Saxer Bock

It has been awhile since a Saxer beer crossed my path. Opened, at least. On this occasion, I am sampling their Bock, a tasty golden treat. This beer, weighing in at 6.2% alcohol (volume) goes down far smoother than I would have expected. A light sweetness is the strongest sensation, but coupled nicely with a faint bitter flavor. The combination comes through with a very old-European flair, more so than other American beers. The aftertaste strikes me as similar to Pilsner Urquel, though the lead in make that something of a surprise.

This is a delicious fireside beer. Read a book by the glow, and throw back a few Saxer Bocks. Sounds like a nice evening. This one will go nicely at the pub as well, tossing darts with the boys, and I’m sure that it wouldn’t shy away from a few peanuts.

This lager is very lightly carbonated. The flavor is deep enough that this beer really does not need the carbonation.

Saxer is located a bit outside of Portland in Lake Oswego. Portland is something of a beer lover’s mecca, with a number of fabulous breweries inside the city limits, or not far outside. Saxer takes its name from one Henry Saxer, who opened the Pacific Northwest’s first commercial brewery here in Porland and later sold it to Henry Weinhard who happily passed on long before his brewery passed over to Stroh, Miller, and other assorted giants. They also moved the brewery sans building to Olympia, Wa. because we need a New York-owned fancy-pants grocery-store (hyphen added to complete trifecta!) at the gateway to the Pearl.

Saxer was established in the 1990’s. They specialize in lagers, which contrasts with a brewery that specializes in ales. Basically a lager takes longer to make, has to be kept cooler while fermenting, and the yeast lives at the bottom rather than the top while it turns wort into a fabulous malty beverage.

Overall, this is a tasty pint. While not the one I’ll reach for first, it will go onto my on-sale watchlist. cheers.