Captain Conky's Pilot Pils
New England Brewing Co.

Poured into a plastic cup (fuck SARS-CoV-2) at the brewery.

L: The beer is a brilliant pale gold with almost perfect clarity. There is a 2 finger fine, white head that has good retention and slowly recedes to a 5 to 6 mm head that sticks around for the top 2/3 of the glass. By the bottom 1/3 the middle of the head has fallen out but there is still a 2-3 mm ring of head around the circumference of the glass. The head leaves a nice webbed lacing on the plastic cup as the beer is drained.

S: The nose is a bit subdued, but fairly complex. I get lemon, grass, a hint of spiciness, some very light earth notes, and a bit of grainy malt. I also get a barely perceptible hint of sulfur

T: On the front end I get light earth notes, lemon, and some grassiness with a hint of sulfur flowing into the middle where I get grainy malt character and a bit of malt sweetness beginning to mix with some white wine notes. The white wine continues towards the back complemented by a hint of spice with a bit of earth coming back again. It has a medium to medium-low bitterness. On the finish the alcohol is not overpowering, but definitely perceptible.

F: Medium-light body with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp and clean with a nice dry finish that is only marred by a bit of alcohol burn.

O: This is a great mix of Hallertau and Nelson. I am definitely getting the earth, and actually after finishing a couple of glasses I think the earth may actually permeate the whole palate, but it is so light that at certain points it is covered up by the other flavors coming through. At 6% ABV this is a bit high for the style, and for me that would really be my only criticism. It's a bit to much to be sessionable, and the perception of alcohol on the back end kind of ruins the finish for me, otherwise I probably would have rated the taste at 4.25.