Hoppy Pils

This beer was judged as a Experimental Beer (34C). This beer has a German Pilsner base style with a hopping rate well beyond your typical pilsner. The aroma is grainy/bready, somewhat straw-like and complimented with a heavy noble hop aroma (earthy, slightly herbal). The fermentation character is clean without any esters or other off aromas from yeast. The color is pale gold with an off-white, persistent head. It is crystal clear. The flavor combines the general characteristics of a pilsner (grainy, smooth, uncomplicated) and a massive dosing of noble-style hops (earth, herbal, somewhat minty). The beer has a sweetness that is more pronounced than would be expected in a German- or Czech-style pilsner. The hops are exceptionally pronounced making this seem like an “Imperial pilsner”, but without the doubling up on the malt. The mouthfeel has a little carbonic bite, and the hops leave a strong minty sensation behind on the edges of the tongue and back of the palate. Overall, this beer comes across as a showcase for hops in a very clean, pilsner-like base beer. If hops are your thing, this provides a prime example of what a lot of bitterness and flavor is like using classic European-style hops that lack the fruit and citrus expression we are all used to finding in our IPAs. If you like your heavy doses of hops to be accompanied by heavy doses of malt as well, this may not be your cup of beer.