Try?
Re-buy?
As I write this,
it’s Superbowl time again, and all across America, football fans are
preparing to devour food and drink on a scale unequalled except perhaps on
that other momentous day that is also to a degree associated with the
pigskin: Thanksgiving.
The time now is 4:30 in the afternoon, a few scant hours before kickoff. The wings are marinating, the nachos are ready to be baked, and the sandwich platters, peanuts, and assorted other snacks are about to be put out. I’ve got some special beers selected to enjoy the game with, a few of them reserved for the post game celebration should my team be victorious.
My team, the New England Patriots, is playing this year, which makes this Superbowl party a bit more special than most. Even though I’m rooting for a northern team, however, I’m drinking a decidedly southern brew as I type: Southpaw Light.
Southpaw Light is a product of the Plank Road Brewery, which is really Miller Brewing Company. It’s a beer specially targeted at the southern states; I had never seen it when I lived up north. I don’t normally drink this type of beer, but when a guest left me a few bottles, I figured I would give it try. I just can’t resist a beer new to me, after all.
Southpaw Light pours to a pale golden color with a thick fizzy head formation and a light malty, adjunct laden nose. The palate is light and biscuity with a bit of pale malt flavor and a faint touch of corn. Thankfully, there’s not as much of that as the nose would make you believe.
The finish is surprisingly hoppy. Don’t get too excited; I’m speaking relatively: there’s more bitterness than you’ll find in most beers of the style. That makes for a more balanced finish and improved drinkability. According to Miller, Southpaw Light is double hopped, though they don’t say exactly what that means.
Does it have double the hops? Or do they hop it twice? From the bitterness I get, I would go with the former rather than the latter. But lots of beer recipes call for different amounts of hops, so exactly which ones are they doubling the hops on? Inquiring minds want to know.
It’s important to note that this beer is by no means going to scare away anybody who regularly drinks light beers or domestic megabrew lagers. There are some nutrition facts worth mentioning, too. A 12 ounce serving has 123 calories (not much less than a non-light lager) and, for you Atkins dieters out there, 6.6 grams of carbohydrates. Alcohol is 5% by volume.
Overall, as light beers go, I’d say this one is a bit better than most in the style. The caloric content is enough to bring it down a peg, though. Why not just drink a standard lager instead? Still, this is good enough to wash down nachos, pizza, pretzels, and wings with on game day.
The time now is 4:30 in the afternoon, a few scant hours before kickoff. The wings are marinating, the nachos are ready to be baked, and the sandwich platters, peanuts, and assorted other snacks are about to be put out. I’ve got some special beers selected to enjoy the game with, a few of them reserved for the post game celebration should my team be victorious.
My team, the New England Patriots, is playing this year, which makes this Superbowl party a bit more special than most. Even though I’m rooting for a northern team, however, I’m drinking a decidedly southern brew as I type: Southpaw Light.
Southpaw Light is a product of the Plank Road Brewery, which is really Miller Brewing Company. It’s a beer specially targeted at the southern states; I had never seen it when I lived up north. I don’t normally drink this type of beer, but when a guest left me a few bottles, I figured I would give it try. I just can’t resist a beer new to me, after all.
Southpaw Light pours to a pale golden color with a thick fizzy head formation and a light malty, adjunct laden nose. The palate is light and biscuity with a bit of pale malt flavor and a faint touch of corn. Thankfully, there’s not as much of that as the nose would make you believe.
The finish is surprisingly hoppy. Don’t get too excited; I’m speaking relatively: there’s more bitterness than you’ll find in most beers of the style. That makes for a more balanced finish and improved drinkability. According to Miller, Southpaw Light is double hopped, though they don’t say exactly what that means.
Does it have double the hops? Or do they hop it twice? From the bitterness I get, I would go with the former rather than the latter. But lots of beer recipes call for different amounts of hops, so exactly which ones are they doubling the hops on? Inquiring minds want to know.
It’s important to note that this beer is by no means going to scare away anybody who regularly drinks light beers or domestic megabrew lagers. There are some nutrition facts worth mentioning, too. A 12 ounce serving has 123 calories (not much less than a non-light lager) and, for you Atkins dieters out there, 6.6 grams of carbohydrates. Alcohol is 5% by volume.
Overall, as light beers go, I’d say this one is a bit better than most in the style. The caloric content is enough to bring it down a peg, though. Why not just drink a standard lager instead? Still, this is good enough to wash down nachos, pizza, pretzels, and wings with on game day.
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
