Brooklyn Lager - Brooklyn Brewery

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

Maxwell

Massachusetts

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

The beer pours a murky light amber bordering on dark mustard yellow with a big creamy white head with sticky lacing leaving creamy patches like spider webs on the glass. The body is clear of particles (obviously) but has a murky look. The beer is transparent with some bubbles, but murky. The beer smells wet and grassy with notes of slightly citrus light caramel malts. From the can the malt smell is much more potent and sweet syrupy, reminding me of rice pudding and candy. The beer tastes quite sweet for a lager with light biscuit, grass and slight citrus. The beer touches the tongue as light citrus apple juice before moving into grassy hops with light citrus and slight bread and then opening into syrupy sweet on sides of the mouth but never striking cloying levels. The aftertaste is slightly sweet and grassy, but overall quite pleasant. The mouthfeel is light and fizzy, leaving the mouth wet with saliva and slightly dry with bitter lingerings. Overall this is a nice beer to put back. I bought a six pack of the cans to session them, and session them I did. The sweet taste is a little too much for what I would normally like, and I kind of wish the grass was more there, but overall a lovely mediocre chugger. This beer will not blow you away, but is solid where it counts.

Serving type: can

11-03-2012 19:56:26 | More by Maxwell

Danny1217

Florida

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

Amber color, lets plenty of light through. A nice bubbly white head. Good retention.
Grain and herbal hop aroma. Pretty light on the nose.
Crisp spicy hop bite, caramel malt sweetness, some grains. The way a lager like this should taste. Not too powerful, highly sessionable, but a full flavor. Good amount of carbonation. Very drinkable.

Just one of those beers that you can have whenever and not be unhappy. Goes well with a nice, greasy meal too.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2012 03:51:34 | More by Danny1217

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB FEB 2013

A: Pours an amber color with a fingers worth of bubbly head

S: Not too much going on here aside from some light malts and grains. Some floral hops come through as well

T: Nice and malty, with some caramel and then some floral notes from the hops. Rich and flavorful

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Crisp

O: A solid pre-prohibition style lager with plenty of flavor with a full (not light or fizzy) mouthfeel. Nice and malty without overdoing the sweetness. Definitely a solid choice for lager fans

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 21:17:23 | More by BEERMILER12

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Pours a clear amber color with a finger of pillowy head. Great retention.

S: Caramel and bready malts mixed with mild citrus hops. The aroma is very restrained, yet nice. A bit of spice and a hint of metal.

T: Restrained bready malts with less caramel sweetness than the aroma would suggest. I get a bit of citrus hop flavor, but the hops mostly impart a moderate bitterness. A bit metallic in the finish as I get with most beers of this style.

M: Light to medium mouthfeel for the style with appropriate carbonation.

O: I'm really not a fan of the style, but I'm trying to open myself to it. This is decent - balanced with a very restrained metallic flavor. Usually I get a stronger metallic flavor with the style. I get some nice caramel and bready malts in the flavor that I enjoyed, I just find myself wishing it were made with ale yeast.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 01:13:27 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Darkmagus82

Montana

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

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours ac copper-amber color with a two finger white head. The head fades rather slowly to leave a great level of lacing.

Smell- The aroma is of a lightly roasted malt with some caramel sweetness. Mixed with these aromas is a light but nice blend of a herbal and floral hop aroma.

Taste – The taste started out on the crisper and breadier side. Quickly a caramel sweetness greets the tongue and sweetens the flavor. These flavors persist throughout the taste until more towards the end. At that point an herbal and floral hop flavor comes to the tongue. While they start lighter, they grow stronger and stronger, and in the end, leave a crisp and bitter flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body is on the slightly chewy side for the abv. and style with a carbonation level that is rather average. The chewiness, while not characteristic of a lager, was actually very nice of the herbal and floral hop flavors. Overall the mouthfeel was great.

Overall – A good herbal and floral lager that is crisp and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 01:06:01 | More by Darkmagus82

videofrog

Texas

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

Poured on-tap at the Flying Saucer in Austin:

A: Lighter red/amber color with frothy white head. Head has great staying power as it leaves thick rings of lace down the glass.

S: Clean, sweet malts, hint of hops.

