West Coast Pilsner
Barbarian Brewing

cool mix of hops and hop products in this, flavorful as can be, maybe a little robust with the malt, this drinks pretty sturdy for what it is and for this time of year, but its not sweet or anything, definitely balanced, fresh, and a little different because the bitterness is low, this seems more dry hoppy than this new fangled style mashup is generally offering. brassy colored even just into the orange range, maybe not quite, close to clear but not fully there, and with a lot of carbonation and a pillowy white head of teeny tiny bubbles. the nose and taste are similar, i think maybe the hops are more up front in the nose, more well integrated and balanced in the taste, but its the same idea. i love the inclusion of the new zealand hops, gives this some cool character from green melon to aloe to herbal spice from the cascade element, way cool, juicy kiwi fruit, meyer lemon, and green tea are all there, and in the taste even a little coconut kicks up, nice with the fresh pineapple mosaic thing, only faintly catty in that way to my senses, and with nice minerality underneath it all really making the hops sing. the bitterness is not all that the end, which is cool, and it never gets as intense as expected with this being a west coast type, but it adds a lot anyway. fresh cereal grain character in this, just a little bit of flavor from the lager yeast, approaching crisp, definitely distinctive to me on the hops side. sparkling and well made, their lager game at barbarian has been exceptional in recent months!

Draft at Barbarian Downtown. Clear golden pour, skin of fine white head lacing all around. Light citrusy aroma, hop kiss. Taste is mild hoppiness with a nice bready base. Well balanced.