“This pale gold Urquell-esque beer is based on Josef Groll’s original recipe from 1842.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Clear straw golden complexion with a billowing three finger head . Excellent retention with healthy lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: No word of a lie if we were blindfolded and asked to guess the beer we’d be saying something along the lines of Urquell or Budvar. The brilliance of the Saaz hops are displaying the uber floral, spicy and herbaceous qualities and the delicate malts provide a backdrop of rice crackers, grains and soft honey tones. Just a beautifully balanced and perfectly executed aroma.

Flavour: The super conventional approach continues on to the palate. Again, the balance is dead set spot on with the spicy, floral and herbal hops perfectly countered by the savoury and semi sweet cracker malts. Really subtle touches of cedar, mildew and lemon thyme tacking on late as it finishes floral and herbal with a mild lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, toned and slightly dry. Soft texture, perfectly carbed, mild-moderate body. 4.8% ABV is bang on for the style.

Overall: Such a classy Pilsner. They’re not bullshitting when they say this beer is based off Josef Groll’s original recipe. This is as traditional as you can get. Absolutely brilliant interpretation.

“You can argue about taste, but not quality. Leikeim Premium is a very special beer brewed in accordance with the Pilsner tradition. It is a bottom-fermented beer of the very finest kind; tripple hopped and completed with aromatic brewing malts. People love it for its tangy taste and pleasantly bitter finish. This beer has character.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: 100% clear bright golden complexion with a monstrous four finger head perched on top. It takes an age to reduce and leaves an absolute mess on the glass.

Aroma: As clean as a whistle! Displaying a beautiful balance between the semi sweet grainy malts and the floral, grassy and earthy hops. A pronounced yet restrained dryness from the yeast rounds it all out nicely. We don’t know what it is that we love so much about German Pilsners but when they’re done right they’re bloody magnificent.

Flavour: Dead set spot on. Upfront it’s a neat little fusion of floral, herbal and earthy hops with the delicate bitterness coming along for the ride. Very mild sweetness from the malts (maybe a touch of toast as well) offsetting the hops. Hits a real herbal/grassy note late in the piece then finishes clean and dry with a lingering hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and dry. The trifecta! Perfectly carbed, mild-moderate body. 4.9% ABV is exactly where it should be.

Overall: Well we’ve never heard of this German brewery until now but no word of a lie this Pilsner is as good as any you’d get from the likes of Weihenstephan or Trumer. Perfectly executed and traditional AF. Superb.

“New World take on a European classic. Light, easy drinking lager with New World hops.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Clear straw golden complexion with two fingers of well retained head perched on top. It weaves a fine line down the glass.

Aroma: A little reserved but its main features would have to the candied lemon/lemonade, fresh herbs, pine needle and mandarin. A hint of grapefruit and passionfruit coming through as subtle support. There’s a grainy/crackery malt structure along with fleeting hints of earth, light florals and detergent. Not bad, certainly in the new world style.

Flavour: Much fuller and more rounded as opposed to the aroma. There’s a really delicate tropical fruit note that’s decided to grace us with its presence. Mixed orange citrus, biscuit malts, a touch of semi sweet honey, pine resin and fruity herbs like lemon thyme, verbena and sage. Kind of a light and herbaceous finish which offers decent length.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, fairly clean and light on. Mild-moderate body and Co2. 4.9% ABV is well positioned in the beer.

Overall: This is our first crack at 7th Day and while it didn’t blow us away it was still quite a good Pilsner. Lots of new world hop character but still light and crushable. Not bad.

“The heart of our brewing art and traditionally good. Pilsner for the most sophisticated of tastes: The fine, crisp hops create a pleasant, slight bitterness. A delight for real pilsner fans.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Fully transparent golden/straw complexion with a thumb of sturdy white head atop. Good retention and lacing as it subsides.

Aroma: Brilliant. About as conventional as they come. Getting a nose-full of the gorgeous Noble hop characters; earthy herbals, mildew, grassy notes, florals and wet hay. The malt profile is super clean and bready…crusts, water crackers and farmyard grains. There’s also a subtle peppery spice to it as well. Superb.

