Cherry Lager - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear darker amber with a reddish hue to it. The head also has a pink tone to it and it's a lot of head that takes a few to fall. Nose is very mild fruit. Not much to it. Flavor is pretty one dimensional. It tastes like cherry fruit juice, but hey, this just happens to be a beer. Feel is okay. The liquid feel seems a bit too syrup like. The carbonation is good, but that is trivial to this point. Overall, I have to say this is way more a miss than a hit. Just tastes like a wine cooler more than a craft beer. Nice try, but unfortunately a miss.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 20:06:01 | More by RblWthACoz

merlin48

Kentucky

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

Pours a cloudy coral pink body with a one finger offpink head that leaves some scanty lacing. Aroma of toasted grain and tart cherries. Light medium body with moderate carbonation. Taste is toasted grains and tart cherries. Not much else noted, but to its credit the cherry taste is not sweet or artificial. A decent summer quaffer.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2007 12:42:14 | More by merlin48

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

lager brewed with door county cherries from wisconsin

cloudy orange with a rosey red tinge, but not chemically. virtually no head and some sediment which surprised me at the end of the pour. aroma of creamed corn and a hint of cherry skins. nice body and carbonated with just enough zip. cherry is present, very much reminiscent of actual bottled cherry juice vs. whatever belgian red tastes like and whatever an actual cherry tastes like. rest of the beer, the base beer, is a clean enough lager that fails to impress with any level of bursting flavor. there was just enough of a slight biscuity flavor to balance out the medium-strength fruit. in the end, i found a nice crisp bite between the low hop levels and spritzy carbonation. aftertaste is a bit tannic, but overall this is a refreshing beer that would make a fruitternative to whatever other boring lakefront beers i could potentially have to choose from, if i lived in WI..

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2007 15:25:53 | More by goodbyeohio

scaliasux

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance - Salmon colored. Little bit of haziness. Short white foam that dissipates quickly. I guess this is what I'd expect a cherry lager to look like.

Smell - Light malt aroma with a mild cherry accent. Smells natural and not overpowering. Good.

Taste - Cherry taste is not overpowering and, thankfully, not sweet or unnatural. Semi-tart cherry flavor is obviously the highlight. Only hints of the light malt and lighter hops show through. Nicely features the star fruit without any off-flavors. Nothing real complicated here, though,

Mouthfeel - Light and effervescent.

Drinkability - There are some darn fine cheery beers out there. This one is not the best, but is very good. I'd take this over a macro lager any day. First time I've had Milwaukee's microbrew, I'm looking forward to my next.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2007 01:56:21 | More by scaliasux

botham

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner. pours a crystal clear, golden reddish hue with a couple fingers of off-white pinkish head that dissiaptes quickly with moderate lacings.

smells malty and sweet, with an obvious cherry aroma. pale malts are the only other discernable aroma. very sweet, but any brew focused on fruit would be.

taste is very sweet on the palate, with a tart character that lends to the cherries. notes of grapes and pale malts are also present, but they take a back seat to the cherries.

aftertaste is tart and of mild hops in the background. dry.

mouthfeel is tart and light-medium bodied.

drinkability is good, though the brew is semi-dry on the finish and rather tart in character. otherwise this is a crisp brew that does the fruit infusion rather well. worth a try

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2007 23:03:37 | More by botham

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$9.99 / 8 Pack
Lakefront Variety Pack
Dan's Liquor
Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Appearance - Upon first pour I knew this was going to be interesting. This lager's pour is bright red. Once in the pint the color firms to a hazy shade of a bright maroon. This cherry's head stood tall at about 2.5 inches and faded back at a moderate pace to leave a thin layer of light tan head on the brew's surface.

Smell - Not much here as a few strong whiffs relay only a slight cherry scent.

Taste - I've never had a beer that has two waves of bitterness. It starts out with a light malt and moves to a hop flavor, which is immediately covered up by the cherry taste. It then finishes with a more substantial bitterness and then a lasting tart flavor. I have to say it is very unique. Simply because of the complexity here I have to rate the taste high. I'm not really thinking I like the flavors but I have to admit it is a work of art.

Mouthfeel - Smooth as it begins and then moves out to the rear sides of my tongue with the tartness. It is a lovely texture.

