by Brian Wall
A new year and a fresh slate to try beer. On this particular sample, I was given a couple of canned beers from Austin Beerworks from a friend visiting from Austin. He traded me a bottle of Jester King’s Atrial Rubicite but that beer review will wait until I have a special occasion to open that world-class “Holy Grail” beer.
Austin Beerworks offers a few different beers with a German beer theme being the most dominant. German beers have a distinct flavor and are normally set by the “Reinheitsgebot” or the Bavarian Purity Law that simply states beer may not contain anything other than water, barley and hops. This is mostly because the knowledge of yeast was not prevalent in the fifteenth century. With this in mind, most German-style beers have little variance in the way they are made. Fortunately for us, American beer makers don’t have to follow century-old laws from other countries. Austin Beerworks offers two such beers that are German in style- Black Thunder and Pearl Snap Pils. Pearl Snap Pils was sampled and showed me what to expect from Austin Beerworks in the future.
First, I should point out that I am not a huge fan of pilsner or lager beers. There’s just a certain flavor that is not enjoyed fully by my palate. Similar to the way some people do not enjoy a craft beer over a commercial beer. To each their own. This beer made me slightly leery since it is a pilsner. Nevertheless, I sampled it with an open mind and mouth to see what it offered.
The initial scent of the beer offered a clean scent of grain and subtle malt. A touch of the pilsner grains does shine through slightly. The color was a crisp, clear straw with a perfect carbonation level. The taste was clean and malty without any overtone of malty sweetness. A slight nutty hint slides in the aftertaste that was unexpected but enjoyed. While it may be a pilsner, it definitely did not seem like a pilsner. A fresh, light and clean beer that was very easy to drink and did not suggest any alcohol or hoppy bite from its 5.3% indication. This beer will be perfect to drink in the summer months when a lighter beer is sought on a hot day. Even without it being hot, this beer leaves the mouth clean and does not hinder any other flavors if you happen to eating.
Austin Beerworks is definitely something to try if you have not yet. If this pilsner is any indication of their beers, I will definitely be trying more and this is coming from a beer lover that is not fond of pilsner or lager beers. As far as the Atrial Rubicite, that shall remain for another day. If you can find it, I’d be more than happy to sample it with you as mine will remain intact for now. Sláinte.
