Beer of the Weekend #362: Shift Pale Lager
Tonight will apparently be an all-lager night since the beer of the weekend is Shift Pale Lager, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.
It has been on the warm side so I do not mind. Plus, I have been riding my bike a lot lately so the label art is a fitting match for my recent transportation choice.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. The freshness date printed on the bottom of the can is “07 OCT 12.”
Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is straw leaning to gold. Two fingers of dense-ish, off-white head dissipated to leave trails of foam along the glass, a rocky lacing, and a buttery ring around the edge.
Smell: Very reminiscent of a lighter pale ale; grapefruit/orange/lemon hop citrus offers an invigorating kick to what I expected to be a straightforward lager. As the beer warms, the citrus fades (a little) and light grains try to shoulder in. Caramel makes it itself known but otherwise all I smell is the citrus.
Taste: Though on the light side, the mouthfeel is smooth and a little creamy; it goes down easy — a big plus, as always. The hop citrus is evident: grapefruit and a little lemon, orange, and perhaps tangerine. It has a substantial hop bite for a lager, which I really like; it truly is a “shift” in a different direction. Beside the bitterness and citrus, the malts offer a light caramel and light toasted flavor. Otherwise, the malts give the beer a nice body.
Drinkability: This is lager for hopheads. I am impressed. At first I was miffed about the price but now think it is partly justified.
Fun facts about SPL (and I do not mean the Scottish Premier League):
-Style: BA classifies it as “American Pale Lager.” Here is the BA description:
Frankly, that is the complete opposite of what SPL is.
-Price: $8.99/4-pack at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, Italian cuisine, earthy cheeses, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish.
-IBU: 29.
-Calories: 134. Yes, sometimes it is easy to forget beer has calories.
-Here is some nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
-Shift is part of New Belgium’s “Explorer” series, which also includes Ranger IPA — hence the IPA inspired characteristics.
-Written on the top shoulder of the can is “YOU’LL WANT ONE” on one side and “WHEN YOUR WORK IS DONE” on the other. I especially like how they can be read in either order. Very clever.
-As I have mentioned in the past, canned microbrews are all the rage right now. Everyone seems to think it is so much better for the environment, but I am unconvinced. According to my BeerAdvocate magazine, the “shift” to canned micros is mostly due to improvements in canning equipment; small brewers are now able to buy smaller units for cheaper. Personally, I think it is a gyp and cost saving measure akin to the proverbial “one less olive per jar.” Most canned micros come in 16-ounce cans and are packaged in four-packs, which offer eight fewer ounces of beer than a sixer of 12-ounce cans or bottles — for the same price. I will have to check into that, but that is my impression.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
It has been on the warm side so I do not mind. Plus, I have been riding my bike a lot lately so the label art is a fitting match for my recent transportation choice.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. The freshness date printed on the bottom of the can is “07 OCT 12.”
Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is straw leaning to gold. Two fingers of dense-ish, off-white head dissipated to leave trails of foam along the glass, a rocky lacing, and a buttery ring around the edge.
Smell: Very reminiscent of a lighter pale ale; grapefruit/orange/lemon hop citrus offers an invigorating kick to what I expected to be a straightforward lager. As the beer warms, the citrus fades (a little) and light grains try to shoulder in. Caramel makes it itself known but otherwise all I smell is the citrus.
Taste: Though on the light side, the mouthfeel is smooth and a little creamy; it goes down easy — a big plus, as always. The hop citrus is evident: grapefruit and a little lemon, orange, and perhaps tangerine. It has a substantial hop bite for a lager, which I really like; it truly is a “shift” in a different direction. Beside the bitterness and citrus, the malts offer a light caramel and light toasted flavor. Otherwise, the malts give the beer a nice body.
Drinkability: This is lager for hopheads. I am impressed. At first I was miffed about the price but now think it is partly justified.
Fun facts about SPL (and I do not mean the Scottish Premier League):
-Style: BA classifies it as “American Pale Lager.” Here is the BA description:
Sometimes referred to as "all-malt," this category of beer refers to lagers brewed without cereal adjuncts (mainly rice or corn). Though often still yellow and fizzy, these beers will display a broader depth of malt flavor and a more complex bitterness vs. their adjunct counterparts.
Frankly, that is the complete opposite of what SPL is.
-Price: $8.99/4-pack at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, Italian cuisine, earthy cheeses, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish.
-IBU: 29.
-Calories: 134. Yes, sometimes it is easy to forget beer has calories.
-Here is some nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
New Belgium employee-owners work in shifts to brew to life world-class beers. Those efforts are rewarded daily with a shared end-of-shift beer. We’re passing that welcomed occasion onto consumers in this lightly-hopped Shift Pale Lager. From work to play, from bottle to can, from bold and heavy to refreshing and sessionable; Shift salutes the shift in occasion, package and beer. So, go ahead and get your Shift beer, you’ve earned it!
-Shift is part of New Belgium’s “Explorer” series, which also includes Ranger IPA — hence the IPA inspired characteristics.
-Written on the top shoulder of the can is “YOU’LL WANT ONE” on one side and “WHEN YOUR WORK IS DONE” on the other. I especially like how they can be read in either order. Very clever.
-As I have mentioned in the past, canned microbrews are all the rage right now. Everyone seems to think it is so much better for the environment, but I am unconvinced. According to my BeerAdvocate magazine, the “shift” to canned micros is mostly due to improvements in canning equipment; small brewers are now able to buy smaller units for cheaper. Personally, I think it is a gyp and cost saving measure akin to the proverbial “one less olive per jar.” Most canned micros come in 16-ounce cans and are packaged in four-packs, which offer eight fewer ounces of beer than a sixer of 12-ounce cans or bottles — for the same price. I will have to check into that, but that is my impression.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
