Headstrong Munich Lager

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Blue 473 ml tall can, with a buffalo head, same as bottle above (partner to the Headstrong Pale label). Small print - Product of USA, Big Hole Brewing Company, Lacrosse, WI, USA, 54601. I thought this was still from Wellington, but guess not. www.bigholebrewing.co (noted on side of can is not active). Pours golden brown color with decent looking white head. Foam shrinks quickly but does leave some lace. Sweet malty smell, a bit fruity. Sweet caramel malt, hardly any hoppiness to balance. Light in body and mouthfeel. Pretty average all around.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

Another Headstrong beer, but not as good as the pale ale. Not even in the same bal;lpark actually. This is a clear golden orange beer that has very little hop aroma, just grassy malt. The flavour has a bitter finish, but the dominant trait is still grass.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

UH...IT'S CRAP? Yup.
Dumped into my glass. Ended up with a nice clear light amber brew with a good sized light light tan cap, decent retention and good silty lacing. Man, the smell of this is pretty brutal especially on the initial pour. Warm, unclean, stinky and unappealing with mild malt! The taste was an odd mild fruit with a decent grainy malt backbone early on but that fades quickly, seems alcoholic with some weak watery mouthfeel and weak bitterness. This beer is ass at best.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

473ml can
5.5% ABV
Milton LCBO Outlet #1 (Milton, Ontario, Canada)
April 3, 2008

Can says it was brewed by the Big Hole Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, although the picture on the can matches the one on the website.

The beer smells putrid. The colour is a translucent dark orange-gold with a fluffy white head. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, with some mild carbonation. The flavour is slightly sweet, with a slight bitter finish.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

I dissagree with the other BeerPal's - I thought this beer was wonderful - but i am also not well versed in this style. Sweet aroma with some spicy accents, it poured a picturesque amber with white two-finger width head. Slightly carbonated it was certainly filling in the mouth. The flavour is very well balanced - big malts, tasty hops, and a satisfying combination. Very very drinkable and one I will have again.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Bottle: Poured a light yellow color lager with a big foamy head with average retention. Aroma of dry malt is quite accentuated with very little hop. Taste is also dominated by dry malt with some very subtle lingering sweetness. Body is slightly above average. Would have love a bit more floral aspect to the malt as well as some crisp hops. Overall this is an OK beer but I was expecting a bit more.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

Second beer to come out of Headstrong Brewing. Crafted date on side of label is on March 2006. Pours a golden-amber colour with a small head that dissipates quickly and leaves small amounts of lace. Average tiny bubble carbonation. Aroma of grainy malt with a touch of malt liquor alcohol. Watery mouthfeel that is mildly sticky. Crisp, with a slight dry finish. Mild bitterness throughout the taste with some maltiness. Slight buttery aftertaste. A better than average lager, but nothing to kill for.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

650 ml bomber: puts an amber-orange lager in the glass with a nice frothy 2 finger cap. Good lacing of the glass...moderately carbonated. The aroma is very promising...sweet caramel toasty bready tones over a light whisp of herbal mustiness. Up front the mouth feel is slick with chewy malts...lovely cara-munich sweetness becomes balanced by ample herbal hopping..these seem like Yakima valley nugget variety hops but milder without being too bitter...could be Kiwi hops...at any rate, it works and gives near perfect balance and a wet spicey finish that turns lightly metallic in the after taste...the 5.5 AVB seems to be just the ticket to make this a very satisfying lager. Far from being a Munich lager this beer has many characteristics with California common beer ...and has a flavor profile similar to Anchor steam...perhaps that is the niche/vacuum this hoppy, malty, spicey lager seeks to fill. Well made...lottsa big malts...bold use of hops...well balanced...tastey, and most of all very drinkable. A lager head's staple beer. I'll always have a couple in my fridge....I think this will be repalcing the spot I made for Anchor Steam..............................UPDATE: The more I drink this beer the better I like it. Tried it on tap today and the pint they poured me was either very fresh or unpasturized or both. Flavours more pronounced in the kegged version...deeper malt presense in the nose and palate,( you can taste the malt layering) North West hop bite is spicey and lingering in the finish.