Victory Brewing Home Grown New American Lager
I’m a big fan of lagers, as well as hoppy IPAs that employ whole-cone (or whole-flower, if you will) hops in their golden depths. So,
it should come to reason that I’d thoroughly enjoy Victory Brewing’s latest year-round offering, Home Grown New American Lager. And I do.
Brewed with six American grown varieties — Azacca, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, and Mosaic — the 4.8% ABV lager packs in a good amount of hop aroma and flavor. So much so, that if it were a bit more biting in terms of bitterness, I’d be hard pressed not to call this an IPL (India Pale Lager). But the wonderfully balanced backend of cereal, grain and bread help keep those whole-flower hops in check.
As a result, Home Grown New American Lager fits into the high hop aroma, low hop bite realm of modern beers. The smell of this one is packed with lemony citrus, soft pine, grapefruit and fresh grass clippings. The flavor of the lager is full of just the same, but without a biting level of bitterness — a smooth tingle playfully teases the palate as everything wraps up in the long lasting finish.
I can imagine a couple of empty bottles of this tasty lager sitting on the back deck next to a half full glass of the pale straw brew. It’s an ideal option for those last days of Summer picnics. The hop flavors refresh nicely, reminding you of the waning warm months while the light maltiness of the cereal grains and bread speak toward the coming Autumn.
This is a review of a promotional sample.