Whiplash: Das Model
Key Stats:
Brewery: Whiplash
Beer Name: Das Model
Country: Ireland
Style: 7A - Vienna Lager
ABV: 4.8%
Das Model by Whiplash
Aroma - 9/12
Lots of sweet, grainy malt upfront. Moderate caramel. Moderate floral hop aromas. No DMS or sulphur compounds. Low citrus pushes through. Clean: no yeast-derived aromas. A very slight metallic note comes through after the head has settled some.
Appearance - 2/3
Deep copper-gold, quite opaque, large frothy head that dissipates into a rocky, but mostly persistent layer.
Flavour - 14/20
Initially, the flavour hits with moderate grain, and biscuity sweetness. Low caramel. It dissipates into almost watery mid-flavour but ends with moderate, earthy bitterness. The beer finishes neither sweet, nor bitter but balanced. Hop bitterness is moderate. It’s off-dry, with just a touch of sweetness. Low-moderate level of slickness to it gives the impression of being slightly sweeter than it is. No esters detected. Very low metallic notes on the flavour,
Mouthfeel - 3/5
Medium to medium-light body, the feel of which is lightened by that mid-flavour wateryness. Moderate carbonation. No astringency. Slightly slick in the finish, it coats your tongue with a bittered caramel.
Overall Impressions - 7/10
This beer drinks beautifully and is an easy, balanced brew. It’s a little let down by the opaque appearance, consider a longer maturation period to reduce haze. This is on the low end of the allowed ABV for the style, and while it’s still in range, the mid-taste lightness is apparent and reduces the smooth finish of the beer. Look into the freshness and storage of malt to reduce any metallic notes. To finish slightly drier, you could consider reducing the crystal malts or mashing at a slightly lower temperature.
