Grand Ridge Brewers Pilsener
Grand Ridge Brewing Co.

Grand Ridge Brewers PilsenerGrand Ridge Brewers Pilsener
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From:
Grand Ridge Brewing Co.
 
Australia
Style:
German Pilsner
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
74
Avg:
2.92 | pDev: 15.75%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
24
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 26, 2021
Added:
May 28, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Superduck:
Photo of Superduck
Reviewed by Superduck from Australia

3.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
little fizz on opening, but was surprised with the inital head & quite lively, settled down thought with a few lagre bubbles. A cloudy pale staw colour.
Gentlle aromas of zesty lemon and underlying hay.
Thin bodied flavour that dosn't last and just a tinge of bitterness.
Unoffensive and easy to knock back a few on a hot day
Nov 01, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.88 by Daneve76 from Australia

May 26, 2021
 
Rated: 3 by life_of_agony from Australia

Feb 16, 2016
 
Rated: 2.5 by eric5bellies from Australia

Oct 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by magpieken from Australia

Apr 11, 2013
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

2.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Next in the Grand Ridge line-up is the Pilsener, and I'll say one thing about Pilseners - I hate a poorly made Pilsener, let's hope Grand Ridge fall into that category, so far it's not looking too good for them...

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a pokal.

A: Presents a slightly cloudy straw body with a 1cm chalk head, looks the part of a Pilsener.

S: Aroma is pretty identical to the Almighty Light, same beer watered down? I think so; cut grass and corn adjuncts comprise the malt base with a sweet honey-like aroma over the top. Not much else to say here - definitely does not smell like a Czech Pilsner, maybe a German one perhaps? There is a hint of sour yeast that would indicate this is so.

T: Yep, this is just a full ABV version of the Almighty Light, same flavour; honey, water, yeast and corn adjuncts, with more a slight bitter note at the end (the hops impart bitterness without adding any flavour, bad hops). Not the worst Pilsener I've tried, it's definitely done in the German style, with that honey flavour, at least it's not as bad as others are making it out to be.

M: Mid to light body, flat carbonation.

D: It's an OK attempt at a German Pilsener. Nothing to write home about but conversely I won't condemn it outright. Price point needs a lot of dropping to make it a valid option and compared to König Pilsener it needs even more work flavour-wise.

Food match: *in my best Kiwi accent* Fush and chups bro, chur! Other seafoods will work well - battered calamari, mussels, garlic prawns ("shrimp" to our American brethren) and scallops.
Mar 05, 2013
Photo of soju6
Reviewed by soju6 from Missouri

3.23/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: pours a hazy copper color with a decent head that fades to nice lacing.

S: Aroma of mild citrus, some grain and a dtrace of malt sweetness.

T: taste of grain and some malt sweetness and a bit of spice. Mild bitterness and a clean finish.

F: fairly moderate body, mild crispness and refreshing. Nice balance.

O: Not quite what I would call a pilsner but still quite enjoyable.
Aug 26, 2012
Photo of heygeebee
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia

1.83/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
No BB. From 1st Choice

Pours a pale straw with a delightful fluffy white head. Lovely lace clings to the sides in sheets. A delight.

That's the end of the Good News.

Aromas of dough / yeast / yoghurt.

Taste is also in line with aromas which is just plain wrong. Helles lager not Pilsner at best. Nasty sour aftertaste

Mouthfeel is actually quite heavy - leaning toward medium bodied, at odds with style.

Disaster in a Glass. Not sure if skunked or just bad brewing.
Aug 24, 2012
Photo of Stew41
Reviewed by Stew41 from Thailand

2.72/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Light golden orange, a little hazy. Roasted, almost toffee notes on the nose, from the malt. Quite sweet but very enticing. Light mouthfeel, some faint floral, sweet notes, but a little generic or larger like. Like other TN’s below needs more hop kick.
Aug 14, 2011
Photo of CrazyDavros
Reviewed by CrazyDavros from Australia

3.58/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours gold with a large lasting head.
Nose shows spicy and floral hops with a huge sweet malt presence after including lots of caramel.
Similar flavours however a bold bitterness balances out the malt. Lots of caramel, honey, nutty malt and piney hops.
Carbonation is a little high.
Very sweet and malty for a pilsner.
May 07, 2011
Photo of LittleCreature
Reviewed by LittleCreature from Australia

2.74/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Appearance - 4.0
Poured a finger of creamy white head over a deep gold to light amber body that is hazy from suspended yeast.

