Dear friends, I know what you’re asking. What exactly is Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Lager? I was wondering the same, until the bottle caught my eye. The big “19” in retro style lettering on the label along with the ribbed bottle neck helped with that. A best by date of May 27^th, 2013 is screen printed on the bottle; the label proclaims this as “Banned. Defiantly Bold Beer”.

The “banned” part seems a bit disingenuous, since in 1919 (symbolized by the 19 in the name), the year Prohibition became the law of the land, almost all beer (and almost all alcohol) was banned.  The Batch 19 website also seems to imply that this beer was banned for some reason that is no doubt intended to impart a mystique about it. Still, they hedge their bets and add the following:

In 1919, beer was banned. Barrels were broken. Breweries went belly up. Drinking a beer became an act of protest against those in power. Each toast was a citizen's demand to enjoy life's simple pleasures. When beer became legal again 14 years later, it was never the same. That is, until a few years ago when we discovered an old beer recipe in the basement archives of the brewery dating back before Prohibition. Batch 19™ is inspired by the last batches of beer brewed before 1919.

Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition lager is a Coors product, or more properly a Miller Coors South African Breweries product. The website does not say anything about the malts or adjuncts used, but they do say that Herrsbrucker and Strisselspalt hops are ingredients. The beer has 26 IBUs and an alcohol content at 5.5% by volume.

Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Lager pours to a hearty golden color with a moderate head of tightly packed foam and an enticing sweet malty nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a decided sweet malty character up front that’s certainly more robust than your average American megabrewed lager. Is that a bit of corn adjunct I’m getting towards the finish? Tastes like it. Some grassy, herbal, and slightly bitter hops balance the beer out in the finish, though I think I’d like more, especially in the aroma area.

I was pleasantly surprised by Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition lager. It has more malt than I was expecting, good body, and a light balancing hop bitterness. To be frank, I’d likely pick up a six-pack of Samuel Adams Boston lager before this one, but I think Batch 19 is still a decent entry level beer for budding craft drinkers and fairly priced at $7.49 a six-pack. I would not be averse to picking it up again.

A noble experiment, and a step in the right direction.

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