Flavour: It holds a nice dryness, it’s crisp and also super clean. Quite earthy and green upfront with wet hay, grains, herbals and grassy notes which blend with a distinct hop bitterness that carries through the mid. It slowly tapers out and lets the earthy and spicy herbals to do their thing in the finish. Reasonable length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and dry. Very refreshing, moderate bitterness, mild-moderate body and lively Co2. 4.9% ABV so it screams session-ability.

Overall: Loved it…loved every aspect of it and can’t fault one part of it. The kind of beer we have in the fridge for those times when we want something simple but don’t want to sacrifice flavour. World class stuff.

“Home & Away, a series of rebrews bringing some of our funnest overseas collaborations back to the Garage. For this release we bring you Air Drop, originally brewed with the legendary Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Riffing on their flagship Prima Pils, this crisp, super aromatic brew is packed with Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops giving a delightful antipodean twist to this classic beer. Bringing home the goodness.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Kinda pale straw golden complexion with a sturdy two finger head which retains well. A wet but healthy lace clings to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Clean, crisp and brimming with all of that NZ hop goodness; yellow grapefruit, tart orange, white grapes, lime, evergreen and subtle resins. Behind the new world hop profile is the classic old world grain bill which displays water crackers, cereal grains, rice and corn. It’s just a beautiful assembly of the old and the new.

Flavour: Oh wow, the NZ hops really dominate…it’s lucky they work well with the style otherwise it would be hard to even call it a Pilsner. We must admit the grainy and semi sweet malts do counter the hops nicely. What is it about Kiwi hops that work so well with Pilsners? Apart from their Saaz-based lineage. Either way it’s a burgeoning style that we can really dig.

Mouthfeel: Clean and crisp AF. We can tell the 6.1% ABV is there, and for good reason…coz it’s really high for a semi-traditional Pilsner! Mild-moderate body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: We can’t quite make a call on this one. It could have something to do with us being purists when it comes to Pilsners but we can certainly respect a new world version. It may just be a tad too new world for us…maybe. How’s that for a taste of cast-iron certainty!

“1894 was a very special year: it was the year when the one true Bavik Super Pils was born. And the Bavik Super Pils has made its own way to quality and taste ever since.”

Glassware: Footed flute.

Appearance: Light golden yellow with a gigantic four finger head perched on top. Takes ages to recede but when it does it leaves an absolute mess on the glass.

Aroma: Quite a robust nose for a Pilsner…we were getting wafts as we were writing the appearance. So nicely poised as well. Subtle Noble hop characters (spicy, herbal, grassy) just sitting on the semi sweet crackery malts. Light florals, a touch of earthy-ness, a hint of buttered corn (DMS) but we think it works with the style. Classic Euro-style Pils.

Flavour: Nice follow through. Again, super clean Noble hop qualities – herbals, florals, spice, a touch of earthy mildew. The semi sweet malt profile offers up rice crackers, grains and a touch of honey. There’s a lick of bitterness as it finishes dry and grassy with good duration.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and tidy. Light on with medium carbonation. 5.2% ABV is only slightly higher than the average but nowhere near enough to make any waves.

Overall: So damn crushable it’s not even funny. We couldn’t have chosen a better to kick off with on this warm and lazy Sunday arvo session.

“A classic Czech inspired Pilsner that starts off clean and finishes crisp. Tahoe Pilz has a clear, clean look and feel that delivers refreshment in any season.”

Glassware: Tulip.

Appearance: Crystal clear light straw golden pour with a sturdy two finger head. It slowly retracts and leaves a thick blotchy lace on the glass.

Aroma: Gives off that hybrid kinda feel…ultra clean with crisp grainy malts and grassy Noble hops but there is a slightly lifted lemon citrus character which, by the way, works in extremely well. Big notes of straw/hay punching through, some spicy yeast and doughy white bread crusts. Sensational!

Flavour: Exquisitely balanced. It all just comes together in a perfect marriage. Beautiful grainy malt structure with the grassy, spicy and citrusy hops cutting right through. The yeast providing that subtle touch of skunky spice. Lovely dry and bitter finish with lingering grassy-ness in the tail.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, ultra clean and light on. Really vibrant Co2. 5.3% ABV is slightly lifted for the style but it’s hidden nicely.

Overall: We’ve always believed the best way to judge a brewery is by their lager. Mostly because there’s no high ABV, huge hop or malt bills and adjuncts to hide any mistakes behind. It’s just your 4 to the floor ingredients (water, hops, malt and yeast). This is near perfect and sums up the brewery as a whole.

