Celeia Hop Ale - Alexander Keith's (Canada)

Celeia Hop Ale - Alexander Keith's (Canada) 5.5%

Darkish gold in a glass. Not much of a head of foam, but maybe I coddled the pour too much.

The aroma is fairly subtle, I found it pilsner-like even before I read that these are a Slovenian hop which seems close enough to the Southern Germany and the Czech Republic for me. Hints of citrus (lemon) throughout the aroma and flavour. The hops flavour is quite peppery and has a touch of wood tones but it always remains in the background mingling with the borderline caramelized malt flavours. This ale is bitter but in a way that builds as you drink rather than hitting you all at once.

I like Alexander Keith's Hop Series Ales because each beer gives me an easy way to learn about one specific type of hop and usually the beers are fairly good too, in my opinion. The Celeia hops ale is a bit of a let down in the latter regard as the hops better suit a lager/pilsner style beer and the mouthfeel leaves a bit to be desired and coats the mouth a bit too heavily.

Bríó - Borg Brugghús (Iceland - Reykjavik)

Bríó - Borg Brugghús (Iceland - Reykjavik) 4.8%

Gold in a glass with a robust head of white creamy foam. Underneath that foam is a pretty spectacular pilsner. The aroma is lightly malty with a dry hoppiness.

To the taste Bríó has a light malty flavour but the main feature of this beer is a crisp, bitter hops flavour with a bit of citrus fruit, like an orange peel. This flavour doesn't stick around to the point where it seems out of place but it makes this pilsner standout in terms of flavour dimension as well as in terms of crispness. Not a surprise that this beer has taken home awards.

Tatra (Poland)

Tatra (Poland) 5.5%

Pale gold in a glass with a fast fading head. The aroma is honey with an ever so slightly burnt, nearly acrid touch and faint pilsner-like dry Czech hops. Honey continues in the flavour as does the bitterness - in fact it has quite a bitter aftertaste. Tatra is a sweet pilsner with honey and biscuit flavours at first then followed by a bitter, slightly acrid, finish. Despite being slightly acrid it is not terrible but it's not great; however, considering how cheap it is, it is better than I expected. There is just something about the bitter finish that is a bit off to my taste.

Bia IPA - Birrificio Del Ducato (Italy)

Bia IPA - Birrificio Del Ducato (Italy) 6.5%

Full gold in a glass with a slight haze. The head faded fairly quickly leaving minimal lacing. The aroma is sweet, honey and grain with hops that smell of tropical fruits: papaya, nectarine and maybe some peach.

The taste is quite sweet with touch of candi sugar and caramel while still having a bitter bite and finish. To my taste this beer is heavily loaded with drying hops that you would expect in a pilsner or European lager; there are, no doubt, other hop types used as well since the hops character of this beer features more than dryness and some hops spice but also subtle tropical fruit flavours. However, this heavy use of pilsner hops stands out to me because its use in an IPA in conjunction with other types is interesting and I can't quite think of another beer that does it to this extent. Combined with the sweetness of this IPA, the hops come across as more nectar than resin with faint fruity notes of peach and tangerine that remind me of a zinfandel wine. Bia IPA is an interestingly subtle IPA that still packs in the hops but is different from those North American IPAs that tote loads of cedar and resin flavours.

New Grist - Lakefront Brewery (USA - Wisconsin - Milwaukee)

New Grist - Lakefront Brewery (USA - Wisconsin - Milwaukee) 5.3%

Very pale gold in a glass, almost like a cider with a nearly nonexistent head. All of which is typical of gluten free beers. The aroma is very lightly citrusy (tangerine perhaps) and fairly tart.

The taste is a just little tart at first, especially in the finish, but is otherwise very beer like. New Grist is a little overcarbonated to my tastes but has a convincing malt flavour with light grain flavours and even some light dry european hops. This is a very convincing Pilsner style gluten-free beer and while it is a little light on flavour that makes it a whole lot better than some of the gluten-free options out there. If Lakefront added just a little bit more dry hops flavour I think it would be about as close to a Pilsner as a gluten-free beer could be.

Opa's Gose (Wild Oats Series #05) - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Opa's Gose (Wild Oats Series #05) - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 5.0%

A cloudy gold in a glass with a thin head and a sour, citrusy (lemon) aroma that features tones of grain and some dry Pilsner like hops.

Quite sour with plenty of yummy yeast flavours: nectar, floral and herbal with banana as well. I grew accustomed to the sour flavour very quickly and by the third sip or so didn't really notice it much more than I would with other yeast heavy beers that sometimes comes across as a touch sour. Other Gose beers (sour ales) have been much, much more sour so this one is tame in comparison. There is sediment at the bottom of the bottle but it only adds further strength to the yeast flavours - no additional acidity. The included sea salt is fun: in small doses I found it did add to the flavour somewhat and caused some amusing but under control foaming action. But for goodness sake don't put in the whole four gram package, the baggie pictured below was photographed after I had added the desired amount of salt.

