Dog Days Dortmunder Style Lager - Two Brothers Brewing Company

mynie

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at the Black Sparrow.

You know, I really like this new Lawnmower trend. Like, yeah, I know that dortmunders and kolsches have been steadily produced ever since I've been a beer person, but it's only recently that brewers have been comfortable admitting to the fact that these beers are supposed to be light and refreshing.

Pours orangeyellow, translucent and sunny. Nice head.

Smells crisp and dry, heavy nodes of peat moss and noble hops.

Tastes weedy--maybe it's just the power of suggestion, maybe it's just the european hops, but I'm getting a strong floral profile here that's almost like dandelions. That drifts towards a drier, earthier middle, and then ends on long, dry hops.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2010 16:30:53 | More by mynie

AJacob81

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at Two Brothers Tap House.

A - Golden amber with a frothy head that dissipates reasonably quick and leaves crop circles of lacing on the glass. Looks more like an ale.

S - Citrusy aroma with a bread/yeast undertone.

T - Very good, smooth lager flavor with lingering but not overpowering hops.

M - Good carbonation keeps this crisp and refreshing all the way down.

D - Good session beer, I plan to go to this frequently over the summer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2010 23:17:18 | More by AJacob81

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a thin off-white head that fades very quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of light malts, lager yeast and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts bready with flavors of lager yeast and grain followed by some malt sweetness. The hops presence is mild but brings a little bit of balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light-to-medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a decent lighter beer to drink for a while but there are others that I would choose first.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 00:33:14 | More by TheManiacalOne

emsroth

New York

2.7/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 1 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12oz bottle

App: Suspended solids in a lager?! That's all I have to say

Smell: Wonderfully fresh. Sweet apple malt and a hint of hops. A little too ale-like for me.

Taste: A slight sweet start, with medium body. The flavor quickly turns to a crisp, minerally bitterness which is spot on for the style. Ends with caramel apple sweetness.

There's something not quite right about this beer. Too sweet; too fruity. They said it was their only lager, so it makes sense that it's rather ale-like

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 20:51:37 | More by emsroth

samie85

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Pours a golden yellow with a white head.

S- Sweet, bready, malts with a cider-like quality.

T- Pretty sweet, bready malt. Finishes dry and slightly bitter finish.

M- Very light bodied. It has medium carbonation.

D- This could be a really easy beer to drink all night, but it's just not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2009 01:12:59 | More by samie85

Infamous7100

Ohio

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Upon first pour, I was left with about a one finger head which disapated quickly. Pour a nice golden color.
S: I get a hint of hops right off the bat. However there is a bit of sweetness too, showing the malt coming through.
T: A great balance between the malts and the hops. Just a hint of alcohol at the back. Perhaps some sweetness.
M: Mildly carbonated and crisp.
D: Off the charts. Not filling and extremely partakable. Refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2009 23:28:49 | More by Infamous7100

Ricochet

Ohio

2.83/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured a slightly cloudy golden yellow, with no head and a slight lace and floaties which collected at the bottom. Smells like a typical non-macro burp beer. A little twinge of the alcohol, not much else. Mouth was thin but foamy with a lingering sweet aftertaste. Not much else. Taste? Well, we have Great Lakes Dortmunder here in Cleveland and that seems to be a spot on standard. I compare beers higher or lower based on GL. The Cumberland Brewery in Louisville was higher. This would rate lower. It was a decent lager. Dry and slight hoppy fruit. Malty finish, about a standard non-macro lager.

I like the label. There are a lot of lagers like this out there, but it's not a Dort. Since I don't buy beers for labels, pass.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 03:26:35 | More by Ricochet

bruachan

Rhode Island

4.4/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

at first the head on this brew looked ok, but eventually is a goner. i doubt i can expect too much from dortmunder froth. gold hue to be foreseen

the aroma is of heavenly hop--really, this one has a fantastic bouquet for the representative of a relatively modest style. good lager malts with grassy, floral hops

sweet, but as it should be; hoppy, but as it should be; bitter (?), but as it should be; and even a little spice towards the end. the malt has good depth and contributes to a very nice drinking experience

great tasty session brew. this would be great to have pouring from a kegerator throughout summer. bravo

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 01:36:22 | More by bruachan

NeutroMan

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle with printed "best by 9/14/09" date, poured into a pilsner glass.

Pours a mostly clear light gold color with a one-finger white head that lingers for a while.

The nose has some breaded malts, noble hop aroma, and just a hint of lemon zest.

Taste is fairly well-balanced with the breaded malts up front and a less pronounced hop bitterness sting on the back end which lingers in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is crisp, refreshing, and somewhat drinkable; medium body, not much carbonation.

