Point Brewery Special Lager

Our next stop on the Wisconsin tour de beer takes us to our smallest brewer, the Point Brewery in Steven’s Point. For anyone who has frequented Point Brewery, you should recognize today’s brew as a staple amongst Northern Wisconsin breweries.

Point Beer’s Special Lager has received its fair share of awards and accolades. Honors that include a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival in 2003, Silver Medals from the GABF in 1995 and the World Beer Championships in 2010, and Bronze Medals from the GABF in 1996 and the WBC in 2010. Although I’m not about to question the judgments of these esteemed beer drinking committees, I am willing to say I do not agree with their decisions.

When I think of an award winning beer I envision a brew that has something distinct that you will remember or are able to identify with. Fans of Blue Moon will cite the taste of orange while fans of Guinness will rave about the bittersweet balance that gives you the experience of a sweet and creamy beverage with bite.

After drinking a Point Beer Special Lager, the only thing I am able to take away from my experience is a fond memory of my college years and my very frequent marathons with watered down mass produced beer. Special Lager is very easy to drink and goes down smoothly; however, I am unable to shake the lack of bite that Point Beer doesn’t deliver.

That being said, I won’t condemn Special Lager because it was not a bad experience, but I also won’t be purchasing the Point Beer staple unless I’m hosting a BBQ for over 20 people or need a beverage for a good old frat house case race.

Special Lager comes in at a respectable 6.5 out of 10 mugs.