Online Tasting: Pilsner (July 14-16, 2023)

Thanks @sulldaddy for hosting this Tasting.

Starting my contributions to this thread with a beer from Human Robot Brewing. Since they came onto the Philadelphia beer scene a few years ago, they have been cranking out excellent German and Czech style lagers, and serving them in appropriate glassware at their (now multiple) taprooms.

This is their Hallertau Pils, which is their "flagship" German-style Pilsner (the one they seem to always have on tap - they've brewed a bunch of other Pilsners as well). Canned 6/26/23

Human Robot's description: "5.2% - German-Style Pilsner - Hallertau pils is brewed as an ode to the industrial German pilsners of the 50’s to the late 70’s when technology allowed more efficient processes, but the liquid was still brewed “the old way”. We use a double decoction mash, 100% German Pilsner malt, and 100% German Hallertau Mittlefru hops."

My thoughts: Aroma is grainy, crackery malt and mild fairly prominent earthy and floral hops - I get sage and a little culinary lavender. Taste starts a little sweet, but has enough underlying bitterness to balance it out. Lingering finish, not as dry as some of their other pilsners. Thin to medium bodied, you feel the carbonation but still has a fairly smooth finish to the mouthfeel.

 

Oh dear. I did not notice this thread until about four hours ago.
What beers have I in the refrigerator that can count as a Pilsner?
I am actually finishing up a Samuel Adams beer, but it is the Alpine Lager, so I will not try and judge that as a pilsner.
I do not have any chilled pilsners in the fridge now.
Most of the beers therein are lagers.
Atop my dresser is an empty can of Simpler Times Pilsner bought in a 6-pack of 12-oz. cans at Trader Joe's. This would be a pilsner I would judge now, for two reasons: 1) It is brewed by Minhas in Monroe, WI. and, 2) It is a distinctly better tasting beer to the Simpler Times Lager, which is sold in 12-packs at TJ's.
I will lurk in this thread, but unfortunately offer I will not be able to participate.
But this thread would be better if there was a Zoom videoconferencing component attached.

 

The best beer ever made in America?

An extract from a Brew Your Own magazine article:

“Michelob was first brewed in 1896, and according to an article in the magazine The American Mercury from the 1920s, at the time, “Michelob was perhaps the best beer ever made in America and the most expensive; it sold for twenty-five cents a glass. In New York, at one bar at least, it was sold for forty cents by a barkeep who told his patrons that it was imported.”

Why did Adolphus Busch decide to make an American produced Bohemian Pilsner? Well, the ‘back story’ is below (from a soon to be published article):

“The history of Europe in the latter 1800’s and early 1900’s was very dynamic and fluid with changing names of countries and border changes over those decades. What we now call the Czech Republic was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and was comprised of various regions one of which is called Bohemia. In the latter 1800’s Adolphus Busch traveled Bohemia to enjoy the Pale Lagers brewed there, what we would term Bohemian/Czech Pilsners (or Czech Pale Lagers like the Czechs). One brewery renowned for their beer was in the town of Michelob. That brewery was owned by Anton Dreher who was the son of the famous brewer of the same name, Anton Dreher Sr., known for developing Vienna Lager in 1841. Adolphus Busch loved the high quality all malt Pale Lagers and after his visit decided to brew a beer like this and even ‘borrowed’ the town’s name Michelob for this new product. This all-malt beer would be a super-premium product for Anheuser-Busch although the actual classification of “super-premium” was likely not used by breweries of that time. Another distinguishing feature of Michelob is that it was a draft only product which would not be bottled until the 1960’s. Beers brewed with adjuncts (rice in the case of Budweiser) were considered to have improved beer stability in the latter 1800’s and early 1900’s and likely this was a consideration to not bottle Michelob at that time.”

The AB brewing logbooks from that timeframe (e.g., 1896) were lost so reconstructing a recipe for this beer does involve some (educated) guesswork with some ingredient selections easier than others:

· Malt: 100% Pilsner Malt (I used Weyermann Pilsner Malt for this recent batch)

· Hops: probabilistically Czech Saaz hops

· Yeast: American Lager yeast (I chose to use Wyeast 2007 which is reportedly the AB lager yeast strain)

· Water: I use middle of the road (i.e., not too soft and not too hard) brewing water; filtered tap water plus a little bit of Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) added.

For this year’s batch (and last year) I decided to use Polish grown Saaz hops which are labeled as Lubelski hops. I discussed Lubelski hops in a thread last year:

“The folks of Williams Brewing (homebrewing vender) reached out to me soliciting feedback on the ‘new’ Lubelski hop (well, a new hop variety for them to carry) and below is a portion of the e-mail that I sent them:

“On your website you describe Lubelski hops:

“…notes of magnolia and lavender, which some have detected in the finish.”

