Volaré
Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co.

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; a 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a skim cap; nice lacing;

S: light sweet malt and a bit of earthiness;

T: on the sweeter side for a pils; floral, mild bitterness at the end;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: expected more hop aroma and less sweetness;

A: Bright lemony pour, hazy in the vessel, with an intense swirling activity of carbonation. A one and a half inch bready structure for a head is off white sitting sturdily atop. Beautiful haze.

S: Wet hay and pilsner malt adds the backbone.

T: Sweet creamy malt flavor with spicy (saaz?) hops. Doughy malt character, lemon hay and pilsner grains that is sharply defined backed by a crisp carbonation. Light banana and apricot yeastiness. Some spicy semi-dry grass hops provide a good twang on knockout.

M: Malty and full body mouthful, creamy depth with a tingly and tight carbonation. Bold spiciness on inner cheek.

O: Overall brings a very good complexity to a style that many consider linear and safe. Bold and spicy hops, hazy ipa like coloring, good pilsner malt depth with a pleasing visual. A good punch of hop spiciness that is bold and enjoyable for a summer time quencher. Satisfying on multiple levels of interest.

16 oz. can dated 3/10/25

Pours mostly clear straw yellow gold with a dense creamy white foam head. Smells like lemony citrus, crisp crackery bready biscuity malt, lemongrass, floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Taste follows dry with some peppery spice, grainy biscuity crackery bready malt, zesty lemony citrus and floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels medium bodied, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a nice Italian style Pilsner.

 

 

On tap at Fattey Beer Company in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a mostly clear golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells grassy, minerally, and clean, with some citrus.

There’s a little bit of an odd vegetal bitterness to this – it’s not completely distracting, but it’s there. The hop character is otherwise decent – spicy and grassy, with a light but pleasant bready malt character.

This is lighter bodied, and crisp, but doesn’t finish entirely cleanly on the palate.

This had a few flaws but I didn’t hate drinking it.

Nearly clear with the faintest of hazes. Straw to pale gold color. Solid head but it dissipates quickly. Random streaks and spots left on the glass as the beer is consumed.

Mostly pale malt aroma. The hop is muted and there’s a slight off smell similar to a brewery floor.

The flavor is a step up from the smell with a bit of berry sweetness and a distinctive white pepper bite. The body and carbonation are close to normal for the style. The blend works well with mildly bitter and lingering finish.

Pours very clear, darker golden colors than other similar beers. Huge head that lasts and sticks.

The smell...hmmm...slightly sweet, bread-like malty with a little touch of toast. Quite hoppy with a little lemon, mostly floral notes, slight green grassy smell, a little honey, very faint peppery spice.

The taste isn't what I've come to expect from an "Italian" pilsner. Malty, bready, minimally sweet again with the little bit of toast. The hops kick in pretty hard and bitter sets in pretty early in the taste. Green, herbal/floral hops with a bit of lemon grass. There is a white pepper spiciness at the end.

The feel is thin and a tad watery. It's not very crisp, either. So it feels watery versus refreshing. Bitterness carries for a long time with the pepper and nothing in between.

Overall, it's drinkable. It seems a bit out of balance to me - not quite coming together. Whatever kind of pilsner it is supposed to be, it doesn't quite get there. Would not recommend.

Canned 11/29/22

I generally grab any Italian Pilsner I see. They’re usually fun, but they need to still strike a good balance. It’s a risk every time I blindly buy one, but I think it’s worth it for the potential reward. Let’s see if this one nails the balance

Pours a cloudy yellow gold with 2 fingers of soapy white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

The nose here is a bit odd, the hops are bright but it has a weird metallic vibe to it. I’m picking up on aromas of lemon zest, floral hops, raw grain, honey, white pepper, green tea, and a metallic off-note

While the metal disappears in taste, it unfortunately lacks the vibrancy that the nose at least had. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting bready malt, toasted grain, floral hops, light white pepper, lemon zest, and green tea. The swallow brings notes of toasted grain, white pepper, wildflower honey, floral hops, lemon zest, and light green tea

A light medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes mostly dry and refreshing

The only real compliment I have to give to this one is its drinkability. Otherwise it’s just a bland beer with some off-notes. Not the worst, but not worth seeking out