Penn Gold

Name- Penn Gold
Brewer- Pennsylvania Brewing Company
Country- United States
Type- Lager
Alcohol Content- 4%
Summary - Moderately carbonated, and with a light golden hue. Taste firmly on the center of the tongue, but smooth and not punctuated. Not very hoppy at all, and with good barley accent. A good example of a decent American Lager, despite the it's own billing as a chip off the old Munich Helles Biergarten style.


While the bottle suggests it's inspiration is modeled after the "beer you'll find at the Biergartens in Munich" I feel that it can stand on it's own, with it's own unique character- strong, but certainly nowhere near overpowering. To me, a decent lager will retain remnants of frothiness at the top long after the head has dissipated, and this one distinctly shows that characteristic. The interesting thing to note is that they have only been in the business since 1986, a relative newcomer- that's great that they can produce a beer as fine as this in that period of time. The bad thing is that it's 2008, and my bottles still read "Celebrating 20 Years"... hmmm... it still tastes good, regardless. While this seems like a good candidate to drink after a long day's toil, I personally find it most enjoyable after dinner, over a good book.

Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Lager

Name- Pure Brewed Lager
Brewer- Samuel Smith
Country- Great Britain
Type- Lager
Alcohol Content- 5%
Summary - Lightly Carbonated with a clear golden hue. Taste is spread across the palette evenly with a nice floral bouquet, but not fruity in any way. A hoppy character is emphasized for sure, but not overly hoppy... just right.



This is perhaps the finest lager I've ever had. It clearly sets the standard. I feel any description I give for this beer is inadequate and will not do it justice. I first came across it in college during my days working at a restaurant and a brew pub, having a single pint between shifts. Nothing made the long hours or the heat bearable like this beer. I've always felt that having more than two of these in a sitting would be a waste, as it's smooth, mellow taste would be lost on those becoming inebriated. This beer is truly a reward at the end of a long day.

Because I did this review at the end of the day, I have not taken a photo... I will update this post with one... for now, the picture you see is from the Merchant du Vin site, American importer of Samuel Smith's line. On the linked page, they give meal suggestions to compliment this brew, but I personally suggest you not taint your taste buds with anything when enjoying this lager.