Trail Call
Rek-lis Brewing Company

 

Very good dry hopped pilsner. The Nelson hops did not overwhelm flavor profile of the Vienna style wheat pilsner and complimented it to make it feel more refreshing.

 

I have difficulty, even to this day, determining whether an American-brewed pilsner that has otherwise not been categorized by the brewer, was intended to be more of a "German" or "Czech"-style piece, but this was also dry-hopped with Nelson so perhaps any kind of traditional specification goes out the window when it comes to these definitions. Anyway, this is my first beer from Rek'-Lis, a stupidly-named brewery located in Bethlehem, NH who are apparently pretty good at stuff like this, according to a buddy of mine who works at the beer store where I bought this can. Let's see what's going on.

The pour is freaking fantastic, so the first impression here is quite good, indeed. It's a brilliantly-clear golden beer with an almost champagne-like level of carbonation that is clearly visible (and even more apparent due to my pouring it into an Allagash glass with an etching on the bottom that is intended to bolster carbonation and head formation/retention) and long-lasting, and the head is similarly gorgeous. A super-solid, highly-retentive collar of tight, white bubbles forms instantly, coating the entire surface with foam for several minutes. From a purely-aesthetic perspective, this rules.

The nose is a heady, daring combination of Nelson-driven aromatics (balanced yet characterful dank/funky/mineral-laden elements mingling with apricot, peach, gooseberry, and white grape) and crackery maltiness with nary an ester in reach. Clean, crisp, and freaking on-point. I am immediately very, very into this. It's not a super obvious or "saturated" dry-hopping, which is appreciated cuz keeping this on-style is pretty important, but I do think it's enough to delineate it from many American pilsners I've had.

The flavor is awesome, too, and I am very happy this is only 4.5% ABV, because it's one of those beers you can crush all day and still enjoy/find interest in due to the relative complexity. Flavors of crackery grain, white grape, passion fruit, and light minerality intrigue my palate while light undertones of florals and grassiness kick around in the mid-palate, offering some very flavorful suggestions that deviate a bit from both the traditional Nelson profile and the usual Pilsner archetype. As it warms, I am picking up even more of a floral note along with a lightly syrupy malt flavor that kinda of brings the feel down. Perhaps I have allowed it to warm a bit more than appropriate for this style in general, which means this may very well be a beer you should enjoy straight out of the fridge, as quickly as possible. All things considered, this is a superb pilsner with a decidedly "American" edge to it that, nevertheless, recalls the stylistic origins from which it derives inspiration. I would get it again, for sure... and I'd try some more of this brewery's stuff now that I know they can be trusted to create one of the more difficult-to-brew styles in modern craft beer.