Certainly, many people enjoy beer. Though craft beer enthusiasts are only a small subset of the set of all people who enjoy beer, we do tend to be rather vocal with our sentiments, which only surprises me more that I don’t see more beer reviews.

Perhaps there is a fear of writing a proper beer review? Though I personally feel any review that puts forth one’s taste impressions of a brew and some observations about the beer in general is a proper one, I thought it might not be a bad idea to elaborate on some of the things I do when I consider a beer on its various merits and offer up a review of it.

Just the Facts, Ma’am
The beer I’m drinking tonight is Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery’s Eastside Dark. It’s a Bavarian-style dunkles lager brewed with Munich; chocolate, and black patent malt. Original gravity is slightly higher than average at 1060. See, you’re off to a good start by simply offering up some information on the beer and brewery. This information is easy enough to find, just check the bottle label, six-pack holder, or website. If all else fails, call the brewery! I have!

Now on to the beer itself. What can you tell us about the beer? I like to read personal experience stories, and I like to read beer facts and anecdotes. Still, I’m reading this review to see if I should buy the beer and try it. Tell me why I should or shouldn’t! The best way to do this is to describe the beer.

Color
Simple enough. What color is the beer in your glass? In this case, the Eastside Dark is deep mahogany.

Head Formation
What does it look like? Thin and bubbly? Thick and creamy? Tan colored, or white? How long does it last? Does it follow the beer down the glass? The Lakeside has a light and spritzy head formation that quickly subsides.

Nose
Stick your nose in that pint! Tell us what it smells like! I’m getting sweet, roasty malt from my beer tonight.

Palate
This is the flavor of the beer. What does it taste like? I’m getting chocolate, prune, coffee, roasted malt, hazelnut, and molasses here. You’d be surprised at the flavors you can pick up in beer if you only look for them.

Body
Is the beer thin like water or rich and creamy like a shake? Your beer has a texture to it. Eastside Dark’s is creamy and rich.

Finish
Is the beer sweet (this one is!)? Balanced? Bitter? Do you get floral notes from the hops? Grassy character? Grapefruit citric notes?

Style
OK, maybe you’re not an expert on beer styles, but maybe you’ve had other examples of a beer’s style. Compare them and let us know what you think. If you’re reviewing Beck’s, you’ve probably had a Heineken. How do they match up? Here, I’d say the Eastside is a very good German style dark lager. It’s not fruity, but it is rich in body and packed with wonderful malt sweetness.

Did I Like It?
A beer can be the best lambic in the world, but if you don’t like lambics, that won’t do you much good. Describe your personal reasons for liking or disliking the brew. A beer can strike out stylistically and still be a winner, after all.

Food and Beer
What foods would this go well with? Try a match-up and let us know what worked best for you. I like this one on it’s own, not sure what foods the sweetness would go well with, though I’m thinking it would be spectacular with warm Indian pudding and cold vanilla ice cream.

These are, of course, just suggestions. Add to them! Expand upon them! Most of all, write! I hope this helps, and look forward to seeing your beer reviews in the days to come.

Update June 21 2008: Some people are afraid of the dark. I’ve noticed that, in my many years as a beer drinker. Try as I might to entice them over to the dark side, they still won’t go near the stuff, and the few that do generally have to be dragged kicking and screaming. That should not be the case, though, because dark beers can often surprise you with a soft, creamy texture and a nutty chocolaty character.

Such is the case with Lakefront East Side Dark, an eminently accessible and very drinkable dark lager in the Munich Dunkels style from Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Lakefront Brewery. And really, I think it’s a classic example of why you should really live a little, try new beers and foods, and get out of that rut you might be stuck in.

After all, life is all about new ideas and experiences, and trying new things. How else will you know what you like? And an East Side Dark might just be the thing to try. Lakefront makes this very popular brew with three specialty dark malts to give its nutty, slightly chocolaty flavor and dark color. They don’t make the beer bitter, however, nor do the hops, which are used sparingly. Dark does not have to mean bitter in beer, after all.

Milwaukee, of course, and Wisconsin in general is home to lots of German-descended residents. It's no surprise, then, that Lakefront brews so many old-world styles, including Eastside Dark, a Pils, a "steinbier" (not made with hot rocks as in Bamberg, however), a pils...the list goes on.

Lakefront Eastside Dark pours to a bright mahogany brown color with a thick, creamy tan head formation and an inviting nutty malty nose. A thick layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of the glass as the liquid descends. The palate is wonderfully creamy with hints of chocolate, caramel and roasted nuts, with just enough balancing hops to make it a drinkable brew. As mentioned before, however, this is not at all an overly bitter brew.

I like this one well enough. It’s a highly drinkable Munich styled Dunkels that accents soft dark malt nicely, even if it does lack a bit of the soul of some of the better German versions. Still, a beer worthy of imbibing on a warm spring night. It’s also a great beer to introduce novices to the dark side.

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