Abita 20th Anniversary Pilsner

Brewed by Abita Brewing Company
Style: Pilsener
Covington, Louisiana USA

12 oz. bottle (best before DEC. 26th) Pours a very clear light golden color with a nice size white head. Lacing lacing appears as the head settles. Has a funky hop aroma. Not quite sure how to explain it. STINKS. Has a mild hop grass hop flavor. Little malt. Medium body. I don’t know what else to say. Bad bottle? Give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised by the hop aroma upon pouring, and moreso when they should up in the taste as well. However, weak malts and a watery palate brought this down. But more micros should make a proper hoppy pilsener.

I had the other half of aofoxxy’s bottle. Pale golden color with a thin fizzy white head. Odd spicey nose. Almost sage taste to this beer. Some lemon zest, bread, and that odd spice. This beer did not impress me.

Extremely solid pils. Grassy, herbal aroma is typical, but this really shines in the perfectly crisp palate and bready, dry taste. The palate is like taking a bite of a fresh, crunchy, just washed leaf of lettuce. As refreshing as a sip of water, but more tasty. Grassy, dry, bitter and lovely. Very happy with this purchase. Abita would do well to make this a regular offering, as it proves there is someone there than can actually brew (unlike the rest of their lineup).

Best by date December 2006, Sampled September 2006
Pours with a frothy, three finger thick, pale, pale tan colored head. The beer is a brilliantly clear gold color with a touch of visible carbonation. Oooh, the aroma is a nice solid hit of hops. Spicy hop notes and zesty lemon combine to give this beer a pronounced hop nose. Underneath this hop character a touch of sweet malt / grain peeks through. The hops are a combination of lemon zest, hay, fresh cut herbs and something I can only describe as hop reek. Certainly not as dank as many a double IPA, but the hop aroma on this beer will give an IPA a run for its money (though this is certainly not hopped with your standard citrusy American hop variety like most IPAs).

Dry, and smooth up front, this beer quickly picks up a nice biting hoppiness as you move through to the finish. Light on the palate, with a medium level of carbonation that adds a bit of zippiness. As the beer warms a bit of lightly sweet, clean malt notes becomes noticeable, this beers stays hop focused of course, but this provides a bit of balance to the hops. The finish of this beer is quite smooth, while bitter, it is not astringent and a nice lightly toasted grain character lingers on as well in the finish. During a sip, notes of lemon, basil, and pungent grassy notes dance across my tongue. It still has that certain dank hop character to it, though it is not as pungent as in the aroma.

The aroma on this beer is just superb, the taste does not quite live up to this standard, yet it is far from shabby. Light and refreshing, yet with a full, pungent aroma and flavor, I am really digging this brew. Easily the best beer by far that I have had from Abita.

<font size=-4>Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson, AZ<font size=-1>

This looked very nice for a pilsner. A golden color with a frothy white head. A grassy, floral, and lemon aroma. The flavor is very well balanced with some saaz hops and grassiness showing but with a nice malty and creamy mouthfeel as well. The finish is very clean and crisp. I wasnt expecting much from this beer but it was a pleasent surprise.

Flavor has a hint of spiciness and hops. The palate was a little light, with a dry, yeasty finish. Good chilled, summer brew.

This beer is very pale yellow in color, with a decent-looking frothy white head, which faded very quickly. The aroma is strikingly yeasty, but also there is a pleasant amount of gentle, sweet malts. This is easy to drink, with a touch of hoppy bitterness in the finish. Quite herbal.