Buzzards Bay Pilsner

Formerly brewed at Just Beer (fka Buzzards Bay Brewing)
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
Westport, Massachusetts USA

A remarkable surprise (though I should not be surprised no more to fall upon great lagers well below the radar). While not the most authentic example, this is a shining, bright and crisp pilsner with a hefty, much sharper than most hoppiness. It pours a deep golden, darker than most colour and immediately produces a lasting, generous white foam which clings up the glass. Highly grassy, spicy, herbal aroma where the gentle bready, freshly cerealic malt mostly plays a second role to the lively hops. Clean and bright in mouth with a rather lasting, slightly sulphury, slightly metallic, but dry and bitter finish. My goodness, this is dry and refreshing and the medium-full body is perfectly engaging with its sharp carbonation. To me, shockingly underrated and I’m cleaning the shelves of every Buzzards Bay out there the nest time I’m in MA.

My Bottom Line:
This unfiltered blond lager’s peppery and spicy hoppiness develops arrogant bitterness once the hay-like pale malts and their silky ways are done establishing a comfortable mouthfeel.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sticky tower of foam thrones over the nearly clear honeyed straw blond, lacing admirably.
-I wouldn’t say this is an authentic Bohemian Pilsener (the Magnum hops’ bitterness is disproportionate and inappropriate stylistically speaking), but hedonistically, this is a smashing quaffer.
-The nose does not express much of what is to come flavor-wise; subtle wooden noble hops, but that’s it. This Saaz must not be in fresh leaf form.
-Some citrusy fruitiness is perceived within.
-Honeyed undertones are tasted.
-The wooden ad leafy hop dryness is on the verge of being vegetal in its intensity. This hop-happy finish is not really balanced, but I don’t care.
-The soft carbonation is made of big bubbles.

Bottles and on tap at the Dark Horse Tavern, Southbridge.

Bottle (actually a six pack consumed over the past week and change). Pours copper gold with a generous white head. Smells of perfume, caramel, dry malt, floral hints, some pepper. Tastes of caramel, touches of bitterness and spice and a nice dry finish. Very drinkable.

Bottle. Pours a honey amber body with a fluffy white head. A slightly sweet aroma and loads of iron or copper. More metallic flavors, and some off hop character. Either this is bad or this is horrible. Im not sure i can even slug this while its still freezing, drain pour!!

Draught samples at ABF on 6/16/07
Very thick, white head and bubbly gold body shows a very strong carbonation. Moderate lacing left on glass as well. Liquid is clear.
Very dry, dusty saaz hops in the nose almost seem to outdo the hallertauer (this version had saaz and hallertauer) grassiness. Probably because the hallertauers never get very lush or deep (that juicy, wet, green grass sort of aroma/flavor that they often times have). And that seems like a good thing, as the style demands a more dry, crisp, biting hop character. A bit too much sweetness, however, from the vienna malt, no doubt, leading to a somewhat overshadowed yeast character on the end. A bit of breadiness and lots of carbonic/seltzer-like notes from the carbonation, I guess. Pleasant enough and without flaw, but seems more like an every day pilsner and less of the (fairly) narrow Bohemian type.
Sweet flavor incorporates lots of pale malt richness, a bit of toasty, quite bready vienna malt and a dry grassiness and dustiness from the saaz hops that slowly evolves in to a more robust bitterness, emphasized by more hop flavor coming from the hallertauer. Despite still not thinking it’s much of a Bohemian pils, what I really do like is how distinct the individual ingredients stand out. Simple malt/hop bills can be really enjoyable as they are here. But just a bit too much on the sweetness and very, very carbonated as well. Soft, almost creamy-like in the mouth.

Bottle fresh from the brewery. Pours a beautiful deep gold with a sticky lasting white head and sick lace- carbonation is perfect. Aroma is all fresh saaz hops- spicy with a bit of earth and somewhat floral with hints of weed- good pilsner doughy malts as well. Flavor is crisp and clean with lots of doughy malts, and a very clean sharp saaz hop presence- - clean crisp and nicely bitter with a very refreshing finish. Very surprising. One of the best bohemian pilsners you can find in a bottle. Obviously try to get this one fresh. Also crazy that they used Pale and vienna instead of pilsner malts- tastes and feels 100% traditional! I should have bought a case of this stuff.

Bottle received via trade with AllDayDrinker. Pours clear dark yellow with a large, rocky, white head, somewhat lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (toasted grain, straw, cereal, meal), average hops (herbs, grass), and average yeast (sweat, earth). Light bodied, mineral texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter finish. Average duration, light sweetness and acidity, moderate bitterness.

Bottle and 1st rating at EBF weekend ’09. Pours with hardly a head. Aroma is metalic and peach, not a good sign. Flavor is cardboard and tin with a nasty hop bitterness. I doubt I’ll have a worse beer for a while, a few days at least.