All Vibes
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

 

italian pils, probably time for us to add that as a style category here on BA. anyway, its predictably excellent from these guys, they do everything well, depending on whether or not you think 805 is good beer, but i digress. this is done with contessa hops which is way cool, a varietal that has a ton of promise in beer like this, and its on display well in this otherwise rather light take on the style. sunny blonde beer, well clear, with an inch of popping white head from the tap and a lot of bubbles rising up to join in, looks proper. the aroma here is uniquely european on the grain side, crackery and earthy pils malt, off dry, really fresh, and the hops come with herbal and even melon notes, simple but also nuanced, tight and clean in terms of the ferment, immediately appealing in warm weather. the hops are cool in this, faintly noble like limey saaz, and with enough late bitterness to fit like that too, but with honeydew and white tea and verbena notes as well, in bloom and springy, soft, feminine, and delicious, they really define this, traditional or not. the grain is fresh, light but with some personality and even some body as these go, but its exceedingly clean through the back half, really professional on the lagering, and this has great crispness and refreshment capacity. this is something i could see doing really well for these guys, and a beer that could easily put contessa hops on the map if they were to make it a regular part of their lineup. lovely beer for this time of year, easy drinking, flavorful, and a fine take on the style, subtle but awesome.