REVIEW 152: LINE STREET PILSNER

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Weyerbacher Brewing Company

STYLE:  Pilsener

ABV:  5.3%

PURCHASE:  Draft (60-oz. pitcher), $12.00

SERVING:  Said pitcher, poured into chilled pint glass. Not particularly heady straight from the tap; only roughly an inch in the pitcher itself, and slightly less than that from pitcher to pint with a typical pour. A slower pour actually got roughly 50% more. Very good retention.

APPEARANCE:  Transparent but initially a bit murky. Golden-straw color to the body; off-white head. Very, very little bubbling. Great lacing.

BOUQUET:  Hoppy for a pilsener--this is a Czech-style pilsener, which are known for this, unlike their German counterparts. A bit bready, with subdued notes of citrus and malt.

PALATE:  Mildly carbonated with a smooth mouthfeel. Starts somewhat malty, but quickly gets hoppier--but not too much; this isn't an IPA, after all. Finishes still hoppy, but with an accompanying tinge of citrus--namely lemon and grapefruit--and a crescendo of yeast. The aftertaste is somewhat toasty and bitter, with a very subtle spiciness--though it's hard to pinpoint.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Good stateside pilsener. I usually leave this style to our brothers across the Atlantic, particularly in Germany, as they seem to remain its masters. But this one gives me hope for the American microbrewery. 

The name "Line Street" refers to the address of the Weyerbacher brewery in Easton, Pennsylvania. 




GRADE:   B