Hoppe Pilsner
von Trapp Brewing

 

 

 

On tap at von Trapp Brewing in Stowe, VT.

This one pours a light and very clear straw yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like pear, grapefruit, lemon, piney hop snap, and bready malt. It's certainly much hoppier than a standard pilsner on the nose.

This has a very big hop character- with a clean but tense bitterness. The hop character is much higher than the normal pilsner here, but the malt character, bready and warm, still shines through very nicely.

This pretty light bodied, but very crisp and very refreshing, with a super high level of drinkability.

This beer sees von Trapp straying a bit from German tradition, but still making a delicious beer.

 

 

On tap at the brewery

 

Just wonderful, easy drinking brew. If this becomes generally available all year round it will be my "one-quiver" brew.
I don't know how to rate this hybrid in general. It is a unique and tasty blend that takes the rough edges and/or boredom off of both the ubiquitous new england ipa and pilsner/lager styles. The only thing I have had similar is IPL style. This, however, is not crazy hopped like some IPLs out there. Just a nice, round tastily hopped slightly bitter lager or an IPA with the hoppy surfaces sanded off. Looks and pours like a pilsner, light straw color with gentle head. Smells like a pilsner with an extra hop snap on the front, super smooth almost creamy mouth feel that coats as it goes down. An all day drinkability about it, best served very chilled.

Poured into a pilsner glass, the appearance was a nice looking bright yellow color with a two finger white foamy head sliding off at a decent pace. Speckled lace sticks adequately to the glass.
The aroma had a soft floral sweet hoppiness rolling around with some grassy hops, light biscuity malts and a delicate earthy hop spice underneath.
The flavor gently leans into a delicate sweet crisp balance between the hops and the malts then slides smoothly right on into the aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a very nice sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good. ABV felt on par. Very smooth crisp and floral sweet yet dry finish.
Overall, love how the American hoppy aspect joins the German Pilsener side. Wow, what a wonderful combination.

Pours a bright golden-yellow hue with a frothy head into my stein. Punch of hops in the nose followed by grainy malt. Crisp, buttery, stronger hop presence gives it more of a bite. Clean finish with lingering hop presence. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy. Pick it up.