Saturday 30 July 2011

Muskoka Brewery's Craft Lager

I'm pretty new to Muskoka Brewery's products, but I have been lapping them up enthusiastically since my partner and I moved to Toronto.  They've put together a stable of delectable beers and I'm keen to review them all eventually.  The Craft Lager just turned up at my local beer store and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give it a try and then write about it.

Muskoka products are born in Bracebridge, Ontario.  The Craft Lager clocks in at 4.8% and comes in 355 ml bottles.  According to the label, it was named Canadian Lager of the Year, though it is not specified which august governing body bestowed the award.

The Craft Lager features a healthy head for a lager and is an attractive cloudy gold colour.  It actually resembles a weissbier more than a typical lager.  In terms of taste, the flavour is unusually sweet--again, atypical of a lager.  While I understand that "lagers" represent a big tent, I'm not totally convinced that this beer fits in the category.  Not that I'm complaining.  It is decidedly easy-drinking (I downed two in the ten minutes it took me to type up this post) and remarkably refreshing.  Definitely a summertime brew.  My only real complaint is the aftertaste--there is something not quite right there.  I want my lagers to finish cleanly, but the Craft Lager has a slight sourness that lingers a touch too long.

All told, this is a fine beer built by an excellent brewery.  It is clear that the good people at Muskoka care about beer and strive to create unique and interesting products.  While the Craft Lager is not my favorite, it is definitely worth a taste, particularly while the summer sun continues to shine.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

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