Eastern Promises
Russell Brewing Company

Tastes great but unlike the conventional Pilsners from Europe. A little too malty but still a great product.

 

Clear light amber color. Poured a short head of mostly small to medium sized bubbles. The head dropped down to a patchy skiff in half a minute. Left no lacing. Medium flow of tiny and small bubbles from the bottom of the glass.

Vegetative hop smell with a hint of barnyard. Might be able to smell a bit of malt. Swirling the glass kicked up more barnyard and something like raw rhubarb stalks.

Starts with a mild hop flavor with a medium-light bitter following. A faint, sweet plant/vegetable flavor rides below everything. The aftertaste is mostly the hop flavor with a bit of bitters.

Very soft mouthfeel for a few seconds at the beginning of a creamy foam. There is some tongue tingling as the foam forms larger bubbles.

A little more robust flavor than I remember from the last time I had a true Czech Pilsner close to its home. Surprising for a BC brewed pilsner that it doesn't have any of the off flavors (fish, metal) usually found in pilsners brewed here. This needs to be cold though, as the bitters start to take over closer to the bottom of the glass.

 

 

Look : Deep gold with a brilliant white head that lingers.

Smell: Roses, herbs...typical Saaz hoppiness for the style with a fresh breadiness from the malt.

Taste: Fresh,clean breadiness with that slight dryness that comes from the Saaz hops. A decent Pilsner Urquell clone but not quite fresh Pilsner Urquell.

Feel: typical pilsner lightness, feel is on point for the style

 

 

 

 

Bought the cans and think this beer probably is better in cans than a bottle. Sharp and clean

Color is a surprising amber with a brief foam. I would say this is almost entirely unlike a Czech Pilsener, but quite likeable to drink. Warm and malty with a toasted malt taste. Rather bitter. That is probably the most Pilsener-like characteristic, the hoppy and austere finish.

The finish is tangy and resiny. It's unfortunate that the carbonation dissipates so completely. But very decent flavors. On tap at Sai Woo in Chinatown.

 

Pours into my pokal a lovely gold-orange colour, translucent with lots of visible carbonation and an absurdly dense amount of head--even a modest pour nets three or four fingers that continue growing for a few moments and then show remarkable persistence.

Smell is dough-y, yeasty, biscuit, cracker, slightly peppery and herbal, bitter greens. Taste is much the same: crisp, lightly doughy, biscuit, grain, with a peppery, herbal snap. Some leafy greens. Light body and moderate carbonation.

A really wonderful Canadian rendition of the Czech classic; up there with Steam Works as "best-in-show" in terms of Canadian pilsners.

L - Pours a dark yellow. A significant head that quickly reduces but remains a presence.

S- Slight skunkiness. Noticeable hoppy aroma, you can really smell the Saaz hops.

T - This is intended as a clone of Pilsner Urquell. Smells and tastes like it. Wonderful use of Saaz hops. Noticeable hoppy finish at the end of the sip. Very refreshing.

F - Nicely carbonated and crisp mouthfeel.

O - One of my favorite craft lagers. Not quite as good as fresh Pilsner Urquell at the source but beats buying a bottle of the real stuff that has sat on a store shelf for a year.