This is my first Dortmunder and I look forward to comparing it to some other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2009 00:01:15 | More by NeutroMan

RyanC84

South Carolina

2.42/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A few remaining beers left from my Two Brothers sample pack.

A: Eh, a golden lager with a white head the quickly fades to nothing. No lace.

S: Nose is bready with a bit of hop spiciness to liven things up.

T: Only my second Dortmunder brew, but the Great Lakes version was much better. Weak malt finish, slightly sweet, with an awkward bitter ending. Very strange and not that enjoyable.

M & D: Medium bodied for the style and very dry. Very lackluster beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2009 03:49:48 | More by RyanC84

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 07/31/2009. On gravity keg at Blind Tiger. Pours a cloudy orange with a white head. Aroma of sweet fruit and orange peel. Flavor of light, sweet lager malt, nice citrus hops, and wheat/bread. Nice and refreshing. It was a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: cask

08-27-2009 01:51:37 | More by LilBeerDoctor

BigMike

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a duvel tulip.

Pale straw yellow. Gold and clear with whipped egg white head about two fingers worth.

Smell is spicey and lemony. A bit of coriander.

Taste is crisp and clean. Suprisingly sweet. A strong maly backbone but pretty well balanced. Lemon zest and spice.

Nice light mouthfeel. Creamy and smooth.

This is my first dortmunder and the drinkability was prettygood. Not great a a drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2009 23:18:31 | More by BigMike

david18

New York

4.38/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This might be the first dortmunder I've had ever; at least as long as I've been paying attention. The name makes it sound stronger than what it is so I've avoided it as a summer drink. The bartender described it as sweeter than a pilsner but the same lightness otherwise. That's pretty much what I would call it as well. Very drinkable, a little bit of malty sweetness but still as refreshing as a good pilsner. Great combination of maltiness and drinkability. Good color and good carbonation as well.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2009 21:28:39 | More by david18

Rayek

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Pilsner glass.

A: Brilliant gold with mild carbonation. The beer struggled to form much of a head. What did form was soapy and quickly receded to a ring at the edge of the beer. Left small veins of lace.

S: The nose is pleasant and mild. It consists of a balanced blend of agave sweetness and lemon tartness.

T: Light, refreshing and flavorful. Starts with a mild malt sweetness. A pepper bitterness quickly joins in with a fairly pronounced bite. Gets a little funky toward the end when a pronounced metallic flavor kicks in. It lingers with the pepper flavor through the beer's finish.

M: The light body feels a bit to fizzy.

D: This is an OK beer. The metallic flavors detracted from the experience for me. The low ABV makes it go down easily.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 18:10:42 | More by Rayek

BigJim5021

Indiana

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I hard poured this sucker -- as I've found is necessary with all of Two Bros. beers -- to put a head on it. It's clear gold with a bubbly white head. The hard pour left lots of lacing.

I'm having a hard time picking up much on the nose. There's a very faint bready maltiness and a little bit of nuttiness. Nothing much else. Not bad, just hard to detect.

The flavor is more pronounced than the smell. The breadiness and nuttiness carry over for a tasty treat. You also get the tiniest bit of hop bitterness on the finish. This is my first exposure to a Dortmunder, and I've got to say that I'd really like to try Great Lakes much-touted offering.

Mouthfeel is very crisp and has a really nice body for a lager.

From a straight taste and ease standpoint, drinkability is high as a maff. You could knock these puppies (ha) back all night. From the price standpoint, it runs about $9 a sixer. Knock the price down about a $1.50 per six-pack and you've got a higher drinkability score.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2009 07:17:39 | More by BigJim5021

bluemoonswoon

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into the pilsener glass.

A: Standard pale golden yellow with a bit of amber and a watered maple syrup brown, yet far clearer and cleaner looking that such a description would indicate. About an inch of bleached white fizzy head that fades into a ring yet still manages to leave behind some lacing.

S: A whiff hints at how refreshing this beer is going to be (I hope) light and sweet maltiness brings images of sesame seed crusty bread, light floral hoppiness makes me imagine lemon and grass, just a hint of pine needles and some slightly sweet corniness that does not distract too much, but I wish it was not here, taking away a bit from the delicate interplay between malt and hops.

T/MF: Light and crisp, slightly sweet, balanced with a slight bitter kick, really displaying some wonderful complexity, balance and flavor that places it among some of the heavy hitters in the Dortmunder category.

D: Much more refreshing and easier to drink than Trois Pistole, but that is an apple to oranges comparison. Let's just say that on a hot, sweaty night like this one, this beer certainly hits the proverbial spot.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 03:30:20 | More by bluemoonswoon

wyattshotmaker

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured into a pint glass,golden with a slight head that dissipated to a smaller one.taste is bready and sweet biscuit malts with a slight hop bitterness and relatively crisp and dry finish.this is a bit sweeter than most dortmunder style lagers that i've had,it's refreshing though.mouthfeel is light and crisp.i could drink a few of these with some hot dogs on a hot summer day.

overall,i not one of my favorite styles.but this is a pretty good beer.i like it.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 00:25:22 | More by wyattshotmaker

donteatpoop

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear golden color with a foamy white cap that faded pretty quiickly.

