Northwest Pilsner (w/ Level Beer)
Occidental Brewing Co.

it looks like these guys do a number of versions of this as collaborations, this is my first of them, brewed for spring and canned in april, but still tasting quite bright and fresh to me some four months later. i have enjoyed just about all ive had from occidental, and this is a continuation of that, they really do a nice job, especially putting their own little twists on the classics like this. this is bright yellow in the glass with a tall white head, and fills the traditional glassware with radiant beauty, tons of bubbles here, paler than in common, but just by a shade. this is done with perle, sabro, and german grown amarillo, certainly a unique combination of hops for the style, and it is very hoppy indeed. the bitterness is there, saaz-esque from the perle in this context, nice against the dry earthy cereal malt this is built upon. the sabro makes a unique fruity appearance, trace pineapple and coconut and green tea even, then the amarillo with an herbal brightness and subtle underripe melon character, odd, and close to overdosed probably for most palates, but they come together really well, and the light lager yeast flavor on top of the grain sandwiches the hops in nicely. this has just the slightest phenolic thing to me as it warms, soapy and a tad sharp, but its only there in really faint amount, and it doesnt distract me much from this beer, but colder the better at this point for sure. i like the sabro hops lingering on the finish, its the very last thing i taste with every sip. a clever and enjoyable beer. i always say there is almost no room for innovation in a classic pils, but this comes pretty close to finding that impossible sweet spot where its unique but also still a classic pils. very well done overall.