Abita 20th Anniversary Pilsner

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

I’m not a big fan of either Pilsener beers or the Abita line, but this was a pleasant surprise. Poured into a pilsner glass to a well-carbonated golden color, with medium white that lingered well and left good lacing for most of the drink. Aroma was citrus fruits, mostly oranges and grapefruits, with hints of hops and some spices. Taste followed suit exactly, and made me think I was drinking more of a wheat beer or pale ale than a pilsner. Finish was slightly bitter, yet refreshing. Not a bad beer at all from Abita.

2006 bottle consumed on 12/6/2006
Light maize in color, the initial head is foamy and starkly white. Leaves small patches of lace and eventually fades to partial cover, with a flurry of bubbles rising in the liquid. Clear, filtered.
Dry, hoppy nose shows something similar to magnum, but maybe not that strong. Lots of hay, bits of lemon and with a dry, well-attenuated and sponge cake-like maltiness behind it. Moderately crisp lager yeast bite on end present, with a touch of light metallics. But the hops are definitely quite aromatic, clean and pleasant. Maybe the faintest touch of corn, upon warming some, but it’s marginal/fleeting. You can definitely tell it’s dry-hopped and for this large brewery to produce and distribute up to MA where it sat warm on the shelves for a time (not that long), I’m well impressed.
The clean, to-style presentation continues in the flavor, with dry, hay and straw hops, light bits of lemon grabbing at the sides of the mouth and just a hint of honeyish maltiness behind. Bit of earthiness and some stronger breadiness, but the hops keep things mostly clear. Light bodied, with some pear and nectarine skin notes joining the lemon flavors as it breathes. Slight touch of metallic character again, but minimal. Carbonation isn’t overdone, though it’s forced. Lightly grainy, crisp texture, with little wateriness for the style.

12 oz bottle. Hazy light golden/straw color. Aroma has alot of floral hops, with some grain and malt. Taste is lightly grainy and fruity with an abundance of floral hop character. Dry, bitter finish. Carbonation is very lively. I am shocked by how good this is.

Body—nice honey with a tasting thick ring of bubbles and a thin film of bubbles. Nose-very clean nice straw like pilsner nose. Taste-medium biter, straw, low alcohol, almost dry, light fruity esters, and light honey, high CO2. Probably one of the most true to style pilsners that I have ever had.

Pours a clear gold with a thick, almost sticky white head. The aroma has good hay malt and a slightly grassy hop quality. The flavor isn’t quite as dry as I’d like for a good pils, but it does have an assertive bitterness in the finish that would come out nicely if the beer were dried out a bit.

I am not normally a Pilsener fan but this beer was very enjoyable. I could pick up very little aroma. The appearance was about right for a Pilsener. It had a grassy flavor that was pleasing to the palate and finished with a lasting hoppy taste that created a desire to repeat. Overall I found this beer very enjoyable and recommend it.

Bottle. This beer was obviously not kept cold. The aroma is citrus hops and skunk. Light and smooth, with a fruity, floral taste. Much better that I expected from Abita.

Bottle from Beer_Hawk; Thanks! Nose is citrus hops and floral notes; Gold with a small white head; taste started out tart and then changed to lemon and hop bitterness, which lasted into the finish.