“The most popular Rothaus beer is the Rothaus Pils. With an original gravity of 12.4% and 32 IBU’s, Rothaus Pils has a prominent position among other pilsners. Rothaus Pils is fermented from bottom-fermenting yeast that’s been developed in house, before maturing for roughly four weeks. During this period, its robust and elegant flavors and its high Rezenz are cultivated. Rezenz is the term for the refreshing feeling produced by the carbon dioxide in beer.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Light, straw golden pour with two fingers of sturdy white head atop. Excellent retention and lace as we go.

Aroma: Classic Bavarian style Pils. It’s got that lovely pinch of semi sweet and grainy malt with all the authentic hop notes; cut grass, herbs, earthy, light florals and delicate citrus. Definitely picking up a bit of wet hay and straw as well. Perfect really.

Flavour: Balanced to perfection. Just a hint of the slightly sweet malts – grainy, honey – with a slightly more pronounced lemon/citrus character. Plenty of Noble hop grassiness, spice, florals and earthy notes which set up the clean and kinda herbaceous finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light and totally crushable. Mild bitterness with vibrant carbonation. 5.1% ABV…right on the money.

Overall: It doesn’t get much better than this. It’s dead set gone straight in to our top 5 best ever Pilsners. Superb!

“Dreams of doing a barrel aged pilsner have long bubbled in the background at Deeds. After lagering for a month in tank, we racked the whole batch into Chardonnay barrels and let it age on oak for 90 days. The result is a crisp, oaky experience that celebrates Spring!”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Transparent straw golden pour with a healthy three finger head nestled on top. Good retention and lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: Certainly has a traditional character. Mixed herbs, mildew, lemon and a subtle hint of Riesling. We must say the Chardonnay barrels don’t seem to offer a whole lot, maybe a wee hint of apple/pear and other sweet and delicate fruits. Just a flutter of vanilla and oak coming across. Not much happening here.

Flavour: Ok this is where it’s all at. It kicks off with a herbaceous Noble hop quality which is fused through the delicate fruits and oaky Chardonnay – the latter displaying soft buttery accents. Quite pithy late in the piece, finishing dry, mildly bitter and grassy with excellent length.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and light. Smooth with a discernible bitterness post swallow. Mild-medium body, Co2 is spot on. 5.9% ABV is well concealed.

Overall: As soon as we saw this we knew we had to try it as we’ve never had a barrel aged Pilsner before. Did it excite? Well, no not really. We would have liked a bit more from the barrels but the base Pilsner was good.

“Old meets new in this modern interpretation of an unfiltered pilsner. Fresh malt from Voyager, malted in an Old-World fashion. Old-World bittering hops meet New-World flavour hops. While New-World mashing technique is balanced by Old-World fermentation scheduling. What results is a accumulation precision and flavour. The best of both Worlds!”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Fully transparent golden pour with a billowing four finger head. It takes an age to reduce and makes an absolute mess on the glass.

Aroma: Getting a direct candied lemon quality straight off the bat.. has that slightly herbaceous lemon strepsil thing happening. Slightly sulfuric, slight vegetal notes also coming across. Classic Noble hop qualities – spicy, earthy and floral with a faint hint of mildew. Not as refined as anticipated, especially when a name such as Weihenstephaner is involved.

Flavour: Can’t help but feel this has a touch of the New World applied to it. We get a mix of low alpha acid Aussie hops like Pride of Ringwood or Ella alongside the classic Noble strains like Saaz or Tettnang. Subtle florals, spice and candied citrus meet soft grainy notes and move in to an earthy, herbal and mildew finish which endures nicely.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light and zippy. Mild-medium body. 5.1% ABV also nicely positioned.

Overall: Although it’s a good Pilsner at its core we were expecting a bit more from it…mainly because of the Weihenstephaner factor. Not a bad crack but we’ve had better.

