Judge’s Review: 94 Rating – Blackberry Smoke Lager by New Realm Brewing

American Lager | Year-Round | USA

By Scott Birdwell

Judges Rating: 94
Aroma: 23
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 38
Mouthfeel: 9
Overall Impression: 19

Blackberry Smoke Lager by New Realm Brewing was reviewed as a BJCP style 1B, American Lager, per the 2021 Guidelines.
For beer geeks, even those of us that quietly sneak a few of these from time to time, the expectations are not high for American Lagers. It’s hot and I want something to slake my thirst, right? OK, so you pour this beer into your favorite beer glass and it definitely looks the part: pale yellow hue with good clarity (all right, perhaps just a slight haze).
As you raise the glass to your mouth, you are greeted with a very pleasant cereal/grain aroma (as expected, but better), then just as the beer is about to hit your mouth, you detect actual hops in the bouquet. Wow! Where’s that coming from? I’m not talking Pilsner Urquell level. The hop bouquet is appropriate  for the style, but not often found in mainstream offerings. It’s inviting, to say the very least!
The flavor? Well, I’m here to tell you that this is a marvelously well-balanced thirst quencher. With probably a little more body than you typically encounter with an American lager, this is still not a European lager in American lager sheep’s clothing. The body, the malt/grain flavor, the hopping is all within the accepted bounds for this style of beer. It’s just that all these parameters have been pushed closer to the edge of those bounds.
Did I mention balance? Uh, yeah, I guess I did. But, I’m going to repeat it. The malt and grains keep the hops in check and vice versa. I should also mention the beer is squeaky clean. Somebody knows what they’re doing. The real test? The beer actually improves as it warms up! When most American lagers get above 45 degrees, they are deader than a flat armadillo. Not here. This American lager is, as Fred Eckhardt once put it to me, “Down to par!” A back-handed compliment, you say? We awarded that beer Best of Show at one of the country’s largest regional homebrew competitions. This one is perhaps better than “down to par,” and I would love to “down” one of these at a ballgame. Life is good!