Miasmatic Review

Hole in the Rock

We’re back to beer from “The History of Beer in America” collection that my father gave me for Christmas. This evening’s selection is Hole in the Rock by MDII in Rochester, NY. I gave up trying to find out who this actually is. After doing some research I’m pretty sure it’s a pseudonym. It appears that different breweries are contracted to make the beer for Sam’s Club.

It came in a standard 12 oz brown bottle. The label is shaded and made to look like aged paper. There is a picture of a steamship heading down a river with a cave in the background. The name of the beer is at the top. The bottom of the label claims “Marzen Style Lager Beer”.

It is a copper colored beer. It’s clear with no signs of sediment of cloudiness. There was a thin head when poured that faded to nothing. No lacing formed on the side of the glass.

There is a slight malty scent to the beer. If you concentrate you smell breads and a sweetness that reminded me of grapes. The flavor was weak and not very notable. It tasted like a standard lager, mostly malts with a touch of citrus hops.

This is a light bodied beer. It was watery and left no coating at all. It drinks easy enough, but it’s very nondescript.

This is just your standard generic beer. It’s nothing special to write about, but it is drinkable. I’m not sure exactly how they figure it’s a Marzen style beer, as you really can’t taste it. I give it 3.5 out of 10.