Monday, March 19, 2012

Mammoth Brewing - 2011 Owens Valley West Harvest Lager

American pale lager, 6.8%ABV
I picked this one up at Mammoth Brewing, and I'm not sure how far outside of the brewery it was distributed (if at all.) It's my understanding that this is currently a one-off, but they were pleased with their results and may attempt another batch this year.


Appearance: Clear light honey-orange. A nice full, thick head that leaves thick lacing on the glass and is retained by a foamy film on top of the beer.

Smell: The aroma is great: floral, with notes of sweet honey and tall grass. It smells fresh, light, and inviting, and there is the slightest note of spiciness at the end.

Taste: Subtle floral hop character, some nice earthy notes, spiciness that reminds me of freshly ground black pepper. There is also an interesting umami flavor here that I can't really place, but it rounds out the subtlety of the rest of the flavors by adding some underlying richness.

Mouthfeel: This beer is creamy and smooth, with medium body that feels silky in the mouth and some light carbonation. It doesn't finish dry at all, but the flavors are so light and crisp that I am not bothered by the heavier finish.

Overall: I was really pleasantly surprised by this beer, as I'm not really a lager drinker. For one thing, it's several months old, but really hasn't degraded at all. Flavor-wise, something like this would never be as powerful as my go-to styles of IPAs and stouts, but there was a great complexity and balance among the subtle flavors here that was a beautiful thing. Overall, this was an excellent showcase from Mammoth Brewing.

4/5

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