I noticed I was approaching beer #420, and having enjoyed this beer before I started my journey, thought it would be fun to review this beer as #420. Unfortunately, however, SweetWater is not yet distributed in Illinois. So, on a whim, I thought I’d email them to see if I could get a sample. Thank you so much to SweetWater for finding a way to get me the beer to review as #420!

Location: Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass on my deck in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 5.4% ABV, ~ 185 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It is very clear and golden in color. It’s got a bright white, creamy head that’s a little thin. It’s got a very, very nice bready, malty aroma, with some slight cracker, lager, and fresh hay-like smells.

Taste & Feel: The body is light and it has a fairly crisp mouth feel from the decent amount of carbonation. The flavor upfront is lightly sweet caramel maltiness with some hints of bread and honey. These flavors grow in the middle, joined by a nice bitterness from the hops. In the finish, the lightly earthy hops come into the foreground a little bit more which helps it finish crisp and slightly dry.

Food Pairing: This beer was light and drinkable enough that it would go with almost anything. However, on this nice summer afternoon I think I’d probably go with a cheeseburger or a brat right off the grill. It would also go nice with a pizza, fries, or any other pub food.

Overall Impression: The first thing I really noticed about this beer was the incredible aroma. I loved the sweet bready, caramel aroma and could sit here and sniff this beer for a while. Then I really enjoyed the flavors that matched the aroma. The light earthy bitterness from the hops that came in during the middle and finish really completed this beer nicely. Overall, I really enjoyed this beer and I can’t thank SweetWater enough for helping me get a couple of bottles to enjoy. Thank you guys!

My Rating:

Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]