I am very experienced as regards lavender since my wife has several lavender plants in our backyard. I have seen marigold grown so I know a little bit about this flower.

So, when I taste tested my first bottle of 1896 Michelob I was ‘attuned’ to looking for a floral content to the flavor profile. The aroma on this batch is excellent! The flavor is enjoyable too. I would use the term “floral” for both the nose and the flavor. As previously stated, I am quite familiar with lavender and this beer does not smell/taste like lavender for my palate. I am not as familiar with marigold so I cannot specifically comment on that specific flower.”

Served in my Polish Pilsner glass:

Appearance:

Straw - golden colored with a big, rocky white head. Head retention is excellent (see second photo below)

Aroma:

An enticing combination of bready Pilsner malt aroma with plenty of floral aromas from the hops.

Taste:

The flavor follows the nose with bready Pilsner malt flavor accompanied by robust floral flavors from the hops. There is a firm bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a pleasant crisp & dry finish

Overall:

This may not be the “best beer ever made in America” but it is pretty darn close!!

Cheers to Adolphus Busch for creating the original Michelob beer of 1896!!!!!!

P.S. I will be interested to see if any other BAs post about a Pilsner which features Lubelski (Polish grown Saaz) hops.

 

Pilsner Urquell, 4.4% - the one that set the standard! Cheers!



-Look: Just the right golden color and the foamiest foam.
-Aroma: Mild spicy, grassy hops and a wonderful toasty, bready malt.
-Taste: Delicious cracker with spicy, grassy, baked bread flavors.
-Feel: Smooth, round, and full, yet light and refreshing.
-Overall: This makes we want to smile and laugh with good friends!

Pilsner Urquell while overlooking the Vltava River in Prague!

 

You either had a typo, or got your flowers a little mixed up.

Magnolias are flowering trees (there are many different varieties). We have a Southern Magnolia tree in our backyard and it's actually flowering right now. I just smelled one of the blooms, and I would say it was quite citrusy - like lemon zest.


I'll be on the lookout for any beer with that specific hop variety

 

Courtesy of @GrumpyGas , “Gravitáce” a Czech-style Pale Lager by Art History Brewing, Geneva, IL. From the brewer, …a golden colored lager brewed with Czech pilsner malt. Plzen yeast gives beer a spicy character while the Zuper Saaz hops lend a fruity and bitter flavor…






Spicy floral hops nose. Tasty but too hoppy for me. Still, a great beer on a hot afternoon. Thanks again Kevin!

 

Well, there is indeed ‘confusion’ going on here:

The William Brewing package of Lubelski hops lists: “A Polish noble aromatic, with high humulene, and notes of magnolia and lavender in the finish.”

In contrast from the kegerator website, which I consult a lot for my homebrewing, states that for Lublin hops (another term for Lubelski hops): “The high amounts of farnesene oil found in Lublin hops (12%) give it a rather unique aroma characteristic of marigolds and lavender. This same oil is released by aphids as an alarm pheromone, which lets other aphids know to run or stay away, making Lublin hops less susceptible to aphids.

Incidentally, marigolds also contain farnesene, thus the associated smell. But it also makes marigolds helpful to have around if you’re having trouble with aphids on your hop plants.”

https://learn.kegerator.com/lublin-hops/

And then there is the Pilsner from Human Robot which they brand as Niebo (which means sky in English). From the BA description: “Polish style Pilsner

Delicately hopped and dry-hopped entirely with Lubelski, the oldest and most traditional noble hop of Poland. Aromas of marigold and poppy fields fade into floral flavors of magnolia and lavender.

March! march, Dabrowski”

So, maybe the ‘confusion’ is it provides marigold on the aroma but magnolia on the palate?

Have you tried Human Robot Niebo? Did you perceive marigold on the nose but magnolia as the flavor?

Na Zdrowie!

 

One of the nicest things about working from home is I can have a bee during working hours!
And thank you @sulldaddy for hosting this 3 day party!

I don't remember the specific, but blame @FBarber for getting me on a constant quest for dark lagers. (And the spiffy glass I'm using)
This one is described by the brewery (Transient) as being a Czech Style Dark Pilsner. "CONTRONYM"
Well, they got the dark right.
Think I bought a 4 pack of this because it's one of the better Schwartz biers that are available to me. Its roasty (toasted bread, charred coffee) with some dark fruit accents to pull out some of the sweetness.
The feel almost matched the flavor, not quite sure how else to describe it as it's not crisp or effervescent at all, it is smooth and rich feeling. Roasted malts must add to that.
So while it's technically a Pilsner (according to the brewery) I'm not sure it meets the criteria. But darn I like drinking them. Cheers all!

 

A nice, easy drinking golden pils....

 

Yup, the word "Pilsner" is indeed on that can's label. A rather 'interesting' decision on the part of Transient Artisan Aled to market this beer that way.

