Tooth & Claw
Off Color Brewing

Tooth & ClawTooth & Claw
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From:
Off Color Brewing
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Bohemian / Czech Pilsner
Ranked #68
ABV:
5%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,383
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 10.31%
Reviews:
43
Ratings:
147
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 23, 2024
Added:
Jan 29, 2014
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  18
John likes bees. John’s like of bees led him to hanging out with other people who like bees. Some of the other people who like bees work at The Field Museum. The Field Museum was opening a bistro and bar. John was opening a brewery. And that is pretty much the story of how Off Color and The Field Museum collaborated to make this crisp, clean pilsner with a dry-hopped bite far inferior to Sue’s.
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Ratings by AdmiralOzone:
Photo of AdmiralOzone
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a crystal clear light yellow with a decent white head that recedes rapidly leaving marginal lacing. Aroma is grassy and slight corn with a touch of biscuit. Flavor is sweet corn and grass. Not as much hop bite as I was expecting from a dry hopped beer. Feel is nice enough, crisp and well carbonated. Nice beer.
Jun 14, 2018
More User Ratings:
Photo of bristol2120
Reviewed by bristol2120 from Illinois

3.32/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This is the second beer I have tried from this brewer. It has a ckassic Czech pilsener appearance, with a nice pale gold body, but I would like a bit more lacing. Smell is a little subdued for this style I think, though pleasant enough, with a balanced malt / hops presence. Taste is a bit more restrained than I expect of a classic Czech pils, but there is an unexpected black tea note in the background which is actually very pleasant. Mouthfeel is vey smooth, but just a bit on the thin side. Overall, a nice easy drinking beer.
Mar 23, 2024
Photo of Gatch
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts

3.77/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at Elephant & Castle in Chicago. This is pretty meh, certainly wouldn’t call it a Czech Pils. More like a plain old lager with a mediocre sweet malt bill. Maybe I’m spoiled by living in Europe and having been to the Czech Republic with lots of tank beer. But this was disappointing. The fact that is ranked in the Top 100 of its style speaks to the IPA-saturated nature of BA that I’ve loathed for over a decade.
Dec 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Chris7482 from Illinois

Jun 14, 2023
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a completely clear, light and golden color with a strong white head. SRM of 6. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of pale malts, grains, bread malt. Then a grassy and oaky aroma underneath. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong flavors of pale bread malts, grains. Somewhat buttery in the middle. A grassy and oaky flavor underneath. (4.00)

Feel: Medium-bodied, strong carbonation. Soft and dry. (4.25)

Compared to Modist Just You Wait 3/2023: Pours slightly darker, stronger aromas. More oaky and grassy notes. Less pale bread malt. Similar body and dryness.

Compared to Bahaus Wonderstuff 7/2023: Pours slightly lighter. Similar aromas. More earth, oak, honey flavors. Less lemon citrus and bitterness. Similar bread malts and sweetness.
11/2023: Pours lighter, stronger aromas. More floral and yeast notes. Less sweet lemon and bready. Dryer.

Compared to Portage Chatter Chatter 7/2023: Pours identical, milder head. More earthy, oaky, grassy yeast. Less dry yeast and grains. Slightly heavier.

Compared to Venn Pils 7/2023: Pours identical, milder head. More earthy, oaky, grassy yeast. Less lemonbread and biscuit. Dryer and cleaner.

Compared to 608 Finest 10/2023: Pours similar, stronger aromas. More buttery, bready, sweet. Less dry, yeasty, bitter. Winner: Tooth and Claw

to Praga Pils 11/2023: Pours lighter, milder aromas. More hoppy floral lemon and yeast. Less earthy and buttery authentic Euro pale lager malt flavors. Similar sweetness.

Overall: A pretty good Czech Pilsner here. Off Color always seems to have a trick up their sleeve with their beers, but this one drinks to the Czech style without any surprises. Bready flavors, a bit of earth and maybe even oak, but pretty darn good and standard for the style. (Rating: 4.03)
Mar 22, 2023
Photo of NeutroMan
Reviewed by NeutroMan from Illinois

4.02/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz can into a pint glass. Crystal clear light golden color with a 2-finger sudsy white head. Smells of hay, green apple, faint lemon citrus, almost like a cider. Toasty, bready malt flavor with a good amount of spice and lemon acidity. Bitterness might be a little high for the style but not overwhelming. Crisp, dry finish.
Feb 25, 2023
 
Rated: 3.95 by loganburgh from Michigan

Jan 31, 2023
 
Rated: 3.9 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Sep 20, 2022
Photo of gatornation
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona

4.09/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear light golden yellow color with a nice white head , Smell has lemon spritzes ,pale malts grassy herbal notes . Taste follows the nose with lemon splash, light situs ,herbal grassy notes ,very nice . Mouth feel is dry but with a floral sweetness ,crisp very tasty …loved it
Sep 02, 2022
Photo of Tsar_Riga
Reviewed by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours a superbly clear pale gold body, short white head, lines of rocky lacing.

