Beer Review: Rivertowne RT Lager

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.4 percent

Appearance: This came off as a golden-brown lager with some additional honey-colored hues. There was also what looked to be an orange glow in the deep core of the body. The head was an appetizing shade of cream white. It had a slight layer of thickness, but then faded back into the beer slowly to leave just a thin layer of white and fizzy carbonation. Unfortunately not much lacing was to be noticed.

Smell: This gave off an interesting roasty and peppery profile. The roast aromas were uncharacteristically darker than your typical lager, but in an a positive way. Pair all of that with a mild and floral hop nose.

Taste: I noticed a decent of helping of sweetness on the front of my tongue back towards the mid portions. It was then that the sweetness subsided and gave way to a crackery and bread-like profile. The hop bite was a bit above mild compared to what I noticed in the aroma, but it complimented the dark cracker flavors quite well. Here it seemed like a very classic lager profile.

Overall Rating: 

I was a little worried  once the aroma went down a different road than I expected, but everything went just fine. This brew reminded me somewhat of Yuengling Traditional Lager, but this had a few more layers of flavor. Sweet, a little dark and roasty while still having a nice bite towards the finish. A little more carbonation and texture from it can vault this beer to the top.

Stay Calm, All is Well

Last week I posted about the updated craft selection available to those taking in a ballgame at PNC Park. As I usually do when I write about PNC Park on this blog, I make mention of the Hall of Fame Club and the  post-game $2.50 beer special. I also mentioned the fact that the HOF Club was renamed in honor of local Rivertowne Brewing.

I figured it was just a name. I didn't think twice about anything else changing until my father mentioned the subject and asked if it was just going to be all-out Rivertowne brews sold in the new HOF Club. I figured the best and quickest way to get a response to my question was via Twitter.

@burghbeersnob Great question! They will maintain their variety of crafts with the addition of our signature six in the mix!
— Rivertowne Brewing (@rivertownebeer) April 8, 2013

The next thing on my mind is whether or not the post-game special would still be on after each game, but I wasn't exactly in the mood for pestering someone that just took the time out to answer one of my questions. I'm looking forward to finding out soon enough when I have a chance to attend a game at PNC Park. If the special is kaput, there's still some great beer to choose from. That's the important thing. Heinz Field, the clock is ticking.

Take Me Out to the Craft Pub

Yesterday was opening day for Major League Baseball. You can be excited if you're a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. I am, but I'm also excited as a craft beer fan. Everyone knows I rave about the post-game special at PNC Park's Hall of Fame Club ($2.50 for any beer in the place).

Over the past few season's the craft selection has grown, not only in the Hall of Fame Club, but all over the park. I remember when the best offerings on tap included Yuengling Traditional Lager and a few popular selections from a certain brewery on Vinial Street.

That selection has grown. The last time I was at PNC Park, there were about nine crafts on tap in the HOF Club and a concession stand called Beers of the Burgh which has all kinds of local drafts. I also noticed late in the year that there are quite a few carts along the main concourse of the ballpark that have somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 craft bottles that include Anchor Steam Beer and Magic Hat #9 (from what I can recollect). I'm expecting to see some canned brews with the new infusion of craft canning. Click here to use an interactive map detailing most of the locations.

If you're at the home opener today stop by the Rivertowne Brewing Hall of Fame Club and grab a Rivertowne Beer! Cheers to a great season!
— Rivertowne Brewing (@rivertownebeer) April 1, 2013

If you follow Rivertowne's Twitter, you probably already noticed that some of its brews can now be purchased once you're inside the stadium. I'm assuming that means the beer can be found both in the HOF Club and in the concourse concession stands.

I'm very excited for baseball to be back. I was raised on it. I love it so. I'm just as excited to check out the 2013 edition of the craft scene throughout the ballpark. Hopefully the post-game special still happens!

