Thumb War Champion
Fifth Frame Brewing Co.

 

my first beer from these guys and it was amazing! a really clean and pretty glass of classic pilsener, with a twist of having some pale rye malt in the mix, its different enough to be memorable, but still works for an enthusiast of old world pils types, i thought this was absolutely next level, and i want a couple hundred cans of it my fridge right now (impossible since i dont even think they package any beer, but a guy can dream). bright and clear in the glass with a short but lasting white head and a ton of rising little bubbles. it smells and tastes like european lager yeast first, but immediately i get a little dry dusty pepper from the rye, giving a cool agricultural element to the beer, still insanely dry, but awesome with the classic pils malt, which tastes smells and tastes fresher than most. simple really, noble hops at the end, i think they use hallertau blanc, but it has an older school vibe too, grassy and limey and crisp, bitter enough, clean on the fermentation, patiently lagered, and just perfectly dosed on the rye. i often say that there isnt a lot of room for innovation in pils type beer, but here is one example of a little liberty taken being a brilliant move that doesnt to me compromise the authenticity of the base style. bubbly and palate cleansing and as better and better every drink i take. this was the best beer we had in here, seriously unexpectedly world class. a magical hangover cure and a fine morning/breakfast beer!

On tap at Fifth Frame Brewing in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a clear burnt orange color, with a small foamy head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like sharp grassy hops, rye spice, doughy malt, and slight sweetness.

This is really well done- the rye spice dries this out nearly perfectly, leaving a snappy bite at the end of each sip. The hop character is strong-ish for a pilsner, but I enjoy it, as there’s a strong and firm bitterness here. There’s also a wel developed malt character, a hint sweet and very bready.

This is crisp and super clean, with a hint of bitterness lingering after each sip. It’s super drinkable.

This is done quite well- I’m very impressed.