670. Penn Brewery – Märzen

I’m home from work a bit early and the snow is just starting to fall. Everyone’s in a bit of a panic, since we’re supposed to get between 8-10 inches of snow tonight. After throwing some salt on the driveway, I reached in the beer fridge and grabbed this beer. My dad and sister gave me this beer, along with many others, when they stopped at the brewery for lunch when they were in Pittsburgh. The bottle says, “Penn Märzen is a rich, full-bodied fest beer. It’s amber colored and easy to drink. Pour it with a rich head and enjoy the smooth body and Hallertau hop aroma. Whether it’s Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day or just the end of winter, Penn Märzen is perfect for any celebration. ”

Location: Poured into a curved pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 5.5% ABV, 20 IBUs, 12.5 OG, 2.5 FG, 130 Calories

Ingredients: Malt: two-row, caramel, dextrin, Munich, black malt; Hops: Perle

Appearance & Aroma: It’s dark amber in color and pretty clear. It had a thick, white, rocky head on it when I first poured it, but that fell to just a thin layer of bubbles across the top. The aroma is a mix of caramel maltiness and lager-like sulfer smells.

Taste & Feel: The body is medium, and the mouth feel is a bit crisp. The flavor up front is a sweet light caramel and bready flavor. The light caramel gets a little richer in the middle, growing through the finish. There’s also a little big of earthy bitterness in the background of the finish, but the light caramel is what stands out and lasts briefly in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: This beer has mostly light caramel flavors and would be a great pairing for a thick burger with a pretzel bun. I had this beer with some toast and Gnutella and it went together perfectly.

Overall Impression: It’s a very drinkable beer with some enjoyable light caramel flavors. I liked how the caramel flavors grew throughout and the earthy bitterness that came in during the finish helped to balance it a bit. Overall, it’s a good beer that delivers a good maltiness, yet is very drinkable.

My Rating: