Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Al

Sometimes I just have to try a beer based on the packaging. Morimoto Imperial Pilsner from Rogue is onesuch. It comes in a lovely, resealable ceramic bottle. Add to that my eldest daughter is really getting into all things Japanese and urged me to buy it.

It also turns out to have been on Ron’s Wish List last year.

I actually bought this several weeks ago. I just haven’t had a good opportunity to have 750ml of a 8.8% ABV beer.

From Rogue’s website:

Style: Pilsner

Food Pairing: Seafood, Poultry

Tasting Notes:
Golden in color with a dry hop floral aroma and intense hop bitterness supported by a big malty backbone which culminates into a hedonistic mouthful.

Ingredients:
100% French Pilsner. 100% Sterling. Czech Pils Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Specs:
18º PLATO
74 IBU
80 AA
16º Lovibond

I like the idea of a “hedonistic mouthful”.

Light amber in color with a cream colored head. Seems a bit hazy. Lots and lots of spicy hoppiness in the aroma. Body is surprisingly full, and there’s plenty more spice in the flavor. It’s oddly smooth with a bite at the same time. Interesting.

Hopheads would love this.

It has quite a kick. If you drink the whole 1 pint 10 fluid ounces yourself, plan on not going anywhere.

Pretty good, though. I rather liked it.

Brooklyn Pilsner – Brooklyn Brewery

Posted on September 10, 2006 by Al

I love beers from Brooklyn Brewery. We’ve also been reviewing a lot of pilsners here lately. So, while I was picking up some beer in anticipation of the first Sunday of the NFL season, I was delighted to see their Brooklyn Pilsner in the case at a new retailer.

In their words:

Brooklyn Pilsner is a refreshing golden lager beer brewed in the style favored by New York’s pre-Prohibition brewers. In the 1840s, the pilsner style emerged from central Europe to become the world’s most popular style of beer. Like its ancestors, Brooklyn Pilsner is traditionally brewed from the finest European two-row barley malts. German-grown Perle and Hallertauer hops provide a crisp, snappy bitterness and fresh floral aroma. We ferment Brooklyn Pilsner at cool temperatures and then give it a long, gentle maturation (lagering), which results in a beer of superior complexity and smoothness.

It is a very nice golden straw color, and when pouring makes a textbook head, about two fingers thick, with very tight bubbles. The floral aroma is subtle, and the taste is just slightly sweet offset by the hops just right. It is smooth, with a nice mouthfeel.

This is what Budweiser aspires to be.

If you want an American-style pilsner, this is the one to get.

Lagunitas Pils – Czech Style

Posted on August 18, 2006 by Ron

After recently reviewing a German style pilsner, Victory Prima Pils, I thought it would be nice to compare it to a Czech style and I happened across a bunch of Lagunitas beers at the candy store (that’s what I call my beverage center) and there it was… it said so on the bottle.

Lagunitas Pils claims to be opposite of ales, i.e. a lager. It is that, but it is really not much different from many other lagers. In their words:

Where ales are meaty, lagers are sinewy. Where ales are street, lagers are ‘haute couture’. Where an ale might hit you over the head and take your wallet, lagers donate to charity and adopt stray cats. While an ale might steal your car or try to date your daughter and keep her out all night for who-knows-what purpose, a well bred lager would offer to clean your house while you’re on vacation and leave fresh scones and coffee for you when you return.

Actually, what makes this lager different from most lagers is that 1) it is in a brown bottle and has no off flavors, and 2) it is not nearly as dull as megabrewery American pilsners. It is also true to the style, being less hoppy than a German style pilsner. (and, I liked it despite that.) It was very balanced, light in both bitterness and sweetness, but not flavorless at all.

The beer had light to medium carbonation and was pale yellow. (Don’t let the flash on my camera fool you, it was more of a yellow hue than orange.) There was almost no hop aroma, but you could taste some of the saaz hops along side of the light malt.

Now, this is the beer I had while eating my tomato salad and I have to say it wasn’t a very good pairing. The vinegar in the salad was way too over powering to the mild taste of this pilsner. (That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it) This pilsner is better paired with something very light like crackers, steamed clams or pasta. Just as good, enjoy it unaccompanied sitting on your porch on a hot summer day.

