Charlie Flint’s Original Lager
Style: All-Malt Lager
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk
Here’s a fine locally brewed all-malt European style lager, named after and in honour of the man documented as being the first successful small craft brewer in Alberta, which at the time was still considered a district of the Northwest Territories. From 1884-1886 British immigrant Charles Flint administered to the brewing operations of Calgary’s City Brewery at a site located on what is now the Stephen Avenue Mall in downtown Cowtown, and it is recorded that “he manufactured beer and porter that was considered second to none in the NWT at the time.” Apparently not much else is known about the man except for his lasting reputation for the quality and craftsmanship of his fine brewing skills and libations.
You may also be asking what the heck is an all-malt or European style lager? Well, I’m not going to name any names here or point any fingers, but all of the large mass-produced commercial lagers out there (you may know them by their TV. commercials and aggressive marketing campaigns) don’t use an entire barley malt bill to produce their beers, which are predominantly of the lager style. In fact most use up to half of a separate cheaper adjunct ingredient (usually corn or rice) to replace the more expensive barley in order to provide enough fermentable sugars for the yeast to convert it all into this malty beverage we all know and love, yet by doing so the consequence is a final product of a lower quality in almost all aspects, from flavour to mouthfeel, and even the aroma. It was the large North American breweries that became known and notorious for this practice, especially after Prohibition and World War 2. In contrast nowadays the more traditionally produced older “European” versions of lager recall a fuller-bodied and maltier tasting final product as a result of still using all barley malt. Don’t get too nostalgic though, as many European producers of lager have also picked up the habit of “cutting corners” like their North American counterparts. Therefore it makes craft brewed all-malt lagers something to be sought out and rejoiced.
Charlie Flint’s Original Lager will make an ideal companion for anything between a tall pilsner glass to a regular pint glass. If you allow it to warm up a few minutes you’ll be rewarded with the blossoming nuances of more subtle malt and hop characteristics that would otherwise remain numbed and dormant at ice cold temperatures. Once in the glass expect a pale golden lager with impressive clarity, a modest sized frothy, fluffy white head with an equally reticent amount of retention. Now with the aroma what starts to entice will be for some the new experience of encountering biscuity, baked bread malt and grassy, lightly spicy qualities from the Saaz and Cluster hops, qualities that may never have been experienced from a lager beer before. That’s the all barley malt presence speaking for itself, balanced with just the proper amount of hops (another ingredient that seems almost entirely absent from mass-produced commercial lagers). The mouthfeel will also be fuller than might be expected, closer to an ale, which is also the result of not cutting corners. Medium-bodied when all is said and done, yet much fuller than the appearance actually hints at, and enough carbonation to keep things clean and crisp. There is also a soft clean bready malt mingled well with mild grassy hops, a bit of a spicy zip on the finish which is crisp, and mild biscuity malt lingering briefly in the aftertaste. An impressive balancing act between malt and hops, blended so one is not more dominant over the other. Nothing less than an ideal introduction to craft brewed lagers for someone looking to branch out from the same old same old, and locally produced at that. Also a fine tribute to a nearly obscure provincial brewing legend.
With food pairings Charlie Flint’s Original Lager is fairly versatile, accompanying regular fare such as sandwiches or fish and chips delightfully, with enough body and flavour to match a white-sauced pasta topped with chicken, scallops or clams. It will also clean your palate and gently accentuate sushi, or most mild cooked white fish. On a hot day it’ll also add a touch of class to your barbeque, or afternoon spent on a patio. One of my personal favourite pairings is with hummus. Regardless, don’t forget to raise a toast to the memory of Charles Flint before you reach the bottom of your glass.
The next steps in the cooler:
From This Brewery:
Alley Kat Amber
Alley Kat Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale
Other All-Malt Lagers:
Chilkoot Lager - Yukon Brewing
1516 Bavarian Lager - Okanagan Springs
Mill Street Original Organic Lager
Kell’s Irish Style Lager - Rogue
European Lagers:
Zatec
Kronenbourg 1664
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold
Gösser
Lateral Steps:
Velvet Fog - Wild Rose
Fuller’s London Pride
Mt. Begbie Cream Ale
For The Adventurous:
Sap Vampire - Amber’s Brewing Co.
Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager - Amber’s Brewing
Sorrentino’s Garlic Lager - Alley Kat
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba! - Sherbrooke