Pilsner
Nøgne Ø

 

Served on tap in a pint glass

This beer pours a slightly hazy shade of light orange with a one finger white head. The nose and taste of this beer is very lager like. There is also a good bit of a grape/wine character that makes this a little different. There is also a bit of grain and spicy earthy notes. It drinks incredibly smooth and does a good job delivering the flavor. This is a decent pilsner, the grape flavor is certainly something new.

On draft at Churchkey in D.C. for the Nøgne Ø event. Thanks to Kjetil Jikiun. Review from notes.

The beer is straw yellow hued and appears fairly hazy. The white head measures about a half inch, leaving random traces of lacing on the glass.

The aroma is delightful. Lager malt, subtle notes of fruit, a tad sweet, but balanced by some nice hop bitterness.

An outstanding pilsner. Incredibly fresh - wow. What a difference it makes when you can try these beers fresh and on draft. I had a similar experience with a keg of Pilsner Urquell that Vaclav Berka brought over to D.C. for a homebrew competition.

This one really surprised me. After I sampled the beers I hadn't had before, I couldn't resist ordering a full pour of this one before I left. Skål!

A: Pours a clear gold with a tight white head that lingers for quite some time. Streams of carbonation are very obvious in the glass.

S: Aromas of herbs, honey, biscuits, lemon, and rosewater are present on the nose. In my opinion, this beer smells exactly the way a quality Czech pilsner should.

T: Strong notes of biscuits, minerals, lemon, grass, straw, wildflower honey, herbs, and rosewater wash across the palate. The finish is clipped and assertive with notes of lemon, herbs, grass, and honey coming through quite strongly.

M: Medium bodied, firm, and dry with extremely crisp carbonation. While I expect lagers to be a bit bubbly and lively, this one may be a little too carbonated to be sessionable. Still, it could be worse in this respect.

O: This is most definitely a quality pilsner, and it displays all of the classic qualities that I personally associate with the Bohemian variant of this style. So far, this brewery has yet to disappoint me with any of its products.