Decisions at the Battlefield (Brewing Company)

Colleen and I recently stopped by The Pub for dinner, and some beers from Battlefield Brewing. It's been a while since we visited and were anxious to see, and taste, some of their newer beers. Five house beers were available, three of which we've tasted previously, along with two new selections. While I rarely go for a sampler flight when visiting a brew pub, we decided we'd go that route before selecting a beer to go with dinner. For just under $6, we got sampler of all five beers. We tasted them while enjoying a fried sampler appetizer platter.

Left to right above, the beers are Chancellor Pale Ale, Iwo Jima Red Ale, Coral Seas Kolsch, BelleauWood Belgian Ale, and Austerlitz Czech Style Black Lager. We started with the Pale Ale. Colleen and I both enjoyed the moderate citrus hop flavor. Nicely done. Next up, the Red Ale. This is a very nice, dark Irish Red Ale. At this point we both were commenting that the beers seemed a different; more fresh with a "crisper" flavor. The Pale Ale has been my beer of choice during previous visits, so I'm fairly familiar with it, but for whatever reason, it seemed improved. The beers were not bad before, but we both picked up on something different. Maybe the brewers have gotten more familiar with the brew house, the recipe has been tweaked, or it was just our mood.

Next we moved on to the Kolsch. This was a mild, fruity beer. Pleasant, and we thought it might be nice for a hot summer afternoon. The Belgian Ale was next. Fruity, and as expected for the style. The final beer was the one that I was most curious about. Austerlitz Czech Style Black Lager is described as "Cold conditioned for 4 months, made with polish Lublin hops." The beer was dark with a mild roasted aroma. The taste was a distinctive roasted malt flavor with a hint of sweetness. Of the five beers, this may have been my favorite, and I think I'd like a pint of this sipped in front of the fire pit. (Hmm, Battlefield does fill growlers to go.) But, tonight we were enjoying The Pub's tasty burgers. For me, that put the decision between Chancellor Pale Ale and Iwo Jima Red Ale. In the end, we both selected the Red Ale, and had an enjoyable meal.

Fresh beer and good burgers. That's a theme oft repeated on these Musings. The Pub is a nearby place to fulfill those needs. If you haven't been recently, check it out again. I'm glad we did.