Schell's Stag Series: Fresh Hop Citra Pils
August Schell Brewing Company

Just what the title says.

Murky light yellow color.

Huge bright white head; frothy lacing.

Smells of fresh grass & strong marijuana.

Thin mouthfeel.

Strong lemon flavor up front; hint of pineapple on the back end.

I must admit; this is a delightful drink. An argument for Pilsners, hops and August Schell. Side note: this seems to be a beer one should drink very fresh; aging would only harm this gem.

 

 

 

 

...just bring this beer back already, please! It wasn't anything that would knock your socks off, just a very solid, incomprehensibly drinkable pilsner: clean, crisp and packed with that lemon-lime juicy funk citra hop flavor we all know and have come to love.

Golden, clear beautiful, big cap of foam. Light malt and citrus funk coming up out the bottle. Drinking it down, it isn't your average american hop-forward deal - this is german engineered excellence: all the finest ingredients blended and balanced culminating in a iquid perfection that elevates all the above into something transformative; the divine sanctification of water, malt, hop and yeast.

I hope to bless my tastebuds with this again, some day, some place. It surely awaits me in Vahalla

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a HUGE, soft, white head that collapses nicely into a finger of head. Bright, distinctly citric aroma. Turbid, straw color. Starts off surprisingly hoppy with big notes of citrus rind, a touch of grapefruit. It has an almost coriander-like quality to it. Peaks to a low-high bitterness, then the malt comes through in the end, and blends with the citra hops to make an orange bread like flavor that lingers quite nicely.

Overall, this is a WONDERFUL showcase of citra hops. They actually pair EXTREMELY well with this Pils; there is a good amount of malt to balance the brightness of the hops, and the citric hop flavor is refreshing and pleasant. Definitely recommended.

(I had this near the end of it's cycle, and I can only imagine how much nicer it would have been bright and fresh!)

From: France44 dot com
Date: None on bottle
Glass: Tulip

Bright, citrusy, pale pilsner malts, Schell's has an interesting beer with their Citra Pils, and further showcases a brewery that is doing some excellent, more experimental brews alongside their equally everyday beers. If this were a year-round and regularly available in my city, I would pick this up fairly often.

Pours a 2cm head of clean, white foam, of small to medium-sized bubbles. Above average retention of about two minutes, falling to a thin cap atop foam atop the body. Lacing is excellent, a sheet of white foam wrapped around the entire inside of the glass. Body is a hazy, rich, golden-yellow, about 50% opaque from sediment. Light brings out a pale yellow hue throughout the beer. Carbonation is visible through the haze, allowing for the viewing of plentiful, active bubbles.

Aroma is of grapefruit juice over slightly bready pilsner malt, with hints of tropical fruit like passion fruit and guava. Scents are very deep, almost like breathing in a fog of malts and fruit-hops.

Taste is of grain, pilsner malt, and grapefruit and tropical fruit hops, reminiscent of a pilsner-like Squirt soda. Front of palate notices modest spiciness mixed with sweet, doughy pilsner malt. Sweet tropical fruit like guava and passion fruit are also present, though toned down. Mid-palate finds mild grapefruit with pilsner malt being dominant, with mild bitterness and orange, guava, pineapple, and passion fruit flavors. Graininess is also pleasingly apparent here. Back of palate notes an increase in bitterness and slightly doughy pilsner malt. Fruit is present, but less so, and slight grains. Aftertaste is of slightly sweet pilsner malts combined with slightly sweet grapefruit, passion fruit, and pear juice flavors. Mild lingering bitterness.

Beer is medium bodied with carbonation of medium intensity, leading to a slightly fizzy, then quickly foamy and smooth mouthfeel; works for the style and the beer itself. Closes semi-dry with a lingering bitterness.

 

A=pale, straw colored, transparent. Thin white head that recedes a little too fast. Otherwise, looks like a pils.
S=light malty aroma that I associate with pils, with some citrus/cat-pee hops. Not disgusting, but not really welcome.
T= more of the same. Delicate pilsner-like malt quality, a little minerally, but with a cat-pee hop taste that seems out of place to me. Fortunately, the hop is not done to AIPA levels, or I fear the pilsner qualities would be lost.

While I like this beer, I don't love it. I would prefer the regular Schells pils for a pils, and other beers for an American hop fix. It could just be that I'm not a fan of wet hop, or that these hops were not of high quality, or it could be that my palate is insensitive to some of the fruitier qualities that citra is known for. I will not turn this one down, but unlike Schell's pils, I also will not seek it out again.

A- 3 fingers of pillowy white head give way to a golden-straw body with very active carbonation. lacing is heavy and the head fades to 1 finger but does not disappear.

S- fruity esters with classic german pilsner noble hops. mildy potent. very inviting.

T- It's hoppy, but it's balanced. The malt base is set in well so that the hops can be present properly, without overwhelming the palate. a rather grassy, straw type delivery but the hops really carry this one through.

M- it's dry- very carbonated, and mild bodied. it's easy drinkin' for any crowd.

O- Nice offering. I haven't had a fresh hopped beer before, and pilsners and I get along, but don't always care for each other. I'd take this over a stella any day. Cheers to schell's and can't wait for the next stag!