T: Clean, sweet grainy malts. Grassy hops in the finish.

M: Very crisp, refreshing. Nice and easy drinking.

O This one worked perfectly as a palate cleanser in between 2 bigger brews. Very sessionable and good, clean flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 04:02:29 | More by videofrog

Biffster

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer poured a deep amber copper color. It was a touch cloudy, with a persistent tawny off white head.

There is an intense dark bread, graham cracker like maltiness, with a moderate grassy, somewhat vegetal, hop aroma. The aroma is clean with no fruitiness. There is a hint of caramel as it warms.

The flavor is malty yet hoppy. The flavor balances to hops but there is a ,lingering graham cracker, nutty caramelly maltiness in the finish. There is a not insignificant diacetyl note here. The finish has a touch of hop bitterness but is malty and caramelly overall'

Overall,this is a tasty beer It is a bit flabby to style - a little sweet and full bodied but a very tasty quaff.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 02:32:58 | More by Biffster

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

In a pint glass, a nonic, and a pilsener (nothing changed in any of it):

A: light orange/yellow colored body, one finger white head that died within ten seconds. No rings, no lacing, no carbonation rising.

S: overly floral with the malts coming in and out at odd times

T: overly floral again, not getting into this

M: light to medium. It was mostly drinkable

O: as many times as I have this and keep trying to give this a chance even when I find it fresher, I just can't seem to get into it, sorry Brooklyn, you make better beers than this

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 01:05:50 | More by kangarooAdam59

ChrisPratz

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

A: Nice amber coloring, pours to a finger and a half worth of head that dissipates down to just under a fingers worth of pillowy goodness that stuck around for a very long time. Looking down into the glass its like looking into a CoolWhip container. Very nice.

S: Light and clean malt flavors. Slight hint of toasted grains but its very subtle. Was hoping for a bit more on the nose.

T: Nice roasted malt flavors that has a slight sour tang to it. Light floral hop aroma with very light, barely noticeable bitterness. Crisp and clean, def. enjoyable.

M: Light carbonation works with the flavor profile. Left with a slight dryness and crisp feeling on the palette.

O: Not a bad little lager. Bit more tart then im used to being born and raised on Yeungling but it was def. enjoyable. Look forward to trying more of their brews and will have this one again in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 01:01:08 | More by ChrisPratz

stumac

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours up with a Blanca head, copper colored, boogie outta control. Smells of hops, German perhaps, nothin crazy, maybe a lil wee bit o' malt. It's nice and bitter, like an American Pilsner only because it's not a true Pils to the best of my lack of knowledge. Sweet lil baby kiss of malts. Nice medium body, good carbo, solid beer. Solid is the word here. Brooklyn is a solid brewery. Not gettin a fully here but I'll remain half-mast

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 20:58:47 | More by stumac

OVBC

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured 12 ounce bottle into American pint glass

Very clear bright copper color with a nice pillowy head that leaves a sticky lace

Getting mostly a ripe orange-like character from the hops and some bisquit or bready notes.

Nice flavor kind of like a clean, brighter Yuengling lager. A bit of spiciness adds a little interest.

Medium/light mouthfeel not too much carbonation

Not my favorite style of beer but I found myself having a second and will definitely have this again

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 03:13:33 | More by OVBC

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

355 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before July 2013. This stuff only became available here within the last few months, as the local store seems to be putting in an effort to expand their core beer lineup. I figured I'd give it a try - after all, it's not every day that some American craft beer shows up on the shelves. Normally I have to drive all the way over the bridge to Port Huron for that.

Pours a lovely, translucent, pale orange-amber colour, topped with roughly one finger of off-white head. It lingers on the surface for 2-3 minutes before dissipating into a smooth, creamy cap, while smearing the sides of the glass with a fine coat of lacing. The aroma is pleasant and clean, with a backbone of grainy malts, biscuits and brown sugar, as well as some tangerine citrus and floral hoppiness. Also some faint notes of pine needles - pretty good so far.

