The great IPA craze may be winding down as hipsters find their mental disability petitions denied, but the world of sour beer lives on. Karbach’s Sympathy for the Lager is a warm, slightly sweet and sour beer with all the beauty of blonde bears the world over.

It goes down smoothly, with a thin mouthfeel like American commercial beers, but a tangy taste more like the offerings from the Dutch. Despite its light body and relatively low alcohol, its effervescent presence creates a sensation like that of champagne, bubbling right into the mind with a pleasant balance of tastes.

The point of this beer, it seems, is to capture the trendy beer community from within by using an entirely normal beer, just of better quality. This reminds me of the Rolling Rock of the 1990s but without the rice-borne sweetness. Instead, it is slightly sour, with a sweet aftertaste, and a malty middle section for an enjoyable summer beer.

Rating: ***/*****

Tags: karbach brewing company, lager, sympathy for the lager