Smithavens' Kellerbier

Smithavens Brewing Company, a new-to-me Ontario brewer, works its magic in Peterborough. I spotted a 500mL bottle of Smithavens' Kellerbier recently, and it took little convincing to give the bottle-conditioned, 5.2% alcohol lager a go.

Upon my initial pour, the pale golden lager had a look that wasn't exactly clear, but very close. By the time I reached the bottom of my bottle, this had converted into a cloudy dull gold, owing to the stirring up of yeast in the bottom of the bottle. It was amply carbonated and bore a sudsy white head. The Kellerbier had a very grainy scent, fresh and with a subtly bitter turn. The flavour kicked off with some sweet malt and grain elements, before shifting into a dry, bitter finish. According to the label, this lager contained a mere 20 IBUs, but I'd have pegged that number considerably higher, given Kellerbier's arid and hoppy finish.

This Peterbourian beer tastes like a sudsy treat from the Czech Republic or Germany, rather than one that hails from central Ontario. I found it to be nicely balanced and I was able to come up with very few negatives, making this beer a real winner. I'm now extremely curious to check out other offerings from Smithavens--a trip to Peterborough may even be in the offing.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.