Sunday Night Suds - Leinenkugel Red

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Leinenkugel Red Lager - one of the four beers in their Autumn Sampler Pack.

I am generally leery of beers which are named after colors. This is largely an outgrowth of a bad experience with Laker Red (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2008/08/sunday-night-suds-laker-red.html) another beer which was simply named "Red." I initially thought the Laker Red was "OK" is served coled enough, but I soon learned that even when cold, it was less than passable fare.

The Leinenkugel label states that the the Red Lager is a Vienna style lager. The Leinenkugel website indicates that the Red Lager won awards in 1998 and 2002 in the Vienna Style Lager category. Having only reviewed a Vienna style lager once before (excellent Saranac Winter Lager - reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2010/02/sunday-night-suds-saranac-winter-lager.html) I thought it appropriate to once again define the style. As explained by the folks at BA:

Named after the city in which it orginated, a traditional Vienna lager is brewed using a three step decoction boiling process. Munich, Pilsner, Vienna toasted and dextrin malts are used, as well wheat in some cases. Subtle hops, crisp, with residual sweetness.

Although German in origin and rare these days, some classic examples come from Mexico, such as: Dos Equis and Negra Modelo. A result of late 19th century immigrant brewers from Austria.

The Red Lager was an easy drinking beer, with very little foam on the pour and a minimal amount of carbonation. There is some caramel in the first part of the sip, but the flavor is light and almost watery. I tried the Red Lager tonight with wings and it was not really up to the challenge. I would recommend this beer to those who are looking for something a small step up from a macrolager, but not too heavy on taste.

Leinenkugel Red Lager is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, although the product currently in the marketplace does not yet have an OU on the label. If you would like a copy of the LOC please contact me via email.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Leinenkugel Red Lager, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/2355.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

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