Crooked Stave - New Zealand Pilsner - New Zealand style pilsner

It's getting to be kind of tiring reviewing Crooked Stave beers that aren't sours, and as someone that hold Pilsners in a class above all others this should be fun. Granted Von Pilsner is a great beer, let’s see how this one stacks up. It pours opaque and heady like so many of the IPA's du jour. The nose is pure pilsner though. Subtle hop notes but clean and inviting. The sip is... not what I was expecting. I took another gulp. It has the flavor notes of a rock solid pilsner but the mouthfeel is very different. Good lord this beer has the mouthfeel of a great hazy IPA with the flavor profile of a pilsner; my brain nearly issued a blue screen of death error in a moment of "does not compute." Everything about this beer is classic pilsner, the New Zealand hops serve as the bittering agent and you can taste a bit of the varietals but not so much that it becomes anything other than a new class of pilsner. And that's what it is; a new class. Soft mouthfeel that is very approachable with many of the bitter notes and clean finish that you would expect from the style. I'm still scratching my head on this one. It's really good but it's breaking my brain. Review by James Fisher

5.4% abv

WAS : $10.49 EMAIL : $9.49 SIZE : 6pk 12oz cans