Balanced, approachable flavour that doesn't go anywhere particularly out of the ordinary for an amber. Starts off with a biscuity malt sweetness backed by some caramel, which leads into the earthier hop notes. Not as much citrus as on the nose, but the lemon/orange character is noticeable amongst the earthy pine needle and floral qualities of the hops. Finishes with a pleasant bittersweetness that doesn't cling to the palate for long. Light-bodied, with appropriate (firm, but not distracting) carbonation for the style. Easy to toss back quickly, but tasty enough to be worth sipping.

Not exactly mindblowing, but this is still a well-crafted amber ideal for sessioning. Expertly balanced, with neither the caramel-sweet malty backbone nor the accompanying juicy, floral hop character overpowering the other.

Final Grade: 3.93, a solid B+ grade. Brooklyn Lager is one flagship that should be welcomed into Canadian ports with open arms. Few amber lagers that I have tried are of such high quality - and this stuff is noticeably heavier on the American-style hops than most of them, placing it in a comfortable middle ground between ambers and APAs. Well worth purchasing at least once, and something I will probably return to in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 23:04:22 | More by thehyperduck

This_Guy

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

A: Served in a tall brown bottle with green label. Forms a foamy head for about a minute or so then dissipates.

S: Smells like a wet leather belt + a brief whiff of burnt sugar.

T: An okay taste, somewhat tart and earthy flavors, a twinge of citrus for a millisecond, then burnt caramels/pillowcase flavors supersede. Rather pleasant tasting at first, but an unexpected bitterness remains afterwards.
Makes it feel incomplete.

M: Not very malty. Finishes dry.

Overall: This was my first BB beer and although I enjoyed it, frankly, I was expecting a little more. Perhaps it's the allure that the Brooklyn label holds for a new york native :D. I wanted something with a bit more character, but I'm sure I'll have this beer again on occasion.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 02:02:02 | More by This_Guy

SteveGus

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer is the color of a new penny. Poured into a Long John Silver's glass mug, the head seemed reasonably solid.

Relatively muted nose, some citrus and geranium and yeast.

While I heartily enjoy this, it doesn't taste to me like a lager at all. I am more reminded of the old, classic Ballantine Ale that I had been drinking since college, or better yet, the Ballantine IPA that you'd see every once in a while. I haven't had a Ballantine Ale in several years now, and the last one I had seemed somewhat diminished from my memory.... or maybe it's just me.

At any rate, that's the point of immediate comparison. This has a big hop flavor, with both bitterness and hop nose in evidence, somewhat geranial and citrusy but not nearly as offensive as Cascades usually are. (Northern Brewer, maybe?) If you are a hophead you will probably enjoy this.

What malt is there is mostly noticed in the aftertaste, a bit of sweetness, not a whole lot of grain.

If you are a hophead you will probably like this.

Serving type: can

07-13-2012 16:51:15 | More by SteveGus

ckollias

Maryland

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

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a standard pint glass.

A: Pours a clear golden-copper hue with a very thick, frothy, white head that slowly dissipates down the glass leaving a nice trail and ending in a huge frothy persistent lace.

S: Sweet malty aroma with a caramel background followed by floral hops.

T: Similar to the smell sweet caramel malts meets floral hops to create a smooth refreshing brew.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Decent lager by Brooklyn Brewery. Nothing spectacular but something I would grab at a bar if available.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 21:05:29 | More by ckollias

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

A - Not much of an amber lager more of a dark Euro lager with a 1/4 inch of head. Seems like it sticks around for a while.

S - Grainy yet minimal which is nice. Mild twang of citrus hops and clean sweet malts.

T - Not bad the taste is very balanced and clean. Grains are pure and the citrus hops taste good. Sweet corn is the best I have ever tasted in this beer.

M - Light to medium it was easy to drink.