“We had been itching for some time to make a somewhat strong, full-bodied Helles. So we made a batch of Pils with an elevated level of original wort, 13.6%. Additionally, we dry-hopped generously, using our traditional Hersbrucker noble hops. This way, this time-honored variety of hops, a native of our Franconian home country, will fully develop its impressive aromatic potential. Our Zwickel Pils is a non-filtered beer, paying homage to the tradition of bottling straight from the barrel. Satisfyingly full-bodied and aromatic with hops. Our Zwickel is a Weissenohe masterpiece of an expressive, regional and traditional specialty beer.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Pale light golden complexion with a sturdy two finger head which holds together nicely. Good lacing clings to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Nice and light, crisp, herbaceous and grassy. Very delicate fruity accents atop a super clean grainy malt profile. Hay and straw, crackers and a somewhat funky yogurt-like scent which gains more traction as it settles. Quite a strange aroma for a Pilsner and just as we go to take the first sip we see the beer is almost a year old. 

Flavour: That yogurt character doesn’t translate to the palate thankfully so the age on the beer isn’t going to kill us, hopefully. Fairly classic Pilsner notes – grassy herbal hops, wet hay/straw, mild fruity notes and semi sweet grainy malts. A little earthy at the back as it finishes slightly dry and grassy/herbal.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light-medium body. Good Co2. The 5.6% ABV is lifted for the style.. especially considering the the traditional nature of it.

Overall: Don’t know about this one. The best thing about it is the ceramic crock-style bottle but the actual beer itself is a bit underwhelming. Then again the age of it could be a factor so we may have to try it again when it’s fresh.

“Straw colored with a light, creamy head, Spencer Premium Pilsner is an authentic German-style Pilsner. Traditional noble German hops provide herbal notes, a floral nuance and the classic closing bitterness. Crisp, clean and refreshing – perfect after a day at work.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Light pale gold with a bit of haze. Atop sits a finger of finely beaded foam which peels off pretty quick. Some wavy lace here and there.

Aroma: Interesting. We guess it was always going to be when an American Trappist brewery is having a crack at a German/Czech classic. It certainly has that herbal/grassy Noble hop character dialled in but it also has a somewhat Belgo-inspired honey sweetness and yeast-driven spice. Clean malt profile consisting of crackers, hay/straw and grainy bread. Really nice.

Flavour: Keeps pretty traditional and doesn’t stray too far off that line of straw and hay, grainy malt, grassy/herbal spice and subtle gritty earthy-ness. There’s hop bitterness that gradually intensifies late in the piece and adds to the dry grassy finish. Pretty decent legs on it.

Mouthfeel: Typical Pilsner texture – crisp, dry and inoffensive. Nice and light with fine carbonation. 4.7% ABV is spot on.

Overall: We’re pretty confident that this is the first Trappist Pilsner we’ve ever tried so that’s pretty rad. Although it’s a decent drop if we had a hankering for a traditional Pils we’d still be reaching for the likes of Weihenstephaner or Pilsner Urquell. It’s good it’s just not all that memorable.

“This pilsner with style is all about subtlety and balance. Expect a delicate spice, a touch of honey, and rustic white bread on the nose. Flavors of bread crust and light malt meet the spice of traditional Czech Saaz hops and while the finish is crisp and bracingly bitter, everything is in balance.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Pale light yellow with steady ascension of Co2 rising up to the two finger head. Good retention and lots of lace as we imbibe.

Aroma: There’s definitely a traditional nature to it. Bursting with Noble hop qualities i.e herbal spice, pot pourri-like florals and grassy/earthy vines. The malt bill comes off clean and grainy with a delicate honey sweetness in support. One of those rarer moments where an American brewery stayed traditional! We dig it.

Flavour: Again, sticks close to its roots with a gentle and extremely well balanced fusion of herbal spice, florals and semi sweet grainy malts on entry. It’s carried well through the mid picking up a very subtle citrus bitterness as it finishes slightly dry with earthy hops lingering on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and refreshing – like a good Pilsner should be. Light-moderate body. 4.4% ABV is well placed.

Overall: An excellent interpretation of the style and about as traditional as you can get outside of Europe. It’s quite a nice surprise when one considers how edgy these guys can be. Fine offering.

“This easy-drinking full strength lager proudly celebrates local produce. Australian malt & hops provide unique aromatics, subtle flavours, a thirst quenching bitterness and a clean, dry finish.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Pale gold with 100% clarity. It forms two fingers of sturdy white head which slowly recedes. Excellent lacing clings to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Crisp and slightly floral with distinct Noble hop-like characters – grassy/herbal, subtle spice and mildew. We can also pick up hints of citrus, pear and light grainy malts at the base. Maybe some water crackers creeping in as well. Very basic but that’s to be expected from the style we guess.

