Aug 13, 2013

Hops and Grain The One They Call Zoe

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Hops & Grain Brewing pride themselves not only on making good craft beer, but also for their focus on sustainability. The brewery’s products, like this 5.2% ABV (18 IBU) pale lager The One They Call Zoe, don’t make it too far from their home state, but that doesn’t stop them from having a global impact. The brewery donates 1% of their annual revenue to local environmental organizations. I not only applaud them on their sustainability efforts, but also on their tasty brews.

The first of three beers sent my way via a PR company representing the brewery is The One They Call Zoe. The beer not only has an intriguing name, but also delivers great flavor as well. With a balanced backbone of pale and Vienna malts, the beer drinks smoothly as hints of floral hop notes tingle the senses. It’s a beer that goes down easy and carries great flavor to boot.

Appearance

Zoe pours a clear, light amber in color with a relatively short-lived cap of white foam.

Aroma

Overall, the nose is rather subtle with hints of cracker, light toast, grain and a distant hop character.

Taste

The aroma may have been on the light side, but the balanced flavor is right where it should be. Chewy, bready malts with a light toast arrive first with a fresh lager yeast character. A complimentary hop note takes care of the backend with light citrus and a leafy presence. The medium bodied brew has good carbonation and a drying finish.

Overall

I really liked this beer. It’s got a solid balance and transitions smoothly from malt to hop as you make your way through it. The One They Call Zoe has good flavor and isn’t going to completely destroy you if you decide to have more than a couple. It might be a bit too drying for my own liking, but otherwise, it’s a darn good brew.

Rating: 3.75/5

This is a review of a promotional sample from the brewery.

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