Session Pilsner
Full Sail Brewing Company

 

Seriously, this is a hidden gem. It's bright brass body, clean and crisp look and feel, sweet bready malt, light herbal hop bite... An awesome and classic influenced, most importantly delicious, east drinking brew.

Prost.

Type: 12-oz. can
Glass: Clear 15.25-oz. pilsner
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa, Calif.
Price: $0.84
Purchased: Oct. 5, 2017
Consumed: Oct. 11, 2017
Reviewed as: German Pilsner
Misc.: No canned on date

Kind of a sucker of pilsners and decided to pick this one up on a recent trip to Trader Joe’s. Didn’t really like their lager (3.38), but did like their winter warmer (3.88). Hoping this one is somewhere in the middle.

Poured a gold clear color with two fingers of off-white frothy head. Lots of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass at different speeds. Decent watery lacing. Decent bubbly retention. (Sight - 3.50)

Smelled a nice mix of pilsner notes and hops, kind of like a session (no pun intended) hoppy pilsner. Got grass, white pepper, herbal, Northwest hops (guessing Cascade?), a touch of white grape and floral. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted a bit different than I expected, maybe a tad maltier. Got herbal, white grape, Cascade, lime zest, grass, white pepper and floral. (Taste - 4.00)

Light-to-medium body. Thin texture. Lively carbonation. Abrupt, clean, dry finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was a pretty damn good pilsner. Outstanding. (Overall - 4.00)

3.91 | 88 | B+

 

 

12oz brown stubby, sample from the brewery.

Perfectly clear yellow golden color, decent head and lacing on top. Clean nose with some herbal hop and grassy grain. More than enough crispness for a Pilsner, kiss of sweetness from the malt and a bit from the oily hop resin. Modest hop bitterness does a good job to balance and the palate leans towards a dry finish.

Easy drinking, a bit pedestrian but I think that was the goal ... we need "craft" brewers to have beers like this available, can't be drinking Whalez all day long.

Tastes like classic Cascade hops packaged in a very clean, drinkable lager. The pop of crisp PNW hops reminds me of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but without the malt backing. It's nice, but kind of boring.