Disclaimer: Black Hog Brewing Co. provided the Yale Herald with a selection of its beers free of cost. We are committed to impartial and unbiased beer analysis, and this relationship has no bearing on our evaluation of the beer.
The craft beer market is oversaturated. Massive breweries have mimicked the style of more local beer varieties, while microbreweries have scaled up to rival some of the nation’s largest. This has made it hard for companies to distinguish themselves, leading many (including many of those that we have reviewed in this column) to go for eye-catching, head-turning branding strategies to stand out from the competition (see: Fluffy Baby Ducks IPA).
The Hog Lager from Black Hog Brewing Company, however, catches no such eye. Its branding is minimalist and unassuming, presenting this as the definitive, authoritative craft lager. However, its identity gets muddled in the simplicity of its branding, as it doesn’t commit to any particular schtick. Instead, it is left pulled between a number of conflicting branding directions: a centrally-emblazoned log and saw (a play on “logger”?) make it seem masculine and rustic; the “#CRISPYBOI” on its upper corner makes it seem like a beer pandering to meme culture; and the self-ascribed title of “America’s Sexiest Pilsner” makes it seem like some sort of intoxicating aphrodisiac.
Despite the nebulous marketing on the can, the beer that lies within is, actually, not bad. For a craft beer, it’s surprisingly crushable, like a highbrow alternative to a Heineken. It has a brief aftertaste which makes it refreshing, but also lacks the same temptation to return that a more unique, multifaceted brew might leave you with. As Hog Lager kisses you goodbye, you imagine yourself at Union Station, departing from a situationship who asked “what are we” too soon: perhaps a bit upset about the end of a good thing, but not really dying to return, either.
Overall: 6.9/10
