Pikeland Pils - Sly Fox Brewing Company

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Have had this before, but I recently was offered a few cans over a friend's house. Didn't realize how good this was so I bought a case myself just today. For this rating, I poured the can into a standard pint glass.

A: Pours an excellent clear straw color. Decent white head w/moderate foam stability & lazy carbonation.

S: Gives a character of doughly-like citrus. Drank this out of a can the other week & could smell the hops quite nicely. When I now poured it into a glass (a can from a different case), the hops don't seem to be quite there...hmmm.

T: This is doughy, bready tasting pilsener with a moderately dry, citrusy taste. I get lemon. Slightly bitter, and the hops (floral, slightly citrus) give it a nice edge.

M: Medium-light body with adequate carbonation. Gives sort of a frothy, enjoyable taste in your mouth.

D: This is really an enjoyable pilsener. I like the nice dose of hops they give it.

Serving type: can

04-29-2010 22:02:15 | More by jwhancher

pvsob

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. can into a Pilsener glass

A - Pours a classic golden color with a two-finger head that leaves great lacing.

S - Pilsener malt, bread/crackers, and spicy noble hops.

T - Bready, doughy flavors upfront followed by a lovely noble hop bitterness. Hints of lemon comes through as well. Finishes dry and crisp.

M - A little fuller than I would like for a Pils. Low to moderate carbonation.

D/O - What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good Pils. It's not my favorite PA Pils(Stoudts), but it's up there. It's well worth a taste if you're a fan of American made Pilseners. As the days get longer and the temperature rises, I see many more sixers of this disappearing from my fridge. Prost!

Serving type: can

04-23-2010 21:11:30 | More by pvsob

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Amazing I haven't reviewed this yet. Poured into a pils glass a bright clear yellow color. A very white heading that leaves very good lacing all throughout. Full of liveliness as bubbles make a steady stream from the bottom of the glass all the way to the surface.

As I crack the can a very pungent hoppiness is immediate.As I pour into the glass that same bitter hoppiness stays throughout my session. A subtle sourdough aroma is making it's presence known in the background but doesn't really break through.

Taste is extremely crisp and clean with a beautiful hop sting on the palate that lingeries and leaves you wanting more.

Mouth is light bodied and nicely carbonated. Again finishes very crisp and clean.

I can't find really anything wrong with this pils amazing how this beer is only rated a B on here.Another score from the PA breweries for making anohther great German Pils.

Serving type: can

04-11-2010 16:38:33 | More by TheFightfan1

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can into my Chimay goblet.

A- a beautiful clear gold with a paper thin white head that fades quickly. Nice lacing on the glass from the head. I would like to see it a little darker shade of gold, but still looks nice regardless

S- the wonderful hoppiness you expect from a pilsner...a little less pungent that I'd like, but still good

T- actually kind of bland. I'm getting the hops, don't get me wrong...they're just not as pronounced as in say, a Prima Pils or a Noble Pils. Disappointing.

M- its light. Rather thick of a pilsner actually, a nice change of pace from the paper thin ones I've sampled in the past.

D- very drinkable. Not overpowering and very light. Would probably be a good gateway beer for a craft newbie.

Serving type: can

04-05-2010 20:24:47 | More by bigfnjoe

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear golden pristine beer commerical appearance, bright white head forms thick. Scattered rings of fine lacing form nicely with each sip. Aroma has a bright green hop presence full of grassiness and herbal hop notes, packed with Saaz that's for sure. A nice mineral water and biscuit malt sweetness balancing out the hops. Flavor is a bitter semi sweet mix of malts and hops but finishes a bit heavier with the earthy herbal noble hops. Malt is lightly sweet with a biscuit malt and grassy note. Finishes with a slight metallic note giving an earthy mineral content to the whole experience. Mouthfeel overall has light feel to it with herbal grassy hops provideing a dry finish. Drinkability overall is pretty poundable one of the great summer brews in cans that I will be bringing with me to the games. Easily one of the better brews in cans overall and it has medals to proves it's viability as a pils.

Serving type: can

03-29-2010 22:49:11 | More by WVbeergeek

mtnbikerpa

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a can with a best buy 5/16/10 date stamped on the bottom. Poured into a imperial pint glass with about 2 inches of head. Lot of carbonation, bright yellow color. Scents of grass and sweet hops. Very flavor forward crisp almost lemon like flavors. Lots of hops but not overwhelming. Very balanced flavor and easy to drink. Not watery, not boozy a great spring and summer beer. Paired nicely with some hot wings and nachos.

Serving type: can

03-22-2010 21:35:52 | More by mtnbikerpa

bonkers

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured from a 12 ounce can into my SA perfect pint glass. It is pale, clear and straw in color, the 2 finger head recedes as fast as it forms. The aroma is grassy, spicy. The flavor follows the nose. The finish is dry and leaves a spicy/lemony bitterness. It is light in body, and well carbonated. A good pilsner, crisp and clean.

