Elemental Pilsener - Lightning Brewery

mrelizabeth

California

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

02-18-2012 21:36:00 | More by mrelizabeth

Halcyondays

California

4.15/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours gold with a small white head, good retention, leaves some fair lace.

S: Nice notes of grass and upfront hops, some bready malt.

T: A particularly bitter pilsner which I like. Great floral hop flavours to go along with the excellent pils malt. Well made and tasty.

M: Medium-bodied, firm, crisp and very clean.

O: This is a terrific pilsner from a San Diego County brewer I haven't had much experience with. Always balked on it because of the price, now maybe I should pick up at bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 18:57:11 | More by Halcyondays

rawfish

California

2.08/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Pours clear bright yellow forming a creamy white head, 2 fingers high with long lasting retention. Surprisingly doesn't leave a whole lot of lacing on the glass.

Sourdough, grainy with hay and lemon frosting and a twinge of powder. Oddly sweet, touch of banana, flashes of inviting noble hops.

Begins with white bread, a bit of doughy sweetness but just as the pine and grass hop flavors kick in the palate is met with astringent and metallic flavors, salt, lime pith, plastic and a pinching bitterness. Dries well but the flavors also hold on, quite bad. Gets worse if you let the beer warm.

Medium heft for a lager, adequately carbonated, and dries the palate well, unfortunately doesn't clean it as well.

What has science done? There I said it. Lightning shouldn't be judged on this beer alone, but the flavors here are quite terrible, perhaps improper storage has really damaged this beer but really this is rather intolerable for a craft brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 04:27:03 | More by rawfish

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +27.2%

10-21-2012 12:34:26 | More by t0rin0

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of grainy pilsner malt, light DMS, citrus and lightly earthy noble hops, and a bit of lemon zest.

T - Starts off with a mix of grainy pilsner malts with some lemon zest and citrus hops. Through the middle, some more noble hop flavor comes through with some bitterness and some more grainy malts. The finish is a mix of pilsner malts, noble hops, mild bitterness, and a bit of lager esters.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and grainy finish.

D - Very drinkable. Great overall balance with a good malt and hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 23:05:04 | More by ngeunit1

cubixrube

3.25/5  rDev -2.7%

08-27-2012 19:18:26 | More by cubixrube

DoubleJ

California

3.4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A big thirst needs a refreshing beer, and the pilsner style is often the go-to option. KK, on to the beer:

First category and we're on target. What greets the eye is a color of orangish yellow, small yet visible bubbles running through the body. The foam head slowly drops to a ½ inch of white stuff. The nose does smell like a German lager....though perhaps of one that's been on the shelves for a little time without becoming untouchable. A big hit of floral and really sweet grasses. Some sourdough too.

Be ready to fortify your palate, as this pilsner is really bitter. The first part of the sip is nice, some honey and floral notes. Then, the beer looses its sweetness, more hops knock down the door, and it creates a very hoppy beer that brings some very "green" plant-like flavors and a puddle of bitter extract that wipes all around the palate. More bitterness comes, hints of honeydew echo out, and then the beer leafves with a stinging bitterness is the aftertaste. It is light, and it is refreshing, so mission accomplished.

This is a solid lager. Exciting to see another micro-pilsner, and one that isn't a bust.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 05:05:42 | More by DoubleJ

VaTechHopHead

California

3.85/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours a slightly chill hazed golden yellow with tons of carbonation and a huge bone white head. Looks inviting

S - a nice light malt aroma with a hint of DMS but works well. Classic pilsener aroma, very light and crisp

T - light corn, DMS, and a very faint butterscotch taste. Nice and light malt a hint of lactic acid and hay. Again, very classic flavors

M/O - light body and perfect carbonation, leaves the palate slightly dry from the lactic acid but aftertaste leaves quickly. In a region gone mad with hoppy beers this is a classic style made well but nothing outside the box and revolutionary. Just a classic beer made very well

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 22:36:57 | More by VaTechHopHead

Irrationalist

California

3/5  rDev -10.2%

08-10-2012 05:59:04 | More by Irrationalist

AndrewK

California

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

07-19-2012 23:25:00 | More by AndrewK

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"Better Beer Through Science", says the bottle. Love the sentiment. Bottle was purchased from K & L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, CA.

Pours a very hazy yellow colour, surprisingly hazy for a straight pils, especially one that notes "cold filtering" and a "clean look" on the bottle. Head is very fine and very white, and forms patchy lace and filmy slick. Overall, I don't mind the look, but it seems not to really live up to what it claims.

Nose is pretty standard German pilsener fare: mostly dominated by the grainy pils malt, which gives an organic richness to the aroma, flecked with nuances of green, herbal noble hop characters. There's a pleasant crispness to the hops that seems to get lost a little, tending towards an almost metallic twang.

Taste is also good, solid, dependable stylistic stuff. Metallic hops give a crisp zing to the palate, while the basis of grainy malt lends solidity and class. There's a faint touch of banana-like esters to it, which are a little odd, and even a hint of something slightly cherry-like and medicinal. They're not unpleasant, but they start to peel away the slight veneer of "tradition" plastered on this US-brewed German style.

