Italian Pilsner
Lowercase Brewing

i havent had a ton from these guys but ive liked the handful i have had, their lager game is on point, was stoked to find this italian pils on tap, a style i am really digging right now, and one i think american brewers are still grappling with, like what is it really, what hops and how much of them make sense, the variance in the style from one to the next is massive right now, and that makes this a fun drinking space for the time being. i think this one hits like an instant classic, kind of what i expect these to be, and done at a very high level in terms of quality. clearish and golden but not immaculate, bright in the glass with lots of carbonation and a soapy white head with some lace as it drinks. pretty subtle in the nose, especially when its cold, european lager yeast casting a crackery note, some biscuit and minerality from the pils malt but not crazy distinctive there, and some herbal hop notes, but tight and crisp and fresh to me when first poured. it does open up well, more hops and earlier in the way it hits, notes of floral green tea, green grape, and dried lemon zest, not overly hoppy and still sort of noble too, but low bitterness to me, nice water chemistry this is crazy clean. the flavor is very pleasant, pils-like and familiar but with its own personality, which seem more derived from the hops than from malt or yeast to me, although there is some body to this despite its high drinkability that is probably derived from eraclea malt, that cannot be overlooked, but this is really about the hops, very fresh, very distinctive, but not out of proportion in the least. smooth and quick still, well carbonated, some bitterness on the swallow, exceptionally well lagered. this was a wicked pizza beer, high end pizza, wood fired, olives, anchovies, salty, rich, perfect beer for that, not lost to those flavors and textures but respectful of them at the same time, and i think that context elevates this beer. a quality example of the style that i hope to drink again!

 

 

This is my first beer from lower case - can suffered some exterior damage but the beer itself looks like it's pristine. Pours lightly hazy golden but the last bit of the can featured a lot of sediment uncharacteristic of a lager. Head is gorgeous on this. Nose is light and floral. It's got a light white bread center body with a little lemon lime zest to it. Carb is light, not particularly prickly. This is one note and not as floral as I'd want, but it's also good, despite the sediment.

I'm not sure I've had an "Italian Style Pilsner" before. It's good, and it's distinctive. Is it a real style in Italy? I have no idea. But it was good on a summer day, and I'd have it again.

Slightly hazy unfiltered golden body. Mild floral bite, light caramel and crackery pilsner malt, slightly doughy. Touch of orange zest, mild herbal bitterness on the finish. Lighter medium bodied, good carbonation. Drinks well but not as good as Tipo.

 

16oz tallboy can purchased at Community Pint, in Spokane, Washington, for $4.49. The extremely smudged stamp on the bottom of the can seems to say it was canned on either June or August 17, 2020,but that's a bit of a guess, really.

Poured into a 16oz mug, this was a hazy, lemony shade of amber, with a good sized eggshell white head. Good lace.

Herbal and grassy hop aroma in the nose, along with a crackery maltiness.

Grassy and herbal hop bite up front, balanced with a smooth, crackery maltiness. The maltiness is slightly sweeter on the back end, with a finish that was decently crisp for the style.

Light bodied, with a crisp and clean mouthfeel.

Nice pils. Not sure it's a great example of the Italian Pilsener sub-style, as it didn't seem like the specific differences of it stood out, but it's still a nice crisp beer if hankering after a pilsener. I'd liken to have this on-tap sometime.

Poured from 16oz tall can into my BeerAdvocate teku. Canned 6/17/20.

Appearance: shimmery light-golden hue with a touch of haze. Head is a thick finger of frothy ivory foam; pretty nice!

Smell: lightly malty, a little dry, with a good dose of noble hop character. I quite dig it.

Taste: nicely malty, with a totally balanced bitterness and a nicely hoppy flavor. This manages to be crisp while maintaining a bit of sweetness; I really like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a huge, well-integrated carbonation. Probably the best mouthfeel I've ever had out of a pilsner.

Overall: this beer is refreshing as hell. Balanced in flavor, just a hint of sweetness, good bitterness, great feel and totally quenching. Love it.

L: A pale gold with rising bubble streams and half a Pilsner glass of loose white foam. Some clearish lacing on the glass.

S: Sweet cracker malt, lemon rind, herbal hops and possibly a note of banana.

T: On the sweeter side of the spectrum and follows the nose. Delightful.

F: Smooth - very smooth. And a little honey sweetness. Rightly carbonated to keep it lively.

O: My favorite Pilsner to date!