Eastside Dark Lager

Lakefront Brewery Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
Eastside Dark Lager

Milwaukee is a brewing capital, so a high bar is set. I hate to give a beer unfair expectations, but there you go.

While the beer doesn’t seem to allow light to pass through, it’s not an opaque beer; it lacks the creaminess and still shines a cola-black, with a deep plum hue that shows caramel brown around the edges.
There is no real head to speak of, but I imagine it will leave rings on the way down. There are faint notes of mocha and a powdery chocolate odor. The coffee notes on the nose are very clean and lack the heavy, often overly sweet notes that accompany some dark lagers. The smoke is mild and is coupled with a wet-twig aroma that is more rainy day than damp, rotting wood.
The first sip is very clean with a full mouthfeel. The chocolate notes are as mild on the tongue as they are on the nose and are coupled with a slightly chewy raisin middle that finishes with a really nice sharp hop kick that comes through with just a little bit of sweetness. The finish is exceptionally clean.