Jacks Abby: 2nd Anniversary

How Jack Hendler learned to make lagers like he did is completely baffling to me. Lagers, as a craft, seem like the precision in brewing is just that much more important because ales can have, and almost taste better, a little muddy while lagers are made to be clean. The fact to Jack's Abby has only been brewing commercial beer for two years is mind blowing. Hoponius Union, a beer that has instantly become one of my five favorite hoppy beers has only been brewed for a short time but its perfection is amazing.

But that's not the beer I'm here to praise, I'm here to talk about another beer from the brewers of Framingham. No, not this one, but yet another double India Pale Lager, 2nd Anniversary, commemorating two years of beautiful brewing. As soon as you hear the air rush from the bottle it's accompanied by a wafting smell of hops rising right up to the nose. It pours a beautiful golden with belgian lace clinging to the glass. The beer smells and tastes heavily dank, with citrus and pine and heavy bitterness over everything, but it finishes clean and dry. This is one of the best beers I've ever had. Period. Much like a planned trip to Vermont to buy some cases of Heady Topper, I have to budget in a case of 2nd Anniversary Lager because it's really so perfect.