Flavour: European-style hop flavours on entry i.e grassy, herbal, spicy, mild citrus (rind and pulp), light florals developing late. It’s all held together by the grainy/crackery malt. Quite a dry finish to it…nice and lengthy with some hop bitterness and grassy notes to boot.

Mouthfeel: Light on, crisp and snappy. A little lean but we find pilsners and lagers mostly always are. Mild ABV and bitterness. Very approachable.

Overall: A fairly decent Pilsner. We love the fact that it has been brewed with 100% local Aussie hops and malts. We find that Aussie hops (with the exception of Galaxy of course) suit the European styles over the American ones. Nothing to rave on about but it does its job.

“A refreshing full flavoured pilsner has a Rich golden colour with strong aroma of malt and traditional Czech Saaz hops, A traditional cold ferment gives a subtle buttery malt flavour to smooth out the assertive bitterness.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Bright golden complexion with 100% clarity. Nice and healthy three finger head which holds up well. Thick and soapy lace clings to the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Proper conventional. If we didn’t know any better we’d think this was coming straight out of the Czech republic. Absolutely brilliant balance between the semi sweet malts and herbal hops. Some grassy notes, subtle spice and mildew hand it that classic Bohemian character that is extremely hard to perfect. So on point. We’ve enjoyed many of these at the brewery and it smells just like it has come out of the keg.

Flavour: They’ve struck that perfect balance. As the semi sweet malts provide a hint of honey and cracker biscuits the hops come over the top with its herbal spice, grassy and dewy characters. They duke it out as a delicate bitterness comes though and carries it all in to a clean finish full of grassy hop and earthy grains which go for days.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and light on. Exactly what we want in a pilsner. 5% ABV – neither here nor there.

Overall: Even if one of us completely takes the geographical bias out of the equation this is still a magnificent pilsner. As traditional as one could get it and we’d even go as far as saying that this is Australia’s best interpretation. Not quite the finesse of a Pilsner Urquell but damn close!

“California’s famous Firestone Walker come to town to create Riwaka Express – a hoppy Kiwi take on the classic pilsner style; crisp, clean, and zesty, brewed with German malts and showcasing harvest fresh Riwaka from Freestyle Hop farm. Brewed to celebrate the 2019 Hāpi Festival and the New Zealand Hop Harvest.”

Glassware: Footed Flute.

Appearance: Bright golden pour with 100% transparency. It forms a nice frothy head which retains and weaves a thick blotchy lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: Quite an interesting hop profile here. This is the first time we’ve come across Riwaka on its own and it offers a distinct sweet citrus…similar to mandarin. We also pick up hints of orange peel, unripened pineapple, passionfruit and kumquat. The malt is lean and clean, grainy and somewhat grassy if anything. Very unique!

Flavour: It portrays a lot more of the traditional Czech pilsner characters. Lots of hay and straw coming through underneath slightly spicy and citrusy hop notes. Getting a fair whack of grapefruit bitterness midway before it finishes slightly dry and fruity with lingering pithy orange peel drawing out.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean with mild-medium body. Perfect carbonation. The ever so slightly lifted AbV (5.3%) is perceptible but mostly well obscured.

Overall: We were surprised when we realised GP chose a pilsner to collaborate with Firestone Walker on. Personally FW brew some of the best barrel aged stouts and barleywines in the world so it’s kinda bizarre that they went for the polar opposite! Still, can’t fault the beer it’s a cracker!

“Our Mid-Strength J.W. Pilsner is a refreshing beer best suited to a hot summers day, bitter enough to to be refreshing but smooth and easy to drink. Legend has it that there was once a man with the initials J.W. who inspired and even insisted on this creation and as a tribute J.W. Pilsner was born.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Light golden colour with 100% transparency. It forms a fizzy three finger head which slowly collapses. Healthy lace sticks to the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Quite restrained. Mild scents of sweet honey and grains, earthy hops and subtle fruity yeast esters. Very soft hints of spice i.e pepper and anise here and there. As a whole it’s different but it’s very pedestrian.

Flavour: Follows on from the nose with very delicate impressions of earthy hop spice, grainy malts and bready/doughy sweetness. It hints at some citrus midway but it reverts back to a light grainy malt flavour which carries through to the short finish.

