Golden Eagle Old Skool Vienna Lager

With the summer weather finally arriving it was time for something a bit lighter than the usual IPA. It was also time for a different brewery that I haven't tried before, Golden Eagle Brewery from Christchurch. Like many smaller breweries they share with another brewer, Raindogs Brewing Co, who I have yet to try. Golden Eagle is the lovechild of an Englishman come to New Zealand who missed the English Real Ale scene before the explosion of the craft beer scene in New Zealand. Certainly something I can relate to, with my worries about what I was going to drink when I returned from London.

I have seen Golden Eagle's South Island Pale Ale and New York Porter at the local New World, but it was a visit to a different New World where I picked up the Old Skool Vienna Lager. Lager gets a bit of a bad rap because it has been the standard for many years. There are certainly plenty of tasteless brews out there but that doesn't mean it should be written off. Nothing beats a cold fresh lager on a hot day. I don't remember drinking much beer when I was in Vienna (although evidence would suggest otherwise) so I had no preconceived ideas of what the Old Skool should taste like. However, I was surprised to see how dark it was when it poured. This was not your usual pale lager. The same went for the taste. It was much richer and maltier than I would have expected from a lager. I would go as far as saying it didn't really taste like lager at all. Nice drop though.