Jan 24, 2019

Escutcheon Brewing Agonic Line Lager

I like a good lager, especially a Vienna-style lager. And, if Escutchon Brewing has done anything in my experiences with them, it’s fully educate me on their keen ability to craft an excellent lager. Agonic Line is a 5% ABV (22 IBU) example of a Vienna-style lager and it is darn good — dare I say, even, yummy.

A stable combination of Pilsner, Vienna and Munich malts provide a solid backbone of caramel, cereal grains, bready notes and a light sweetness. There’s an earthy, rustic character coming through as well that I particularly enjoy. Hallertauer and Tettnanger hop varieties provide a refreshing and soft bite of bitterness that tingles playfully before fading slowly into the lasting and lightly drying finish.

The medium-bodied Agonic Line is lightly chewy and moreish as each sip begs for another. I’ve come across examples of this style that are too sweet or too hoppy (as is often the American brewers’ way), but this one from Escutchen is darn good with a great, easy drinking nature.

It’s one of those beers that you just want to hang out with, chatting with friends or, perhaps, simply staring wistfully off into the distance, thoughts of Spring welling in the back of your head while snow falls outside the windows.