Uncommon Ground
Mother Earth Brew Co.

its cool to see these guys branching out a little bit, this one is a collaboration with abnormal, who seems to be rising to prominence of late. they call it a west coast pils, in this instance just meaning its a well hopped clean lager, nothing too exotic or bold, but nice execution, well done lagering which is not always the case with mother earth in my opinion, and i think this should appeal to a pretty wide audience overall. golden and clear, looks well refined, not too light in color or body, and well carbonated despite holding only a half inch or so of white head. the nose and taste are identical, very fresh right away, even strikingly so, with some vibrant and verdant hops in the mix, not exotic or tropical or overly modern, but clean and well dosed, mostly dry hopped it seems as bitterness is only middle of the road, but with nuances of white grapefruit, zested lemon, and subtle pine resin, all of which give this a summery appeal and make a basic pils type at its core a little more exciting without alienating anyone. fresh and fuller feeling european pils malt base, maybe nothing but that, good minerals profile and water chemistry, herbal bitterness from the hops rises on the back end, lager yeast is familiar and well employed, and the high carbonation suits this well. it finishes with an aftertaste of juniper, orange, and dry cereal malt. flavorful and well executed lager, sort of a style bender, but a nice beer, cool collaboration. i hope this is the sign of a little more innovation to come from mother earth, things can stagnate here at times...