Sunshine Pils – Tröegs Brewing Company

Posted on August 13, 2006 by Al

Inspired by Ron’s post about Pilsners, I decided to pick up a couple and try them out. First up is a seasonal beer from Tröegs Brewing Company (which is fast becoming one of my favorite brewers): Sunshine Pils.

Sunshine Pils I do not generally indulge in pilsners. Whether it’s a prejudice left over from too many bland, megabrewed beers, or a former friend’s obnoxious insistence that Pilsner Urquell is the “best beer in the world,” or simply that I’ve found I like English styles and so stick to them, I just don’t have that many craft brewed pilsners. So, while in my semi-local retailer, I decided to pick some up.

Sunshine Pils is a seasonal beer, only available from about May until August. The label describes it thusly:

Tröegs Sunshine Pils is hand-crafted in our brewery using only malted barley, noble hops, and bottom fermenting yeast. This pilsner delivers a refreshing hop bitterness and zesty, vibrant finish.

The first thing you notice is the color. Pilsners are supposed to be light-colored, but this one was lighter than I would have expected. It may be lighter than a Coors Light, along the lines of Corona Extra. It makes a nice, big, foamy head and laces nicely on the glass.

It is hoppier than an American pilsner, but probably about right for the German definition. Its flavor is surprisingly robust, but only compared to its mass-produced brethren. The finish is nice and clean. Too clean, I thought at first, but a few minutes after a good swallow I can definitely feel the zest they’re talking about. This is definitely a beer that you want more of as you drink it.

I found it quite refreshing. The brewers recommend it with salads, shellfish, and mild fish filets. I thought it went rather well with the kielbasa and sauerkraut I had for dinner. Definitely a good summer beer.

5.3% ABV. I’ll give this one a solid three out of four. Recommended.

Prima Pils Review

Posted on August 4, 2006 by Ron

PRIMA!

It’s not often I find a beer that is worth shouting about. I mean, I find a lot of good beers, all worthy of conversation; but, rarely do I find a beer that is near perfect in my humble opinion.

This beer poured a fluffy white head in my pilsner glass that just held there while I examined its yellow, straw like, color. By the looks of the bubbles and the texture of the head I expect a moderately carbonated beer. The hop aroma was very present, but not overwhelming, with a citrus smell. (Saaz?) There was little malt aroma. The taste was fantastic, not weak at all. Light malts gave a nice mouth feel, more significant than its appearance would indicate, and the hop flavor picked up that much more, making it a real pilsner, not a want-to-be. The finish left the hops lingering in my mouth, with a slight malt sweetness, and absolutely no other off flavors.

Few beers nail it for their style, but this one does. This is American craft brewing at its best. A pilsner, by German definition, should have a malty residual sweetness with pronounced hop. Victory makes several other great beers, of which, I haven’t had in quite a while, but now I know I’ll be going back to revisit them.

I would love to have this at Easter with a pork loin in a light bourbon glaze. I think it would also be perfect for linguini in clam sauce. It would also pair well with a mild cheese, like brie, along side some pairs, sweet plums, or a sweet apple like a Honeycrisp, Gala, or Jonagold.

Victory Prima Pils! Go out and get some now. This beer is excellent.

Seeking Pilsners

Posted on August 2, 2006 by Ron

Remember when you were a kid and got a sip of your dad’s American pilsner? Do you remember it overwhelming your senses with never before tastes? Never before, have you smelled the floral aroma of hops. Never before, have you tasted the combination of sweet malt and bitter hops; not to mention the fine bubbles that tickled your nose.

As we’ve grown older, our taste buds have become more used to these flavors. Maybe it was those 2 cases of Bud Light you drank every weekend in college. Maybe you’ve just tried too many exotic beers, like hefe’s, Belgium’, and triple bocks.

Why can’t we get that anymore? Well, you can, but it won’t be from a Pabst. If you want those flavors again, you are going to have to seek out the perfect pilsner.

The pilsner style has multiple definitions, the German origin may be considered the truest. It calls a pilsner light in color, high hop bitterness from Noble-type hops, aroma and flavors are moderate and obvious and it should be a medium bodied beer with no chill haze. The Bohemian version says the pilsner can also be dark and the hop bitterness may only be moderate. The European version says it should be light, but allows for adjuncts such as rice or corn and also allows for a very mild hop bitterness. This is also known as an American Pilsner.

I like the German definition. The good news is that Victory is at hand. Look for my first Hop Talk review coming this Friday.

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