PILZILLA - Voodoo Brewing Company

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.61/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Registering at 7%, the Voodoo pilsner isn't your father's lager. But it is a scaled-up German-style lager that doesn't back off of the proportions. High malt means high alcohol, and high hops to balance. Ya gotta bring your drinkin' shoes for this one!

Pouring a very un-lager-like medium amber color, the tinge of burnt orange and honey may better suggest IPA. It's building head yields a broken sheet of transparent foam to skirt the surface. But where head formation is light, its retention and fishnet lace is quite sexy.

Grain sweetness and earthy character captivate the nose with its mild caramel, raw honey, tobacco, and leafy aromas. Other attributes of lemongrass herbs, sandalwood, and grain must offer muted nuances before the woody hops set in. Fresh shaven bark, light pine, and an overall herbal and minty overtone speaks to the complex hop complements.

The part-grain, part malt taste kicks things off with an even-keel balance that's both sweet, spicy, and rustic in a slightly rye-like kinda way. Immense malt contributions easily bridge bread, dough, and yeast and nearly reach honey-like taste. Stopping shy of pale ale, the beer allows a strong hop presence to steal the show. Minty, woody, grassy, spicy, tea leaves and earthen- the beer is all Saaz-this, Tettnang-that, and with a sprinkle of Speltm, Haullertau and a host of others to create the tobacco, leather, and sassafras flavors that lead into bitterness to signal the beer's finish.

Surprisingly light, yet the Kellerbier registers medium on the palate due to its relatively large body for a lager. But the beer has a slow and lumbering fade from early sweetness and mild creaminess toward a finish of earthen spice and semi-dry warmth.

Compared to the traditional lagers of Germany, this upscaled and asserted version tramples the taste buds and never apologizes for it. It's bold for its own sake and dares you to revel in it. It's a seriously taste lager that will find favor with any fan of IPA- just remember this beer has European roots.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 05:22:06 | More by BEERchitect

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tap

Pours a mostly clear gold with fine white head.

Nose is light grassy malts with citrus hop undertones.

Bitter grassy malt with citrus hops and mildly bready malts.

Medium body with a tingly carbonation on the tongue.

Very drinkable flavorful lager, easy to enjoy, would go good with food or on its own, would definitely have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 14:05:15 | More by Cylinsier

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.01/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Piper's Pub the other day.

The beer pours a slightly hazy gold color with good head retention and considerable sticky lacing all around. The nose is impressive as well, as I pick up considerable cookie dough and white pepper, with some underlying honey and fresh grass as well. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this hoppy beer, and it just seemed as if everything was magnified in this beer. The flavor profile starts out as if the beer will be fairly sweet, with considerable cookie dough and honey. Then the hops kick in, and so the finish is dry, peppery and bitter. Mouthfeel is a bit lean, but I think that works fairly well in this beer. The finish is long and bitter, with some noticeable alcohol as well.

An interesting enough beer, but I prefer the lower alcohol, more drinkable versions from the Vaterland.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 17:08:15 | More by johnmichaelsen

slammo

New Jersey

4.61/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pilzilla is very delicious. It's like a pils on steroids and I guess could be called an Imperial Pilsner. I like the smooth character and the lagered taste yet it is much more robust. The head sticks around for a good long time and plenty of lacing clings to the side of the glass. I wish there were more around like it.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:34:21 | More by slammo

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle, now up to 7%. Big thanks to my buddy Drew for sharing this one - probably the lager I've been wanting the longest.

A: Clear amber body under a thin, wispy off-white head. Rather weak.

S: Intense and well-balanced, with high doses of everything: crackery malt, herbal hops, and mineral-laden yeastiness. The hops are particularly impressive. Excellent.

T: Toasty malt up front, fruity yeast midway through, and some earthy, herbal hop bitterness on the finish. Definitely on the heavy side for the style, but really enjoyable.

M: Light-to-medium bodied with moderate, swelling carbonation. Quite nice.

