Czech Pilsner
ColdFire Barrel House

 

16oz can

Pours a finger of fizzy white head into my Willi. Retention is subpar. Lacing is ok. Body is pale yellow, crystal clear, with a hefty nucleation. Looks fine.

Nose is slightly bready, some cracker, light noble hop notes. As per usual, a lot lighter in malt character than most Czech versions, hops are also on the lighter side. Style aside, it smells inviting.

Flavor follows suit, white cracker with some faint noble hops / lemon. This is very clean, but definitely could use a little more umph - it’s even lighter than a German pils. Enjoyable, but even style aside, a bit thin.

Carbonation is high. Light bodied. Bitterness is modest. Quite dry. Overall a decent mouthfeel, really crisp, but a little dry for me.

Drinkability is good.

I expected the malt character to be low, but it’s even lower than most American versions. Less expected is the very small hop character, and bone dry finish. Stylistically it feels pretty far off, as a beer it’s good, but gets dry and thin at times.

Poured into a 0.5L British pint glass. The entry gives me lively carbonation with fresh bread flavors balanced by a crisp hoppy bite. The taste is as clean as the look of the beer and there are no "off" or adjunct elements. The color is a deeper gold than many pilsners and the feel is medium-bodied. This offering is no flyweight despite the modest ABV, displaying substantial depth of flavor.
Hats off to the folks at Coldfire for another winner. This will be a year round regular in my rotation from now on.

16oz can. Pale golden pour, thick fluffy white head, clumpy lacing, lively carbonation. Bready, biscuity aroma. Taste is sweet, malty, white bread leading up to a mild crisp finish. Very tasty, clean.