S - Quiet note of grass, apple, and a honeyed dough malt note.

T - Lovely open of lemony freshness, followed by a slight middle suggesting bread and floral tea, and a more angular, spicy, bitter bite in the finish.

M - An aggressive carbonation and a light weight, followed by a prickly dry close.

O - This is an extraordinarily pleasant, drinkable Pils. Not my favorite style, this one delivers on the things I like best. Highly drinkable, this Pils is clear and easy without being muted or boring. Solid work.
Jul 09, 2022
 
Rated: 4.23 by soarinsteven from Illinois

May 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by -Andrew- from Michigan

Nov 09, 2021
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2021 vintage; drank 10/28/21 @ the Yarchives.

See-through pale yellow appearance.

A violent pour yielded a huge, noisy white head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lace.

Fresh flowers, roasted corn & faint peach notes in the nose.

Thin mouthfeel.

Roasted corn, fresh flowers & mild peach flavors.

A bit odd, but interesting. Certainly worth trying.
Oct 29, 2021
 
Rated: 3.73 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Aug 17, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Aug 03, 2021
Photo of STLRadley
Reviewed by STLRadley from Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured a beautiful golden color with a thick head that dissipated to a thin ribbon that held until the end. Purchased within 6 weeks of package date in a 16 oz. can. Delicate aroma that is perhaps more reminiscent of a German rather than a Czech pilsner. A nicely balanced flavor from the aroma and bittering hops with crackery notes that shine through. The beer has a medium body and finishes dry on the palate. Overall, this is a fine pilsner that will undoubtedly quench the thirst on a sunny day. Highly recommend. 
Mar 11, 2021
Photo of BloodSoakedAleMug
Reviewed by BloodSoakedAleMug from New York

2.78/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Look: Pours a dull, drabby yellow color with a very sparse, rocky head of thin foam. Head fizzles away quickly leaving no lacing. Lots of sediment and floaters from the bottom of the bottle. Not very appeitizing to look at honestly.

Aroma: Malted, slightly toasted grains. Wet hay and caramel, a bit of white grape. Toast. Somewhat medicinal with undertones of honey. Vague cellophane / packing plastic note.

Taste: Toasted grains + caramel candy with undertones of white grape must and grassy, musky hay. Bitter lemon peel and a touch of waxy, fruit rind. Not really typical for the style, that white grape tang and wet hay funk is a flaw in my opinion.

Feel: Lightweight feel but with a slick and somewhat palate coating sugary aspect to it. Very little carbonation. Almost flat.

Overall: Personally, I find it to be a little too "funky" for my taste in pilsners, but some people might like that aspect of it. This one missed the mark for me.
Oct 24, 2020
 
Rated: 3.73 by stanale from Illinois

Aug 04, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours out the bottle one of those golden colors that looks like the big boys of adjunct lagers made it, right down to the high grade clarity on it. The aroma is of that familiar noble/saaz kind of crisp floral herbalness. Right away the appearance and the aroma firmly plant this beer in lager country.

Taste is right in line with being smack dab in the middle of lager country, nice pilsner malt, light, airy, the hersbrucker(?) hops provide the bright crisp lemon meets dandelion grass kind of vibe. Its got a solid bitterness, Herkules hops baby, German bred for a German style lager, fits the bill, right down to the little hit of black pepper going on, nicely done. I think it is the one driving the firm lager bitterness around 40ibu.

Kind of wish I drank this on a hot day instead of a cold spring one in April. Perhaps its not the most exciting or imperialized beer, but its a nice banger when you just wanna bang beers and not think or drink 1oz at a time.
Jul 03, 2020
 
Rated: 3.85 by Monkeyknife from Missouri

Jun 05, 2020
Tooth & Claw from Off Color Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 147 ratings