Dogfish Head, Piercing Pils

A new winter release from Dogfish Head Brewery. This is replacing the Chicory Stout in the seasonal line up. Off the bat, I do have to say that I love Dogfish Head and their off center beer styles especially their historical series. However it does seem odd to release a lighter style beer in the Winter. Just thinking of pears and Pilsner make me think Summer refreshing flavors. 
This is as Dogfish Head explains a "Perry-Pils hybrid, Piercing Pils is a Czech Style Pilsner brewed with a White Pear Tea and Pear juice.  Both the juice and the tea were added in the kettle during the whirlpool (after the boil) for maximum flavor and aroma contribution.  The Pear fruit complexity pierces right through the spicy Czech Saaz hops beautifully, adding a gentle acidity to this pale lager that makes for a crisp refreshing sipper.  Amarillo hops add nuanced citrus notes that meld perfectly with the fruit."
I picked this up for the wife for dinner knowing that she likes sweeter fruit beers. She enjoyed it with dinner but said it just tasted "like a beer beer". I enjoyed one of these beers after dinner and found that although the aromatics are more interesting then a typical Pilsner, this one still tastes like a basic Pilsner beer. I do enjoy the style, but I was expecting something a little more unique and interesting. Overall, this is a good kickback and enjoy Sunday football beer, but not something I would recommend for our normal craft beer geeks. 

Personal Rating: 6/10
Style Rating: 8/10
Wanna try it now? Order it online at: https://www.whitehorsewine.com/proddetail.php?prod=638489001104

Great Divide | Nomad

Great Divide's Nomad Pilsner, in their words, "our spin on the classic Bohemian Pilsner style… with German malts and Saaz hops."

Poured into a pint glass, Nomad has an incredibly transparent, light straw color and a finger or so of fizzy white head that recedes to a ring around the glass. The color is so light if I didn't know any better I'd think I was drinking Coors light.

The aroma is of light grainy malt, grassy hop, slightly nutty, bits of lemon peel, and earth. This definitely smells like a European pilsner, with a very distinct Saaz hop profile, and a bit of that slight skunk.

The flavor is very similar to the nose, with a seriously pronounced grassy/herbal/vegetal taste: lots of flowers, grass, dandelion, etc. Spicy yeast and doughy malt also add a bit of backbone to this very crisp lager. The hop profile is definitely on the bitter side, which adds a bit of 'snap' to the beer, but can be a bit too assertive for some drinkers.

If you like Czech style pilsners then you will thoroughly enjoy this beer. It's really great to see American craft brewers making lighter lager styles, as it's still a bit of a rarity. Personally, I think it's the future of craft brewing, after the dust has settled from Imperial Stouts and Double IPA's of course. That's still a long ways off, but when you see Stone and Dogfish Head release year-round pilsners, it'll be a revolution. Anyway… Nomad is a fine example of a real pilsner, and would be a great way to work your way into the world of craft beer. It may look light and easy drinking, but this fizzy yellow beer has a hell of a lot more flavor than your 30 rack of Miller.

Personal 6.5/10, for a Pilsner 8.5/10.