Moonlight Kettle Series: Camp-Out Pils
Muskoka Brewery

Pours mostly clear, darker gold colour, mid-size head. Bitter and corn and nuts on the nose. Definitely more bitter than your average Pilsner, I also detect some wet grass notes and maybe some dandelions. Medium bodied and nicely carbonated
April 4 2022

 

 

 

473 mL can from the LCBO, one of six included in their current Survival Sampler - this is part of their continuing Moonlight Kettle series (a 2018 graduate). Freshest by Sept 30 2019; listed at 4.9% and served slightly chilled.

Pours a pale golden-yellow colour, slightly hazed, but still fairly clear in complexion. One finger of soapy white head begins to melt away over the next couple of minutes, leaving behind a creamy, long-lasted half cm cap, as well as a delicate coat of lace. Looks fantastic, but the aroma is comparatively quite subdued - I'm getting hints of lemon zest, lime peel and crackery pale malts.

A very good pale lager, though the NZ hops do give this pils a bit a of fruity, zesty edge that you won't find in the German exports. It tastes of clean, grainy pale malts backed by a light crackery, bready sweetness, with notes of lemon zest developing by mid-sip, along with subtle suggestions of stone fruit and lime. It remains fruity through the finish, with only a light echo of lemon-grassiness lingering into the aftertaste; not as bitter as most full blooded pilseners. Light-medium in body, with middling carbonation levels that provide a decent crispness, offsetting its smooth, slightly slick mouthfeel. Drinking a couple of these in a row would be no trouble at all.

Final Grade: 3.83, a B+. Somewhere between a pilsener and an American pale lager, and maybe even leaning more towards the latter than the former, Muskoka's Camp-Out Pils is a fine lager that I enjoyed from start to finish. It's nothing earth-shattering, mind you, but I'd rank it as one of the better overall beers in this sampler, and I would definitely take it over their standard Craft Lager. I wouldn't buy the pack specifically for this beer, but if you feel the ticker's itch and (like me) you don't mind Muskoka's mainline offerings then don't hesitate to pull the trigger on this one.