Pinkus - Organic Ur Pils

I have done much yard work today.  I also have several acquaintances pressing me for some reviews on dark, amazing beer.  I apologize to my friends, but yard work has put me in the mood for something light and in a bottle no smaller than a bomber bottle.  Of course, my beer fridge delivers.  Today we review the Pinkus Organic Ur Pils.  I am a little hesitant because the last Pinkus I had was a sub-par hefe, but yard work has the strange ability to drive the desire for suds.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

First reaction?  "Ooo!" (end quote)  The aroma is quite sweet.  The malt is a sweet bready smell and combines nicely with the fruity and floral esters that are floating about my glass.  Flowers are definitely present and one could only pin down the fruit aromas as that of apple and grape.  This is obviously not-to-style, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

Appearance 2/3

Nothing earth-shattering in the pour.  It pours a dusky yellow (subsequent pours with sediment result in a dark gold), with an expectation-meeting ivory head.  Very hazy as a result of sediment.  The bottle does mention that it is an "unfiltered pilsner beer," but that does not make it appropriate for the style.  I apologize for the lack of a customary photo next to the EBC scale.  Without placing any blame, it appears that the scale has been "misplaced."

Flavor 17/20

Tastes before the sediment was added to the glass were initially sour for an instant before heading into the main structure of the beer.  Once sediment was added, the beer became much more rich and mellow.  The malt is also harder to detect initially (with or without malt), but after warming it is a rich, sweet, flavor that hints almost toward caramel (!).  The primary flavor is a light, crisp, sweetness with lemon notes and a very nice balance of a spicy hop bitter.  The bitter takes the drinker into the finish and helps the beer find a dry, satisfying finish.  Excellent flavor, but not to style.

Mouthfeel 3/5

A bit heavy in the body for the style, but not unpleasantly so.  Carbonation is average and there is even a bit of creaminess present in this pilsner.  The only drawback was a slickness left in the mouth.  It left me smacking for several minutes even after I had finished the pint.

Overall Impression 8/10

The general theme with this beer is "not to style."  However, in its error it is giving us more rather than less: more flavor, more aroma, more body, more sediment.  The balance is excellent, but this beer is overall far too sweet and flavor rich to be considered a pilsner.  It should be scored lower, but all the ways in which it "was not to style," were so pleasing that its rating stands.

Total 40/50 (Excellent)

As I have just mentioned this beer is a far cry from a pils of any style (American, German, etc).  If I had scored this beer with a heavier emphasis on stylistic accuracy I would have to rank it no higher than a 26 (Ar:6, Ap:1, Fl:12, M:3, O:4).  However, because this beer delivers more than what its style demands I have rated more highly.  That and because it's my blog and I can do whatever I like.  If I were to perform a blind taste test this, I would have guessed it a poor man's hefe.  It is lighter in body and flavor than  hefe, but all the essentials are there in a subdued package.  I even began to wonder if this was not a failed attempt to brew a hefe (hence its unfiltered state and flavors), that was cleverly remarketed at the last moment.  In any case, I opened this pils for a light refreshing treat and I was not disappointed.  Regardless of whether or not it is to style, I enjoyed it a great deal and would gladly purchase another bottle.  Cheers, Pinkus!

Brauerei Pinkus Müller - Organic Hefeweizen

Ah, spring!  That magical time of year when the "wits" and "weisses" and "weizens" start to fill the air with their sweet, sweet perfume.  I know I just reviewed a weiss, but I think I can be excused by "spring fever," and the fact that I have not cracked open a bottle larger than 12oz in quite some time.  I am fairly excited to try this, not only because it is spring, but also because the last organic that I reviewed turned out so darn tasty.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 7/12

I feel that this is a bit of a generous rating, but am chalking it up to a perceived subtlety of the beer.  The aroma is dominated by the lemony esters and perhaps some coriander.  The wheat peeks out just a little, but not enough to add to the overall bouquet.  Most hefeweizens want to beat you over the head with a banana smell, but this one might be hinting at something a bit more reserved.

Appearance 2/3

A pour that was far from aggressive yielded a more-than-generous, white head that sat around 1.5 inches.  It was very light, almost whipped in its texture and it even stuck around a bit.  While it left an extremely small amount of lacing, the foam did persist as a layer on top for the majority of the glass.  The clarity was appropriately foggy, but the color was light for the style.  Also, there was no sediment in this bottle.  Sure, it can happen in different brands of unfiltered beers, but I always hope to see just a bit. EBC is 11.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20

For a style of beer that is usually bursting with flavor, this one is not.  It does have the lemon essence and it is crisp, but errs on the side of dull instead of subtle.  The malt, which should be the secondary part of this style, is present, but is only so in a weak wheat flavor (true to the aroma).  It is the same level of unenthused sweetness in the intial taste, when held in the mouth, and in the finish.  Almost similar as when one adds too much lemon to water.  It is there and effects the flavor, but it is far from a bold taste.  In fact, the timid nature of this beer's flavor is what keeps it from being distinguished as subtle and instead is just "weak."

Mouthfeel 2/5

This is probably the weakest part of the beer.  Its body is far too light and offers no creaminess that would normally compliment the esters.  However, since the esters are so light and flighty, this mouthfeel is probably a suitable match.  The carbonation was adequate and appropriate for the style.  The light body does make it easy to drink, but at what expense?

Overall Impression 5/10

In case you could not tell, this is not the hefeweizen that is going to reach out and grab you.  This beer either aimed for subtlety and missed or went with sub-par organic ingredients that could not pass muster.  It is far too light for the style in several categories and does not contain the rich flavor experience that one expects when drinking a hefeweizen.

Total 28/50

While there are amazing organic beers out there, organic goods as a whole have only come into great popularity in the last several years.  That said, I am willing to give Pinkus some time to work things out.  In the meantime, I am hoping that all their offerings do not stray this far from their intended style.  Not that all style differentiations are bad, but usually they add something to the style, not water it down.  You could probably add a lemon to a much less expensive lager and get a similar beverage experience.

     I would not use this beer as one to introduce people into craft beer.  While lighter (or fruity) beers are generally a good way to do this, one must make sure that the offering is still tasty.