Beer 260: Raven Special Lager

I've had a headache for two days. My legs were useless on my ride today. Instead of enjoying this glorious Sunday, I'm hiding in the dark. Today is decidedly not Sunday Funday.

I'm dipping into my reserve of reviews and giving you my thoughts on Baltimore Washington Beer Works Raven Special Lager. Check out this beer's story at the brewer's website. Who knew a beer with all those Baltimore references actually started in Germany! (Not included in this photo is a shot of the cap which had an image of Edgar Allan Poe.)


Raven Special Lager is billed as a Euro pale lager. It poured a deep golden straw color with a bubbly white head. It smells like beer which is what I write every time I smell a lager. It has a thin mouthfeel. The flavor is lemony hops and malt. Well balanced. It does seem a bit watery but I think it's still a good beer. And at 5.5% ABV, it's a solid tailgate candidate.

Of course, I couldn't let a post referencing Baltimore go by without a Wire mention. Yo, Omar's coming. And I'm going to get myself a beer. Cheers!

Quoth the Raven...F$&K

Beer #256 The Raven / Baltimore-Washington Brew Works, Baltimore, MD

Today sucked and I'm not getting into the details.  Moving right along, nothing to see here.

I'm drinking The Raven from Baltimore-Washington Brew Works.  It pours with a bubbly copper color and a lingering white head.  The aroma is light, with some sweetness, and there's a nice flavor of barley, and grain, with a bit of sweetness from the malt.  In all, if you're looking for a lager, this is a nice choice and worth a sample.

The label isn't quite glued on right, but the beer was good.

This beer got its start overseas in Germany, where it was first brewed.  Production moved to Baltimore in 1998.  Obviously, this beer is named in honor of legendary author Edgar Allen Poe, one of Baltimore's most famous residents. But let's keep it real, Baltimore - Poe also lived in Philadelphia, and you can still visit his former home on Spring Garden Street.  While Baltimore does happen to be where he wrote The Raven, it's also where he..... married his 13 year old cousin.  Just saying.

Thing to Think About Today:
Yeah, I could put some of Poe's work in here, as it's obviously legendary for a reason.  Instead, if it's another Baltimore beer, it's another clip of the greatest show ever to grace a television screen, The Wire.  Let's go with possibly the greatest scene from this show, where McNulty and Bunk re-examine an old crime scene, and use a rather limited vocabulary in the process.  I hereby announce this video not safe for work, unless your employer loves profanity.  So watch it at home, people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN5eYFH8HZ8