Lancaster Amish Four Grain Ale

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

Pours light copper, not too much head. Aroma is light but pleasant, mouthfeel is weak. Flavor is off or perhaps there's just...there's just not enough of it.

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

Right down the line this was pretty average. There was a nice ruby coloring to it and a thick head. The aroma, although a bit on the weak side, had hints of malt, rye, orange and a bit of nutmeg. The taste was fair enough with hints of the four grains coming through.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Now..., this is interesting. And makes a strong case for letting a beer warm up some out of the firdge before passing too harsh of a judgment, me'thinks.

What keeps this beer -- which still has some issues, please don't mistake me -- from getting much worse marks from me? I think what saves this beer's bacon (bacon beer? yuk!) is the rye used in the malt bill. Enough of the difficult-to-use grain shows up in the mix to actually make a statement -- without being too spicey and "sticky" and syrupy.

But that having been said, what's the story with the rest of the beer? The remaining three grains, and the hop bill? Not quite as interesting, IMHO. Not really "bad", per se, but just not all that appealing, at any temperature.

From the looks of the beer (all too becalmed for my liking, nill lacing), there's not much going on. Ditto for the aroma, or lack thereof. What little nose this beer does have, doesn't really appeal to me much. Kinda "past-prime citrus fruits left in a bowl in a warm room all day long", if you ask me.

Tastes okay enough, I guess. The same "moldy tangerine" aroma shows up in the flavor profile too. And the with the drinkability suffering from the slight cloyingness, only the mouthfeel (from the rye) really keeps this beer afloat in my mind.

My first impression of the Lancaster Brewing Company -- and not a very interesting debut IMO. I've had worse, but there's very little about this beer that did much of anything for me...

Music: Vintersorg's "Hedniskhjartad".
//TB

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Bottle 04.22.04. Standard amber color; smallish beige head is lasting with good lace. Nicely layered malts in aroma and flavor - toasted wheat bread, apricot, chestnut, light caramel notes. Lively and refreshing, not too bitter, but not all malt. Well balanced, tasty, fruit-juicy.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 5

Living on the edge of Amish country, I had high hopes for this beer. The Amish are an old culture, with origins in Germany, so they must know a thing or two about beer, right? Well, it came out of the bottle looking good, slightly cloudy with some sediment in the bottom. Pour it though, and the head almost leaps out of the glass, just out-of-control. This was one of the most highly carbonated beverages I've had of any kind. The hops are fruity, and as strong as the kick of a plow horse. Some sour notes in there too, manure maybe? Mouth feel is thin and sharp. Overall rather harsh, too hardcore for my taste. Now that I think about it, the Amish don't drink alcohol. This beer may be why.

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

Poured a nice dark amber color with a satisfactory head. The aroma was an interesting mix between rye and wheat more than anything. The flavor was pretty neat, as the barley, rye, and wheat were all detectable. Finished with a malty bitterness that was enjoyable, but I didn't think the bitterness was due to much hops.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Beer poured deep copper/amber color with big foamy head that dissipated within a few minutes. At first taste, I wondered where the hops were, but the hops hit you at the end (and increase as the beer warms). Before the hops hit you, though, the beer is remarkably smooth. I wish the taste was a little fuller, but overall, this is a good beer that I would buy again.

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

Poured with huge head. Had to take a few tries to get it into the glass. Nice clear amber and orange. Aroma of orange peels and some nutmeg. The taste is grapefruit and light toast. There is also a slightly spicy finish. Very smooth and light.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

Tan color with a big white head. Nice sweet hoppy taste thats somehow also sour. Not sure what’s up with that and I wish I could put my finger on what that taste is. Tastes a bit like cardboard.

Aroma: 0 | Appearance: 0 | Mouthfeel: 0 | Flavor: 0 | Overall: 0

Four Grain is made of barley, wheat, rye, and oats. Very thin tasting with very little flavor. Not one to try at the brewery.