Judge’s Review: 84 Rating – A Song of Rice and Fire by Urban South Brewery

American Light Lager | Limited Release | United States

By John C. Tull

Judges Rating: 84
Aroma: 21
Appearance: 4
Flavor: 34
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 17

A Song of Rice and Fire by Urban South Brewery was judged as Specialty: Experimental Beer (34C BJCP 2021), but considered a Pre-Prohibition Lager (27). The aroma is mildly grainy with a touch of sulfur and a grassy hop aroma. The color is pale straw with a slight haze and no head. There is a significant rice adjunct flavor with little or no grain flavor. Hops are pronounced with some grassy and piney notes. The hop flavor lingers quite a while on the back of the palate with a mildly minty and herbal character. The mouthfeel is medium light with a touch of carbonic astringency. Overall, this is a hop-focused alternative-grain lager with a significant (100%?) adjunct component, but not a lot of fanfare. Despite that, it would make a great beer for sunny day with hot-weather activities, particularly if you would like a lager with some hop flavor to shake things up a little from your typical macro lager.