Overall I might want to pick this up again. Really great lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 04:51:53 | More by DrDemento456

Cozzatoad

Italy

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

12oz bottle

A- Dense and quite bright copper colour. Slightly off-white head, pretty healty and persistent, nice amounts of lacing on the sides of the glass

S- Crisp, grainy malts base with some caramel notes showing. Fresh piney/undergrowth notes from the hops, slight citric notes also showing up

T- As the smell suggested the beer has a clean, slightly crispy, grainy foundation; flavour notes are of dark bread and caramel. Good dose of hop flavour and bitterness also showing up, with a herbal/piney feel (more subdued than in the aroma), as well some now more assertive citrus (expecially lemon) notes. Refreshing, slightly bitter finish and aftertaste

M- Interesting mouthfeel for a lager. Not as crisp as you would expect from a good dose carbonation, but something more of raw/grainy kind of crispness, which feels good and natural. Nice

O- A refreshing, easy drinking beer, with still a quite nice amount of complexity and character. Would be a nice regular choice if i could find it for something less than 4€

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 16:38:13 | More by Cozzatoad

flagmantho

Washington

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

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: pale orange hue with a one-finger head of pillowy ivory foam. There's a slight haze and a light effervescence. I wouldn't call it "amber", but it's not bad looking.

Smell: nice aroma with a good blend of classic amber characteristics: biscuity, bready and caramelly, with a dash of earthy, spicy hops thrown in the mix. I like it.

Taste: for me, the flavor is not as well-balanced as the aroma. A big, dryish biscuit character comes up first, followed by an overly acidic or tannic middle and a light sweetness and bitterness at the end. Some of the flavors are good but there's a harshness here that doesn't work for me.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a surprisingly good creaminess considering its light effervescence.

Overall: the flavors in this beer just don't mesh well on my palate. Seems carefully-enough crafted, but I won't go out of my way for this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 16:31:38 | More by flagmantho

Tresha

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer by my favourite writer, I got my hands on it in Pune, a small city in India. The perfect lager in my opinion, this is a real thirst quencher. Not sure how it pours because I drank it from the bottle but the taste is crisp, clean and slightly bitter. It was served cold but tasted nice even when it wasn't so cold!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 11:09:53 | More by Tresha

tdm168

North Carolina

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

A - translucent, light amber with a big, thick cap of soft, off white head that has good retention. There is a good deal of carbonation rising to the top

S - caramel, faint bread, faint citrus, a hint of lemon

T - caramel, faint citrus, sweet, slight bitter finish. The citrus notes linger on the palate.

M - crisp, medium bodied, smooth

This is a decent beer. It's definitely refreshing and I could easily have more than one of these. However, it's simplistic and rather one dimensional with caramel malts taking the forefront. The hops are noticeable but are not the saving grace. For the style it's good, but overall it's not great.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 20:10:37 | More by tdm168

TheAcknickulousOne

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brooklyn Brewery has only been around since 1989. I purchased this lager from a local beer store, brought it home, chilled it a little and drank it. The appearance is that of a normal lager. It looks a lot like Sam Adams Boston Lager but has a slight reddish tint.
Smell was not bad and carbonation was not terrible but certainly there. At first taste it's hard to compare it to another lager. It has a bite to it but very appealing. Not a bad after taste and ABV was very good for a beer of this caliber.

I would recommend this Lager to anyone who wants to try something a little different from the normal lager you purchase at any mom and pop bar.

Stay thirsty my friends...

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 15:35:14 | More by TheAcknickulousOne

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a clear deep amber with an off white head that quickly disappears. looks like an ale - not a lager.. very misleading had i not read the bottle label :p

smells of orange and honey, cloves and cinnamon

taste is a bit bitter yet crisp - hint of burnt grains, bread, burnt caramel/toffee

light body, high carbonation, slightly creamy

not really my cup of tea for beers but if it's the only other lager on tap here in nj (this does happen often where this is y only craft choice aside from blue moon*) then i'll drink the fuck out of it without a peep.

*fuck blue moon, seriously. this shit is not craft beer. it's mass produced wheat beer. and for that matter, wheat beer is fucking boring, make this stuff taste better if you're going to try and take over the fucking market with it you assholes. thanks. have a nice day.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 07:56:23 | More by facundoCNB

Chris1108

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - golden hue with quick rising bubbles, looks delicious! This head disappears quickly leaving little lace but it's there
S - not much aroma, have to pull it in your nose - light hoppy smell
T - delicious - dry aftertase, very satisfying, I like this brew!
M - a bit thin but it has potential for a session beer.
O - I would buy this again. I like the adherence to the Reinheitsgbot, this is a pure lager in traditional style. I can imagine my grandfather enjoying this after a long day at work. Satisfying and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 00:35:22 | More by Chris1108