So, it’s American Craft Beer Week and I decided to do my part to support the cause by paying my local breweries a visit. A year ago, I decided to support American Craft Beer Week by paying Tied House a visit. Unfortunately when I arrived, the doors were shuttered and there was a huge, gaping hole in the building where they took out the brewing equipment. This year? Fully open doors and a bustling dinner crowd.
There are a variety of events happening in junction to American Craft Beer Week. The Tied House in Mountain View brewed up an American Red Lager for the event. Well, sort of.
Tied House, American Red Lager, 5.0% ABV
This beer pours out a clear, deep brown color with amber highlights and a thin, short lasting white head. The American Red Lager is primarily malty; it is slightly sweet with a toasted malt component. The aroma is similar. The beer has a medium-low/medium body with a medium level of carbonation. While I didn’t pick it up initially, new BetterBeerBlog scribe The Rabid Brewer, pointed out the beer had a slight DMS note in the form of corn-like flavors. Overall, this is a malty, drinkable beer.
The American Red Lager is one of those style-defying beers. In fact, there is no style category for an American Red Lager in either the BJCP or the Brewers Association. Or I just didn’t look hard enough. As a homebrew, I can only speculate that this beer may have started off as an American Red Ale that ended up fermented with a lager yeast. Since the brewing staff wasn’t in house at the time I was there, speculation is all I got.
Tied House, “Rock Out with your Bock Out” Maibock, 7.5% ABV
The Tied House Maibock pours out a pale brown/amber color with honey-colored highlights and a thin, short lasting white head (I’m starting to see a pattern here). The aroma of the beer is slightly sweet, estery with spice notes. The flavor is sweet, with a moderate toasted quality. The hop flavor takes a back seat to the malt quality of the beer but it’s there for balance. There is also a noticeable spice character that I can be attributed to either the types of hops used in the beer, the alcohol or both. The Maibock is medium-full in body with a medium carbonation level. Even though the beer rings in at 7.5% ABV, it’s not overwhelming or hot. Despite being slightly out of style, this is a good drinking, flavorful beer.
It’s great to see the Tied House make the effort to support American Craft Beer Week. As a community, craft breweries are much stronger when we have a unified front supporting a common cause. Since the Tied House is one of the older breweries in the Bay Area, I almost expect them to take a leadership role in supporting causes like this. No pressure guys, no pressure.
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In the past I’ve always got a “woody” taste from their Maibock (I enjoyed it) which I had assumed was due to them using a British (total speculation) yeast on it. Doubt that they use a lager yeast as it always hit me as having a bit rough edges to it. Might just be an house flavor added to WLP001… then again, wtf do I know. “; )
dWiGhT
Dwight – I didn’t get any woody flavors from their maibock but I did get a little bit of roasty malt character. Also, you might be surprised to know (or, judging from you comment, not surprised) this is the first maibock they’ve brewed using a lager yeast.
FWIW, the Maltose Falcons have a guideline for Red Lager.
1.3 American-Style Red Lager
Aroma: Low malt aroma manifests itself as graininess. Hop aroma may range from none to light flowery hop presence. Slight fruity aromas from yeast and hop varieties used may exist. Low levels of “cookedcorn” aroma due to DMS may be noticeable. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Light copper to dark red with bright clarity. Foam stand may not be long lasting.
Flavor: Crisp with some low levels of sweetness. No to [sic] very low levels of toasted malt. Hop flavor ranges from none to low levels. Hop bitterness at low to medium levels. No diacetyl. No fruitiness.
Mouthfeel: Light to somewhat medium body. Smooth, although a well carbonated beer.
Overall Impression: A red-colored version of American Lager beer.
Comments: A derivative of the American Pale Lager style that leans toward the German Marzen style, using small amounts of dark malts to achieve a red color and sometimes a light toasty-malty flavor as well.
History: Inspired by German Marzen and Vienna beers, but brewed for American tastes and with American ingredients and methods.
Ingredients: Two or six row barley, corn or rice as adjuncts and small amounts of dark malts for color.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.040 – 1.050, FG: 1.010 – 1.012, ABV: 4.1 – 5.1%, IBU: 14 – 20, SRM: 10 – 20.
Commercial Examples: Henry Weinhard’s Red Lager. Red Wolf Lager.
You can find their complete guidelines here: http://www.maltosefalcons.com/system/files/2010_Falcons_Style_Guidelines.pdf
That’s interesting. This pretty much sounds like the beer we had last night. Thanks for the link to their style guideline.
Thanks for the post, and thanks for stopping by. Great analysis. If you want to contact the brewer, you can email ron@tiedhouse.com.
As for taking a leadership role…if we have a good team, a-hem a-hem, then we are happy to.
@Carolyn – You should probably have your throat taken a look at by your doctor, it sounds like you’re coming down with a cold.
In all seriousness, y’know I’m down to help with the cause. Speaking of which, what’s the next cause?