Steel & Oak Brewing Co. Red Pilsner Amber Lager/Vienna at 5% ABV (C$7.59 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, bottle date 4-Feb-2016, acquired 26-Apr-2016, reviewed 26-Apr-2016)
Appearance: clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grainy caramel, bready yeast, light herbal and floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering medium bitter finish. (3/5)
Meh. It’s OK, I guess. I’m not really getting typical crisp pilsner malt character – predominantly this is a grainy caramel Vienna lager, nothing too interesting. Hell, it could probably have been improved (or at least made more interesting) by S&O smoking the hell out of it the way they usually do. This, though, is literally middle of the road in just about every aspect you can think of. Which means, boring and forgettable – drink it if you’re thirsty, order something more interesting if you can. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
