OK so when I was a kid, you see, I grew up loving baseball. After years and years of being a fan, I got a bit disillusioned with the sport (the strikes in the 80s and 90s, if you recall them, did that). Still, there was many a night in my younger days when I was glued to a TV or radio following the exploits of my beloved Boston Red Sox.

I loved the Pawtucket Red Sox, too, the Bosox minor league farm team. McCoy Stadium was a stone’s throw from my grandparents’ house, so I attended many a game there. Did I see them play the Richmond Braves? I’m sure I did; I was there a lot after all. There’s something about minor league baseball that is uniquely appealing after all.

If you don’t believe me, just ask Center of the Universe Brewing, of Ashland, Virginia. Their Chin Music Amber Lager is a beer dedicated to baseball, that of the Richmond Flying Squirrels most notably. The Flying Squirrels are an AA farm team, second in line to the San Francisco Giants after the Fresno Grizzlies. The name of this beer, by the way, is taken from a baseball term for a ball thrown close to the batter’s head.

From the can label:

The Richmond Flying Squirrels and COTU Brewing proudly present an amber lager as crisp as opening night and as smooth as a walk-off swing. Hand-crafted from al All-Star lineup of four different malts, Tettnang hops, and a clean Czech yeast, it’s the perfect brew for the show. Dig in, crack it open and enjoy the music.

Chin Music Amber Lager pours to a beautiful full amber color with a moderate sized creamy head formation and a delicious nutty malty nose. Taking a sip, I get some more delicious nutty, slightly toasty malt notes up front that the nose promised followed by a dry balancing herbal bitter finish.

What a very tasty Vienna lager this is! I can imagine it pairing perfectly with a hot dog at a baseball game, which is an impression I expect the brewer is hoping for. And at 4.5% alcohol by volume you can even have a couple.