Brooklyn Lager - Brooklyn Brewery

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

355ml bottle, poured into La Chouffe tulip.

A: Bronze copper, slight haze, large off white head, decent lacing plus retention.

S: Citrus, floral and slightly milky.

T: Fruity, floral, bitter finish.

M: Crisp, light body, well carbonated and smooth, very easy drinker.

O: One of the best lagers around, reminded me of a well hopped Kellerbier.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 10:42:40 | More by jonb5

admccabe

Pennsylvania

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

A- Poured into pint glass, amber color with decent foam that went away quickly
S- Smelled some maltiness, light alcohol
T- Tasted little bit of molasses, some coffee hints
M- The carbonation was done right, went cleanly in my mouth after drinking
O- Good, drinkable beer. It was light on a lot, which isn't a bad thing for lager. There was nothing that really stood out about this to me, but thats not always a bad thing. Its still tasted nicer than some other drinkables in the same categories (Bud, Coors, etc.)

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:57:26 | More by admccabe

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.05/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Appearance: a dull orangish color. nice clarity. and a white head that leaves nothing behind

Smell: grassy, and caramel malts.

Taste: an odd, unbalanced mixture of sweet caramel malts and grass. way too sweet

Mouthfeel: light and good, but leaves a lingering sweetness that doesn't bode too well

Overall: I am hoping this one is bad tap lines. I was at a bar that wasn't the most craft friendly. other than that i found it to be on the verge of undrinkable

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 16:27:11 | More by SportsandJorts

birchstick

Missouri

3.89/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow, can't believe I haven't reviewed this one before.

A - pours a nice yellow color with a good head

S - nose is sweet, grainy malts and a nice spicy, grassy hop profile. It also smells like the yeast strain that is detectable in most of their stuff.

T - taste follows the nose better than expected. Starts off with a little spicy citrus flavor that moves on to the malt base - a nice amount of cereal and grain malts in the malt bill. A spicy, citrusy, grassy hop finish rounds it off. Really nice lager!

M - full, well carbonated

D - really solid lager here. For some reason this is distributed to Guatemala - this must have been the 100th I've have since I have been down here. Easy drinking, refreshing lager, yet flavorful enough to keep me spending more and more on it. For hot, sweaty NYC days to lakeside views in Guatemala, I recommend this one!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:36:32 | More by birchstick

FLima

Brazil

3.89/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Amber color with a thick head with medium retention.
Delicious citric aroma of oranges, grapefruit, slightly toasted malts, vanilla, herbs and floral hops.
Taste follows nose, nice flavor of non-sweet oranges, floral and herbal hops, and tea. Dry with a medium bitterness aftertaste which was attenuated by its lingering citric notes.
Light body with good carbonation.
This beer is perfectly balanced. I wouldn’t expect that much from a lager. This is close to expiration date maybe that is the reason to seem to be better than the last one I tried. And definitely better than their Pilsner version. Very flexible beer, works as a session or for enjoying it slowly.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 21:11:33 | More by FLima

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Deep amber color, great clarity. The off-white head is creamy and very persistent, displaying great retention. A blanket of lacing coats the glass.

S: Layered grainy scents, hints of caramel and bread. Hop scents are largely floral with a lemony citrus zing. Tea and orange marmalade. Very clean.

T: Caramel and toffee. Grain and husk. Sharp hop bitterness cuts through the malt. Oily, lemony, floral, orange peel. Dry, grainy malts resurface. Very clean finish with dry grainy malt and a lingering hop bitterness.

M: Medium bodied. Full and very creamy. Lush and pillowy. Crisp, biting carbonation. Good.

O: A good all-purpose beer, but not one that will hold the attention of the seasoned beer drinker for very long. Very well crafted, and the hop bitterness saves it from being overly dull. It's reliable and simple, but not particularly exciting.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 00:36:15 | More by ryan1788a5

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Light amber infused gold. Head is white and creamy. Drops to a thin cap and collar with some nice lines of lacing. Moderate to high carbonation pulls throughout.

Smell: Light crackery malts. Some caramel malt sweetness. Grassy with some husky grain. Solid backing lager yeast. Some faint esters. Some raw cracked wheat (wheat thins). Slightly sweet and vaguely corn-like. Nice balance of malts. Vague earthy hops.

Taste: Bready with some solid caramel malt sweetness. Slightly bitter grain. Roasted in small measure. Building caramel/corn sweetness balanced by a grassy and mildly estery backing. Some apple skin and hay. Solidly toasted. Lager yeast is powdery. Oddly spicy and earthy. Mildly bitter. Clean.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate to high carbonation. Some lingering bitterness on an otherwise clean finish. Crisp.

Overall: This beer tastes like Where the Red Fern Grows.

Interesting, but not all good. A bit raw and sweet with too much toasted character. Drinks well but the flavor profile is a bit too broad.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 01:13:30 | More by Goblinmunkey7

gr0g

New Jersey

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

Coppery-Amber, high clarity. A one finger head on this pour with sparse but intricate curtains of lace. Take a whiff of Brooklyn Lager and you'll find a floral hop note that's pleasantly surprising given the style. Cascade hops at work here, though much more restrained than in a pale ale. Notes of lightly toasted bread and caramel round things out.

