Boomtown Lager

         

I always consider it a treat when I stumble across a new Vienna lager to try. It’s a treat in my mind because of all the world’s beer styles, the Vienna lager can be hard to find. Outside of the occasional north American craft beer, the only Vienna lagers you can find with regularity are the fairly industrial examples made by Mexican breweries. That kept me limited to beers like Negra Modelo and maybe three American examples.

Vienna lager traces its history to the very early 1840s when new technology allowed for more even roasting of malted barley. The new kilns used heated air to dry and roast the barley, rather than doing the same job over direct fire. Previously malted barley tended to be unevenly, or even overly roasted, resulting in beer being much darker than we’re used to by today’s standards. German brewers Anton Dreher and Gabriel Sedlmyer brought the new kilning technology over from Britain in 1841 for use in their own breweries.

Dreher first brought the Vienna lager to market in 1841 where it gained popularity until disappearing after WWI. It was Archduke Ferdinand who brought this new, medium colored lager to Mexico when he ruled there for three years as Emperor Maximilian I. It was Austrian immigrants to central America who revived the style, using local ingredients. Vienna lager quickly became popular in Mexico, eventually making its way across the border for American craft brewers to discover and help revitalize. Boomtown lager is a crystal clear, copper colored lager. It throws a decent sized, rocky, just off white head.

          Taking my first sniff, what I notice first is a malt forward presence. It’s sort of a combination of toasted white bread and caramel. This paves the way for what seems to be fruit esters. It reminds me somewhat of ripe berries, just present enough to lend support to what came before. Moving along, all of this fades quickly and quietly into the background. The aroma is overall pleasant in its subtlety. Too assertive and these aromas would only overpower the senses.

          On the tongue, Boomtown Lager boasts a smooth, rounded mouthfeel. Spritzy, pinpoint carbonation carries flavors of caramel and toasted bread easily across the tongue. Body builds towards a rounded center before dropping off into a finish that is crisp, dry, and slightly bitter. Flavors are straightforward but at the same time well balanced, and offering a lager that is refreshing in spite of its comparably assertive malt character.

          Overall, I feel like Boomtown Lager deserves a 7.4 out of 10. On the one hand, its flavors are maybe simple and straightforward. On the other hand, it’s a delicious and refreshing lager. At the end of the day, I could enjoy this beer for its rounded, refreshing qualities as well as for its overall flavor profile.