Jul 30, 2018

Brew Republic Patriot 212

There used to be a time when I could keep track of all of Virginia’s breweries on both hands (maybe a couple of toes, as well). Those days are long past and I’ve stopped trying to remember or visit each one for a few years now. Most of them are also small enough that they never ship product to shelves so encountering new Virginia beer isn’t really all that easy even given the increased number. Such is the case with Brew Republic Bierwerks.

I had never heard of the Woodbridge, VA brewery prior to stumbling across a bottle of their Patriot 212, a 5% ABV Helles-style lager brewed specifically to “…bridge the gap between those who drink industrial American pale lagers and the world of craft beer.” There are “gateway beers” that I’ve suggested to those in years past that wanted to dip their toes into micro-brews (yes, I’m that old), but I don’t believe that I’ve ever encountered one that was designed specifically to do just that. This is definitely a first.

So, does Patriot 212 actually do what it’s been brewed to do?

I guess. The hop bitterness is super low, gently tingling the palate as a solid malt backbone presents honey notes, grain, bread and a bit too much sweetness for my personal preferences. The medium bodied lager has a soft level of carbonation and carries everything to a lightly drying finish. The beer is okay and goes down pretty easy. It’s not great and it’s not bad, so I guess, in that sense, it could potentially perform as intended.