So I got around the other night to finally sampling Big Rock’s latest offering, Gopher Lager. They have been trumpeting this beer as their re-entry into world of craft beer, highlighting that it is an all-malt, flavourful lager. Word on the street says, but BR refuses to confirm, that Gopher will replace XO Lager, which all the way around was a disappointing beer. It was released in June and is slowly working its way through liquor stores in Alberta. I imagine it will reach Saskatchewan and Manitoba before summer’ end.

My first impression is mixed. It tumbles into the glass a crystal clear dark straw colour, but it produces little head and the pour finishes without that satisfying white topping. The beer is actually quite lightly carbonated, which is a surprise. The aroma gives off a soft pilsner malt with a touch of grassy hop, but not much. It has a rather standard premium lager aroma of malt and little else.

The flavour repeats the soft, grainy malt from the aroma, adding a touch of fruitiness and the distinct Big Rock house yeast flavour of butterscotch and earth. There is a light touch of floral hop bitterness (they report they use Saaz hops) with a minty edge. The beer finishes quite sweet, likely too sweet.It leaves a slight grassy after-taste, not so much of hops but of grainy malt.

It exhibits the fullness of an all-malt beer, which is the good news. However, I find it leaves a lingering sweetness that inhibits the overall impression of the beer. I wonder if it needs more hop to balance that sweetness and make the overall effect bigger.

If I compare it to other premium lagers, like Creemore Springs, Okanagan Springs 1516 or even Edmonton’s latest entry, Yellowhead Lager, it falls short, I am afraid. It had the right malt bill, but is too timid on the hops to create enough balance. I suspect my first clue should have been their description of the beer: “No pesky rodent here. A North-American-style all-malt lager. No Additives or adjuncts. A clean, sunny flavour, easy on the hops.” It all sounds good until the easy-on-the-hops bit. That is the recognition that they were too nervous about making it too bitter, which is too bad.

Gopher Lager is a vast improvement on XO, but I am afraid that that is not saying much in and of itself. If all-malt and an effort to make drinkable, well-crafted beer is the new direction for Big Rock, then I wish to encourage them on their journey. Gopher doesn’t quite cut it, but it is a good attempt to make a flavourful pale lager. Here is hoping their next effort makes another step forward.