overall, an average mildly hoppy lager...might be a better with a different hop IMO.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 20:11:52 | More by merc7186

CloudStrife

New York

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Jefferey's Bar, Henrietta, NY.

A: Pours a golden amber with a 1 finger creamy white head. Not a lot of visible carbonation. Some good lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: A nice hoppy aroma on first sniff. Smooth malt in there. A little grassy yeast in there as well.

T: Mild roasty malt with a decent hop backing. Had the steam beer sweetness to it.

M: Fairly light body, on the low end with carbonation. A little sticky on the mouth. Pretty drinkable.

Overall a good addition to the Three Heads lineup. A sessionable beer I would never turn down.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2012 22:27:34 | More by CloudStrife

Stunmai

New York

4.38/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this at Lovin' Cup in Rochester, in late March. The bartender recommenced it, I had never heard of it before. It had some hops to it, but lightly done so you could get the full taste of it. Yet it was also really smooth - hence the name special lager I guess. Either way it was an awesome beer. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2012 01:25:36 | More by Stunmai