Johnston Pilsner
Dockside Restaurant & Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pint at Dockside Brewery, Vancouver.

Appearance: Gold and transparent with one finger brilliant white head, receding to a ring and leaving heavy lacing.

Aroma: Sharp citrus and bitter hops.

Taste: Mixed citrus and lots of hop bitterness, balanced with a good pilsner maltiness and the faintest hint of sweetness. Unlike almost all pacific northwest pilsners, Dockside have done justice to the style, while bringing their own interpretation: very long, lingering bitterness in the aftertaste, with a crisp finish that evaporates on the tongue as the hops play, leaving an unsually dry finish for a pilsner.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and fascinating the way the beer finishes.

Drinkability: Very high. Excellent beer that begs to be drunk.

There was nothig special about this. It may have looked pilsnerish with light colour and good lace. No aroma. Lower than average mouthfeel and probably too much carbonation to make it a pils-like soft drink. Drinkable but minimal taste. I guess less offensive than your bud.

This is something a bit out of the ordinary. Pils though it may be, this brew has a grapefruity taste and aroma and assertive, but not overpowering bitterness. Looks like a pils/pale lager, but has a richer flavour, although not quite to the IPA level. This one is light and refreshing with a nice hop kick and a hop-heavy balance without being overly bitter.

Appearance: Golden, looks like a pilsner.

Smell: very little.

Taste: Seems to be a pilsner with a Pacific northwest influence (hop variety), producing an uncharacteristic citrous flavour.

Mouthfeel: Moderate. Has a malty backbone like this style should.

Drinkability: Good.

This is a good beer. Just not a great beer.

Dockside Brewery: Johnston Pils

Had the opportunity to vacation at the Granville Island Hotel, home of the Dockside Brewery and Pub, and sample a majority of their brews. While I found some to be a bit bland, if not disappointing, this Pils was definitely a favorite.

It poured a deep golden color with a lace crown. Big, big hops (spaltz and saaz), nicely balanced with pale, pilsner and Munich malts. It kind of danced around in my mouth, making for a nice mouthfeel and definite drinkability. Enjoyed mine while sitting just inside the huge patio doors overlooking False Creek.

A good, solid Pils. Simply lovely.

This is one of the best lagers from B.C. but is only available on tap from this very small brewpub. Their other beers are spotty but this Pils is full of flavour and hops. It pours bright and gold with a nice lacy head. You can smell the saaz hops and the taste is refreshing and full bodied. The finish is slighltly dry and holds onto the tongue unlike other lagers which end too quickly., Try this beer with a nice salmon burger on the deck.