Smell - 2.5
Floral, spicy, a little earthy; there are a lot of hops in the aroma with a little biscuity malt in the background. An odd savoury note reminds me of cooked prawns (?!!!).

Taste - 2.5
Lots of flavour, hops dominate, with heavy floral and dried apricot flavour, assertively bitter but balanced by considerable sweetness. Biscuity malt backbone, with a rather unpleasant lingering apricot flavour.

Mouthfeel - 3.0
Heavier and fuller bodied that a pils ought to be. Moderately carbonated, a little syrupy.

Overall - 3.0
As with most Grand Ridge beers, this would benefit from a lighter body and is not as sessionable as it ought to be. Loads of flavour
Nov 10, 2009
Photo of dgilks
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia

3/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
Pours a hazy golden colour with a frothy white head. Head dissipates fairly fast to a small half centimeter. Okay lacing.

Slightly grainy malt notes are present. Hops are there in a slightly spicy form.

Slightly sweet and grainy again. Some light bittering and a touch of hops. Nothing amazing.

Light and refreshing. Carbonation isn't too high. Nice.

Nothing offensive or disgusting but it doesn't inspire and isn't really worth drinking.
Jul 06, 2009
Photo of laituegonflable
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia

3.75/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a pale golden colour with thin but furious bead and a voluminous frothy white head of large visible bubbles that sinks like a prematurely extracted meringue. I'm beginning to see a Grand Ridge pattern forming with regard to their heads. Lacing is nothing special, but otherwise a damn fine looker.

Delicious floral nose, with a very strong tangy citrus hit, a lot of passionfruit, a lemon/lime aroma and a slightly funky smell like day-old grass clippings. Actually has a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc aroma, with gooseberries in there as well. Really fresh, crisp and delicious smell.

Taste is very fresh and crisp on the front with a light tangy sensation, almost sherbety but with a hint of green grape skin, gooseberry and, oddly enough, a slight chocolate malt character. This may just be a result of the particular blend on the middle, because the hops that gather for the finish are earthy and resiny, with an astringent aspect that, while lowering the floral and sweet notes, doesn't entirely grit up the palate. Definitely a measured hop hit, designed to linger but not kill the flavours. Mouthfeel is bitter and clean, with maybe a bit of a puckering character. Not enough to stop the refreshment factor.

This is an excellent beer and I really enjoy drinking, but I have to mark it down here and there because there just isn't anything particularly pilsenery about it. In fact it smells and tastes, to my mind, far more like a pale ale. There are some pilsenery aspects (the hops, for example) and it is dry and refreshing, but it just strays too far to be considered a stalwart of the style. It's still a very nicely balanced drop, and a pleasant drinking experience.
Jun 26, 2009
Photo of WHROO
Reviewed by WHROO from Australia

3.09/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I hope this isn't a bad beer...opened without to much fuss or fizz.

A: Golden Yellow, hazy. Poured a little dead, tried for a head, got about 1 finger but quickly receded to a thin film. Some nice lacing though.
S: Fruity hops, not too floral, more fruits. Hints of sweet malty notes. Fleshy fruits like apricot.
T: Citrus & fruity, grapefruit, with only a little bitterness. I really thought (& hoped) there would be more bitterness considering its a pils. This is the most bitter-less pils I have tasted.
M: Light to medium, left a fair bit on the tongue. A little carbonation is all.
D: just wasn't alive comlex, or interesting enough for me to really want anymore. Although I might one day have another crack just to see If I did get a bad batch.
Oct 13, 2008
Photo of Kulrak
Reviewed by Kulrak from Australia

