12x12 is a new series dedicated to reviewing 12-packs of 12 ounce cans or bottles. Inspired by my guide to garage beer, 12-packs are often the workhorse of the beer fridge. The beer you bring to a cookout or grab on the way to a party. This series honors craft flagships, seasonal classics, and imported examples of classic styles.
Beers included: House Lager, Post Shift Pils, Extra Layer, Dark As Hell
Purchased: 16 December 2024
Purchase Price: I forget
Initial impression: Looking forward to circling back to two of Jack’s Abby’s core beers, two classic lager styles, and trying two new winter lagers
Beer reviews
House Lager, Helles Lager (canned 5 October 2024)
Aroma: Rich malty, French bread
Appearance: Gold, good clarity if not quite brilliant. Moderate white foamy head.
Flavor: Rich and bready - perfect for a Helles. Clean with sufficient hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel- Moderate body and carb. Finish is smooth, just dry enough not to be sweet.
Overall: Superb example of the style. On a warmer day, I could drink this by the maß. Could do worse than this as a “house lager” in any home.
Post Shift, Bavarian Style Pilsner (Canned 5 October 2024)
Aroma: Similar to House Lager with a little more noble hop aroma.
Appearance: Poured a little harder than the House Laget so I got a bigger frothier head. Similar color and clarity.
Flavor: Med high hop flavor and bitterness. Low, bready malt flavor present but this is a hoppy and bitter beer overall.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, carbonation is low to medium low and slightly creamy - not to style per se. Finish resiny.
Overall: By ‘Bavarian Style’ I presume this means Post Shift is intended to be softer than Northern German examples which tend to be more dry. In those examples the light body adds crispness, where here the balance comes from a hop bitterness that lingers a bit. A fine lager, never been my favorite from Jack’s Abby. I prefer the Sunny Ridge Pilsner that was their summer seasonal.
Extra Layer Winter Fest Lager (canned 1 October 2024)
Aroma: Brown bread, raisin
Appearance: Brown, frothy tan head, some haze, almost murky.
Flavor: Toasty with underlying bready malt flavor. Spicy noble hop flavor cuts through malt nicely making a complex brew.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, medium high carb, but somewhat creamy. Finish is crisp.
Overall: Wouldn’t call this a Munich Dunkel, this has more hop flavor. Kind of reminds me of Winter Welcome, similar malt flavor and overall balance. This is the kind of beer every craft brewery used to make for the winter, but Jack’s Abby put their own spin on it. Big fan of this one.
Dark as Hell, Black Lager (description says Schwarzbier), (canned 1 October 2024)
Aroma: Rich maillards and dark chocolate - inviting
Appearance: Dark brown, opaque. Frothy tan head.
Flavor: Mostly chocolate, quite roasty. The base malt flavor is more lean, and not as rich as the aroma indicates. Hop bitterness feels medium-low with roasted malt providing most of the balance
Mouthfeel: Medium body and carb, finish dry and crisp from roasted malt.
Overall: Stout-like without having the residual body and malt flavor as, say Guinness Extra Stout. Lighter and more roasty than Köstritzer. I like how this beer uses Chocolate Malt instead of a de-bittered malt like Carafa Special. I like dark beers that taste like dark beers. I want an assertive roasted malt flavor with a little astringency. At first I thought this was maybe a little too roasty, but this beer was more drinkable with each sip.
Overall impressions of 12-pack
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