Skagit River 216 Pilsner

Brewed by Skagit River Brewing Co.
Style: European Strong Lager
Mount Vernon, Washington USA

Pacific Northwest Vacation 2007

8/18/2007: Skagit River 216 Pilsner is a hazy/cloudy pale straw/yellow color with a decent white head. The flavor is strongly TOAST with alcohol and earthy citrus/herbal hops. The beer has light to medium-light body. 216 Pilsner is interesting and different, but is nothing like a traditional Pils...

Draught sample at the Skagit River brewpub in Mount Vernon, Washington. Rating #6 for this beer...

Golden colour. Hoppy nose is very grassy with hints of apples. Moderately bitter, grassy...strange hop. Some bready malt character, light alcohol. I’m really not sold on this particular hop character...not flashy enough to carry a beer.

I thought this was a great easy drinking little beer. A big floral aroma, with alot of fruit, and mild hoppiness. The flavor has a clean maltiness and just ever so slightly bittersweet. The alcohol is very present in the aftertaste, but I still found it quite enjoyable, a good springtime beer.

Draught @ Duck Island Saloon: Honey yellow, moderate to small white frothy head, slight haze, fairly nice lacing, light carbonation.   Very melony nose, moreso than any other beer I have had.   Very subtle hop, slightly floral.   Very melony on the tongue, semi-sweet, slight bouquet.   A bit of heat on the exit.   Moderate body and mouthfeel.   Melons, melons, melons... not bad, but very different.

(Draft: Scagit River Brewing Company in Mt. Vernon, WA) What the hell kind of pilsner is this? Ack, Imperial or not, this tastes terrible. It’s very sweet, but also very perfumy and tastes like caramel I think, with a moderate bitterness. Actually, it tastes like a blonde ale that has been aged at 90 degrees for a few years. Harsh, bitter, and astringent, there’s no way I will subject myself to more than a few ounces of this horrible beer. Very sweet and fruity nose. Straw colored, lightly hazy, topped by a small white head. No lace. But who cares what this beer looks like when the flavor is absolutely brutal. There’s no way this is how the beer is supposed to taste, but if so, the brewer needs to file for unemployment. Excuse me while I go to the men’s room to dump the rest of this disgusting beer.

Draft at the brewery
Called an imperial pilsner at the brewery. Has a clear, solid yellow body with a white head. Instantly on the tongue there’s some strange spearmint or even peppermint flavors, very spicy, very thick and sweet, with tons of bittering hops. Malt liquor-like, very strong body and alcohol, but not exactly attractive to the mouth. Dish soap and green chili peppers in the nose, which is also really weird. Interesting, but not that tasty.