Saranac Wild Hop Pils

Matt Brewing Co.

Utica, NY

Style: Pilsner

ABV: 5.2

Appearance: Clear and golden yellow with a thick, fluffy white head that laces the glass as it empties.

Aroma: Lightly sweet cereal grains, lemony citrus.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and smooth with a carbonation kick.

Taste: The lemony profile of the hops shine through in this beer and the acidic bite gets a smoothing from the clean lager yeast and the grainy sweetness.

Overall Impression: Pilsners have become bland. The kind of beer some think are only good on a hot day as refreshers. But they can be bready, spicy affairs made well, packed with flavors that do indeed refresh, but also fortify. This one uses the wild Belma variety of hops from the Yakima Valley in the Pacific northwest. Not so much spicy as the Saaz variety found in Czech pilsners, it has a quiet lemony characteristic that is great on a hot day, or really any day for that matter.

John Holl
John is the editor of All About Beer Magazine, the host of The Beer Briefing on iHeart Radio, and the author of three books, including The American Craft Beer Cookbook. Find him on Twitter @John_Holl.