Beer of the Week

The beer: Vienna Lager

Brewed by: Devil's Backbone Brewing Company, Lexington, Virginia

Description (from the website): "This is our Ol’ Faithful. No, it’s not a geothermal phenomenon. It’s the beer everybody, including professional beer judges, just seems to dig. Maybe they like how it’s smooth, medium-bodied, and semi-sweet, while not too heavy or bitter. Maybe it’s the amber color, or the blend of four imported malts balanced by two Germanic hops, or the fact that it takes five weeks to get right. Or maybe it’s all the above."

Would I buy it again?: Yes, but I'm going to offer a caveat. This isn't the first time I've bought this particular beer, and it probably won't be the last. However, this beer does have an issue. It's basically a Yuengling but it costs almost twice as much. Now, I won't deny it's better than a Yuengling, but is it twice as good? No. It's a standard lager, it's good but I don't think a regular lager can be particularly earth-shattering. So if value is important, stick with Yuengling. If it isn't or you can only drink beer from a real microbrewery, then this is a good alternative lager. I'll usually go for the Yuengling myself, but I'm not opposed to this.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Black Lager

Brewed by: Devil's Backbone Brewing Company, Roseland, Virginia

Description (from the website): "Derived from the recipes of medieval Germanic brewers, our Black Lager embodies a millennium of refinement. Schwarzbier (literally: black beer) originates from eastern Germany and is a window into premodern brewing. Medieval brewers browned barley over open flames; today we get the characteristically subtle roasted flavor by using the finest toasted malts. This sophisticated little gem is fermented with lager yeast, and finishes quick and dry."

Would I buy it again?: Well, considering I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time I've had this beer, I'm going to go ahead and say yes, I'll probably get this again. I like black lagers quite a bit, but they're not particularly common. This one isn't quite as good as Sam Adams' black lager, but it's still pretty good.