HogsBack Vintage Lager

Ottawa, Ontario is the home of the Hogsback Brewing Company, the maker of HogsBack Vintage Lager. HVL is sold in not tremendously attractive 473mL cans. It clocks in at a respectable 5.2% alcohol, and pours a clear honey colour with a thick white head.

HogsBack has a grassy, faintly toasty aroma. It's fairly malt-driven for a lager, and has an interesting and fulsome flavour. It moves sweet to bitter with notes of cereal, toast, and a light dusting of hops near the end.

It's not quite as rich as some Vienna lagers, but much more flavourful than a standard North American pale lager. I could definitely see myself buying this stuff again-it seems like a brew well suited to any season.


Rating: 8.0 out of 10.