It's hard to place. In some senses, it's solidly in style, but there are some weirdnesses that just make it feel slightly off-kilter. If it weren't for the fact that they stress the "tradition", the "purity" and the "integrity" of the beer on the bottle, I'd take it for an interesting twist on the style. But as it is, I can't help but feel that these are all flaws in an attempt to recreate the stalwarts of the German industry.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 05:33:20 | More by lacqueredmouse

UCLABrewN84

California

3.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap for the 2nd Anniversary event at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours a slightly murky light yellow with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, yeast, and some slight banana aromas. Taste is of grain, grape-like fruit, and tea leaf. There is a medium amount of medicinal bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer with no real standout characteristics.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 06:28:22 | More by UCLABrewN84

SocalKicks

California

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

04-08-2012 14:32:41 | More by SocalKicks

yokken

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +12.3%

03-18-2012 05:02:07 | More by yokken

javiernano

California

3/5  rDev -10.2%

03-06-2012 08:02:11 | More by javiernano

hpthebull

California

3/5  rDev -10.2%

02-27-2012 02:40:38 | More by hpthebull

ralphw56

Nevada

4/5  rDev +19.8%

01-30-2012 23:43:47 | More by ralphw56

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

01-26-2012 02:33:31 | More by OleJohnnieAle

HalfFull

California

3.58/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Finally getting around to buying a bottle from this low key brewery here in San Diego County after a couple marginal draught experiences. Poured into a Pils glass from a 22 oz. bottle, The Elemental Pilsner pours a clear straw with perhaps a hint of haze and offers an inch of white foam. Laces well and stirs up a cap as needed.

Nose is grainy with a touch of lemony hops though rather subtle in that regard at first, expanding with some warming. Light bready malt backdrop lingers in shadows.

Hops are more evident from the get go on the taste, with a notable spice and an initial citric sweetness which ebbs with some exposure, giving the beer a somewhat dry flavor and finishing with a flash of light bitterness. Flavor is a bit nondescript however given the dryness of the beer. Feel isn't as full as expected at first yet matches the lack of malt depth and has a supportive carbonation level. In the end decent but not quite enough to grab a hold. Still unique for a local beer and yet quite rare to stumble upon.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 04:59:39 | More by HalfFull

heresy22

California

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

01-06-2012 19:04:09 | More by heresy22

codynevels

California

3/5  rDev -10.2%

11-17-2011 04:49:12 | More by codynevels

largadeer

California

4/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to ArthurPendragon for including this as an extra in a recent trade.

Into a nonic, the beer appears pale and golden, bright and clear with a torrent of carbonation feeding a head of a finger's height. The aromatics are clean and grainy, faintly yeasty. Zesty, lemony hops contribute to the aroma, but take a backseat to the crackery malt. To the palate the hops are more aggressive, reminiscent of lime zest and fresh herbs, perhaps a bit grassy. Bitterness is moderate, higher than one would find in the average German or Czech pilsner, but expected for an American representation. The body is medium-light, crisp, the malt profile clean, lending only a hint of sweetness and a pleasant biscuit-like character. It finishes on a minty note, with that lingering note of lime zest that I find quite enjoyable. For a brewery that gets no love, this is pretty solid stuff. Clean and highly drinkable, it also has a unique character. Recommended for people that can actually appreciate a pilsner, which may exclude 99.7% of San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 03:21:34 | More by largadeer

womencantsail

California

3.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The pour is a pale golden color with a very fluffy white head on the top.

S: Spicy noble hops and lager yeast dominate the nose with the rest of the aroma being taken care of by a malty sweetness.

T: The hops in the flavor are a mix of lightly spicy and grassy (especially on the finish), with a hint of bitterness. Again, the grain and malt sweetness make up the bulk of the sensations on the palate.

M: Fairly light on the tongue with a full carbonation.

D: A decent pilsner, but the hop flavors seemed a bit off to me and degrading the drinking experience.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2010 18:35:28 | More by womencantsail

HopHead84

California

4.03/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3/19/2010

"I haven't had a lager from my local lager brewery since I've begun to enjoy lagers," I thought, as I stared at the selection of Lightning beers in the cooler before my eyes at Holiday Wine Cellar. Shortly thereafter, I was overheard saying something to the effect of "I'll have to remedy that this evening," or more precisely, "Perhaps I'll enjoy one of these fine beverages after my evening repast."

There's some discrepancy regarding what may or may not have been said when I picked out this beer, but I've put that behind me now, as Elemental Pilsner sits before me, unopened, next to my Pokal.

The beer appears straw golden in my tall glass, crowned with a three finger creamy white head. Clarity is perfect, and the glass showcases the rapid ascension of thousands of bubbles to dazzling effect. The head lasts for a long time, and when it recedes it leaves thick sheets of lacing all over the glass.

The nose is nice, exhibiting a slightly spicy noble hop bouquet, a subtle grassiness, and a whisper of DMS. The malt is grainy and I detect no fruity esters.

The flavor opens with a clean bitterness in the upper moderate range and a grainy malt profile. The noble hops are the main attraction, and they are well displayed. The dry finish is crisp and clean, and bitterness lingers on my palate for a long time. The mouthfeel is medium light bodied with a moderate level of carbonation.

I've had a somewhat negative impression of Lightning for as long as I can remember, and I essentially never drink their beers, which is strange since the brewery is so damn close to me. Perhaps this is attributable to my love for Ales when I first got into craft beer a few years back. However this impression came about, a reacquaintance the brewery was long overdue, and I'm glad I decided to pick this beer up today. Despite the many bad reviews I see on here, I found this to be enjoyable, refreshing, and a good interpretation of a German Pilsner. I'll have to try it a few more times to see if the bottles are consistent.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 06:32:52 | More by HopHead84

magictrokini

California

3/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Draft at SD Brewery. Pours clear gold with a bubbly white head. Grass, hay, spun sugar, and grain in the nose. More straw and Saaz in the taste, but mixed with lemon and honey, and something funky (the yeast they tout? never had brett in a Pilsner). Overall, an okay beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2008 18:17:22 | More by magictrokini