Opa's Gose would pair well with plenty kinds of foods. I found that it paired well with some greasier fare as the tart touch cut through the grease nicely and was quite refreshing.

La Pitoune - Le Trou Du Diable (Canada - Quebec - Shawinigan)

La Pitoune - Le Trou Du Diable (Canada - Quebec - Shawinigan) 5.0%

Gold in a glass with a big white head of foam and that gradually collapsed into a large iceberg of very resilient foam in the middle of the glass. There is some very fine sediment and it makes the beer a little bit cloudy. A dry european hops aroma that is herbal and has a bit of yeast too.

The taste is drily bitter with a floral, herbal and lightly spicy touch. The herbal flavours sometimes comes across as the slightest bit of banana while the malty body has tones of grain and loads (or loaves?) of toasted bread flavours. It is refreshing and quite nice even though this style doesn't give the brewers at Le Trou Du Diable a chance to show off some of their exceptional flavours like their other beers do. La Pitoune is a nice Pilsner on the bitter side of the average Pilsner and also with more of a herbal taste.

Euro Life Lager - Big Rock (Canada - Alberta - Calgary)

Euro Life Lager - Big Rock (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 5.0%

Crisp dry hops aroma, pale gold and crystal clear in a glass. A touch of the grain I associate with Big Rock. Dry hops taste just like a Euro Lager, not musty probably because it's fresher than any actual European Lager you could get in North America. They aimed to make a Czech style pilsner and they did a great job - they nailed this style.

Martens Pilsener (Belgium)

Martens Pilsener (Belgium) 5.0%

Gold in a glass with a surprisingly large frothy head of foam. Malty taste but sweetly thick with a touch of dry hops. Just an ordinary Euro lager - not much to it but a touch thick on palate and quite sweet.

Creemore Springs Traditional Pilsner (Canada - Ontario - Creemore)

Creemore Springs Traditional Pilsner (Canada - Ontario - Creemore) 5.3%

A pale, bordering on full, gold colour in a glass. The aroma is mildly malty with hints of the hops to come. Lovely hoppy character, flowery and green, a little reminiscent of clover flowers. Malty, bitter and lively on the tongue. Very refreshing and very much a pilsner. This is a nice product and pairs well with both food and lazing around on a patio.

Big Rig Gold - Big Rig Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

Big Rig Gold - Big Rig Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa) 5.0%


Pale to full gold in a glass, more on the pale side. Light pilsner-like aroma with the barest hint of green and that classic dry European hops aroma. Big Rig Gold is very tasty and actually is a lagered ale even though it could be mistaken for a great pilsner because of its use of German malts and hops. Just like the label says, it would be great on the dock during summer.

Doppel Pils - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Doppel Pils - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.0%

A full gold in a glass with an aroma of dry European hops with a malty heft - a perfect aroma for a Double Pilsner. The taste has a warm, sweet and satisfying malty body as well as the perfect amount of dry, hoppy bitterness and just a hint of alcohol - there's also a bit of a burn from the booze content. On subsequent sips other hops characteristics and malt flavours reveal themselves: a green vegetal flavour and some almost caramel-like sweetness. The aftertaste is refreshingly bitter; because Mill Street's Doppel Pils is a perfect balance of sweet and bitter flavours, this high alcohol beer is delicious but also dangerously drinkable.

Rickard's Shandy - MolsonCoors (Canada) 4.5%

Rickard's Shandy - MolsonCoors (Canada) 4.5%

Pale gold in a glass with a quick fading white head. Lemonade aroma (plain lemonade not pink lemonade), sweet but sour. The taste is lemonade first and foremost but some malty lager flavours come out in the finish and particularly in the aftertaste. I had only ever had a shandy made by mixing beer with ginger ale but the lemonade version is okay too. Summery and refreshing, Rickard's Shandy is highly quaffable and as long as you think of it as a beertail (a cocktail made with beer) rather than a beer it's pretty nice. It doesn't taste artificial to me it just tastes like a blend of lemonade and a lager.

I'm a little curious as to what beer they are blending with lemonade since the only Rickard's beer that uses a lager yeast is their pilsner, Rickard's Blonde. Based on the underlying beer flavours that could indeed be the beer they are using.

Merry Time Pilsner (Cask) - Pump House Brewery (Canada - New Brunswick - Moncton)

Merry Time Pilsner (Cask) - Pump House Brewery (Canada - New Brunswick - Moncton) 5.6%

A very light mango or passionfruit hop aroma; grain and malthouse also. Yellow and cloudy in a glass with a thin white head with good resilience and lacing. Lots of grain and malthouse in the taste too, a bit raw, some barnyard with a little hay and vegetal hops and the barest hint of citrus (lemon). No sign of the more exotic hops tones I initially picked up in the aroma.