You might be interested in knowing that on BA this beer is categorized as being a Czech Dark Lager: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34258/645063/

Maybe the folks at Transient thought that labeling it as a Czech Dark Lager was too 'unfamiliar' for their customers?

Regardless of style naming it sure sounds like a tasty beer!

Cheers!

P.S. I have my timer set for when some BA will discuss a beer that is labeled as "Mexican Pilsner".

 

No, that is one of their beers that I have not had.

 

Unless I go out this weekend, today is likely my lone day for this tasting. Good thing the Beer Temple has a couple for my first stop.



First Pilsner, not first beer, this one from near Cairo far downstate in Ava, Illinois.

Scratch Sassafras Pilsner



Beer Temple Notes: $7 10 oz, 4.5% ABV.

Appearance: Draft pour into a Kolsch cylinder glass. Unfiltered golden light yellow base, faint carbonation, generous bright white creamy head leaves a nice creamy cover over the base. 4.0

Aroma: Faint aroma, light cracker, grassy, sassafras. 3.5

Taste: Sassafras lead, likely foraged on their property. Unique taste, but this works well with the traditional pilsner malt. Getting oak, on the back. Digging this. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Light, dry, light salt, lightly bitter. Fizzy persistent carbonation more felt than seen. Drinks a bit stronger than the ABV, clean finish. 4.25

Overall: Unique offering, close to a standard German Pilsner with a sassafras twist I’m enjoying. Definitely a solid offering from Scratch, recommend for the adventurous type. 4.0

 

I went high on my review; I did leave room for something better (this is #10) and if I ever have this one on draft.

Ayinger Bairish Pils (Bavarian Pils).
Overall WOW, except for a little haze (chill?) and it not being as crisp as I guessed, this one is perfect. Skol.


4.74/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

An easy pour from a 330-ml bottle yielded a fat finger of bone white creamy foam with long retention and sliding arches of lacing. Clear yellow straw color with a hint of haze.

Bready and crackery malt are tied for 1st place in the smell with mild floral and herbal hops close behind. Some fresh cut grass and toasted grain in the rear.

Semi-dry with above average spicy bitterness, much more pronounced than the smell indicates. The floral/herbal hop taste is mild which allows the malt to shine. The malt taste is grainy with cracker and toasted wheat bread. The hop flavor has added lemon. The finish is soft rather than crisp, quick and clean. The aftertaste is spicy hops yet turns mild quickly.

Medium light bodied with appropriate carbonation. Soft, smooth and balanced to a fault. Alcohol is very well hidden. Matches style guidelines, no surprises thanks to the Reinheitsgebot!

 

Now this is a tasting I can really dig into!

This is a couple year old brewery in Atlanta that is making some solid German styles. About the only place around I can find fresh Dunkel year around. Anyway, Round Trip Brewing German style Pils. Pilsner malt plus Tettnang & Select hops. 4.5%. Has an appropriate amount of bitterness. ABV. Prost!

 

Second and final Pilsner from here, I believe my favorite National offering.

Trumer Pils



Bursts with carbonation, creamy bubbly head, golden straw base. Smells and tastes the way I like this style. This is one of the first twelve packs I’m picking up once I clear most of my current stock.

On the fence regarding a second stop, will likely head home as three beers in two hours hits me harder these days then in the past.

I think I’ll end up having a couple more Pilsners this weekend, look forward to catching up with the thread at home.

Cheers!

 

Went for the good stuff right off. Nice!

 

Dave,

My guess is that Wayfinder chose to market this beer as a French Pilsner since they used Strisselspalt hops. Do you happen to know if this beer was 100% malt?

There is a beer that some folks label as Alsatian Pilsner which features Strisselspalt hops but also uses some adjunct (i.e., corn) as apart of the grain bill:

“It also cemented Pils as the beer of Alsace, which may be why, as Haag admits, there is so little acknowledgment of Alsatian brewing outside France: there’s no unique style. “Ours is essentially a German tradition,” says Haag. (German terms like stammtisch, a table in a bar where regulars gather, are used here, too).

Meteor’s Pils, which actually has Czech roots and celebrated its 90th birthday in 2017, is emblematic of the way pale lager has long been brewed in Alsace. Made with the classic local hop, Strisselspalt, a mash bill that’s 20 percent corn, a single decoction step, and three weeks’ lagering, it is soft and round in the mouth with a bitterness that is uncommon for French pale lagers.

“It’s the queen of our beers,” says Haag. “We’ve had huge success with it.” And the corn? “The Germans say it is not pure [to use corn], but what is purity? How is barley more pure than maize? We use it because it makes the beer a little lighter.”

https://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/17882/alsace-europes-great-forgotten-beer-culture/

Cheers!

P.S. And as regards corn, I will shortly be posting about a Classic American Pilsner that was brewed using some corn (20% of the grain bill).