Hoppy Pils
pFriem Family Brewers

Taster at brewery. Bright golden with small ring of head. Gentle grainy flavors and aroma. Although called hoppy, it’s not, more of a very crisp bite at the backend.

500ml bottle

Pours a huge two fingers of white head into my can-style glass. It started off a little fizzy, but quickly settled into a pillowy head. The body is crystal clear, pale yellow in color. Maybe the clearest and lightest colored craft pilsner I've ever seen. Medium-large amount of bubbles coming up. This is an interesting look so far, not sure how I feel about the ridiculously opaque color on this guy.

Nose is nice a hoppy, for a pilsner that is. Saaz up front, pretty clean, grassy, some lemon. For a moment I thought I smelled a really light dankness as well, but I might have just let the labels description of "west coast twist" get to my head. Lightly sweet malt underneath the hops. Very clean, simple. My nose is a tad stuffed, so I hope I'm not missing anything here. The lemon is coming through quite heavy now. Overall this smells really good, clean and hoppy.

Flavor is quite similar, saaz hops up front, very clean. Perhaps not quite as hoppy as the nose indicated, that's fine. Hops hit more towards the middle of the palate. Definitely very grassy, very dry. Ever so slightly sweet, but certainly on the dryer side. A little lemon, not nearly as much as the nose. Not very bitter at all, again, that's fine. Overall this is really what a good pilsner should be, only with a little more of a hop umph. It's not flashy, but most good pilsners aren't. Good taste.

The mouthfeel is really nice as well. The carbonation is about medium-high, and it hits quite nicely with the small hop twang that is there. The body is not big, but definitely not paper thin either. Very refreshing, while still very engaging.

The drinkability is obviously very high. It's light and tasty, no problem putting this one back.

The appearance turned out pretty good. The head retention was above average. In addition, I got good lacing for most of the glass, a liiiittle patchy, but pretty good.

Overall this is a good beer. Not winning any awards for being over the top, but it's clean and it has a boosted hop flavor.

 

500ml bottle purchased from Trader Joe in Salem $3.49 Pours an ever so slightly hazy corn oil yellow with an attractive thick and creamy white head. Fruity hoppy aromas,,grape, lemon peel and raspberry! Taste a litle less fruity but very zesty and hop forward. Some sign of the light malts in the taste. Excellent mouth feel..very well carbonated and with a great bitter after taste that goes on for ever. Very good pils

 

 

This is stunningly full of flavor. Clear light yellow with swirls of white foam in the Ciney snifter. Delightful frothy mouthfeel that is light and lively. Endless aromatic with melon, and a little citrus. Then there's the interesting slash of hop flavors with flowers and herbs. Some minerals in the finish.

So many flavors-- mango, straw, lime peel, and yes, pencil shavings to finish. Plenty of bitter aftertaste. Overall, this is quite an expansion of the Pilsner universe, but it's one to sip thoughtfully. There's even a final touch of funk as you contemplate. From the 500 ml bottle purchased from Elizabeth Station in Bellingham.

Clear, pale straw colored lager. Floral hoppiness on the nose, no trace of malt or yeast. Has a very pronounced hop profile, exactly as advertised. Very well made, clean and no odd tastes. It's a bit too much for us who have had plenty of German beers. Not sure how well this would play in Munich.

 

Poured into a pilsner glass. Pours a pale golden amber with a two finger white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of grainy malt, grassy and lightly floral hops, light lemon, summer herbal notes; classic pilsner aroma but with amped up hops, as promised. Flavor is husky, grainy malt, grassy and lightly citrus hops, lemon, dried summer field hay (grassy and lightly floral), finishes with robust grassy hops and residual mixed grain malt. Medium bodied with light creaminess. This was a lot lighter in the glass than I expected, which made the solid flavors even a better experience. This really delivers on its name promise. The base pilsner is solid, if a bit more interesting mixed grain, and it is well hopped. The hops taste like noble hops, but with more intense herbal flavors. This updating of a classic style is well done. Although not a hop bomb, it is probably pushing the envelope on the style, but both the malt and hop bill are so engaging, I doubt anyone would complain. I have drifted away from pilsners over the last few years, but some of the newly invented ones are drawing me back.

 

Bottle dated 9/28:
A bit of a chill haze early, it clears up nicely but does eventually get to clear (or damn near to it) - a white gold with the lightest of haze, depending on how quickly you drink it. The bright white cap is lasting, and the tiny bubbles that sustain it are mesmerizing as they laconically rise from the depths of the glass.

I get a very light focaccia bread note, one which might have a sparse couple herbs thrown into it. From this, slight grass to herbal note slowly gains with warmth. There is a light fruit note in there, and melon fits as well as anything.

A grassy bitterness greets my tongue early, not allowing me to sense the malt on its own. I do recognize its presence, though, as the bitter grass notes are not overpowering. Lightly herbal by mid-taste, is a light fruity aspect that is an amalgam of orange zest, a hint of strawberry, maybe a little lemongrass, all subtly combining so that I’m not too sure. Similar to the nose, herbal and grass notes gain a little strength as the beer’s temperature rises, but the Pilsner malt also comes through to the end of the taste a little better.

I would actually like the malt to come through a little more. Then again, it might not fit “Hoppy Pils” if this were the case. This isn’t an overpowering hoppy beer, but does showcase the hops on the lighter base.