6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

I managed to find what are probably the last 8 bottles of this beer in existence from a beer bar in Newark, OH. As with the other Hoster's I have tried since they went out of business, this was kind of a bittersweet occasion. This beer's sell by date was some time in 2001, and it showed. Poured a pretty amber color with a thin off-white head and minimal lacing. Aroma still possessed a nice malt profile with some fruity tones. Unfortunately the flavor was lacking in that some sour fruit flavor was starting to creep in, so it was not as sweet as most Viennas. Luckily there was still enough caramel and malt flavor to keep it from being a wasted effort. I can't score it by guessing what a fresh bottle would have tasted like, but this was still drinkable and I'm glad I had a chance to try it.