Go ahead and say it. I know you’re going to. Devil’s Backbone sold out to Anheuser-Busch, and that’s the end of them for me. All well and good, says I, but I’ll emphatically add that that’s not the end of them for me. I’ve expounded on this theme ad nauseam, but beer is a business. The people that found breweries are business people, and when confronted with a huge payday for selling their brand, it seems to me to be selfish of us to expect them not to just to satisfy our quaint notions of small independent brewers. Not that there is anything wrong with small independent brewers. After all, I drink more of their beer than anything else. I won’t stop drinking good beers just because the brewery gets bought out by the Megabrewers.

Make no mistake, Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager is good beer. Great beer, even. I have an affinity for this style, especially a well-done version like this one. A full year from the date that Devil’s Backbone was sold to Anheuser-Busch, quality has not suffered if this beer is any barometer. Sitting at the bar at Taco Mac, I thought I had had Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager before, but I hadn’t. Indeed, it may be thanks to AB that I can now enjoy it here in Georgia. I’ve seen it at the growler shop and in six-packs, too. Anyway, I ordered up a mug and was in malt heaven.

From the website:

With its amber chestnut colored good looks and smooth malty finish, Vienna Lager was an obvious choice to put into package. It blends color and flavor without heaviness or bitterness. Just as Vienna Lagers historically inspired Munich’s Oktoberfest beers to evolve, this amber lager has evolved since we opened in 2008 into the award winning beer it is today. Experience the taste and tradition. Mild, Toasted, Caramel.

Ingredients, also from the website:

Hops: Northern Brewer, Saaz

Malts: Vienna, Pilsner, Dark Munich, Caraamber

Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager has an alcohol content of 5.2% by volume with 18 IBUs. I paid $6 for a 20-ounce mug at Taco Mac, then went out and bought a six-pack in bottles for $9.99.

Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager pours to a beautiful ruby-amber color with a medium-sized head of foam and a heady nose bursting with fresh toasty nutty melanoidin laden tasty nutty Munich malt. In the palate, those nutty-toasty caramel notes simply explode on the tongue, like chewing fresh Munich and caramel malt. All that malt is nicely balanced with gentle grassy hops.

I just love this beer, in an increasingly hop-driven beer market, it’s a refreshing breath of fresh malty air. It reminds me of another southern Vienna Lager I am very fond of but can’t buy in Georgia, Red Oak Amber Lager. I think I like Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager even better. Try it for yourself, and see if you don’t love it too.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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