Going Up the Country: House Lager by Jack's Abby

My initial encounter with the lagers of Jack's Abby was a bust but it was my own fault. I should have known better than to drink an India Pale something that wasn't brewed in the UK. While it says "Hoppy Lager" across the front of cans of Hoponius Union, I believe it is actually referred to as an India Pale Lager elsewhere on the label. That's what I get for going off script, for stepping out from my beer comfort zone and trying something new - a steinkrug full of disappointment and sorrow.

The hop flavors were strong in that beer with an entire taiga of sharp, bracing piney taste paired with an orchard's worth of tropical fruitiness to make a heady brew that I found quite disharmonious. It was as if that couple from those old Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercials were on my tongue but, rather than finding choco-peanut eudaimonia, they came to blows.

So I went back to basics and bought a 4-pack of Jack's House Lager, the brewery's self-proclaimed specialty. It is billed as a Helles Landbier with "Landbier" being German for "country beer". My understanding is that they're brewed to satisfy the brewer's predilictions and aren't about adhering to style guidelines. It is also my understanding that the term, as used in Germany, generally refers to beers made in rural areas and small towns, not large suburbs of major metropolitan areas. It's the stuff you find when you're out in the Podunkreich and stumble upon a rural hole in the wall where the the regulars don't speak English and just drink the Teutonic tonic on offer.

The only other domestic Landbier that I know of available here in the Madison area is Two Women from New Glarus, located in the small town of the same name which is nestled in the hills of southern Wisconsin. Both biers are pale lagers with an emphasis on malt instead of trying to kill you with hops.

Jack's House Lager is a lovely gold and quite clear yet the can notes that the beer is unfiltered. How'd they pull that off? Did they use some kind of esoteric brewing diablerie to clarify it? My pour produced a fairly small head of white foam that lasted an average amount of time. There was a goodly number of bubbles inside this aureate elixir. Despite the aroma being as expected, it was still a great pleasure to take a whiff and get a noseful of lightly toasted bread and dough. The Maillard is strong in this one! There was also a little grassy hoppiness.

I think I was salivating by this time, my whole body tightening just a bit in anticipation of that first sip. Oh, it was glorious! Maillardy malt goodness ran in torrents over my tongue with the flavors of fresh bread and toast leaving no tastebud untouched. A touch of honeyed sweetness lurked beneath all the bready tastes. Some peppery hops kept things balanced while a nice fizz kept the beer's body on the lighter side and provided some astringency.

For the finish, those malty/bready flavors slowly faded which allowed more of that peppery hop taste to come to the fore where they added moderate bitterness and firm dryness.

Ausgezichnet! I have Mayor Quimby's voice in my head right now saying, "This is a, uh, fine Landbier!" All these wonderful malt flavors, a fairly light body - this is easy drinking at its finest.

Junk food pairing: Jack's House Lager pairs well with Takis Nitro. These spicy taquito snacks bring the heat that satisfies and House Lager will put those flames out.