Merry Time Pilsner (Draft) - Pump House Brewery (Canada - New Brunswick - Moncton) 5.6%

A dry hops and malt taste that is just a little bit nutty with a nice grain background flavour. The aroma is one of dry hops and lightly grain. Clear, pale gold in a glass without much head. A good Euro style Pilsner.



These two different formats make beers that are quite different, though there are similarities, which just goes to show how different a beer can be as a result of cask conditioning.

Waterloo Classic Pilsner - Brick Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Kitchener)

Waterloo Classic Pilsner - Brick Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Kitchener) 5.0%

Gold to pale gold in a glass, a nice wide head that was admittedly a bit quick fading. An entirely Pilsner-ey aroma: malty with light and dry European hops tone.

Smooth, lightly creamy mouthfeel, malty taste with just a touch of grain and a pleasant bitter finish. There is the slightest trace of resin to the hops character but only very slightly - not enough to be out of place in a Pilsner.

Overall, Waterloo's Classic Pilsner is a top notch Pilsner. I very much like it and would reach for it before the classic Pilsner Urquell: it tastes at least as good and it's brewed a whole lot closer to home.

The Premium Malt's - Suntory (Japan) 5.5%

The Premium Malt's - Suntory (Japan) 5.5%

Gold in a glass with a bubbly white head with some staying power. There is something about the heavy tappered bottle and the gold label that seems very Eighties chic to me.

The aroma is malty and sweet but there is also a dry hops character to it with some skunkiness, likely from being light struck despite the heavy and dark brown glass bottle. As regular readers of the blog may recall, I don't really mind a bit of skunkiness. Even though I know it is technically an off-flavour, I think it can bring out the hops nicely in the right beer.

Quite a dry bitter taste with some genuine hops flavour that is green, somewhat spicy and almost bordering on pine. Some light malty sweetness for balance but there is quite a backing of hops. This a very nice Pilsner actually, I must say I am pleasantly surprised by this beer. I would definitely have a Suntory Pilsner Beer again if I were in Japan and the situation called for a Pilsner!

Propeller Pilsener (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 4.8%

Propeller Pilsener (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 4.8%

A sweet malty but also light tasting Pilsner with a pronounced hop finish that is dry - true to the Pilsner style.

What is neat about this Pilsner is the flavour is mild yet intricate: a malty grain flavour with a hint of nuttiness washes over you before the hops and accompanying bitterness come in late and just to the edge of being very bitter before receding in a pleasant Pilsner-ey aftertaste. The beer is gold in a glass [and ever so slightly cloudy (may just be a chill haze)] and has a lovely aroma that brings through for me all the facets I described in the flavour. A must try for anyone who swears by a Pilsner.

Pils - Garrison Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 4.8%

Pils - Garrison Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 4.8%

Full gold in a glass, nay beyond full gold. More like a brass colour. Sweet caramel aroma with some malty grain undertones.

Label from Garrison website

Quite a bitter taste, full of that dry European hops flavour I expect from a pilsner. A barely metallic finish preceded by some nice malty sweetness, a bit of roast flavour with a fresh grain taste. This is a solid Pilsner and just so much fresher than anything you can get from Europe that you gotta love it. While it's not make the kind of dynamic food pairings that some stronger tasting ales will form, Garrison's Pils pairs easily and casually with just about any food, like any good Pilsner. If only it wasn't February and I could suggest picking up a growler to serve it at your next BBQ; do it anyway!

Wolfgang's (Canada - Ontario - Stoney Creek) 5.9%

Wolfgang's (Canada - Ontario - Stoney Creek) 5.9%

The aroma is that Pilsner dry hops aroma and brassy touch of roast; mildly bitter and some sweet malt with just a hint of honey. The taste is exactly along the same lines with the bitterness at the first, with a very sweet middle, the finish contains more of the roast flavour and the aftertaste is a mix of all three flavours. The dry hops flavour comes through just a touch musty but that doesn't detract from the overall taste of the beer which is quite good. Wolfgang's is a fine German style beer; so, if you live in Ontario or thereabouts and like Pilsners, please be an Earth-conscious beer drinker: try Wolfgang's and save the world the shipping. Full gold in a glass.

Mongozo Premium Pilsner (Belgium) 5.0%

Mongozo Premium Pilsner (Belgium) 5.0%

Gold in a glass with a little less than an inch of off-white head that was fairly resilient for a gluten-free beer. Smelled quite a bit like a typical pilsner at first, a dry sort of hops aroma with some malt-like aroma, sort of like a American Adjunct Lager. Then the slightly sour and a little cheesy aroma I've found in many gluten-free beers. Wow, it tastes remarkably like a typical pilsner or Euro Lager. There is a faint sourness but other than that it's hard to tell the difference between Mongozo Premium Pilsner and any other gluten bearing pilsner: quite impressive.

Note: Brewed in Belgium under license for a brewery from the Netherlands.