O: I like it. Not quite great, but very good indeed.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 01:52:51 | More by woosterbill

mjmbeer

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

So finally got my hands on some Voodoo Brewing beer
Right out of the bottle this lovely sticky little burnished gold brew is a delight to see. Decent lacing ok head retention but that might be because the poor little thing had to travel all the way from PA to Chicago before I could taste it. The aromas were a bit subdued compared to the taste, which was FANTASTIC! Cream feel on the tongue but an explosion of flavor! Great work on this one gentlemen! I am sure glad I scored a taste case back in PA!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 18:31:58 | More by mjmbeer

wedge

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nebulous peachy gold with only a fine layer of white creaminess on top. Aromas are floral and grassy...hay, melon, oranges, spicy hops, cereal grain sweetness. Softly sweet, doughy flavor upfront. Citrus, honey, and plenty of floral hops quickly balance the malt. Drying, bitter, and crisp which increases the drinkability, despite the heavier-than-usual mouthfeel. Not quite as good as I hoped it would be, but still pretty tasty and interesting. I'd like to try it on tap sometime.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 03:46:42 | More by wedge

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours hazy pale yellow with a bit of white head.

Smell is pungently hoppy, grassy, a bit spicy. Lots of citrus, some other fruity characters...green apples.

More citrus hops, fruitiness, well balanced sweetness, big bitter finish.

Crisp, hoppy, bitter, dry, clean finish. Love it.

Great hoppy beer that breaks out of the IPA category.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 05:25:55 | More by TheMultiYeast

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a lightly hazy medium golden yellow in color with some very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a half finger tall thin and fizzy white head that reduces to a very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of bready malts with stronger aromas of spicy and floral hops.

T: The beer starts out with a moderate flavor of bready malts that then leads to the complex hop flavors. There are notes of citrus, spicy, and floral hop flavors. Additionally, there is a light amount of lingering bitterness but it does fade.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Lightly chewy.

O: Very enjoyable, easy to drink, and a very nice pairing with spicy foods (in my case Malaysian). I have tried a previous year's years and like the fact that it changes a little bit (subtly) each year.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 17:44:17 | More by dbrauneis

RedSpecial1

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a pale straw yellow with several fingers of thick white foram.

S: Lovely aromas of spicy hops with notes of toasted grain underneath.

T: A soft, pleasant hop bitterness dominates the beginning of the flavor profile with those same spicy Noble hop characteristics. This is balanced by a faint malt character that gradually fades into a mild hop bitterness that lingers.

M: Light and crisp, with almost a softness to the feel.

O: Not quite within style parameters for a pils, but tasty nonetheless. I definitely enjoyed it, and wouldnt hesitate to drink it again should I come across it.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 04:21:37 | More by RedSpecial1

popery

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Centennial.

Pours glowy amber. It's mildly hazy. The head is white and relatively small for a pilsner-ish beer. Little to no lacing.

The aroma is quite nice. It's all fruity, grassy hops with an undertone of fresh grain. There are peaches, apples, pears, pineapple, fresh cut grass and lemons. There's some nice, light caramel sweetness to the malt. Hop forward but balanced.

The taste starts sweet with sugary malt, but the hops quickly bring a crisp dose of bitterness. It's a just a tad sweeter than I'd prefer, though I can't say if that's a style preference or an issue with this specific beer. At any rate, it's good stuff and very easy to drink.

Carbonation is relatively low and mouthfeel is relatively full for this family of styles. Bitterness lasts throughout the mouth in a sort of puckery manner.

It's a rather enjoyable beer. For some reason, I didn't expect a ton, but I'll admit to ending up very pleased. If this were available around here, I could see drinking it regularly. Tasty stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 04:20:51 | More by popery

WMEugene

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours out a humongous amount of pillowy head, a hazy yellow golden color and great lacing.

S - A nice mixture of light lager hops, lager yeast and a little bit of pale biscuity malts.

T - Nice clean lager taste with a good mixture of floral and citric hops and biscuity malts.

M - Nice medium body, great carbonation, slightly hoppy and spicy finish. Well-rounded and very drinkable.

O - Voodoo's PILZILLA is an enjoyable and hoppy lager that is a great beer for hopheads who want a lager. Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 23:37:05 | More by WMEugene

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to ericdixon for tossing in this extra.