~ This is certainly not the type of brew you have while hanging with a group of friends watching a football game. This is the after dinner, or appetizer beers that allot of breweries are not trying out. I must suggest picking this up and giving it a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2007 23:47:52 | More by cdkrenz

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy deep amber color wih massive tannish-pinkish head.
Great retention.
Smell has some light notes of cherry comboned with some other fruity sweetness.
Taste is not impressive at first, but slowly grows on you until by the end of the glass the taste was truly delightful.
Nice taste rentention, leaving a pleasant cherry note in the mouth.
I was pleasantly surprised by this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2007 23:23:23 | More by tgbljb

Atlas1

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I have no idea why I picked up a single of this beer, other than it's summertime right now and I thought to myself, "Hey! Cherries and lager! What could be finer?" Well, let's see if my cloudy logic holds up.

Poured from the bottle into my Sam Adams crazy glass, this beer is a strange, opaque pinkish/amber color. The two finger head dissipates quickly, but does leave a noticeable lace behind. Also, the laser etching at the bottom of this glass keeps a steady stream of bubbles floating to the top, thereby allowing the settled foam on top to remain constant. Not a bad looking beer. The aroma here is a major let-down. I'm not sure where it all went, but I'm getting very little of anything. Some very faint cherry scent, with some dull earthen notes, but other than that it's seriously lacking in the smell department. The taste is a bit stunted as well, but does bring a bit more to the table than the aroma. I taste a bit of muted malts, with a decidedly tangy, but insignificant, cherry flavor. It almost reminds me of a cherry Jolly Rancher, but without the sticky candy sensation. Finishes yeasty with a slight lingering tartness. Mouthfeel isn't weak, but it's anything special. Wraps up nicely with a clean dryness. I'm rating the drinkability here as average, because there's nothing offensive about this beer. Still, it's a poor excuse for a fruit-flavored lager, and could use a re-tooling in the old brewhouse.

This beer was bottled back in April, and it's now July, but I can't imagine its age would have stunted its characteristics that much. I'd be willing to give it another try down the road for sure. But my advice in the meantime: Dump a barrel or two more cherries in this puppy and let her loose!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2007 20:57:15 | More by Atlas1

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appears a reddened gold color with pink hues with about an inch of thick bubbly head, leading to blotchy lacing. Smell is mostly faint, most notably spices with light malt and very faint cherry hints thrown in. When tasting you finally can pick up those cherries the beer was named for, but it's not a heavy cherry flavor, mostly spices and a little tart cherry finish, and it's only up front. The malt comes in the middle with a very crisp, clean finish of flavorlessness. Mouthfeel is light in body and good in carbonation. A beer that is easy to handle and sessionable, good for summer yard work, but with few flavors, this is more of a beginners beer. I don't even think my girlfriend would enjoy more than 1 of these in a session.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2007 21:11:05 | More by HopDerek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice rose tinged golden. The cherry color is very noticeable and quite attractive. Not much head and what there is fades quickly. No lacing. The smell is of lager yeast and cherries. Not too sweet, and a nice tart cherry aroma with just a hint of almond on the finish. The isn't bad either. The cherries themselves are not overpowering and not sweet at all, just a nice undertone of fresh cherry. Beyond that its just standard lager flavors. The mouthfeel is mostly refreshing. The cherry note is a little sour and complements the creaminess of the lager. Could be a little more crisp, but pretty good. Pretty interesting, and not cloying. A little more crispness would make it even more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2007 23:02:05 | More by Georgiabeer

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Rose tinter gold. Medium head. Small scattered thick lacing clumps adorn the glass.

S - Light malt. Faint cherries. Faint mulling spices, notably cinnamon and nutmeg. Very, very faint vomit. The smell isn't great.

T - A spicy cherry flavor (real cherries!), cinnamon and nutmeg. A faint cinnamon aftertaste.

M - Drying all around. Harsh, thin and obviously not a refreshing beer. It could be worse.

D - Not that bad, in spite of the aroma and mouthfeel. It tastes good. Only about 1/8 of cherry flavored beers aren't crap and this is one of them (of course, any beer with the word Kreik in it is excluded from this categorizing).

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2007 00:54:29 | More by mrasskicktastic

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle

Pours a pretty pink color with a fluffy white had that maintains. Rather thick lacing on the glass.

Dull aroma. Faint hint of cherry, even fainter hint of malt. Bland city.

Very slight tart cherry flavor upfront, leading into a mild malt taste and quickly finishes super clean. Boring and band.

Light body, good carbonation.

