Beamers & Botox
Refined Fool Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the brewery; no packaging date. Reviewed from notes jotted down last summer.

Pours effervescent and relatively clear, its pale yellow-hued body crowned with nearly two fingers of soapy, foamy white head. It lasts for a little over five minutes, slowly whittled down to a lumpy eighth-inch cap encircled by a generous collar; spotty lace deposition. Subtle notes of stone fruit and pineapple on the nose, with suggestions of grape and citrus; hints of crackery, wheaty malts are also detectable.

It tastes fine; I'm not super-familiar with 'west coast pilsners', but to me this drinks more or less like an IPL, i.e. more hop forward and bitter than an Italian pils. Grainy flavours with hints of crackery wheat sweetness, joined by stone fruit, white grape and subtle tropical fruits mid-sip. A touch of grapefruit and grassy hop bitterness on the back end, finishing like a pale ale. Off-dry. Medium in body, with middling carbonation levels that add some crispness to this lager's smooth mouthfeel. Not very refreshing for a pils; one serving per evening seems like enough.

Final Grade: 3.63, a B grade. If you gave Beamers & Botox to me blindfolded, I am pretty sure I would incorrectly assume it was a pale ale. In other words, I wouldn't necessarily reach for this beer if I were in the mood for a pilsner... but with these hybrid styles, I do feel the need to grade with some leeway. Like I said, if you go into this expecting something like an IPL, you may be pleasantly surprised. I like it for what it is, and would probably buy it again if another batch were to be released - but at the end of the day, B&B didn't quite scratch my pilsner itch - there's simply no salve or ointment better than a real German pils.