Pilsgnar
Brewery: Zilker Brewing Co
Style: German Pils (5D)
Package: 12oz Can
Purchased: HEB Tech Ridge, June, 2019
Canned Date: May 22, 2019
Consumed Date: August 11, 2019
Details From the Brewer
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 38
A collab with Waterloo Surf Boards
Review
Aroma – 10/12
A moderate grainy malt aroma strikes the nose with a mix of sulfur. There’s a light bread crust note that mixes with an earthy and spicy/peppery hop note. Clean fermentation character. No alcohol detectable.
Appearance – 2.5/3
A deep straw almost light gold liquid pours with good clarity. A slight haze is noticeable. Small and medium bubbles make up a large frothy head. It lasts with great retention.
Flavor – 15/20
Grainy and slightly crackery malt flavor hits the tongue first, and is immediately joined by a moderate-high bitterness. In the mid-taste an medium intensity earthy and herbal, sharp hop character comes out. Some minerality and a slight salinity appears on the finish and lingers in the aftertaste. Hop bitterness and flavor sticks around after the taste as well. Dry with good attenuation. Some sulfury fermentation character on the end of the taste as well.
Mouthfeel – 5/5
Medium bodied, thinning out a bit towards the finish. Medium-high carbonation prickling the front of the tongue. Dries the mouth on the finish, but not astringent. Low alcohol warmth in the back of the mouth.
Overall Impression – 8/10
This is a fine German Pilsner. The hop character is pretty unique with that earthy and herbal notes being most prominent. I personally prefer the more floral and spicy versions in German Pils, but this works well. The minerality on the finish is probably a bit high for the style, but I’d rather have it like this than non-existent. I was a bit bothered by the sulfur character in the flavor though; it distracted from rest of the beer. A fresher malt character with maybe a touch of cracker/honey would really push this up into the best examples range.
Rating – 40.5/50
I honestly couldn’t find a whole lot of information on this beer. I’m curious on how the Waterloo collaboration element happened. While this might not stack up to the pilsners from the lager giants around town, it’s respectable in it’s own right. It has some elements to it that you don’t always see in other interpretations.