Smelled of spiced malts, a bit of a marzen vibe.

The taste was really good. Not a high hop-impact, but the malts are bready-sweet and pretty much dominate the palate.

This was a really well balanced lager and a nice introduction to Two Brothers. I hope the rest of their beer is as good or better than this.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2009 05:17:10 | More by donteatpoop

kingsizedave

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer was left at my place after a bon-fire and i thought it would go good with my wings last night. If the name was referring to the Dog Days of summer and the fact that you just need something,anything, then it fit but otherwise; I found the color to be nice transparent gold. Thin white head, that disapated quickly. The taste was crisp but not very strong, which may have gone good with my wings but i drank most of it before they were done grillin cause I wanted to get on to the next beer. Overall I would have liked a stronger taste to go with the good color maybe something to remember itself by.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2009 13:53:08 | More by kingsizedave

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Pilsner glass. Best By date of 9/14/09.

A - Very small white head with no retention and a little lacing on a clear golden body with almost no carbonation.

S - Semi-sweet malty aroma balanced well with crisp, clear hops. Very minimal smell. Not profuse at all.

T - Sweet and malty start with a caramel hint followed closely with a floral and slightly fruity hop flavor. Very slight grapefruit with white grape. Good balance with a small dry and bitter finish.

M - Crisp and refreshing with a medium body. Despite the lack of carbonation it has a bit of a bite to it.

D - It's a very easy drinking lager, I'll give it that. It's good for the style despite it's very lacking head and touch of fruity esters (good flavor but shouldn't be there).

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 19:40:27 | More by BeerFMAndy

BDLbrewster

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Pours a crystal clear golden yellow color with a sizable head that fades quickly.
The smell is mainly buttery caramel malt with a sweet smelling background, not very powerful at all.
Taste is super light, biscuit malts up front, shyly sweet with minute hints of bitterness in the finish. Very crisp and clean with little aftertaste.
Mouthfeel was very thin, akin to the style. Very little carbonation and left your mouth feeling clean.
Drinkability would have gotten a 5 if this brew was a tad cheaper, don't get me wrong these slide down the hatch like a greased up fat kid on a waterslide. But the price will keep me from stocking up to session this one during the hot summer months. Maybe a couple while I mow the lawn....
Two brothers never disappoints.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2009 21:28:34 | More by BDLbrewster

nickynick

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Two Brothers Dog Days poured a full gold color with a small white head, and average lacing. Smell was loaded with hops. Taste was crisp, with malts, and followed by a mild hop bite. Mouthfeel was good for the style. Drinkability was nice as well. Overall all I enjoyed this beer a great deal. I a fan of this style, ans wish more brewers offered it. This beer is good for a summer seasonal beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 14:08:21 | More by nickynick

jsh420

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

best by 9/14/09

pours golden orage with a 1 finger head that leaves spotted lacing down the glass

smells sweet - grassy hops carmel malts

taste is a tiny bit meatalic but still very enjoyable - a very balanced beer both hops and malts come through - beer reminds me of a sweeter APA or ESB

mouthfeel/drinkability is good with ample carbonation that goes down very smooth

a very good summertime beer - i will be picking up more of this one

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2009 21:11:52 | More by jsh420

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear golden yellow with just a light whispy head that fades quickly, leaving no lacing behind. Good carbonation rising.

The smell is of grainy malt, with a little sweetness. There is a slightly metallic scent.

The malt tastes like biscuit and has a nice sweetness to it. It's a little grassy in the end.

Light body with crisp carbonation. The texture is a little buttery with a slightly bitter finish.

In my opinion this is a typical example of a session brew. There's nothing offensive about it, yet it has decent enough flavor to still be enjoyable and is light enough to throw back a bunch over the course of a sitting.

Serving type: growler

05-06-2009 01:30:43 | More by Vonerichs

BoitSansSoif

France

3.55/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours mostly clear, golden-amber, w/one-finger head on violent pour. Some lacing w/fair retention.
S-Light malt, faint lemon and metallic/mineral aroma, sweet w/grassy notes.
T-Slightly sweet pleasant light malt and faint lemon notes upfront. Aftertaste is initially slightly metallic w/noble hops and light biscuit flavor. Metallic flavor quickly fades however.
M-Good carbonation, light bodied, well-balanced.
D-Not particularly familiar w/this style, but it's decent. Easy to drink, pleasant, sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 08:57:39 | More by BoitSansSoif