Flowing Locally

I'm sure that many of us that live here in the Pittsburgh area are proud of the local breweries that offer some outstanding stuff on the market. I'm certainly not the most accomplished in terms of trying as many beers as I can, but there are a few beers that are brewed locally that I always find myself coming back to. It's kind of like that first love of your life. Alright, maybe I'm exaggerating. We still have some great stuff to drink around here. Here are the two I enjoy the most.

East End Monkey Boy

Whenever I get to a Pittsburgh bar, this is one of the first beer's I look for on a tap list. If I see it, I almost always grab a pint of it. Recently, I've started frequenting the new East End Brewing Company digs in Larimer to grab a growler or two of it. Unfortunately, you won't find cases or six packs of this beer. So, keep on the lookout in bars. You can also get the aforementioned growlers at the brewery location and at its growler shop in the Strip.

This is an awesome hefeweizen that's a hazy gold with a  foamy white head. It's nice and spicy and tastes like banana. It also has a very sessionable ABV at 4.8 percent. According to its brewer, this beer doesn't actually have banana in it. That just adds to the luster of this beer. Not only is this my favorite beer brewed in Pittsburgh, it's one of my all-time favorites.

Rivertowne Hala Kahiki Pineapple 

I keep telling you that I really enjoy fruit beers. Pineapple is an unlikely fruit that's used in beer. At least I haven't come across many that use pineapple. This beer also has an ABV of 4.8 percent and goes down nice and smooth.

This beer is somewhat spicy, but it its own unique way. There's a decent hop presence too. Oh and the fruitiness of the pineapple is fantastic. Rivertowne recently just started canning this beer. So, it's very accessible. I'm glad I got myself a case.

There are many more where these came from. We can't forget about other beers such as Rumplepilsen and White Lightning (which recently won a GABF award) from Full Pint as well as Pious Monk Dunkel from Church Brew Works.

When Will Rivertowne Delivereth the Cans?

I've been talking on and off about local breweries beginning to can their beers and distribute them. It's been quite a while since I've ran the subject through my mind. That's when a Twitter follower mentioned me in a tweet saying something about  Rivertowne Monroeville cans possibly being out this week.

@burghbeersnob RT cans coming this wk!
— Josh Brikis (@JBrikis) January 9, 2013

Other than that, a quick internet search doesn't find much else on the issue. As far as I've noticed, no Rivertowne cans are in nearby distributors. At least not the few stores I've been in recently.

I'm not the world's biggest fan of beer from cans, but I'll quickly get over it if a world of more variety is unlocked for me. I've only come across bottles of Babbling Blonde, RT Lager and Old Wylie's IPA from the Rivertowne selection.

If you take a look at the Our Brews page on the brewery's website you'll notice the images of a few others that Rivertowne brews. The best part is that they're depicted in cans! I'd love the opportunity to stack a few cans of Hala Kahiki in my fridge.

Monday Rant: Beer Metallica

There was a good piece in Craft Pittsburgh Magazine in its latest issue about how having to expand into canning, bottling and new buildings are all great problems to have for a few local breweries. Two of the brewing companies mentioned in this feature were North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock (which provided me with my very first taste of microbrews while in college) and Rivertowne in Export. Both places are in the beginnings of starting to can some of their beer.

In my mind, the fact remains that this is a great thing for these companies on our local scene. There's more beer to be purchased out on the market and we now can enjoy some of these brews in the comfort of our own homes instead of physically going to the pubs of these companies like we had to previously.

I have a grandmother that can't get over how picky I am sometimes at the dinner table. We're a Slovak family and that shows in our holiday gatherings as the meals are very ethnic. Let's just say I only eat half of what's actually served for dinner on Christmas Eve.

The same can be said for other aspects of my life. When it comes to beer I'm picky about how it's served. I don't really prefer beer from a can as I can easily distinguish some type of metallic taste that seems to settle in the beer.

Some craft breweries are going to can their beer whether I like it or not. So, this is just going to be something I have to get over. Still, I'm excited to have a chance to purchase some beer that I couldn't do previously.