Mouthfeel: Slightly watery – slips off the tongue too easily…suffering from the ultra low AbV (3%) perhaps. Mild-moderate body and co2.

Overall: We get that it’s a mid-strength but in our opinion there is some serious lack of appeal here. It would be optimal on a hot arvo…as designated driver. But really, that’s about it.

“A crisp and clean Pilsner style lager; brought into the new world with the addition of Aussie Vic Secret hops. Ultra refreshing and perfectly balanced, complemented by subtle passionfruit and citrus hop characters. Don’t think too hard, just enjoy.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Golden amber with 100% clarity. There’s a big three finger head which persists and leaves a smattering of lace behind.

Aroma: Clean pine and subtle citrus notes fuse nicely with the semi sweet bready malt base. Also some earthy and herbal characters mixing around in there, mild spice, pineapple and passionfruit. Certainly in the new world style.

Flavour: Finding more of a grainy overtone with soft spicy hop bitterness and earthy accents. A bit of citrus tailing in late as it finishes slightly dry and crisp with a gentle bitterness on the back.

Mouthfeel: Super refreshing with light-medium body. Crisp clean texture and vibrant carbonation. Ultra crushable.

Overall: We like Wayward’s new shift in to cans. This pilsner is now part of the core range and while it hits the spot on this hot summer arvo it probably won’t be a return-to beer though. Unfortunately it’s just not that memorable.

“Pivo Pils is a classically rendered pilsner with a West Coast dry-­‐hopping twist, showcasing stylistic influences from Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic. Lighter beer styles like pilsner have been hijacked by industrial lager beer in the United States, and it’s time for craft brewers to take it back. Pivo Pils offers impeccable balance with floral aromatics, spicy herbal nuances, and bergamot zest and lemongrass notes from dry hopping with German Saphir hops.”

Glassware: Flute.

Appearance: Clear gold with a two finger cap resting atop. Good retention and healthy lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: It has that classic pilsner base with semi sweet cracker malt, some corny DMS and a lovely floral bouquet. There’s a soft herbal undertone, spicy hops, grass and a light honey sweetness in support. Really crisp and refreshing. Hitting the spot on this warm spring arvo.

Flavour: Displaying more of its American traits on the palate – slightly lifted bitterness and more of a citrusy hop profile. Still tasting lots of that conventional Euro pils flavour though with its floral, spicy and semi sweet grainy malt structure. Strong carry in to the slightly bitter and herbal finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, snappy and nicely carbonated. Mild-medium body with the 5.3% AbV adding a little extra kick. Some bite from the 40 IBU as well.

Overall: One of the best things about this warmer weather is that these flavoursome and super sessional styles find their way back to our fridge. A welcome change from all of the heavy barrel aged stouts! It’s clean, tasty and highly enjoyable this one.

“Amongst brewers there is a distinct respect for well-made Pilsners. It’s a delicate style that doesn’t suit being completely bombarded by hops, a beer that takes much more time and patience to get right than an Ale. Beers brewed with lager yeast spend much longer conditioning in the fermenter than Ales. So, when we installed our last lot of tanks back in August we got a bit excited – we finally had a bit of room spare to brew some Pilsner! As fate would have it, around the same time we also got our hands on some of the most sought after hops in the world – Nelson Sauvin. The result – The 4.8% Pirate Life Nelson Pilsner.”

Glassware: Footed flute.

Appearance: Bright gold with a well poised two and a half finger head perched on top. It retracts slowly and leaves a healthy lace on the glass.

Aroma: It’s amazing how one ingredient can make a beer. The highly sought after Nelson Sauvin hop from NZ is a match made in heaven for new world pilsners. It brings an earthy quality along with lime citrus, gooseberry, vines and white grapes which works in beautifully with the grainy cracker malts.

Flavour: Strong hop presence throughout. They’ve done really well to offset it with this semi sweet honey malt though. It becomes quite bitter as it rolls through the mid, developing a big citrus bitterness that intensifies the dry, pithy finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and light with vibrant co2. Rather bitter, we’d love to know the IBU. Mild-medium body.

Overall: A fairly tidy pilsner. Although it’s in the new world style it’s just a bit too bitter for us. We would have loved to see that toned down but other than that it’s not a bad drop.