Beer of the Weekend #1,015: Rhinelander Lager

It is not every day that I find a six-pack for $4.99. Usually, I would be intrigued but not enough to buy it. However, yesterday I found a sixer of Rhinelander Lager, brewed by the Rhinelander Brewing Company of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, at Gary’s for $4.99 and decided to take a chance.

Serving type: 12-ounce can. There is no freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is dark honey amber. A finger of bubbly, buttery head leaves a skim and collar.

Smell: Robust for a lager—or at last the lager I was expecting, which was pale pilsner. There are scents of caramel, cocoa, and cherry licorice. It also has a light smoky character. This is interesting stuff.

Taste: It’s tasty! It mostly mirrors the aroma with caramel, cocoa powder, cherry licorice, honey, and a light smokiness. It is not what I was expecting, and not what others on BeerAdvocate describe (which might be why it was $4.99).

Fun facts about Rhinelander Lager:

• Style: I have no clue. It is classified on BA as American adjunct, but this is not American adjunct. This is more like an amber or Vienna lager.

• Price: $4.99 for a sixer at Gary’s in Mount Vernon.

• Alcohol content: 5% ABV.

• Other reviewers on BA describe the appearance as “clear yellpw color [sic]” and “Super light straw yellow, think Natural Light levels of water here.” That is not what I am drinking. The last written review on BA is from 2020, so perhaps the recipe has changed. That or there was a mistake on the canning line, though I can’t find a beer in the Rhinelander lineup that fits this. I will be in Wisconsin this summer, so I might grab another sixer of Rhinelander to compare.

• Rhinelander brewes Hammer Rebel Lager, which I have seen around but have avoided.

• I planned to buy a Mexican beer for Cinco de Mayo while at the store yesterday. I was hoping Gary’s had cans of Modelo Especial or Pacifico, but there were only bottles. I don’t want to deal with bottles, so I bought this sixer of Rhinelander instead.

• Though the Rhinelander brewery is located in Rhinelander, the location printed on the can is Monroe, Wisconsin.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.