Brewview#22: Lockport Lager by New York Beer Project

Well guys, it’s been a while. But alas, here we are another day, another Brewview! This one comes from our friends at New York Beer Project, the Lockport Lager. The Lockport Lager is known to be one of the flagship beers of New York Beer Project. Which I had the pleasure of grabbing a crowler of while visiting with my good friend Brian. Before concluding our trip at the brewery I was able to enjoy a pint of Hawaiian Destiation Tropical IPA and What The Puck?!, a Scottish Ale. Both of which were very delicious and if time was not a factor I am sure we would’ve been there for a lot longer. So that brings us to the present, the Lockport Lager. Before I start my bit on what I am anticipating to be a delicious and refreshing lager, let’s see what New York Beer Project says.Coming straight from their website:

“Lagers were first brewed in America by immigrants lonely and thirsty for their German and European style lagers. Undeterred, they set about to create them in the United States. Fast forward to now, and the time has come to once again celebrate this historic beer style brewed as a love letter to the deep and rich history of diversity, strength, hope and courage. Cheers.”

Not too much of a flavor introduction, but more a statement of genealogy. I myself am a fan of lagers so I am very excited for what is to come!

The Beer: Lockport Lager by New York Beer Project

ABV: 4.9% IBU: 30

Hop Profile: Czech Saaz

Hersbrucker

Malt Profile: Unable to find at this time. But I am optimistic that we will still have a great time.

Boom! Let’s do this!

Can to Glass

With the Lockport Lager being a Czech style Pilsner there is one very important component of this beer that should never be over looked nor underestimated. And that is the head of the beer! Just from the first pour into my glass this beer started off with a bang. Can’t do much better than a 3 finger width head. Right away I am very impressed. Before I go on, I feel I must interject and say one of my first beer memories is of the Pilsner Urquell which I obtained from my brother Justin. For those of you who don’t know this is known to be the first pilsner brewed in 1842. With that being said the Lockport Lager has a lot to live up to, I am quite sure I will not be disappointed. But let’s move on. As I said the head was magnificent and was accompanied by some very arousing aromas. Not too aggressive but strong enough to let the drinker know they are diving into a well brewed pilsner. My reason for saying that is the aromas I picked up on are, I feel, quintessential for a pilsner. Those aromas being floral and spicy. Both of which are easily connected to the Czech Saaz and Hersbrucker hops. Not too difficult to figure out when you only have two hops, but sometimes it’s the simplicity that paves the way for perfection. One last thing before we move onto enjoying the beer, what does it look like? A perfect golden straw color, another quintessential characteristic of a pilsner. I think it’s quite obvious, the brewers at New York Beer Project are on the top of it.

Enjoyment Phase

What does it taste like? From a non educated view point this beer is crisp and refreshing, one I would pick up again. But we shouldn’t stop there, there is a lot more to enjoy while drinking this beer. First sip I am tasting a strong bread and malty sweetness. Before long that changed and I was hit with delicious floral and spice flavors. Compliments of the Czech Saaz and Hersbrucker hops. Both of which have a considerably low alpha acid percentage, so the bitterness on this beer is minimal at best (Czech Saaz 3-4.5% and Hersbrucker 2-5%). Instead I am getting a crisp dry finish. In all honesty I am unsure whether or not to consider bitterness a factor at all. Looking at the IBU rating of 30, I think it is quite obvious why this is the case. Me personally, I do enjoy a strong bitter finish, but the finish on the Lockport Lager I find to be perfect for the 80 degree weather Buffalo experienced today.

I’m going to do something a little different here, so please bear with me. I’m confident you remember while reading the beer profile that I was unable to find the malts used in the brewing process. I am going to take a leap of faith and tap into my beer knowledge in hopes of making some malt predictions. To be honest, it is not that hard, especially with this being a Czech Pilsner. First guess is German Pilsner malt and second Vienna malt. I have seen both used in previous pilsners I have enjoyed. I am that’s why I am noticing similarities in the flavor of the Lockport Lager. Though these beers do taste similar, I do notice different aspects of each that make it unique.

Conclusion

I am not at all surprised with how delicious this beer is. I’ve heard so many good things about New York Beer Project and now I have experienced them for myself. It was a great time going to the brewery with Brian and I am very happy I got to bring some beer home with me. What are my final thought’s on the Lockport Lager? It’s difficult because I feel I’ve already hit every major note worthy point. So to sum it up, the Lockport Lager is a perfect representation of  a Czech Pilsner. From the pour right to the dry finish, every aspect is screaming Czech Pilsner. My rating for this beer is an easy 4.5/5. Excellent job New York Beer Project, I am sad to see the last drop in my glass. Though that does mean another trip is in order!

Thanks for reading guys, it’s been fun!

Cheers!