Lagerboy Speaks – Meantime Union
These days the primary style of European lager that reaches these shores is the all-conquering pilsner (either Bohemian or German). But back in the day there were others that came from the Continent – Muncheners and Viennese lagers that were popular before the light-coloured beer from Pilsen took over. Slightly darker and less hoppy, these styles faded before the Bohemian wave of Saaz-filled treasures from the east. But they do still exist – and recently Lagerboy managed to find an award-winning Vienna style lager from the banks of the Thames – Meantime Union (4.9%). Founded in 1999, Meantime produce a consistently good range of beers, many of which (including Union) having been voted best in class at various year’s World Beer Awards.
The first thing you notice is that Union is extremely fizzy – it pours highly carbonated, with a swiftly dispersing head that leaves a regular rising stream of bubbles. The second thing of note is the colour – a clear coppery brown from the dark lager malts. There’s little hops on the aroma – as you’d expect, Vienna’s being more subtle than pilsners. In fact, the whole flavour is subdued, very dry and with some hops coupled with the malt, making it a smooth, easy drinker. There’s a slight caramel sweetness on the aftertaste that peters out pretty quickly, leaving the whole thing thin and uninspiring. It’s an excellent approximation of the style, but not a great style at that. Gentle, unassuming beers can be great – like Union – it’s just sometimes they leave you wanting more.