Pours a slightly cloudy, straw color with one finger of tight white head. The aroma is really nice. I get a very clean lager yeast and bread/biscuit malt flavor with a nice array of hops behind it. The hops stray towards the herbal, spicy spectrum and complement the clean malt aroma. The taste is okay. Both of the elements of the aroma are still present but I just didn't feel like they integrated very well. Still good, just not as integrated as I was hoping for. The mouthfeel was good, like a good lager it was very drinkable. Overall this was an interesting beer, glad I got to try it and I will give it another shot next year when they tweak the recipe again.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 22:00:14 | More by quirkzoo

FosterJM

California

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1120th Review on BA
Bottle to Mug
22oz

Thanks to Cpabeer and StormKing47

App- A hazy looking light orange with wheat colors and some yellows. Only about a 1/4 in of head without cling or lace.

Smell- A very nice and aromatic bit of lemon and wheat and caramel. Big and malty without much bitter notes. More citrus and sweet than I thought.

Taste- This was way better than that the first Zwickel I had. More vibrant and citrus than the 1st one. This was more of a caramel sweetness and had a layered wheat base with some lemon and just a touch of pepper.

Mouth- A wet medium body with a low/medium carbonation level with a good malty caramel sweetness

Drink- Much better than the moosacher version. Much more alive and vibrant and polished. Sweet, savory and rich. A very good version of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 06:03:44 | More by FosterJM

LaCoursiere

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to trxxpaxxs for this one. No bottled-on or best-by date that I can see. Poured into a tulip glass.

A - Pours dark yellow with orange tint and slightly murky. It formed a 1/2-finger off white head of tightly packed bubbles. There is a bit of lacing and a nice thin patch of head remained.

S - Bread and biscuits from the malt and herbal fragrance from the hops. There are subtle floral and fruit notes that I can't decipher in the background. Nice aroma.

T - A bit of honey sweetness on top of the clean malts and an intense herbal hop bitterness that is light on the citrus and pine. Definitely a bit grassy. There are lemon notes in there as well. The bitterness lasts and lasts.

M - This is the best part about this beer. Great feel that is medium bodied, nice and smooth up front with med-light carbonation and great hop oil coating.

O/D - This beer was good, but the hop profile doesn't quite do it for me. Too much herbal and grassy quality. It's definitely a unique beer, easily the hoppiest lager I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 02:10:20 | More by LaCoursiere

PappyVanWink

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

PILLZILLA vs MOUTHRA

A- Lots of Head which is always a good thing! a little hazy but isn't everything in life just a little hazy?

S- Great! like waking up & eating fresh Biscuts in the middle of a Hop field.

T- Citrus, Bread, & Beer all mixed up in one awesome bottle.

M- It's got bubbles! What more do you really need....

O- Slowly working through all the VooDoo Brews, Everyone has been Great so far. Including this one.

Drink It! It's Good!
Pappy Says So....

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 15:08:30 | More by PappyVanWink

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22 oz bottle. no bottled on date.

A: hazy pale straw yellow body. head is impressive. and lasting. great lacing left behind. there are whole bits of head stuck to the top of my glass.

S: very piney hops. green tea. or maybe white tea. some kind of tea. a little bit of black pepper. reminds me a little of poperi. a little bit of heat.

T: the first sip starts very bitter. an almost menthol cooling aspect to the hops. pretty different from most citrus-forward american hoppings. the malt is there, providing balance but that is about it. not a discerning malt flavor in my opinion. finish is bitter and dry.

M: moderate carbonation on a medium body.

D: i could CRUSH these. what a great showcase of european hops in an unfitered lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 23:38:15 | More by Jimmys

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to silverX for this surprise!

A- Slighy hazy orange pour with a finger width white sticky head and good lacing.

S- Typical pilsener aroma of grassy hops, bready malt and a subtle earthiness. The hops are much more prominent than most of this style (for ovbious reasons) but it's subtle and not overbearing. There is a citrus sweetness to it.

T- Dry citrus hours with a quick bready malt and a bitter grassy finish.

M- Light to medium bodied, lively carbonation.