Take the blandest lager you can imagine and add a minute hint of cherry flavor to it, and here's what you get. It's certainly drinkable, as there is more or less nothing to it. And that's about the best compliment I can give it....

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2007 02:53:18 | More by MaltyGoodness

benmiliron

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Paid $1.59 for a 12 oz. bottle. A clear pinkish color, almost like cherry 7-up mixed with pale ale. No head to speak of. Smell is fruity, but not much there overall. Taste is solid - fruit & sour, not too sweet. Mouthfeel is fairly astringent. All in all not a terrible fruit brew, but not great either. Certainly not something you'd want several pints of.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 05:03:14 | More by benmiliron

Chaz

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Medium-firm pour produces a hazey orange-colored beer with a pale pink head of good duration and with good lacing. There’s ample carbonation also. The nose is tangy and malt-focused, with just a hint of cherries. The first sip is all about the sharp cherry tang, although it is tempered by a milder, pale malt profile. Tastes like there’s some wheat malt in here? Mildly sweet, but the cherry tartness picks up towards the end of the palate balancing it nicely. There‘s no hop presence to speak of, and only a very mild bitterness, which the tartness compensates for. Fairly light-bodied and very easy drinking, with a medium-full mouthfeel. Light booziness in the nose precedes lingering biscuit and cereal malt aspects. This is nothing I’d want to drink at room temperature, but straight from the fridge or cooler it’s a tasty summertime session. One of the more pleasant fruit-lagers I’ve had, and worth picking up a six pack at least. Note: Fresh bottle, less than a month old (bottle first week of April).

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2007 18:04:25 | More by Chaz

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.6/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Dusty medium orange with amber edges and a tight-bubbled cap of yellowed ivory. I wasn't expecting New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, but no hint of red or pink is a little disappointing for a cherry beer. There can't be much fruit present, can there? An attractive lace display is something of a consolation.

I'm not an expert on beer by any means, but shouldn't a cherry lager smell like cherries? Even a little? This beer smells like a garden variety amber lager with a modicum of background hoppiness. There's nothing wrong with it I guess, but for a fruit beer not to smell like the fruit in question is unforgivable; and will be scored accordingly. [Note: some cherriness appears with warming.]

At last! It's about time that some characteristic of this beer didn't make a liar out of the name. Cherries are noted on the palate. Trouble is, the fruit flavor isn't all that prominent and, worse yet, it's surrounded by a less than wonderful amber lager. One notable flaw is that there's almost no malty sweetness, giving sourness free reign.

It isn't the appealing sourness of a Flanders Red or a lambic though. It's more the puckery tartness of a sour cherry pie to which not enough sugar has been added. As the beer warms, a grainy flavor becomes more and more prominent and a finishing bitterness (that isn't entirely welcome) appears on the scene. So, let's start a list: more malt, more fruit, some spices... I guess what I want is a completely different beer.

There's isn't much wrong with the body/mouthfeel. It's light, generally speaking, with a middle-of-the-road amount of carbonation that isn't really noticeable unless one makes an effort to notice.

I don't care for Lakefront Cherry Lager. The brewery took a good idea and screwed it up by not adding enough of just about everything (with the possible exception of Mt. Hood hops). One positive is that it isn't nearly as execrable as their Pumpkin Lager. Now *that* is some nasty beer. Compared to Wisconsin Belgian Red... well, there is no comparison.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2006 13:33:36 | More by BuckeyeNation

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Light pumpkin orange with a minute white head and small but steady and lasting carbonation. Aroma is spicy, reminiscent of pumpkin beer. I smell nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, all spice, and more. Cherry notes are light and fairly real. It’s not candy. There is some tartness and genuine fermented fruit in the nose but it is light. German malts are also present. Taste is surprising. The cherry flavor is subtle and really only found in the background. This beer is primarily a lager, sweet and malt driven, a tad under hopped, but not repulsive. I think Lakefront has done a good thing here. Too often the temptation with fruit beers is to make them overwhelming or candy like. In this case Lakefront has held back and the results are decent, if not good. Mouthfeel is light and creamy. Finish is wet and sweet. Drinkability is not too bad, especially considering that this is a fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2006 15:30:42 | More by DaPeculierDane

rowew

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 12 oz longneck. Label has a big box of cherries. Bottled date clearly labeled with month and week.

Appearance: Bright red/gold color, thin head, light bubbling.

Smell: Not a lot of aroma, just a bit of fruit sweetness.

Taste: Basic lager with a bit of fruit sweetness.

