Apex Predator Pilsner
Apex Brewing

 

Ok another from the Six-er Mixer bought at J.Webb Wine Merchant......

A- Excellent artwork....a big Grizzly a 'la Hulk Hogan ripping the shirt off! The brew pours a semi chill hazed pale golden undertoned yellow color, and contains a few consistent, yet lazily rising columns of carbonation....almost hypnotic like to look at! The head starts about two fingers in thickness, and modestly settles down into a ridgy ring around the inside of my glass....it is nice and white in color. The lacing doesn't really stick to anything but rather leaves behind an oily residue with I suppose a couple of small globs hanging on. A decent enough looking Pils.

S- Interesting enough....my initial reaction to this beer was of a moderately noticeable sour aroma, along with crispy dry grass and unmalted barley. After this first smell, things gravitate into what I would describe as unscented soap....just that clean smell without any perfumes....almost like a milder version of Ivory or Dove. Orchard fruit pits are found on the finish.....a dry woodsy kind of character....overall in my opinion the aroma does not do anything for me and doesn't remind me much at all of anything related to Pils......kind of wish I could undo this smelling experience.....

T- Ok I think that this tastes better than the aforementioned aromas let on but make no mistake, this is way off the mark for what a tasty version of this style should be! Starts off malty and then quickly fades into a blend of dry stale cracker, bitter hop, and Earthy minerality that lingers on the palate. Speaking of lingering, the aftertaste is alright, but the minerals are competing for space with a cloying syrupy adjunct quality.....boiled corn. In between all of this, there are soapy notes, some sour zing in spots and just bounces all over the place.

M/O- Medium bodied with carbonation that is too velvety for the style. I really don't know what Bench Creek was thinking here, as this is not a good representation of the style..... It is flabby (there is no expected Pilener crispness), unexpected adjunct qualities found in a lower end lager and a horrible aroma. Too bad this is on the regular listings for the brewery.....stay away.....in fact, I am going to go dig out my Golden Pheasant to cleanse the palate of the disgust. BTW should anyone want to compare this to what a real Czech Pils is, I highly recommend doing so..... either Urquell or Pheasant...you'll know what I'm talking about. The Apex Predator needs to go back into hibernation!

 

 

473ml can - their Apex Predator is now a series, one subtitled 'Survival of the Fittest (it's the only law out here)'.

This beer pours a clear, bright medium golden yellow colour, with one thick finger of puffy, loosely foamy, and fizzy dirty white head, which leaves a few instances of minor streaky lace around the glass as it quickly blows off.

It smells of grainy and crackery Alberta cereal malt, a bit of lager yeastiness, muddled pome fruity notes, faint gasohol, and some earthy, wet hay-like, and grassy hop bitters. The taste is bready and grainy toasted pale malt, more mildly estery lager yeast, a touch of underripe apple fruitiness, ethereal petrol, and more spicy, herbal, and sharp grassy green hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its palate-satisfying frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, and generally smooth, with just a hint of charred biscuit edginess maybe taking things down a notch or so at this particular point in the game. It finishes trending dry, the crackery essence of the malt predominating.

Overall - this is a pretty bang-on version of the style, with a fresh, local twist on it. Easy to drink, nice and crisp, and a perfect complement to a 30-degree (that's Celsius, for my south of the border readers) day in the ol' Chuk. Which is hot. And this brew is cold. 'Nuff said.