Following on from last month's review of BrewDog Avery Brown Dredge, another British lager, this one from Meantime in east London where BrewDog's regular lagers are currently produced. London Lager comes in a dinky 33cl and is designed, I assume, for the style-conscious bottle-by-the-neck brigade who'd otherwise be on the Corona or similar.It's certainly rather lacking on the aroma front: I get little beyond fizzy water on the nose. But the flavour is quite pleasantly full-on, even cold from the fridge. Lots of toasty whole-grain pilsner malt, given a gently herbal complexity from the hops, plus a smack of golden syrup as it warms. I fall to my knees in thanks to the lager gods that it's not nettley or otherwise unpleasantly Germanic. I'm not sure it's especially British either, nor yet is it generic world lager. While comfortingly familiar, I can't really place where I've tasted something like this before. Maybe I just don't drink enough lager.
Anyway, Meantime's dry yet thirst-quenching London Lager gets a thumbs up from me.
What is the best temperature to drink lager at? Particularly a fancy lager like this. too cold and I don't taste anything but warm lager seems to be against the point.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10C does me.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you find unpleasant about German lager?
ReplyDeleteBeerBirraBier.
And when did I stop beating my wife?
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with German lager mostly. However, there's a particular noble hop flavour profile -- found in German and non-German German-style beers -- that I just can't stand. As I say, it tastes horridly nettle-like to me, sometimes with burnt rubber and disinfectant too. But it's just a personal taste thing. Other people drinking the same beers have found them perfectly palatable.
How much did you pay for this ? It's on sale in Sainsburys for £2.50 or so for a 330ml bottle which seems very expensive to me for a Meantime beer...
ReplyDeleteTBN,
ReplyDeleteI think I know exactly what you mean on the Germanic hop unpleasantness thing, especially the disinfectant - the Harpoon "Bohemian" Pilsner is hopped with Tettnang and has a harshness bite to it which makes it entirely unpalatable.
On the Meantime, I keep hoping to see London Lager somewhere over here as I would love to try it. If I remember rightly it is hopped with Goldings rather than any of the German/Czech noble hops.
MD, it was a €2.20 basket-filler in DrinkStore.
ReplyDeleteTBN - whilst in London last month I tried Meantime's Pacific Pale - have you had that yet? If not, I do recommend. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNot come across it yet, Leigh.
ReplyDelete