Focal Point
Tonewood Brewing - Barrington

(12 oz can, canned 11/17/25; purchased cold six-pack from their Barrington location yesterday... poured at 54 F into a dimpled mug)

L: clear, sunny yellow liquid, with a very slight hop(?) haze; sticky foam sponge... surprisingly doesn't lace much and the collar is rather thin

S: lemon cake, bruised flower petals, orange Pez... moderate intensity and expression... gets grassier as it goes

T: noticeable heavy charge of Saaz and deficit of underlying alcohol up front... while the spicy hops sizzle at the top of the palate, a mildly doughy, sugar cookie flavored malt swell comes rolling in midway before dying off in the finish, leaving hints of toasted sugars as the zippy assault of green, peppery spice reconvenes its stinging attack above... needs more malt depth (I doubt they decoct)

F: little bit of bounce to its body, little more acidity tingling the entire palate... rather dry in the aft and, combined with the lower abv, an almost light lager watery essence hides in plain sight below the bitter, stinging activity up top

O: really dig the sub-4% beers that have become a regular presence in their taprooms... this one has a nice all-weather appeal to it... wakes your face (2491)

 

Tonewood Brewing "Focal Point"
12 fl. oz. can; freshness dating is illegible
$

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a lightly hazy straw-gold body beneath a short head of bright white foam that's golding well. The aroma displays grainy and grassy Pilsner malt and herbal and lightly floral hops along with a mild note of lager yeast sulphur. The taste follows suit with some additional Saaz hops spiciness and a firm bitterness that leads it to a dry conclusion. In the mouth it's light-medium in body and crisp with a fine-bubbled median carbonation. Overall it's quite nice, refreshing and on the lighter side but still flavorful. The only thing that hurts this beer in terms of style is the haziness.
Review #9,248

 

Golden pour, moderately carbonated, not a very sustained white head. Czech ingredients and Czech flavor come through--some biscuit, grass, a bit of pepper zing, floral--but it's all very light, subtle to the point where you crave a more robust taste. This pilsner is a very sessionable 3.8%, though it leaves you as it does with the flavor, wanting more.

 

Has an incredibly clear light gold/orange appearance
Medium carbonation with about a medium body which added up to a nice feel
Aroma is yeasty crusty bread, malt,floral with some grass and hay.
Taste is very similar to aroma,mild hop bite with an almost dry finish
For 3.8 abv this is a really nice beer,the parts all added up to a pleasant experience

Pours a clear, pale straw with a frothy three-finger white head.

Big aromas of grass and hay, with some peppery spice and an undercurrent of floral notes. As it warms I get some biscuit as well.

On the palate, everything blends together into a melange from the start of the sip. Pepper and spice, grass, hay, cracker and white bread, floral, honey, lemon zest, woody/earthy. Slight bitterness on a fairly dry finish leaves you continually ready for the next sip.

Moderate and fairly fine carb give a slight tingle throughout the sip but not to the level of being a bite. Combined with the light body, this goes down real easy.

Overall, a fantastic take on the Czech Pilsner. Amazing how much flavor they've packed in at the abv.

Pours a nice fluffy head. Very very pale in color. Very clean beer, increasing rating, retracting previous review after repeated visits. This is a very good 10°? plato pilsner that I could drink liters and liters of on the daily. This is better than I previously thought.

2024-01-28
16oz can served in a nonic. Dated 12/13/23. Got it from @jonphisher.

Pours a clear light yellow with a slight brassy tinge, moderate to modest head on the pour with lots of visible carbonation that sustains a pretty thick skin. Smell is lager yeast funk and a little grass and earthiness, more grass and a little lemon rind when I think a bit deeper.

Taste is...I can't decide if it's dominated by lager yeast and breadiness or grass and earthy floral stuff. Some of the floral notes turn into a sweet honeysuckle. Balanced, surprisingly flavorful.

Mouthfeel is light, maybe thin, with an unusual slightly oily slickness. Overall, this is a nice, flavorful, easy-to-swig beer.

 

Pours a bright gold with moderate head. Very light lacing as the beer is enjoyed.

Floral hops notes up front. Some cereal as well. Some Saaz spiciness of course.

Taste follows with the spicy quality leading. Floral follow though with some might bready quality.

Nice light body. I’m no way watery despite the low ABV.

Excellent Czech style Pilsner that I’m glad to have tried.

Pours a golden straw color with the slightest smidge of suspended haze and a soapy white head that laces the glass beautifully. The nose is all about the Saaz hops, with that spicy herbal note that presents as earthy fresh cut flowers and a bit of bready malt.

That spicy herbal flavor is PEGGED on the taste, with a delicious lingering bitterness at the back of the palate, along with bit of bready malt for balance.

Absolutely incredible flavor profile, as is the mouthfeel, which somehow manages to be full and crisp in such a low ABV beer (3.8%).

This is world class, IMHO. I’d buy this by the pony keg as my summer beer if it was possible to do so.

 

 

 

Pours a beautiful clear gold, white head, settles to a nice uniform thin opaque film.

Bright hoppy nose; slightly floral with some light pepper like spice; touch of malt.

The taste is nice and hoppy as well; I would say the floral note disappears giving this a nice pepper like spice; with some grassiness. The malt again just present enough.

Light body but in no way watery; very pleasant and smooth carbonation; almost creamy. A nice nice hoppy bite on the finish that lingers around. Moderately dry and very clean snappy finish.