Judge’s Review: 83 Rating – Sunday Gold Lager by Flying Lion Brewing

American Lager | Seasonal | USA

By Brian Eichhorn

Judges Rating: 83
Aroma: 20
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 34
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 16

Sunday Gold Lager by Flying Lion Brewing was judged as an American Lager (Style 1B per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines), but it’s a bit too characterful for that style. It feels closer to a pre-prohibition lager in some ways, though all malt.
Pours a deep gold with a persistent ring of white bubbles. Fair amount of haze here, though still translucent. The nose shows some funky and rustic hop notes, with a woodsy cannabis quality, along with gooseberry and currant. A touch catty even. Perhaps through the usage of Cluster hops?
The malt is somewhat bready in the nose but ultimately dominated by the hop aroma. Earthy and distinct. There’s not a ton of lager character in this one up front, as it’s a bit heady. On tasting, rich bready malt drives the ship, followed by some black currant into the finish and a grape note. Earthy and woody through and through. This could use some more carbonation to really help the crispness, as it’s drinking a bit like a golden ale, more so than a pale lager. The mouthfeel is pretty filling as well for an American lager.
Ultimately, far too characterful for a modern take on an American lager, but I could see this seeming similar to some pre-prohibition type beers. Super interesting, but not what I expect from a lager really. A bit too sticky with too much hop flavor and body.