Fahrwasser Pilsner
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

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From:
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
German Pilsner
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 12.94%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
18
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 29, 2012
Added:
May 26, 2009
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
This gorgeous golden pilsner is aromatic and flavorful with glorious hops and malt. FAHRWASSER represents the best that summer has to offer.

28 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AKBelgianBeast:
Photo of AKBelgianBeast
Reviewed by AKBelgianBeast from Alaska

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is the 4th installment of the 2009 Crew brew series. Brewed by Midnight Suns Retail Fixture, Reid. The song inspiration for this beer is "No 9 to 5" which is written and performed by Reid and his band Bushwood. Cheers Reid!!!

Fahrwasser ("fair water or fairway") pilsner is a brew that will satisfy both the pilsner connoisseur and the master of slamboned golf course chuggery.

It pours a clear and very golden yellow with ample carbonation and a stark white head that sticks around for an impressive amount of time leaving very respectable lacing for the style.

Actually detect a fair amount of hops in the nose, as well as signature pilsner grassy notes. Nice to pick up a pilsner and not smell light struck skunkiness.

Taste is just what one looks for in a good pils. Nice grassy lagery flavor with a crisp grainy bite. There is indeed an ample amount of hop flavor in here for the style. Finish is somewhat dry. Very refreshing.

Mouthfeel is just what you want for the style. Ample carbonation, crisp viscosity without being too watery. A bit dryer than i would like, but not by much.

Drinkability is definitely what this beer is built for. Goes down like cold water on a hot day, and with a nice 5% abv, can be consumed all damn day. Which is exactly what i intend to do.

Overall a fine pilsner. Doesn't have any of the light struck issues that are common with many of the good pilsners that come all the way from europe which is nice. I'll definitely be taking a few of these on to the golf course this summer. Hopefully my putt will be looking good...
May 26, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 29, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Nov 18, 2011
 
Rated: 3.5 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.08/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks for sharing, Bobby.

A: The pour is a cloudy straw color with a big white head.

S: Not a very good nose for a pilsner. Lots of lemon, grain husks, and perhaps some grassy hops which are really the only redeeming quality. A bit of a cracker malt, to it, but not much.

T: Lightly bitter and grassy hop flavors. Some light malt sweetness from a touch of breadiness. The same sour lemony character is there as well.

M: The body is light to medium with a moderate carbonation.

D: I'm all for a good pilsner, but this was not an example of that. Sort of sour and not really what I think of when it comes to a German pils.
Dec 11, 2010
Photo of Gobzilla
Reviewed by Gobzilla from California

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a translucent golden yellow with pale yellow highlights that had a thin head and left very little lacing sticking to the glass. The aroma was pretty grainy but did notice some hop notes, a tad of malty sweetness, citrus, and faint spice in the background. The citrus was more potent on the palate but had a nice sweet balance from the malts with slight citrus, hoppy, and mild spice accents. The brew was medium in body with a fair amount of tingly carbonation which had a grainy, slight sweet, but citrusy, crisp finish. It drank really good and probably could have taken down the whole bomber by myself.
Dec 09, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bomber via trade thanks to akbeerfiend. Let's see how this bad boy aged, shall we?

Pours a bright clear golden color with a great lasting one-finger white head.

Aroma is nice grassy hops and pale malt, good despite the over 1 year age on this beer.

The flavor is slightly sweet pale malt along with a nice herbal and grassy hop profile. Surprisingly fresh-tasting with just a slight sherry note from the age/oxidation.

Medium-light and crisp on the palate.

Very good for an aged pilsner, which is one of my favorite styles to cellar long-term.
Aug 18, 2010
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Nick for bringing it with the Midnight Sun offerings. I'd been looking to try this one for a while. Also curious to see how a 5.2% Pilsener held up after over a year. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Pours with a finger of white foam that settles to a thick chunky ring and thin cap, leaving behind spotty lace. Murky peach color with brownish highlights.

