Deschutes 18th Anniversary Pilsner

Formerly brewed at Deschutes Brewery
Style: Classic German Pilsener
Bend, Oregon USA

Bottle. Pours a clear, light golden color with a small white head that fades quickly leaving spotty lacing in its wake. Aroma is lightly cereal/bready, some bits of herbal and spicey hop. Lighter bodied and pleasantly light. A bit more hop in flavor, ever so slightly drying. This bottle had been sitting for a bit on the shelves, earlier bottles had a brighter hop presence and was slightly more drying. Overall, not a bad pils, best drunk fresh.

Bottle: Courtesy of Styles. aroma is very light with just a touch of sweetness and grassiness. Pours a pale yellow with a small white head. Starts with light sweetness up front with a moderate grassy hop finish. Pretty simple and just not my style.

22oz bomber-A light golden body with a big white head. Has an aroma of crystal malt. A good pils.

Tasted 19/09/2006. Large 1 pint 6 oz bottle from BrewNZ. Straw gold, thorough carbonation, white disappearing head. Very grainy on the nose at first impression, with a late herbal noble hop aroma and some honey as it warms. Dry in the mouth, with more of that grainy malt (similar to some of NZ’s organic pale lagers). Strong herbal hop flavour and bitterness in the middle, with a late flourish of lemon and subtle grapefruit notes. Light-medium weight and medium-high carbonation. Better shape than most of the German Pilsners I’ve layed my hands on here in NZ. Enjoyable.

22 oz. bottle, from Fred Meyer in Newberg, OR. Pours a clear pale golden color with a quite small - indeed smaller than expected - head. Aroma is classic pilsner, some light toasty malts, a bit of graininess and soap, with fresh floral hops noticible. Flavor is crisp and clean, gentle sweetness up front, light not-quite-ripe apricot, a bit of citrus and a bold floral hoppiness in the finish. Mouthfeel is assertive, with a light body and fine, biting carbonation. This is a fairly nice pils and rather enjoyable overall.

Pale straw. Loosely packed white foam. Rubbing alcohol, meaty yeast and sulfur aromas prevail over vague lemony notes. Extremely loose and fuzzy carbonation. Thick, soggy, and vegetal rather than snappy, with a bland suggestion of limp wafery malt. Sharply minerally to a degree, but not the least bit polished. Hops are highly acidic and the bitterness is obscure and unrefined, relinquishing a large portion of its subtleties to the body’s peculiar fullness. Alcohol is quite prominent and the malt is grainy to the point of becoming harshly dry and reminiscent of a mouthful of sawdust or fresh-cut wood. Finishes relatively wet, alcoholic, and sweetly full with primary notes of lemon candy. Lingering sulfuric and grainy aftertaste. I’m sure this was rushed, as it’s very sloppy in all areas.

This pilsner pours a light yellow color from a 22oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is bready, floral hops with a touch of spices. A light to medium bodied German style Pilsner. Malts are cereal, grain and grass. Hops are floral and slightly spicy. Light and refreshing. Crisp and spicy. It’s a very mild tasting pilsner, but its not watery. Has a touch of a hop bite to it. A very drinkable beer on a warm summer day. Nice example of the style. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Bomber via trade with kenb. Aroma: Bread, light spice and floral hops, a touch of lemon. Appearance: Straw in color and very clear. White head was small and rocky. Flavor: Grainy with some light malt sweetness. Hops were quite nice. A little stronger than a normal German Pils, but balanced. Grassy, spicy, flowery Noble hops all the way. Good clean finish. Palate: Medium-light bodied. Medium carbonation. Good crisp finish. Overall: a good American version of a German pils. Hops were kicked up a bit but not over the top. Good crisp, clean finish. Very drinkable.