American Pilsner
War Flag Ales & Lagers

 

Don't know why so many people didn't rate this beer higher - I really liked it. Not a barn burner, but seemed to work in all directions for me. Good looks, nice white head, bready and malty, smooth (but not exactly crisp like a Pilsner should be), and nice feel. Only qualification I'll make is that I had just brushed my teeth prior to having, and didn't have anything to neutralize my tastes - oh well, so be it...so maybe that improved it in some way, or maybe not, I enjoyed it regardless...!

I don't see a date code anywhere on the bottle or label.

Appearance: The beer is a light gold color with a medium haze. It has a medium sized fluffy white head with very good retention and lacing.

Aroma: There is a light herbal aroma with a touch of skunk. It smells a tad metallic.

Taste: There is a bit of skunk that comes onto the palate at first, but then as the beer moves to the center of the palate it takes on a bit of lemon grass.

Mouthfeel: It has a strong bitterness for the style, which is noted on the label as "AMERICAN PILSNER." The carbonation feels a bit on the low side. The body is light and the beer finishes wet.

Overall: The beer really seems to rely heavily on hops to carry it, but even there it falls short with the skunky character. It doesn't deliver that crisp and refreshing bite that one might expect. Instead it just feels messy and incomplete. I really wouldn't recommend it and I wouldn't drink it again.

 

Had on tap. Really more of a lager than a pilsner in my opinion. It is lacking in the hop charastics that you expect in a pilsner. Light bodied with a watery mouth feel and under carbonated.

 

 

Bottle of War Flag American Pilsner at 55F poured into a simple glass in mid-August, 2018. Head rises fairly high, then falls quickly. Aroma has an inviting sweet component. Body is a pale lager color, as the style would indicate. The flavor has a balance of malt and hops. This beer has a slight astringency followed by a none-too-pleasant grainy aftertaste. My friends and I did a survey of many US lagers in the early 70s. I would compare the quality of American Pilsner to some of the pretty good mid-70's lagers (but not the best of them).

Bottle into glass

No head retention, no lace - was a beer clean glass

Fruity flavors resembling ale...not a great lager at all

Medium gold and not quite clear with a finger of white head in a shaker glass; on tap at Honu in Huntington... Surprisingly ale-like for a lager - rather full-bodied, and lacking the crackery crispness and clean hoppiness of a pilsener... Had some soft fruit impressions, a little honeyed sweetness, and some grain-like chew. So, i'm gonna say it was not what most people would want in a pilsener, or maybe a lager, but it was certainly a good enough beer - very smooth, light, and drinkable - probably appeal to the ale and IPA crowd... So I gotta take some points off for lacking style specificity - unless of course, "American pilsener" is gonna be a new category lol...

Nice presentation with a light lemony pour leading to a a big billowy head from a classic brown bottle with great label....picked this up as a single in a variety pack from Total Wine...they say its an American Pale Lager with with 'sweet honey characters accented with spicy and grassy hop notes'...I agree...a nice smooth, very drinkable brew.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Willi Becher glass.
3.5/3.25/4.5/4/4.25
A: Hazy straw with light-low head and no effervescence.
S: Vaguely wheaty-yeasty, with a touch of sweet-tangy yeast.
T: Yum! Now that's a swell pilsner. It comes through cold and clean and crisp, but blooms into a sweeter, more developed, and more interesting beer on the endtaste. Thick with light fizz to jazz it up, the malt base is smooth and delightful, but complemented by a tangy, sulfuric, unmistakably lager yeast. This is a beer you can either dig your teeth into or swill. Which is to say perfect for anyone who can take the lagers.
O: A wonderful American pilsner deserving of the highest accolades for the style and implementation and flair. In a league with only Southern Tier and the European originals.

 

 

 

Pours a straw yellow color. A modest head quickly recedes. leaving a thin cap and collar. Light spritzy carbonation is visible.
The aroma is slightly earthy, crackery, sweet, floral and light citrus.
Taste is grassy, cracker malt like and with a touch of spicy hops. The mouthfeel is crisp and light with a thin body. Some sweetness in the finish. Clean overall; simple and not complex.
I was not expecting much from this one, but was pleasantly surprised it had some character. A decent light Lager that is refreshing.

On tap at Truffles in Hilton Head, SC. Served in a pilsner glass. Golden straw color with just a touch of haze. Lots of carbonation. Smell of hay and honey and faint scent of hops. Crisp tasting and well balanced. Would definitely have this one again.

 

L: Poured from a bottle to a pilsner glass. Had a bright yellow color and a clear texture. There was a two inch, foamy, long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: A little odd. The moment I opened the bottle I was hit with a slightly skunky aroma, but that dissipated, giving way to the typical pilsner nose (hops, citrus, malt).

T: Tasted of citrus (some lemon), honey, bready malts, and grassy hops, though the grassy part isn't that pronounced. Not a bad flavor, but it never did stand out. Light and airy; could've used more hops and citrus.

F: A good amount of carbonation with a sharp, yet kind of slick and syrupy finish. Light-bodied.

O: This is, in general a likable beer. American Pale Lagers tend to be undistinguished, and War Flag tried to improve on it. Not wholly successful, but worth a look.