O- Looking at this beer and seeing it in the same style as Surly Hell I'm blown away by this beer and what the bounderies of this style can be.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 19:34:50 | More by korguy123

metter98

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy golden yellow and has a slight amount poured with a thin white head that died down ever so slightly, leaving a thin head that nearly covered the entire surface.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of floral and spicy hops in the nose.
T: The taste has complex flavors of hops with notes of citrus and spices as well as bready malts. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation with hints of chewiness.
O: This is a good lager with a complex and interesting taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 21:37:59 | More by metter98

DrKnoskelson

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Sorry this beer just isnt for me. Dont call your beer pilzilla if the beer isn't a pilsner. I detest wheat beers but love pilsners and i have no idea why one would try to combine the two styles. It's either a wheat or a pilsner, not both. This beer had the appearance of a wheat but the body of a pilsner and when you name a beer Pilzilla it should look and taste like a pilsner. The beer is basically a pale wheat. Just call it what it fucking is.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2011 23:31:57 | More by DrKnoskelson

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass, it's got an odd color. Cloudy pale yellow, but with hints of a deeper orange-amber in the middle. The head was decent, maybe a finger. Not terribly much retention, but there is lacing.

The smell! It smells of biscuity malts, light, yet hinting at something deeper. Reminiscent of some darker German beers I've had in the past. And yet, there's something about it that's just "different". A hint of herbal hops has found its way into this beer, and while it's strange, I think I like it.

And the taste is like nothing I've had before. There a sour spiciness throughout. Very drying, with a rather prickly mouthfeel. In the midground of the taste, you can pick out the light, bready malts. Sourdough might be a good way to describe it. The only thing I find questionable about this beer is the slightest bit of metallic aftertaste.

Otherwise, Pilzilla has been an amazingly refreshing change of pace in my everyday beer tasting. I like that the guys at Voodoo Brewery aren't afraid to mess around with styles. I'll have to try more of their stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 02:11:45 | More by troysoy2

claytong

Vermont

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

appearance - golden with a 1 inch white fluffy head that has good retention.

smell - floral, minor biscuit, pale malt, simple and not well put together

taste - thankfully not like the nose, the floral is much more smooth and no herbal kick to it like the nose. pale malt, a big of grass, and some honey.

mouthfeel - wonderful body with great carbonation and just beautifully drinkable. well done here.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 22:45:44 | More by claytong

enjoythestuff

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is just a great brew overall, I poured it out of a 22oz bottel into a standard 16oz glass, it had a great head on it that lasted until it was almost gone. It has a floral and hoppy smell and the taste is the same but stronger. It has a very easy to drink mouthfeel which made it no problem to refil the glass and polish off the bottle.

Overall this is a great beer, one of the best I have ever had. Will get it again in the future without a doubt, will probably make the rounds for upcoming christmas gifts too.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 18:29:23 | More by enjoythestuff

AgentZero

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Fairly clear goldedn colored beer with a bit of white head that didn't stick around for very long.

S - Sweet, like honey, with some pilsner malt and a little bit of floral hops. Smells pretty solid, biscuity, with something like grapes.

T - Very malty with a lot of honey sweetness and a bit of grape. Some floral hops, little lemon. Lots of pilsner like taste. It's a bit sweet for my liking which makkes it seem a little bit hot somehow.

M - Medium bodied, syrupy, good dose of carbonation.

O - Not a bad beer, just a little too sweet for me. Wouldn't mind it again but wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 02:13:06 | More by AgentZero

BigMike

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Light golden yellow with a pure white fluffy head. Very creamy. Unfiltered so it's very cloudy. Overall a good looking beer.

S: Grassy, floral, spicy and hoppy.

T: Wow. Tons of flavors happening. First of all theres lots of hops. The flavor has tons of fresh cut grass, floral earthiness and spice. There a peppery aspect and also in the background theres a smokey pine flavor.

M: As i've begun to expect from Voodoo after only a few of their beers. The mouthfeel is glorious. So so soft and way to easy to drink.

Overall: Two words...try this beer. It's so delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 20:47:11 | More by BigMike