Pilscifer
Sig Brewing Co.

Clear amber brew with plenty of foam in the Brigand chalice. Warm and malty to start with just a slight sweet note. Flavors of grain and biscuits. Finishes with some green herbal business. Some bitterness in the aftertaste, about medium for a Pilsner. Overall this is a very tasty and highly drinkable beer in the lighter style. From the 16 can purchased at the Community Coop in Mt. Vernon. No apparent date.

Poured from 16oz can into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: pale golden hue with just a bit of light haze and a finger of frothy eggshell foam atop.

Smell: sweetish malt with a little bit of astringent graininess, but what really sticks out to me are the more tropical-fruit-forward hops. The brewer calls this a “Dry-Hopped New American Pilsner”, so while the hopping here isn’t traditional, it isn’t meant to be. I am into it.

Taste: again, the malt is on the sweet side, but there’s a little grainy character too. Hops have a hint of passionfruit, but are also a bit grassy and have a nice rounded finish to them. There’s kind of an herbal element that doesn’t 100% work for me, but still, this is a really good beer.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and a really good creaminess for the style.

Overall: I gotta say, this is a weird beer, but I like it. Definitely not a typical “Bohemian/Czech Pilsner”, but it’s not advertised as such and isn’t trying to be that; it’s it’s own special thing. Drinks really well — I could see bringing quite a few of these on a camping trip, to be honest.

Pale gold colored body; plentiful carbonation, slow rising; decent head, frothy and sticky; sheets of foam coat the interior of the glass. Slight biscuit aroma followed with a spicy, minty aroma and ends with a berry-like quality. The taste mirrors the aroma with a stronger presence of berry-like esters; fine hop bitterness. Medium-light in body; mild sweetness yet has a dry edge as well; crisp and prickly with the hops.

This is a fine, solid pilsner offering. The fruit presence is bold yet generally balanced against the light malt base. Tasty and refreshing.