S - Spicy, zesty, noble hop character is still present, along with pilsener malt, and honeyed grains. The nose is still pretty potent and seems pretty fresh somehow.

T - Taste is floral, with some toasted grain character, and slightly zesty hop notes. Very clean, with minimal aftertaste.

M - Soft, medium body, with light tingly carbonation. Finishes slightly dry and again quite clean and refreshing. Quite enjoyable.

D - Nice pilsener - I'd love to try this fresh as it had all the makings of an excellent session beer. Too bad it was utterly impossible to get any of these beers from Alaska in a timely fashion.
Aug 10, 2010
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.27/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks for sharing this, John.

Mildly hazy orangeish yellow with a thin white head. Retention is good, and there's some lacework.

The nose is quite fabulous, with a delicate lemony hop character, a touch of biscuity malt. Mildly bready. Very clean, this is great stuff. Mildly husky and grainy, there's a touch of orange peel character.

The flavors are no slouch either. Opening crisp with a clean hop bite with lemon and a touch of earth, there's TONS of flavor. Bitterness is low, and the hop character is quite exquisite. A mild cracker-like malt character is present, though sweetness is not noticeable. An absolutely fabulous finish with a delicate palate coating bitterness with a touch of earth. Crisp with high carbonation, this is ridiculously easy to drink. Quite fabulous, really.
Oct 17, 2009
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
From a bottle I picked up at the brewery in early July.

The beer pours a hazy gold color with good head retention and lacing. The beer actually looks a bit viscuous, which is surprising in a 5% pilsner. On the nose this beer is all classic pils. I get a considerable amount of orange honey blossoms, bread dough and light pepper. This beer smells pretty nice. On the palate the beer seems to be dominated by hoppy bitterness, especially on the finish. The beer is very much on the dry side, with flavors of bread dough, light honey and hoppy bitterness. Mouthfeel is light, very crisp and bracing. Drinkability is exceptional; this is the perfect beer for a warm summer day, watching a football game, or taking on a moose hunt. This is a very nice, very easy drinking pilsner. Yet another winner from the folks at Midnight Sun.
Oct 17, 2009
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a clearish, dully hued golden body with a tall, generous, white head.

Smell: Slightly sweetish nose of pilsener and light pale maltiness with a suggestion of grain-laden bread. Though let us not forget the Noble hops smelling of dried flowers and spice.

Taste: Pils and light pale malts with some crisp grainy slants to it and a middling amount of general sweetness. Spicy, floral, lightly earthy hops with a medium amount of imparted bitterness. Finishes crisp and dry with a bit of that hop spice riding out beyond the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation.

Drinkability: Just a good, solid pilsner to close out the hot summertime with!
Sep 10, 2009
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Big thanks to Ira for another MSBC brew, poured into a pilsner glass.

It pours a clear golden with tons of bubbles streaming to the top and feeding a massive pillowy white head. The head recedes around the edges first, leaving a huge dollap of foam int he middle of the glass.

The aroma is a mixture of toasted bready malts and light fruits, mainly pears and apples. There's is also some grassy hops in there, fresh cut grass almost. It's definitely a little sweeter than I'm used to in the style and I liked that.

The taste is fairly light but very refreshing. The sweetness is dialed down a little bit with the toasted pale malts and light grassy hops dominating. The finish is crisp, dry and slightly bitter with the hops.

The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and highly carbonated. Definitely a fantastic brew to enjoy on a hot summer afternoon. I could drink a lot of this.
Aug 15, 2009
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle from the fridge.

Pours pale gold with a hint of haze and a two inch head of dense white. A moderately paced retreat revealed a solid skim coat on the surface with some dots and streaks of lacing throughout the glass.

Aromatics lead off with honey-drizzeled biscuits, cracked straw, and grassy clover. Plenty of juicy, plump malt beyond the decieving color of the brew.

Light bodied with a crisp, slightly chewy mouthfeel. Fairly snappy and quite quenching.

Ripe malt, earthy hops, and toasted biscuit ends start the palate. Cut grass and wet hay follow through along with a solid, clean malt profile.

