Half Acre Lager Town

Brewed by Half Acre Beer Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Stein

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draft, really clean and crisp, slightly earthy and toasted character, wish I would have had this before hunter, but it was an excellent vienna type lager.

5 ounce taster at the Half Acre tap room. I normally don’t like Oktoberfests, but this one pleased me. It was a rosy golden color, no head and no lacing. Aroma was hops and malts. Taste had a certain I don’t know what...salami? And I hadn’t consumed salami prior to trying it, in case you’re wondering. Also in there was cereal, subdued grain, hops and a very mild dose of sweetness. I liked the hop presence that balanced out the sweetness with some bitterness. Medium bodied and minimal carbonation. In all, a very nice lager from an ale-centric brewer.

Draft at Half Acre. Pours a deep near amber with an offwhite head. The nose is pretty clean. Spicy and grainy for sure, some herbal and grassy hops come through as well. A touch of sourdough in the nose as well. On tasting, crisp, medium-high bitterness. Robust rye note, grainy and fruity. Clean and earthy, pretty interesting overall and worth trying.

This poured a somewhat hazy orange color with a beige head. Aroma was mainly light caramel and pale malt, light hops too. Flavor was nice blaance between grassy hops and semi sweet malt. A good example of the style.

tap at maria’s. notes of rusty doughy earth, touch of carmalized sugar, walnuts, and some pleasant grassy bitterness for balance. nice.

Clean malt aromas with a hint of toast. Maybe a touch of esters, but it could be my imagination. The small head quickly recedes to the sidelines revealing a dark, burnt orange beer underneath. Malt dominates for sure, but it has more hop character than I am used to for the style. This one starts out sweet and cuddly but gradually matures to a dry and pleasing end like a relationship between two old friends. A welcome change to some of the more cloying Oktoberfests from many American craft brewers. Full bodied with moderate carbonation, this well balanced Oktoberfest is very comforting on a wet, cold day.

64 oz growler purchased at the brewery (Chicago, IL) on Saturday. Opened for Halloween. Pours a rich glowing copper hue, reddish orange glow and edges with touches of haze, crisp brownish darkness in parts. Big cakey tannish brown head cakes and laces well. Aromas are crisp toffee, toast, and biscuits. Munich malts, a touch of nuttiness, more dry toast, and floral and earthy hops with just a touch of spice. Initial is lighter end of medium bodied, offering biscuits and toast up front, bread, a touch of nuttiness moving into caramel and toffee sweetness touches dancing. Dry toast with some mellow sweetness, moving into a dry floral and earthy hop finish of a decent bitterness. Some faint spice, with good flavors and drinkability. Sufficient dryness with touches of sweetness dancing and giving it just a touch of body. Finish shows some more munich, dry and lightly sweet malts, decent hopping, touches of spicy bread yeast. Pretty nice fall drinker, smooth lager with good flavors yet a nice drinkability. Fresh, inviting. Pretty nice lager by the guys at Half Acre.. But it’s no Zucker! Gorgeous beer is gorgeous though.

Multiple pours during the Half Acre Saturday tour. Great session brew. Poured dark amber hue with a moderate off-white head that diminshed slowly with good lacing. Roasted sweet aroma. Medium body. Good well balanced flavor with a dry smooth long finish.

64 oz. growler from the Half Acre tap room. Pours a deep reddish orange with a medium eggshell colored head. Aroma of caramel, nuts, some bready and crackery malts. Flavor is bold for a marzen. Nice and crisp. Strong malty presence, and a fair amount of bitterness keeping the sweetness at bay. Very full-bodied. Finishes on a leafy-hop note. This is a very nice Marzen. It’s definitely outside Half Acre’s comfort zone but they did a good job with it.