Thursday, April 9, 2020

Empyrean Brewing Good Life Lager

It's been a while since I've had one of Empyrean's beers, probably the Summerfest that I had at the 2019 Zoofest, but before I get to this offering, a quick reminder of the difference between lagers and ales.

Most craft beers that you will encounter, especially in small batch breweries, are ales. Ales are brewed using top-fermenting yeasts and are fermented at relatively high temperatures, generally 55˚ - 77˚ F.The heat releases the various flavors hidden within the malts and hops. An ale might taste like dark fruit, or coffee, without having any added flavorings. A lager is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeasts at lower temps, 40˚ - 52˚ F. Lagers (which include pilseners and bocks) tend to be clearer, as opposed to the cloudiness of unfiltered ales. They often are described as having a crisp, clean taste. Most of the major breweries' (Budweiser, Miller, Coors) main products are lagers. In addition to the cooler fermenting temperatures, lager, after fermentation are stored in a cool environment (lagering). This process isn't real convenient for small brewers, who cannot afford to tie up their equipment while their beer lagers.

Good Life Lager is a tip of the hat to Nebraska being known as "The Cornhusker State", and is brewed with corn. This isn't as unique as one might think. Most mass distribution lagers are in fact brewed with some corn, in addition to barley, which is typical the main grain used. Corn has the effect of lightening the beer, both in appearance and taste. It also tends to sweeten the finished product. Good Life is indeed slightly sweet and pours a transparent golden hue. There's a subtle creaminess. It packs a respectable 7+% ABV and the bitterness clocks in at 24...so not too hoppy. Even though it's not overflowing with competing flavor profiles, there's enough complexity to make this not a guzzle-it beer or something to "wash down" your food. It's a taste experience all its own.






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