Spectra Hoppy Pilsner
Ecliptic Brewing

Bottle picked up at Safeway in Bend. Beautiful pour, clear golden, lively carbonation, thick fluffy head. Cereal grains, crisp malty aroma. Hops come in and add a nice, crisp bite on top of the grains.Really nice pils, true to form.

Take-away 16 oz mini-growler from the Crosscut Taproom in Castle Rock WA. Crystal clear, light aroma and head. It's spot on the hoppy pilsner label. Refreshing and well-made, nothing stands out.

 

22 oz bomber from Lifesource in Salem Oregon.
$4.9
Pours a clear golden colour with a nice sized creamy white head. Last quite a while.
Not much aroma to talk off..bread, caramel and some resiny/grassy hop.
Taste is quite balanced with good malts and grassy hops. Finished hoppy and dry.
Nice mouth feel..well carbonated and that cleanses the tongue after each sip.
Nice American pilsner.

Unfiltered... definitely. The soft and slightly golden glow is lightly hazed throughout, and is capped by a foamy and sticky white head.

Despite being identified with Mandarina Bavaria, this one is mostly Sterling in the aroma. Lots of floral and herbal presence with drops of lemon and tangerine supported by a crackery sweetness.

The flavor is very much the same with a nice emphasis on the grains. The hops do play an intense role on the back end.

Spectra is superbly dry, very crisp, and has a good amount of earthy bitterness on it. A high level of carbonation makes it very easy to go down.

This is a very good pilsner. I hope it goes into their six pack can formats, because this would be a great regular for me. Prost!

 

 

22oz brown bottle, media sample.

Mildly hazed light golden hued brew, lacing puts on a show all the way down the glass. Herbal and bitter, clean and bready. A bit of pungency from the Mandarina Bavaria hops, lots of fresh grain on the palate. Refreshing level of crispness, on the dry side and very drinkable. Just hop forward enough yet stays well within its style. Love the balance and crispness, glad this was a bigger bottle and certainly wished I had more.

 

 

Clear golden brew with rings of foam and lacing in the tall Maredsous goblet. Tangy on the tongue Lemony scent with a whiff of orange peel. Flavors of a different sort of hop than the usual perfumey and sharp Euro-stye Pilsners. Overall, rich and complex flavors that defy easy categorization.

Crisp throughout, but the malty taste of crackers with a yeasty note comes through. Rather bitter finish along with a dark vegetable taste that is kind of pleasant. Mineral and honey aftertaste. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Haggen Market in Burlington.

 

Crisp, Citrus, Spice, Herbal

Golden, with touch of haze (as per the style) and an amazing, three-fingered head that leaves its mark as the beer empties from the glass. Expect fresh pale malts, and citrus and herbal hops in the nose. Firm-bodied and crisp, but light on the palate with smooth base. Pale malts, a smacking of citrus rinds, soft herbal and spicy notes, and thin layer of red apple and mandarin orange fruitiness beneath all come through loud and clear. Dry in the finish with some lingering spiciness, bready yeastiness and a rustic edge. The citrus, spicy and herbal notes from Sterling and Mandarina Bavaria hops are money, and the bottle-conditioning cleans and brightens things up. Spectra is not only hoppy, it's one damn tasty Pils, period.

As reviewed in BeerAdvocate magazine #117 (October 2016).

 

surprised they call this one a hoppy pils, its just not that hoppy to me, more bitterness than hop flavor, and not that different from the other craft pils types coming into vogue right now, fuller bodied and moderately hoppier than their more traditional counterparts. i like the beer quite well, but actually think it would be improved by even more hops, especially a little citrus or something running through it. the bitterness seems to be all the hops contribute here, and while its a nice way for the beer to finish, it does lack some of the anticipated complexity. more body than most, so its not a crusher for me, but it is dry and well carbonated. i like it being unfiltered too, it helps me appreciate the lager yeast a little better and gives it a rustic charm. fully flavored on the grain too, this is somewhat more substantial than i am used to in the style. i always expect some twist or turn from these guys, so this one seemed a little tame from them, but as they all are, its well made beer and an enjoyable pint. i love what they do!