It always warms my heart to see German-style lagers microbrewed in America. Though we see plenty of ales produced here, it is a rarer occurrence indeed to see time-consuming lagers brewed and bottled by a microbrewery or brewpub. One craft brewer who has made it a point to produce fine lagers is Saxer from lake Oswego, Oregon.

Saxer has a legitimate claim to German style lagers. Henry Saxer, namesake of the brewery, came to the Pacific Northwest and established his Liberty Brewery in Portland, Oregon (not yet a state) in 1852. Saxer’s restoring lagers quickly became popular among the settlers in the area, and resulted in rapid expansion for this fledgling brewer.

Saxer eventually sold his brewery to another German brewmaster named Henry Weinhard who went on to establish an even more famous brewery in the same area. Still, the Saxer tradition lives on in the microbrewed lagers that bear his name today. One of my favorites is the Dark Bock. Saxer describes it thusly:

A classic Bavarian Dunkel Bock brewed with imported German malts and hops. Dark Bock has deliciously rich, roasted malt flavors with a spicy hop profile.

Saxer Dark Bock pours to a deep ruby color with very light carbonation and a sweet. Sticky nose. The palate is rich and malty, slightly chocolatey but doesn’t quite have the full nuttiness of a decocted double bock. There are balancing hops in the finish and a touch of alcohol warmth too.

This is a nice American interpretation of a German bock beer. It’s a potent one too at 7.2% alcohol by volume. Saxer lagers this seasonal beer for six to eight weeks, an appropriate amount of time for a good lager. Saxer does produce a doppelbock too that’s even bigger than this one, and though they don’t call this beer a doppel it’s closer to that style than a traditional bock.

This is a great after-dinner beer. It’s a sipping brew that I enjoyed after a spicy meal of fajitas stuffed with sautéed onions and peppers, fresh salsa and lettuce, and skirt steak marinated in habanera sauce.



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