XII
Migration Brewing Company

16oz can

Pours two big fingers of white head into my Pilsner glass. Retention is pretty nice and most of the head remains after a few minutes. Initial lacing looks decent. Body is golden yellow, crystal clear, with a good deal of nucleating bubbles coming up. Looks quite nice so far.

Noticeably hoppy up front, as it should be. Under that there is a subtle but firm doughy sweetness. Simple, aromatic, refreshing, and pretty well balanced. Very nice aroma.

The malts come through slightly more than on the nose, and I might even give them the edge in terms of presence. That said, the hops are steady throughout the palate. Well balanced between the two flavors, and very tasty.

The mouthfeel does a lot of work here, this is extremely refreshing. Carbonation is quite high. The hops and overall composition make for a pretty crisp beer, but one can’t help but notice the malty smoothness that adds a little body and pulls at your attention. A noticeable touch of sweetness in the finish, but those malts are pretty well attenuated and overall this is drier than sweet. Bitterness is lowish but present. Overall the malty sweet touch may be unusual compared to other Czech Pils, but it works, bringing along a lovely feel, and not taking away anything from the rest of the beer. Wonderful mouthfeel.

Drinkability is wonderful. This is super yummy, light, crisp, and refreshing.

Appearance is also killer. Lacing is thick from top to bottom and the head lingered as a small island all the way down.

Hoppy spice and even pepper start to come out over time, and the flavor only improves. Hops certainly retake center stage by the end. Pretty safe to say this is the best beer I’ve had from Migration - a brewery that coasts along in mediocre-good territory and then will randomly blast you with something outstanding like this.