On the palate, crisp, clean maltiness gives way to a healthy hoppiness that lingers a bit past the finish. Superbly balanced in my opinion, though craft beer neophytes may find it bitter. Dry, clean finish. Nothing earth shattering going on here, just very well integrated, complementary flavors.

Brooklyn's addition of American hops to a Vienna style lager yields an excellent brew. This is noticeably better on tap than from the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2013 23:04:28 | More by gr0g

AugustusRex

Ontario (Canada)

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

Great lager. My go-to summer beer at the LCBO.
Tastes like a mix between an IPA and a pilsner.

Perfect beer to share with friends who drink BMC. The taste showcases noble and American hops with a low enough ibu to work as a gateway for future hopheads.

If anybody can find a better session lager available in Ontario let me know.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 14:17:36 | More by AugustusRex

chrisgalvin

California

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Can someone send me a 12-pack of this. While this might just be the Sierra Nevada on the East Coast, this is a really good Lager. Nice brown color with a great balance of hops and malt and a super clean finish. Wonderful session beer and perfect with lots of food. A must stop (along with Momofuku) on Friday's when in NYC

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 05:21:15 | More by chrisgalvin

laituegonflable

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a redwood colour, clear body. Head is off-white, cream, small bubbles but decent retention. Gorgeous lace. Great-looking red lager.

Smells grainy. Pearl barley, oats, with a touch of honey and caramelisation. Slight herbal hop on the back; decent Germanic-style aroma.

Slight wet sourness to the flavour. Wet grain, with cereal, a slight roasted barley, brassy and grassy hop character on the back. A bit thin, slight warm lager note, but nothing special.

Smooth upfront but a bit of carbonation bite on the back. Would like a softer texture to suit the slight amp up in the flavour department.

Not a bad brew, I think it needs a touch more sweetness on the palate, just for enjoyment. Without it it's more of an everyday drinker, but I could really take pleasure from this if there were a sweeter edge.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 10:37:54 | More by laituegonflable

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: From a twelve ounce can is an amber colored beer with a slight haze. The head is off white and is rocky.

Aroma: Grapefruit, tropical fruits. caramel malts, piney.

Taste: Malty in the front with citrus fruit notes. Grapefruit, a fairly smooth mouthfeel and medium to full bodied.

Notes: A straight forward and very drinkable beer. Cheers.

Serving type: can

03-17-2013 01:14:53 | More by horshack7

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.29/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

OK, I loved this beer. The Brooklyn Lager pours an amber-colored body, with a well-retained, clear, bubbly neck. The aroma emanates American hops, here with tones of pine tree / eucalyptus. Besides, we have an allusion to toast in the aroma. It is super inviting.

The palate is similar to the excellent aroma mentioned above, and you see a complex harmony between the American hops and the toasted malt. The finish is dry, leaving a pretty decent reminiscence of the whole story of this beer, told three times (aroma, taste, finish): piney hops and toasty malt. This is an excellent beer, to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 18:06:13 | More by HabiMendes

TWHartman

Minnesota

3.19/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A- caramel crowned by a slightly off white head. Retention is decent, nothing special. Leaves no lace.

S- caramel and apricot, followed by slight citrus hop aroma

T- light caramel and apricot flavor, nice balance of bright light cirtus flavor

M- Nothing special

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:30:42 | More by TWHartman

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Clear pale amber body with a thick, frothy off-white head. Lots of lacing around the edges of the glass.

S- Toasted Carmel malt, bready lager yeast, not much in the way of hops.

T- Caramel malt comes through very nicely along with some grainy toasted bread flavors. Very nice standard lager flavors.

M- Medium bodied, medium carbonation, smooth and creamy, but well carbonated.

O- A good lager, the flavor is good and the feel is very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 20:30:12 | More by stephenjmoore

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before March 2013. Pours lightly cloudy golden orange color with a very nice 2 finger fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of caramel, apple, pear, orange zest, cracker, biscuit, floral, herbal, light pepper, and earthy hops. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and decent strength. Taste of apple, pear, orange zest, caramel, cracker, biscuit, floral, herbal, light pepper, and hop earthiness. Light herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pear, apple, orange zest, caramel, cracker, biscuit, floral, herbal, light pepper, and earthy hops on the finish for a short bit. Very nice balance of flavors with solid robustness; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy, smooth, and fairly crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is a very good amber lager. Nice fairly robust flavors with good balance; and extremely smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:48:58 | More by superspak

dar482

New York

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I thought I hated this stuff, but then I've been slowly appreciating lagers more.

It pours in a brown color that's relatively clear.

It has a light crystal malt flavor. There is a slight bit of caramel and then a little hops, but then the finish is very quick.

This still is really refreshing off of tap. The carbonation really sells this beer with this wonderful tingle and mouthfeel.

It's an enjoyable beer. Not my favorite lager, but a good go to in NYC.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2013 02:27:13 | More by dar482

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

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

It is a good looking beer. A nice amber color.

It has a pleasant floral hop aroma.

