Czech Pilsner
Wild Rose Brewery & Taproom

 

Naming snafu is my bad, for the benefit of the salty fellow below (in my defense, Wild Rose was advertising it simply as "Czech Pilsner" on their website before they shipped to stores).

Anyway: I admit I'm happy to see this style get its day in the sun here, in 2016, and Wild Rose's rendition is capable, if not top-tier. Light-bodied, fairly noticeable carbonation, light head atop gold body, and full of herbal, slightly spicy, bitter green hops with a light, not-quite-bready, not-quite-crackery malt base. It's exceedingly drinkable, though doesn't hit the highs of other recent Canadian versions of the style (Steam Works, for one).

Ranked in the grand scheme of Canadian pilsners? Sure. Steam Works is, for me, still at or near the top. Various macros near the bottom (obviously); Bomber doesn't do it for me at all . . . . And so this, sure--this is in the middle of the pack, but moving to the front, and if they sold this in canned six-packs or tallboys, I could see myself making a summer fool of myself in the wilderness of Alberta.

650ml bottle, and actually called 'Rare Czech Style Pilsner', but y'know, that would mean actually reading a label or some such nonsense, eh?

This beer pours a clear, bright pale golden yellow colour, with one flabby finger of puffy, rocky, and somewhat creamy bone-white head, which leaves some snow-capped mountain range lace around the glass as it quickly sinks out of sight.

It smells of grainy and crackery pale malt, some rather floral, and almost perfumed hops, a touch of earthy and spicy yeast, and an indistinct pome and citrus fruitiness. The taste is bready and doughy pale malt, a growing musty spiciness, baked apples and pears, and some leafy, grassy, and kind of soapy floral hoppiness.

The carbonation is pretty solid in its mostly humble frothiness, the body an adequate medium weight, and generally smooth, just a hint of that inherent spice not playing ball here. It finishes trending dry, the bottom starting to fall out of the malt, while the lingering spice and green manicured lawn hop bitters look to ascend.

If the marketing babble on the side label didn't make a big deal about using Saaz hops in this offering, then maybe my expectations wouldn't have been so high, eh? Whatever, this isn't a bad version of the style, as it is indeed well-made, but it's also not all that crisp, which would go a long way toward upping this one's overall drinkability.