This beer pours a rich amber color with a skimpy head but this lack of head can be forgiven due to the beautiful hue and, as we will see, exceptional taste. Good lacing on the glass saves the head from being a total dud. A nice creamy filament remains throughout the glass.
The smell is a nice compliment of sweet malts and earthy hops. Hops first are followed by seemingly bold malt notes; I do hope that the taste lives up to this promise.
The first taste is a bitter kick in the mouth; nice hop presence with some thick bready flavors seeping in. The back end of the sip is all the malt backbone. Toffee and very light sugary tastes envelope your tongue here and this combines with the hop flavor perfectly. Though a lager doesn't have a very unique, extraordinary taste by nature, Elliot Ness just has something about it that makes you go “Wow...” Perhaps it's precisely because you aren't expecting much that this exceeds your expectation.
The beer doesn't really taste crisp, definitely has a rough “character” about it, but in my opinion this adds to the appeal. Tastes substantial and has a boldness uncommon in a vienna lager.
For me, this isn't a beer that I can pound one after another; it took me a while to finish three. It's still easy drinking and the right amount of body makes it an extremely enjoyable experience.
For $8.99 + tax, this is one of the best, if not THE best value in a beer I've tried. Really the perfect lager in almost every way. If you haven't tried it, do so. Now.
Score: A+ 4.75/5
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