Lakefront Eastside Dark Lager

Another beer from the guy who rides bikes, doesn't drink beer, and is kind to weary beer drinkers who just need one more bottle to get them through the day. This one is the first (and only) that I have in the batch from Lakewood. At first, I genuinely thought that Hinterland, Titletown, and Lakefront were all the same brewery - they have a certain lack of imagination when it comes to label design.

The beer is dark, sure enough. It's not the black of a stout, a porter, or even a black lager. Instead, it is just a deep mahogany with a very light tan head that covers well enough.  The aroma is heavy malt with spices dancing around like fairies. I always look forward to a beer, but today has been especially tiring, so I'm looking forward to this even more.

First sip is sweet bread and smoke with oats and oak helping out. As a sip, it is a good one - it has all the flavor you want without any lingering doubt about a funky yeast or an overwhelming hop or something like that. It's a down-to-earth beer with a sturdy character like I would want reflecting a city in the rust belt.

Tip-in is a fruitcake with all the nuts, dough, and sweet, dark fruit that you'd expect from it. The middle is a thick, rich oak and smoke with some caramel and even chocolate supporting things. I don't get any coffee, so it has that going for it, too. The finish is a slight wave of bitterness and spices that still manages to leave a sweetness in its wake.

Bottom Line: Probably the best of this batch of beers from behind the cheddar curtain.

3.75/5