It’s only the first week of April, and although the spring striped bass migration is just beginning, it’s never too early to be thinkin’ (or drinkin’) about the fall run.
A few weeks back during the New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Expo, Nick Spadavecchia of TAK Waterman in Long Branch, NJ, swung by the OTW booth to say hello. He was also kind enough to bless our crew with a generous gift. On our table he placed two glistening six packs, fresh off a bed of ice, of the shop’s new Fall Run Lager, which is brewed in collaboration with Birdsmouth Beer in Oceanport—a short drive down the road from the shop. The guys at TAK do a fine job of supporting members of their community whether it be through drops of custom plugs from local builders, or with a beer that captures the spirit of the neighborhood striped bass fisherman.
I cracked open a Fall Run Lager back at the office and immediately decided this was a beer I could drink all season long—one of those beers that is just as good around a fire in the winter as it is during a hot summer day on the boat. It has a crisp, dry flavor profile, so it goes down easy. Despite being a dark lager, it is as mild and refreshing as a golden pilsner, but with more flavor. There’s a slight nuttiness to it, and it finishes with lingering notes of caramel. And that’s why I feel that it captures the spirit of the neighborhood striper fisherman. You might see this beer in the hands of the old salt who you bump into in bayside parking lots from April through November; you’ve spoken a few times but you don’t know his name. Or maybe it’s the go-to brew for the wader-clad woman who walks her dog on the beach every afternoon with a rigged-and-ready surf rod in hand. It’s just as likely to be the first pour for the gang of 20-something-year-old surfcasters who break for a beer and a bite at the local pub between tides.
Fall Run Lager has a semi-sweet, dry, lightly-roasted flavor profile which, in my opinion, equates to high drinkability. I give it an 8.5 out of 10. And no surprise here, but it was a hit in the OTW office.
“It’s a nice lager, I like it a lot. Smooth, mild flavor. 7.5/10.” – Bob Potter, New England North Regional Sales Manager
“I thought it was pretty good. Earthy hop notes, low bitterness. Mellow flavor profile with a dry finish. 8/10.” – Jonathan Rust, Growth Operations Manager
“It’s clean and crisp, just like the early fall weather. 8.5/10” – Kevin Blinkoff, Editor-In-Chief
When the stripers reach Cape Cod this spring, I’ll have a Yeti cooler with a few Fall Run Lagers in my truck bed in anticipation of a celebratory post-blitz toast. Rather than wait for the fall run, I highly recommend cracking one open to get in the swing of striper season.
Birdsmouth Beer x TAK Waterman
Fall Run Lager
ABV: 5.2%
Homeport: Oceanport, NJ
Official Score: 8.2/10
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