Death Below
Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Co.
- From:
- Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Co.
- Maryland, United States
- Style:
- German Pilsner
- ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- +6 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 6.14%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 31, 2024
- Added:
- Apr 30, 2023
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by dano213 from Pennsylvania
4.31/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $5.45. I'm not sure when this was canned so I will have to estimate based on Instagram posts. It looks like this was released on March 24, 2023 so it's just over a year old. It's been kept in the fridge most of the time and it fortunately seems to have held up quite well.
Look: It comes out a nice light golden color. Nice clarity and lots of small to medium sized bubbles are quickly rising up the glass. There was a rocky white head that reduced to a thin layer. Soft haze after pouring the bottom of the can, and a frothier head with smaller bubbles and improved head retention.
Smell: It has nice aromas of citrus, some dankness, floral notes, and spice. Notes of melon and pepper. Some aspects of the nose are reminiscent of an herbal or green tea. After swirling the glass, there is a huge green bell pepper and grassy note. Sometimes that green bell pepper note seems overpowering or out of place, but it really works well here. Very green and very interesting because it really works. It has the kind of fresh greenness that comes in a botanical garden; also reminds me of the green leaves on top of a pineapple.
Taste: This is really delicious. This is exactly what I want a Southern-Hemisphere hopped lager to taste like. I'm not even so familiar with Riwaka hops, but this beer is definitely providing a good showcase of it. It reminds me a lot of Nelson Sauvin, which I love, but not as fruity. Up front, there is a nice acidity that works well with the lemon and lime citrus notes. Subtle crackery malt even though the focus of the flavor of this beer is on hop expression. The finish is moderately bitter with grapefruit and orange pith, peppery notes, and a very pleasant dryness. I wonder if traditional hops are also used because the finish is very reminiscent of a Noble hop such as Saaz. Or it could just be that the Riwaka has expressed similarities to Noble hops when used in this way. This beer is super drinkable. It is mean to be consumed and chugged.
Feel: It's a nice lager with a light to medium body. It's very clean, crisp, and easy to drink.
Overall: This is my first Elder Pine beer. I've been very interested to try this brewery's beers. I have been more and more interested in lagers over the past few years, and while I enjoy traditional lagers, I definitely have a soft spot for experimental lagers like this one that showcase new school hop varieties. This beer reminds me a bit of another lager that I really liked - Victory's Dry Hopped Prima Pils - which also used Southern-Hemisphere hops (Motueka, Vic Secret, Galaxy). In comparison, I think that this beer still gives a nod to the traditional German pilsner style with the restraint in terms of its juiciness and the Noble hop-like finish. Very impressive! I look forward to trying other Elder Pine beers.
A collaboration with August Burns Red
From Instagram:
New Zealand-style Pilsner
5.3% abv
Death Below is now available! Come grab a 4pack when we open today so you can crush this amazing pilsner while being sonically crushed by the new @augustburnsred record, Death Below!
Death Below is brewed with the finest Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt for crisp straw & freshly baked cracker characters and assertively hopped with the ultra-rare Riwaka hop from New Zealand for intense notes of Sicilian lemon zest, ruby red grapefruit & a touch of tropical fruit.
Mar 31, 2024Look: It comes out a nice light golden color. Nice clarity and lots of small to medium sized bubbles are quickly rising up the glass. There was a rocky white head that reduced to a thin layer. Soft haze after pouring the bottom of the can, and a frothier head with smaller bubbles and improved head retention.
Smell: It has nice aromas of citrus, some dankness, floral notes, and spice. Notes of melon and pepper. Some aspects of the nose are reminiscent of an herbal or green tea. After swirling the glass, there is a huge green bell pepper and grassy note. Sometimes that green bell pepper note seems overpowering or out of place, but it really works well here. Very green and very interesting because it really works. It has the kind of fresh greenness that comes in a botanical garden; also reminds me of the green leaves on top of a pineapple.
Taste: This is really delicious. This is exactly what I want a Southern-Hemisphere hopped lager to taste like. I'm not even so familiar with Riwaka hops, but this beer is definitely providing a good showcase of it. It reminds me a lot of Nelson Sauvin, which I love, but not as fruity. Up front, there is a nice acidity that works well with the lemon and lime citrus notes. Subtle crackery malt even though the focus of the flavor of this beer is on hop expression. The finish is moderately bitter with grapefruit and orange pith, peppery notes, and a very pleasant dryness. I wonder if traditional hops are also used because the finish is very reminiscent of a Noble hop such as Saaz. Or it could just be that the Riwaka has expressed similarities to Noble hops when used in this way. This beer is super drinkable. It is mean to be consumed and chugged.
Feel: It's a nice lager with a light to medium body. It's very clean, crisp, and easy to drink.
Overall: This is my first Elder Pine beer. I've been very interested to try this brewery's beers. I have been more and more interested in lagers over the past few years, and while I enjoy traditional lagers, I definitely have a soft spot for experimental lagers like this one that showcase new school hop varieties. This beer reminds me a bit of another lager that I really liked - Victory's Dry Hopped Prima Pils - which also used Southern-Hemisphere hops (Motueka, Vic Secret, Galaxy). In comparison, I think that this beer still gives a nod to the traditional German pilsner style with the restraint in terms of its juiciness and the Noble hop-like finish. Very impressive! I look forward to trying other Elder Pine beers.
A collaboration with August Burns Red
From Instagram:
New Zealand-style Pilsner
5.3% abv
Death Below is now available! Come grab a 4pack when we open today so you can crush this amazing pilsner while being sonically crushed by the new @augustburnsred record, Death Below!
Death Below is brewed with the finest Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt for crisp straw & freshly baked cracker characters and assertively hopped with the ultra-rare Riwaka hop from New Zealand for intense notes of Sicilian lemon zest, ruby red grapefruit & a touch of tropical fruit.
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