Barnstormer Bohemian Pilsner
St. Lawrence Brewing Company

 

All around good beer at a great price

 

 

 

 

First, I like the packaging, and hope to see more 16 oz. cans in the future. As for the beer, I'm not entirely sure what they're going for here. Deep gold in color, bordering on pale amber (a bit darker than expected for the style), Barnstormer nonetheless produces an eye-pleasing cap of white foam. Somewhat hazy. The aroma is a curious blend of yeast and sweet malt with an earthiness that reminds me of buckwheat honey. A tangy, yeasty flavor is a surprise, as is the medium body. No real bitterness or Saaz hop character. The dry, crisp finish that make Pilsners so drinkable is also missing. Not a bad beer, but pales in comparison to the best of Bohemia.

 

 

 

A: hazy; burnt orange; 1 finger white head that receded to a thin cap; steady stream of bubbles maintained the head;

S: spicy hops; a lot of the yeast - bready;

T: malty up front; a touch of spice from mid-palate on, but the flavor is dominated by a juicy tartness; no bitterness;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation;

O: the haziness and color caught me by surprise for the style; the tartness was overwhelming; it may be what they were going for, but it's not what I expect from a pilsner;

 

The appearance is hazed, like a hefe. Very cloudy. Yellow hues orange/brownish tints. The head was off off white, dirty white if you will and loose, popped pretty fast even though some of it was creamy. Had an excellent amount of lager bubbles that kept rolling up to the top. The nose is malty and deeply so. Rich malt , breaddy. It verges on it's honey like sweetness but stops short just like it should. There is a floral and spicy hops presence on the nose and a bit of citrusy scent. Taste follows the nose. Breaddy, dry deep malt on a crisp and well carbonated body. Hops come up cheerful , spicy and with a bit of bitter that does not linger too long in the finish. Finishes with a juicy but faint tartness. This style is called svetly lezak and is noted for it's maltiness. It's also served cloudy and unfiltered with young wort mixed in. That would account for the color. So I am raising my original score to reflect my earlier error . It was 3.25 and now it's 3.65. I would like another one of htese as it is a fantastic tasting beer. It tasted so good I kept looking up the style =)