Finishes with a drying crisp bite, a hint of honey, and a solid, lingering bitterness.

Great beer and quite tasty for the style. This glass was drained in record time.
Aug 08, 2009
Photo of GIVEMEBACKMYSON
Reviewed by GIVEMEBACKMYSON from Alaska

4.7/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pale straw in color with a luxurious 2 finger eggshell head and a highly active effervescense.

Sourdough is the major player in the smell dept. A mild fresh floral wisp is at work as well.

Taste, mouthfeel and drinkability are where this beer really earns the high marks, which is the stuff that matters most to me anyways.
Yet, for taste, it's hard to find many words. It's very simple and straightforward. Is "pilsner" a taste? It is a light grassy pilsner taste with a crisp noble hop finish.

The mouthfeel is pretty light, and honestly this is a tad thin as a pils. And of course fairly well carbonated. What it amounts to is one of the most ridiculously drinkable beers I've had in quite some time. A sip is impossible, and cheek-puffing deep pulls off the glass make this one dissappear fast.

This is not boring, but it is mindlessly enjoyable. Your head will collapse if there's nothing in it.
Aug 05, 2009
Photo of khiasmus
Reviewed by khiasmus from South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
You can see your hand through the gold and the glass, a small fluff but a lasting one, due to the constant bubbles that race one another, pushing and shoving, down the hallway for recess, as it were, into the great unknown. The sky was clear that day, cotton-ball clouds that left only a memory after they blundered their way to who-knows-where at full tilt through the warm blue sky. The straw bales were piled up so that one could imagine a beverage with a frosty white cap, as they were loaded it continued to drop and the faint wisps of leftover clouds could be seen where the straw once was.
"You have your Capri-sun, Jimmy... My mom makes me drink these nasty health drinks..."
"Ha! He's drinking Urine!"
"No no, it's some sort of health-food tea, I dunno..."
"Sure. Sure it is, Eddie."
"Just drink your Capri-Sun and shut your pie-hole."
A light, highly carbonated mouthful washes down his throat, some cracker notes in the aroma, a bit of unsalted pasta in the flavor... Surprisingly richly flavorful, for the lightness and drinkability, all day and into the night, until seeing double...
The noble hop notes dance on the tongue, a mildly bitter finish that leaves just a reminder they were there, and a desire for another sip... clean, crisp, dry, balanced...

Nigh to perfection.

Thank you Frank.
Jul 23, 2009
Photo of shivtim
Reviewed by shivtim from Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the brewery.

A simple but refreshing pilsner.

Looks lagery. Clear straw, sticky white soapy head. Nose is grains, grass and wet hay. Taste is corn, mild barn, grass/sod, and gentle metallic qualities. Good mouthfeel. Very easy-going. Not the best, but a nice change of pace.
Jul 09, 2009
Photo of ccrida
Reviewed by ccrida from Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bomber fresh from the new brewery, poured into their tall pils glass. Fahrwasser is a chill hazed gold with a big, frothy white head that is slow to subside and leaves heavy lace.

Smell is super bready, a bit grassy. Not really my style, something about pilsner aroma reminds me of vomit - it could just be associations from college, but I doubt it!

Taste is also grassy and bready, but not in a bad way. It's just a robust flavored Pilsner.

Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, full bodied, a decent crispness.

Drinkability is OK, but it's really not my style of pils, to grassy.
Jun 20, 2009
Photo of juzy
Reviewed by juzy from Alaska

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Had this on tap at the brewery's new location, upstairs in "The Loft".

I was poured a 12 oz. serving.

Appearance: beautiful golden color with a billowy white head

Smell: green grass, a hoppier presence than I'm used to finding in a pilsner

Taste: the hops jump right off, followed by a hint of hay, finishing dry with a bit of breadiness.

Mouthfeel: smooth, overall a good mouthfeel, almost a little too much though, almost.

Drinkability: well i could drink this stuff all day and often do ;-)
Jun 06, 2009
Fahrwasser Pilsner from Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 18 ratings