This beer is very well balanced. Malty, with a nice hop bite.

Smooth and easy drinking.

Just a great all around beer. What a lager should be.

This beer would be a perfect to have in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 03:43:43 | More by JohnFatAss

ThirstyBehr

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a- orange/ amber body with a thick off-white bubbly head, leaving nice lacing around the glass.

s- rather weak, a little hop lingering, heavier malt, bitter-sweet scent.

t- slight hop bitter up front, then a bread malt following, you can tell this is a lager, nice and refreshing with a dry finish.

m- thin body to be expected with a lager, but leaves mouth wanting more.

o- overall a great session beer, nice balanced lager, very fresh, and leaves you wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 16:46:39 | More by ThirstyBehr

zachloveshisbeer

3.51/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This one was something I wanted to try for a while, but I never seem to float to the lager section of the liquor store, though I do enjoy a nice pilsner or black lager. It is stated as being a pre-prohibition lager and I understand exactly what they mean as the hops and malt are omnipresent during the entire experience. Poured into a pint glass and the colour was a light ruby red, nice head retention and lacing throughout. It smelled of light caramel malt with some pleasant, aromatic hops on the nose. I drank a couple of them and they flowed nicely. It's really a shame that Americans did the whole Prohibition thing, and I wish they would have bootlegged beer like this throughout as it could destroy any macro side-by-side. Hell, it could snipe down a crap Miller Light from miles away! Enjoy it in the sunshine with a burger or a brat and a side of slaw.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 20:23:27 | More by zachloveshisbeer

endovelico

Portugal

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Foamy garnet brew with good retention, lacing and no perceived effervescence.

S: Medium high in intensity. Vegetative, flowery, and noble hops quintessential pollen notes with some background citrusy, caramel and biscuit notes.

T: Follows up on the nose with delicious noble hop notes upfront to the backdrop of a shy caramel and biscuity backbone.

M: Medium carbonation, Medium bitterness, Medium bodied. Like: The clean bitterness in this. Dislike: The flat finish.

O: Probably my favorite red lager to date. It's absolutely delicious, but probably a bit off-style. This definitely makes for a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 00:30:39 | More by endovelico

mjurney

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:
Amber-gold color, slight hazy. Lots of carbonation rising up. Thick frothy head. Leaves a very nice lacing behind.

Aroma:
Floral hops, a little citrusy. Sweet malts. Crisp. Refreshing.

Taste:
Rich barley malt, biscuity, caramel, a little toffee. Hop bitterness is medium, floral, citrusy, lemony. Semi-dry finish. Body is light-medium, a little dry in the aftertaste, nice carbonation, very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:23:55 | More by mjurney

SmashPants

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: standard 355mL brown bottle, decent label - better than your standard macro.

Appearance: clear amber with a decent thick and hilly white head. Great retention and some lacing - unusual for a lager.

Aroma: fantastic aroma - smells much more like a pale ale than a lager. Some light pale biscuit malts, but dominated by a wonderful combination of pine, citric and floral hops. Very inviting.

Taste: not much deviation from the great aroma. The hop flavours do eliminate the undertone of malts, however.

Aftertaste: lingers well too. I'm really starting to think this has been labelled incorrectly as a lager. It's coming across more and more as a pale ale.

Mouth feel: medium bodied, with lower than usual carbonation.

Overall: this beer was a complete shock - I was expecting a standard American lager without much flavour, but this delivered a properly good, interesting pale ale / lager cross. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 05:40:06 | More by SmashPants

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a lively lager, more fun than most. it pours a lighter amber color, with a short white head that sticks around. the aroma is very crisp, properly a winter lager, a little nutty on the malt profile, with a clean rounded finish. taste follows the nose, and this beer is a dead give away as brooklyn lager every time. its so distinct in terms of balance and richer malts than the industry standard, its really unmistakable. the red malts give it a nice body, not boring at all, and the carbonation is there. overall not the most adventurous or profound thing to come out of brooklyn brewery, but its a really servicable lager. the lager for the pale ale drinker i like to call it. yummy stuff. golf course beer to me at its finest.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 07:33:42 | More by StonedTrippin

dougbassett

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

One of the "1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die" -- #6 for me.

A seemingly omnipresent beer in the NE and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US, almost any bar or six-pack store in the area with pretensions to stocking any kind of quality beer at all will surely be stocking this. Brooklyn Lager is a hard beer to review because while I think it's not very distinctive at all in a lot of respects, it's a strangely likable beer anyway. I think of it as a good session beer -- if I'm in a situation where I'm likely to be having a few beers -- watching a boxing match on tv at a bar or something -- this is definitely one beer I'd reach for.

But as for appearance, it pours a reddish-gold with a head that satisfyingly lingers. The nose is okay but really nothing special, sweet malt over cut grass and maybe some herbs. Mouthfeel is light and maybe a bit too effervescent for my liking. The flavors are mainly just hops, with a pleasant but non-distinctive bitter finish.

It is what it is; it's hardly a classic. But it does what it does pleasantly enough and I confess to having a soft spot for this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 21:30:20 | More by dougbassett