Overall impression: This one isn't overly exciting, but it is a bit different than other light lager offerings. The fruit isn't overwhelming or cloying. Drinkable - I'm sure I won't have trouble getting through the six pack, but I doubt I'll seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2006 21:33:10 | More by rowew

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Slightly hazed, cherry red appearance, milk white head, slims down quickly.

Sweet cherry nose..,bright fruit, tart, yet sweet.

Taste: smooth, but tart and sweet doing a tango, one up, one down, then back again. Light bodied, with a soft, fruity finish. Not too much of anything, very easy and approachable. If you love cherries, dig in. Nice dessert choice, for those looking for a sweet treat, but not a challenge.

(Not the sort of thing I'd go for too often, though...but who cares about me?)

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2005 06:16:46 | More by feloniousmonk

TastyTaste

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Dark brown red body, small white head, quickly dissapearing. Smell is light and malty, with some essence of cherry. Taste is light and malty, but very watery and uninspired. The cherry flavor is no more than just he essence, not very strong or assertive. There are much better cherry beers out there, Belgian Red and Bell's Cherry Stout come to mind.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2005 15:15:16 | More by TastyTaste

sweethome

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very small head, gone in a flash. Hazy amber color with a red hue. Not much on the nose which is surprising. Just a hint of cherry. A light maltiness on the tip, followed by a tartness that cleans the palate. The cherry is real here - not like several popular cherry or raspberry wheat beers that taste like a coughdrop. This is a simple lager, backed by real fruit. It is actually quite quaffable. Enough hops mid-mouth through the finish to please. I don't drink many fruit beers, but this one I could actually drink more than one.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2004 18:56:52 | More by sweethome

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Slightly reddish bronze, very clear appearance. The head struggles, then falls flat, clinging as a collar with incomplete sparse lace. Aroma is malty, free of artificial cherry or any real cherry, a little bit of walnut. Subtle cherry flavor to start, bigger at the finish with a note of astringency. Honeyish malt lingers side-by-side, hard to detect and hopping at all. The mouthfeel is a little sub par, flattish. The noticeable fruit is not aggrevating, OK in presentation, but I can't give this one much better than occassionaly quaffable if in the mood.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2004 18:58:47 | More by ADR

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pretty nice color with an orange, brownish tint. The aroma has a very faint hint of cherry. The taste has very little cherry taste and a tart finish. The beer in general has a pretty flat taste. I have always loved Lakefront brews, but this one is a little on the weak side.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2004 22:49:29 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

RedBaron

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured nicely, with a pinkish hued head. Good carbonation. The color also had a pink tone to it.

The smell was of faint cherries and sweet malt, but neither were too pronounced.

Palette front was of a basic sweetish lager (and a sort of huskiness that wasn't very appealing) infused with the lightest taste of cherries. I guess I was hoping for more of cherry bite, but I guess the brewers just wanted to give a glimpse of cherry in this beer. No hop character to speak of. A pleasant enough finish to the beer, though the body seemed kind of lite throughout.

The drinkability factor is just above average, as I bet this beer would taste pretty good after mowing the lawn on a hot day. I wouldn't go out of my way for this beer again, however. It's just OK.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2004 02:12:40 | More by RedBaron

cokes

Wisconsin

2.15/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Golden-orange with pink highlights. Loud, fizzy head runs away quickly.
Tart cherry nose with lots of empty spaces. A little bready, perhaps, below that.
Begins with a light bready malt, with pinpricks of cherry sourness. Somewhat musty tasting. The sourness is really all that is going on here, and it is very, very minor. I am searching and searching, but I can't find anything else here.
Watery and dilute.

A horseshit lager with a subtle cherry boost is still a horseshit lager.
No thanks.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2003 20:52:20 | More by cokes

ZAP

Minnesota

2.35/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A nice "cherrywood" in color I guess would be a good description....nice white lace that holds well....clean and clear...looks the part...nose is very light...just a slight whiff of some cherries and that's about it...a bit of a dissapointment...not that I expected a huge cherry nose, but it could be a "little" more evident..some tart cherry flavor on the flavor but that too is very subtle...not a whole lot more there...body is relatively firm and it feels like say a Helles would feel..I'm rating drinkability low...I wouldn't want this again...I'm not impressed....BTW this was bottled first week of April and it is now the second week of May..seems fresh and it should be...just not a very good beer...

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2003 23:20:27 | More by ZAP