Knappstor Premium Pils
New Barons Brewing Co-Op

12oz can
L: clear golden body; thinner white head
S: sweet pale/pilsner malt, bread crust, grassy/herbal hops
T: pale grain, white bread crust, grass & herbal hops
F: lighter body, ample carbonation, balanced finish with a fair amount of residual sweetness
O: East drinking beer. Maybe a little too much on the sweet side for me

12oz can. Stamp on label dates this as 'BORN ON 12/27/23. Purchased at Casavona Liquors in Hudson WI.
Slightly cloudy, dark gold colored body. Thin white head is quite durable. Leaves behind tiny webs of lacing.
Aroma is mainly sweet grain malts but there is a definite presence of spicy/floral hops.
Taste is grounded in toasted and bread malts, with a lingering spicy note from the hops. All continue in the aftertaste.
Medium mouthfeel. Has a mineral note. Good carbonation.
Good for food pairing or for quenching a thirst on the hot summer day.

One of my bigger thrills in discovering new brewers is not their beer. (Rarely will a new brewer's brews become a repeat.) Rather, I enjoy their story; adding to the richness of the history of brewing and, frankly, the U.S. Minnesota has a brewing coop, Fair State. Many micros sell memberships so their better customers get first dibs. Wisconsin has a crowd-funding brewer (sorry I forget its name.) And Chicago's collaborative incubator, Pilot Project, has opened a taproom in Milwaukee. And of course, there are hundreds of examples of finding innovative ways to fund micros and improve their cash flow that also builds community. Discovering them is a thrill to me.

So it is with New Barons, a lager specialist. They also put an interesting twist on being a co-op by helping its members to promote their passions. Membership again is a good value in that it builds small businesses and community simultaneously. Pushing eight years old, New Barons probably should be building its network faster if this model is also to grow. (Although Illinois distribution is probably too much to ask.)

Anyhow, Knappstor Pils is decent for lunch, a gentle pils to wash down leftovers. It Looks, Smells and Tastes like most pils. The only difference is the hop finish profile isk closer to Bavarian than the more bitter Czech varietal. (I added the beer based on consistency with UnTappd, and it is too late now to change it.) Knappstor is medium-mouthed. I probably would not have this again, but I would like to try more brews from NBBC and keep the thrill going.

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange yellow with a fluffy white head. Smells of fresh bright grain. Tastes of sweet grain and bright fruit, nice a full. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.