First Posted: 8/19/2013
Brewer: Brooklyn Brewing Company
Beer: Brooklyn Silver Anniversary Lager
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.6%
What’s so special about this? This anniversary lager has been brewed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Brooklyn Brewing Company. It is a heftier version of the Brooklyn lager, the beer that put the brewery on the map, and is still a damn good beer today!
Description: Brooklyn’s Silver Anniversary Lager pours a hazy amber-russet brown body with a huge off-white foam that dissipates rather quickly, but leaves a thick, heavy lacing on the glass. The aroma is very pleasing with notes of biscuit, caramel, dark fruits, earthy/floral hops, and just a hint of spice coming through. This is an extremely rich tasting beer with the earthy hops coming up front, but it is quickly covered by thick and rich caramel and biscuit malts that leave a thick coating on the palate that holds the bitterness in place for a long, dry finish. The body of this beer certainly falls into the full category while still at the same time managing a nice, crisp finish. This is a surprisingly complex beer that gets better with each sip, but be warned, the alcohol is also very well hidden, so pace yourself on this one. This is definitely a great beer to celebrate any anniversary, so congrats, Brooklyn, and here’s to another 25!
Food pairing: This beer has such a luxurious flavor that can completely encompass a dish and melt right in for a truly pleasure-filled evening meal. An absolutely wonderful dish with this beer is venison; the caramel flavor from the beer truly sinks its teeth in and does not let go. For a real treat, make yourself a sour cherry reduction for a sauce to drizzle onto the meat. One thing that we are looking for as a match to this beer is something with dark meat to compliment the caramel notes, so a dish such as duck, goose, or even wild boar, if you can find it, are perfect matches for this beer. However, we are not limited to meats with this beer, and seeing as we are on the cusp of the fall season, try this with a lovely pumpkin ravioli dish. Also, do not think that this beer cannot pair up perfectly with desserts; the sweetness of this doppelbock makes it a great pairing with custards, particularly caramel flan or crème brûlée.
Is it worth trying? Without question try this beer. I must confess that this is typically not a beer style that I go for; I tend to shy away from overly malty beers, but this doppelbock is just amazing. The complexity of this beer makes it a true workhorse, whether enjoying it alone or with a meal. As we are now transitioning away from our summer beers as the shelves quickly fill up with fall beers, if you are like me and do not want to overdo it too early with pumpkin beers but are ready to move on from light summer beers, then do yourself a favor and hunt down a bottle of Brooklyn’s Silver Anniversary Lager. It will not disappoint you and is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing evening.
Rating: W W W W V
Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Wegmans, Dickson City and Wilkes-Barre, but definitely call around and try to hunt this one down!
Remember, enjoy responsibly! Cheers!
-Derek Warren is a beer fanatic, avid homebrewer, and beer historian. Follow Derek’s beer blog at idtapthat.org.
