Baltimore Brew: The Raven

Between everything that’s been going on in my life lately it’s been difficult to find time to drink. And for me, that’s somewhat of an issue, because this blog formerly provided me with one night a week where I could just chill out and sip on a beer and find something to enjoy. Tomorrow, for example (although tomorrow is an arbitrary thing to say, as by the time this is posted tomorrow will be long gone), I have to wake up a 3 a.m. so I can get ready for work.

You can rob me of my sleep, but don’t rob me of my beer.

So tonight I make a stand. Raise your glasses and toast to tomorrow, cause it’s gonna be an early one.

Tonight we take it local. We take on The Raven by Baltimore Washington Beer Works. And in reference to my above wake up time, I will allow Mr. Edgar Allen Poe to express my feelings toward it.

“Who cares how time advances? I am drinking ale today.”

The Basics

Type of Beer: European Pale Lager (special lager)

ABV: 5.5 percent

Color: Amber

The Raven’s website states that it is a German-style lager, grouped simply into the “Euro” category. Basically it’s just a pale lager, and as the story goes this beer all started in Germany during the 19th century when the Spaten Brewery applied pale ale brewing techniques to its already present lagering methods. The result was the hybrid pale lager. And this name has been given to quite a few beers, many which you might be familiar with, such as Stella, Heineken and Harp (Let it be known that the only beer out of those three that I endorse in any way is Harp).

So what do we have here? We have a pale lager that was brewed in tribute to the great poet/alcoholic Edgar Allen Poe. Sounds like it would be hard to go wrong, but that’s how a lot of beers sound.

It pours a nice clear amber with a fluffy white head that recedes to a slight bubble. You can taste some pale malts up front, with a minimal hoppyness and sweetness at the end. It’s actually quite a pleasant beer, something I would drink with dinner a few nights a week. It’s not over demanding on the palette, so you can relax with this one.

It’s a nice level headed beer, not too aggressive, but still tastes great. For those local drinkers, it’s something you could get behind and drink.

So take a trip down Baltimore’s memory lane with this beer (which I give a solid 8/10)

Celebrate the tortured genius with a beer that I’m sure he would’ve drank. Many. He would have drunk many. Too many. Celebrate him, but don’t emulate. Enjoy the raven sans the sorrow.

Drink on.