Red Granite Lager - Baraboo Brewing Company

EricDodge

3.95/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is Hy-Vee's private label beer. Hy-Vee is a grocery store chain in 8 midwest states, and in some locations opperate very decent Wine & Spirit liquor stores. They've contracted with Point Brewery in Steven's Point, WI to brew/bottle their new line of private label beer.

When I first heard about a private label beer coming from this grocery store, I was both excited and scared. After all, most provate label beers are skunky wannabe-Budweisers. (i.e. Walgreen's Big Flats). Hy-Vee did it right! they opted for craft beer flavors, bringing us the Vienna style lager, a Wheat, and an IPA. And they're all really good!

The Vienna lager, called Red Granite Lager, is a nice yellow-coppery color, that when poured into a glass left a nice two-finger head that stuck around for a while. It laced down the glass really well as I drank it, but now half way down the lacing and all but a thin layer of head is gone. It has a nice malty smell but with a crispness from the hops. This beer stands up to the style really well, and delivers a very easy to drink beer that is both light in mouthfeel and carries a great taste, making this a good beer for the folks that drink Light beer and are just getting into real beer, for seasoned drinkers and fans of Amber Bock, and as a great summer beer for when you're outside mowing the lawn.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 21:12:32 | More by EricDodge

zeff80

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The new HyVee line of beers. Contract brewed at Stevens Point in Wisconsin.

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with a one-finger, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left minimal lacing.

S - It smelled very malty with some grassy hops.

T - It tasted somewhat spicy with a nice malty sweetness. Some toastiness with a touch of toffee.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied lager with a dry finish.

O - This is a nice Vienna Lager. These Baraboo beers should be affordable options especially for those new to craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 01:53:18 | More by zeff80

Vixie

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clear copper color with a white head that dissipates fairly quickly.

Smell has a lot of malt and yeast, overall a bit bread like.

Taste at first reminds me a bit of bread with the malt and yeast. Finishes with a bit of a floral hop flavor.

Decent feel, the carbonation makes my tongue tingle a bit.

Not a bad lager. Nothing really stands out as special, but mo glaring faults either. Goes down easy, and the price is right. If you have a friend you want to introduce to better beers without scaring them off, this one is a good choice.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:26:55 | More by Vixie

scratch69

Missouri

3.38/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Clear amber color with about a 1/4 inch of quickly disappearing head. Hardly any lacing at all.

Smell- Faint aroma of caramel malt and bread.

Taste- Bread-like flavor with some caramel malt sweetness and some hop bitterness at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied with a light amount of carbonation.

Overall- Just an average lager, not bad but not great either.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 03:44:48 | More by scratch69

tvv375ia

Iowa

3.23/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass

A-amber colored with a less than finger head that fades quickly to a partial ring

S-faint carmel malt and bread but nothing that really stands out

T-starts out with nothing much like any BMC but this one actually provides some flavors as it stays in your mouth like the smell it is a little carmel and bread

M-ok carbonation a little thin though

O-not bad for what it is, I have definitely had worse and will probably get some more of this

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 08:34:09 | More by tvv375ia