Ancient Palms
Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew

West Coast Pilsner with hops from all over. Nearly clear amber brew with plenty of foam in the Belle-Vue Gueuze glass. Inviting aroma of green melon and lime. Taste is zippy and quite hoppy. Resiny finish and some mineral taste with a lingering astringency. This seems too much like an IPA for the light body. Interesting, anyway but not what I'd look for in a Lager. From the 16 oz can purchased on the West Coast, appropriately enough. No apparent date.

west coast pils is really becoming a thing in the last year or so, at least out west, and this is a good one, and for those who say well isnt it just india pale lager, i think it comes down to the fact that its not neutral lager yeast, and its not just yellow base malt, its actually a pils at its core, at least the good ones are, and this without question has some bready lager yeast character to it and an old world european pils malt complexion, its not just pale two row, its more nuanced than that, but then yes, its hopped to oblivion, and i think this one pushes pretty far there, like some of the lightness of the base lager is lost to the intense hops, and there really isnt quite enough there, even with its personality, to handle this level of hopping, not that its overly bitter, but the hops are the first thing i smell and the last thing i taste, and even appreciating the new type of balance the style seeks to strike, this is really bold, and it stays with me awhile. real pale, yellow and shiny, good clarity, average white head with good retention. the mosaic is the most obvious hop in aroma and flavor to me, catty and canned pineapple notes abound, but azacca adds some grassy and spicy layers while idaho 7 does its generic citrus and green onion dance (a hop i am beginning to think is a little overrated). the combination is good but the intensity is high, its oily on the palate, bitter on the swallow, and i think its drinkability is a little limited as a result. that said though, the quality is exceptional, the lagering is patient and the beer is dry, the yeast adds a lot to the flavor, and the grain is full of personality too, so its not just a hoppy blonde lager, it actually retains some pils elements, and thats what the style is all about. i was impressed with everything we drank at our recent visit here, i just have to shake my head and smile at how far they have come...