Pinch Hit Pils
SandLot Brewery at Coors Field

 

 

 

Pours a finger of just off-white thick clingy head over a brilliant sun-bleached straw. Smells pils malt, earthy hops, and iron. Crisp and spicy. Tastes malt sweet that's just dominated by hop edge. Hops are spicy, earthy, herbal, and tin-like. Hop flavor is orange, floral, metallic, dried hay, with a peppery zip. Malt is surprisingly robust for a beer so light in color. Lightly toasty and a hint of caramel. Great mouthfeel, sharp fine carbonation, drying finish, and some dextrinous hold. Super yummy. Perhaps a bit to sharp on the hops - I think of German Pils as being a bit more malty than this. Although not a bohemian pils, it's more along those lines, in my estimation.

 

On tap at GABF.

Poured a brilliant straw color with a dense white head.

Amazing melanoidin rich pilsner malt aroma with vibrant noble hop notes and a distinctly clean lager yeast accent.

The flavor had a delicate pilsner malt profile that was clean and pure, yet laced with intangible nuances. The hop profile was well rounded, yet firm, floral, and fresh. The soft water profile helped this beer finish very clean with a mild floral hop bitterness that lingered. The yeast character was mildly bread-like.

The mouthfeel and body were light. The carbonation was spritzy and lively.

All the outstanding characteristics of a masterfully brewed German pils were captured in this beer. It's one of those things that's also disappointing in that many will pass this beer up without truly appreciating the stylistic accuracy the brewers captured. The Sandlot is among the best lager breweries in the US (and the world) and they pulled of the best German pils at GABF, IMO. I simply could find no flaws in this beer and it captured many intangibles that made it one of the best German pilsners I've ever had.