3.09/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a slightly cloudy straw color with a good amount of creamy white head that fades to a thin layer that laces the glass. Smells very faintly of .. roast malt? Not much else in the way of aroma. Tastes fairly clean, but with what I'm sure is roast malt, coffee/chocolatey in there too. There's also some cascade type hop flavor as well. Finishes fairly clean. The mouthfeel is heavy and creamy, not bad. Overall, it's a very drinkable beer. I'm not sure what makes it a pilsner, but it's a good beer anyway.
Nov 13, 2007
Photo of brendan13
Reviewed by brendan13 from Australia

2.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A - Golden yellow colour poured into a pint glass with a couple of centimetres of white head that falls away to a thin whisp quite quickly.
S - Slight caramel malt aroma with a metalic undertone.
T - Like the smell minus the metal plus a slight floral touch.
M - Medium bodied, fairly high carbonation.
D - Not bad but certainly nothing to get excited about.
Oct 29, 2007
Photo of vancurly
Reviewed by vancurly from Australia

3.02/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a pale gold/yellow, touch hazy with suspended particles. Not a good start.

Aromas of gamey, wild vegetation, like cut lantana, and a very subtle pineapple note. Grain.

Tastes of pale malts, pilsener/munich, herbal hop flavour. Nice lager taste & feel.

Quite a body, compared to true Pilseners. Seems more Euro Lager than Pilsener. Drinkable & refreshing.
Oct 05, 2006
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Tried at the brewery Feb 06.

Clear frosty yellow colour, with almost no head to speak of. Some carbonation. It's a reasonable looking pilsener.

Nose is quite hoppy and fragrant, no trace of malt sweetness, but there's something there to keep it balanced quite nicely.

Palate is very robust and bitter, with a large amount of tangy peppery hops. Long, biting aftertaste lingers. Mouthfeel is quite aerated, suits the style.

Not a bad pilsener, but nothing with a wow factor.
Feb 20, 2006
Photo of jarmby1711
Reviewed by jarmby1711 from Australia

3.41/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Plenty of bubble in this mid to pale gold beer.The head is tightly packed white and moderately persistent.
The smell is slightly tinny but there is vague melon component.
It is particularly dry and bitter .citrusy maltiness in the early palate.
A good hot day thirst quencher.The dry bitterness would deter me from drinking this in quantity but has enough fruitiness which I assume is the Saaz hops to make it enjoyable
Jan 06, 2006
Photo of Weizenmensch
Reviewed by Weizenmensch from Japan

2.59/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Brown 330mL bottle with no freshness date, this is unusual for an Australian beer. Label states that Grand Ridge is the "World's Most Awarded Brewery", an unsupportable and likely untrue claim. However, they have won a few awards, and this is my first beer from them (well... I had one a few years ago, and remember it was good but don't remember what it was) so I'll be fair.

Appearance: Much better than average, especially for an Aussie beer, and especially for one that doesn't use chemicals to make it look good and hold head better - just about every Aussie lager does this. If it really is brewed without additives, this is very impressive. Lacing and carbonation are also attractive.

Smell: Promising. Distinctive Saaz hop aroma, very pilsenery, but with undertones of incomplete fermentation. I fear that may be the case.

Taste: Indeed it was the case. The quite genuine pilsener flavour is marred by yeasty unpleasantness. Hops try to overpower it but fail. Very disappointing, especially after the pleasant appearance and hoppy smell.

Mouthfeel: Sticky and doesn't go down easily.

Drinkability: I can overlook this one's downsides if I could have a few of them. They are OK to knock back, this is my early morning post-long-night-at-work beer, and it went all right. But I'm only drinking this because my girlfriend's mum bought a gift sixpack for me, these Grand Ridge boutique jobs are too expensive and too hard to find to drink regularly. Still, maybe their stout is better...
Dec 13, 2005
Grand Ridge Brewers Pilsener from Grand Ridge Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 74 out of 100 with 24 ratings