Anvil Pilsner
AleSmith Brewing Company

12 ounce can - $2.25 at Woodstock Beer Market in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a light gold body, a smidge hazed with an inch or so of frothed, white foam. Light lacing.

Smell: A dry, crackery maltiness with a little hint of toasted grain. Softly herbal, very lightly peppery hops.

Taste: Lightly crackery, grainy with a little malt sweetness. Lightly floral, herbal hops yielding a hint of spice and bitterness which carries you through the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Pretty solid.

 

(Enjoyed 28 Sep 25) (canned 13/05/25)
N: hay, gentle yeastiness and flowery hoppiness.
T: clean and crisp taste, indeed. Whiffs of flowery hoppiness and gentle bitterness.
O: crisp, clean and easy, but enjoyable. (6/10)

 

Picked up a 6’er of 12oz cans at the brewery for $10.99 which is pretty fair and it’s definitely fresh. Canned on 05/13/25. Rather than have a pint of this I decided to take it home to enjoy. Crisp, grainy, plenty of hay/barn. Classic Pils. Yeast strain is top notch. Another American brewery getting on the lager train but able to keep up and produce quality examples of these styles.

5/11/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased at Beer on the Wall at Park Ridge at store temperature for $2.27 including tax on May 6, 2025. Refrigerated upon returning home until opening this morning. 12 oz canned March 25, 2025. 4.9% ABV, crisp & clean pilsner made with the finest ingredients. Proudly canned and brewed in San Diego, California. Established 1995 San Diego, California.

Brewed to perfection and forged with precision, anvil pilsner is the pinnacle of craftsmanship. Delivering a crisp and clean taste inspired by our favorite European lagers, The perfect pick for those who appreciate quality in every sip. Enjoy a beer that truly hammers home our dedication to exceptional brewing.

Appearance: First pour about 8 of 12 oz into a pilsner glass, yielding a crystal clear golden straw colored base, heavy sustained carbonation, and a generous and creamy rich bubbly bright white head, yielding substantial cotton candy like lacing and a creamy cover over the base. Very nice! 4.5

Aroma: Traditional Pilsner aroma, nice salt and pepper cracker lead, grassy. Narrow but intense full strength aroma and enjoyment. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, cracker, pepper and salt, light lemongrass. Not much beyond, but brewed as expected and really enjoying the crisp freshness. Everything popping. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Lightly bitter and dry, light and easy drinking, slightly below the ABV. Light watery body, gentle carbonation adds slightly more depth. Nice hops presence keeps the malt presence balanced, salt and pepper cracker from start to finish. 4.5

Overall: AleSmith did a great job with this traditional pilsner even picky drinkers to style will enjoy. Narrow range of experience, but strong focused greatness making this an excellent pilsner I hope they keep active at least seasonally. Want more, definitely. Thank you again AleSmith! 4.5

Pale yellow pour, touch haze, decent white head with some lace around. Nose offers up cracker and floral.

Taste sees sweet Pils, fresh hay, floral hops, light kilned malt. Light mouthfeel. Finish has a little herbal zing to it, but it still leans sweet for me.

Poured a clear golden color, bubbly with a 2F head.

One of the better Pilsners I’ve tasted in a while. On par with N.E. brewed Pilsners which are exemplary. Excellent deep malt aroma, taste, and crisp MF. Will buy again. Great to see Alesmith back in MA again!

 

For a 2nd generation micro specialising in high ABV styles, this is a very delicate pils (despite call it "Anvil.") But after 30 years of experimenting and succeeding, AleSmith's craft is among the industry's best. So, I'm not surprised that they've brewed a pils liked by maltheads like me.

Anvil Looks close to great, a healthy foam on a blonde bod. Smells are mostly sweet malt. Balanced are its Tastes with hops entering mid-palate to check the malt from getting too sweet. Finely bubbled, medium-mouthed and cleanses my palate. A good lunch lager that I'd have again.