2018 Traditional Style Pilsner
Amsterdam Brewery

i thought this was great, my first from these guys, and a really crisp and easy drinking pils with just the slightest mid palate sweetness and a lot of character from both the grain and the yeast, actually even robustly flavored compared to some examples of the style, it sort of bursts forth from the can with all kinds of classic old world lager character, crackery bright pils malt, peppy and zesty noble hops with wet grassy tones and enough bitterness for this to finish pretty snappy, and the bready almost doughy lager yeast that ties is all together and dries it out in the end. great balance, pretty assertive too, and drinkable as they come, at least for me, but i like my yellow beer with maximum flavor. the carbonation is really high here, which is mandatory in the style for me, it helps keep up the refreshment even when the ice coldness wears off. some light metallic thing in the finish, but it seems more like the mineral profile of the water than a flaw. very solid take on the style here, way better than its ratings.

Just a common pils, decently made without any of the nastiness you'd find in a macro, but nothing to rave on about either. Steady if unspectacular with no excuse to turn down.

Alright North American style pilsner. lighter mouthfeel. Nothing objectionable. Malty but some hops. Altogether not the worst choice in beers, better than any macro.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Nov 30 2017 and served well chilled. I recall enjoying the 2017 Helles Lager, so let's see how this one squares up with its predecessor.

Pours a clear, pale golden-yellow colour, generating one finger of loose, bubbly white froth that vanishes before two minutes have passed. A thin collar stays put, but everything else - lacing and cap - is long gone. OK, so it's not a looker, but I can get past that. The aroma is straightforward, like you'd expect of a pilsener, with plenty of grainy, pale barley malts and a hint of biscuit, together with some grassy, herbal, slightly spicy continental hop notes. Maybe a hint of citrus rind as it warms up, but otherwise the smell is traditional pils fare.

Good stuff, with the flavour profile aligning quite closely with the nose - pilsener malts provide a clean, grainy-sweet backbone with mild hints of bready biscuit. This relatively neutral backdrop provides the hops with ample opportunity to strut their stuff, offering up a grassy, floral bitterness which remains prominent through to a spicy, herbal finish. Briefly lingering grassiness and hop spice fills up the aftertaste, before decaying exponentially. Light in body, with lively carbonation that prickles the surfaces of the mouth assertively. This lager is crisp, refreshing, and very sessionable.

Final Grade: 3.76, a worthy B+. Amsterdam's 2018 Traditional Style Pilsner isn't an exciting beer, but that doesn't mean it's not a good one. If you've never had much interest in German-style lagers, I wouldn't expect this one to move the needle all that much - but as a BA who loves and continues to drink these sorts of lagers regularly, I can confidently state that this is a pretty solid example. The only roadblock for me is its price... there are at least a few imported pilseners of similar quality that cost up to a buck less per serving. I'm sure I'll buy this one again while the stock is relatively fresh, but I doubt it'll displace my favourites like Jever, Bitburger, etc.

 

Can - pours a clear gold with a fair white frothy cap - aroma has pale biscuit malts in tow with herbal-grassy hopping and some lager yeast sulphur notes- the taste is pretty much as described in the sales pitch : "a blend of heritage Pilsner malts and hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Czech Saaz. Modern take on a classic style with a full flavour and clean finish." ....can't argue with that - decent drinkable refreshing pils.

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for $3.35 CDN. Not sure of the canning date, but it suspect this would have to be December 2017.

Appearance - clear rich golden coloured brew with a half finger of rich and fluffy white head. Decent retention leaving behind a few wispy bits of foam.

Smell - clean and heavy on the grassy aromas and plenty of grain too. No citrus whatsoever and can detect some sweet caramel malt.

Taste - like the nose but with extra grassiness. A little bit of sharp booziness. Some pepper and spice is present.

Mouthfeel - super smooth, appropriately carbonated with a medium light body. Quite drinkable.

Overall - a nice German pils, but a little short of the Helles lager they came up with last year. Still serviceable although similar in quality and cheaper German pils are widely available.