With spring comes a whole new season of beers. Seasonal beers are the cornerstones of a lot of different breweries, and many people look forward to certain seasons just to try beers. Spring beers typically have bright flavors, citrusy notes and something refreshing that helps you welcome the sun and the warmth back into your life.

The Josephsbrau Prost doesn’t remind me of those spring flavors, but it definitely has its own interesting style to offer. You might recognize Josephsbrau, since it’s a Trader Joe’s craft beer brand. Although it’s a German-style beer, it’s actually brewed in Monrovia, California.

The first noticeable thing about this beer is its strong, malty nose. You crack open the bottle, and strong scents come pouring out. The beer is lightly carbonated and the first taste you’ll notice is a rich, coffee-like flavor followed by the sweetness of some caramel that comes through. You might even taste a burnt or toasted flavor on the sides of your tongue. It’s a fairly heavy beer with a strong, bready and hoppy taste. The alcohol content in this beer is at 7.3 percent, which is on the higher end, but that doesn’t really come through in the flavor of the beer.

This is a Maibock-style lager, which is a German beer brewed during the winter and released during the spring. This is why the beer is heavier, rather than the refreshing beer typical of spring. With a heavy beer like this, you’ll want to pair it with something equally heavy and flavorful that can stand up to the beer’s strong flavor. I’d typically recommend a burger or steak to go with a lager like this, but since it’s a German-style beer, get yourself a juicy bratwurst.

“Prost” is the German word for “cheers,” but I won’t want to raise my glass of Josephsbrau Prost once spring rolls around. But knowing Syracuse weather, I probably wouldn’t mind a heavier beer to cope with the seemingly endless freezing temperatures.