Serving type: can

03-14-2010 21:49:03 | More by bonkers

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Duvel glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: The beer pours out a bright clear light golden yellow color with a ½" thick white creamy head that recedes slowly to leave a thin layer of foam on the liquid and a sheet of foam around the rim. Sipping turns part of ring of foam into scattered speckles of lacing and patches of leggy lacing that cling to the sides of the glass. Throughout most of the beer there is a sheet of foam on one side of the glass and sipping leaves behinds scattered speckles of lacing on the other.

Smell: The aroma is fresh and grassy with some floral, spicy character, along with light traces of the pilsner malt.

Taste: The flavors are predicted pretty much by the nose, with some floral, grassy character supported by layers of light malt and some spicy, lemony bitterness.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is light to medium bodied but slightly crisp with a prickly fine carbonation. Finish is medium to long in length with an earthy grassy bitterness that fades quietly into dryness

Drinkability: This is a very refreshing and drinkable brew and I could easily have another without hesitation. As I have in the past I'll continue to include this beer in its rotation along with some of the other favorite Pils style beers so there is no question I'll be having this beer again.

Serving type: can

03-14-2010 01:55:31 | More by drtth

jordanmills

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got a can from a buddy up north. Poured it into a pint glass. Got a nice little foam that turned into thin fingers in a minute, over a straw colored body. Smells a little malty, a little hoppy, and like it has a complex sweetness behind it. I really like the smell. Tastes less sweet than it smells, with a reasonable but changing hoppiness and a crisp finish. I sure wouldn't mind having a few more.

Serving type: can

03-03-2010 02:17:49 | More by jordanmills

mwa423

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Pours a clear golden color with s finger of white head that died to a very sticky lacing.

S - Slightly malty, some breadiness, and a bit of saaz in the nose.

T - Classic bready German pilsner flavor. Dead on for style, the saaz tastes slightly like the beer is skunked which takes a bit away even though it is pretty much dead on for style.

M/D - Mouthfeel is very smooth, about perfect for style. If people could buy a case of a beer like this for $17-20, I think that the BMC's would see a major sales hit.

Serving type: can

02-08-2010 02:34:37 | More by mwa423

HitokiriNate85

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Excited to try this one. Sly Fox stuff just started hitting Pittsburgh(I don't understand why it wasn't here before considering it's brewed 4-5 hours away).

A - Really nice gold with some yellow highlights. Really great clarity. There's some slow carbonation running up the center of the glass. Rocky, frothy head that's fades away in time. Leaves behind some lacing at the top of the glass.

S - Lots of fresh grain off the bat with zesty herbal hops jumping out. It's definitely assertive enough, which is something I was worried about since it's sitting at 4.9%.

T - Follows the nose pretty well. Grainy malt upfront, though not quite as strong as I was expecting. The noble hops come into play after that and meld really well with the pilsner malt. No off flavors that I can detect. The hops have a slightly lemony character, but herbal/grassy notes really dominate. The malt lasts pretty well, fades into a dry, grassy, and bitter finish. As it warms just a bit, the malt flavor definitely picks up.

MF - Refreshingly light backed by the perfect amount of carbonation. Finishes pretty dry. The only thing holding it back from greatness is that it's just a little too thin, though that's

D - Great. It's clean without any off flavors, session-able, and dry enough to keep me coming back for another sip. Perfectly enjoyable in the dead of winter. My first beer from Sly Fox. Can't wait to try more.

Serving type: can

02-06-2010 00:05:07 | More by HitokiriNate85

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

thanks to jyoungsbcp

pous light hazy golden with a ginormous head, actually, annoyingly big. color is beautiful but the head sucks.

light bread and malts with a light crisp what smells like a saaz hop.

light floral and orange citrus with some bitterness with a touch of tang. light bready and yeast flavors through out. by all means, not a typical pilsner

very light and a bit fluffy. quite smooth and easy to drink

this is not what i really consider a pilsner but its good. it was poured at around 46-48 degrees, it may need to be chilled a bit more. lots of character.

Serving type: can

01-23-2010 01:40:19 | More by hooliganlife

jneiswender

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap at the brewpub. Served in tall pint glass.

A-thin white head and a very clear yellow body.

S-very clean smell, nothing off, some floral

T-bready, balanced with hop flavor.

M-well carbonated, dry and very clean

D-very good representation of the style. very, drinkable. I would drink this beer again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2010 16:33:52 | More by jneiswender

krisandajt

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A beer I've had several times, a local favorite, and one I haven't sat down and reviewed. Time to give this one it's 15 minutes of fame...

Appearance: An easy pour from the can reveals a clear, golden colored brew with plenty of bubbles creeping up from the bottom of my Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. Laser etching FTW. There a nice inch + of craggy, bubbly head sitting on the top of the beer. Decent retention, and plenty of sticky lacing.

Smell: Smell is a pleasant mix of grass, earthy spice, and floral hop bitterness. Although distinct, the smell is subtle and smooth enough that it doesn't overwhelm.

Taste: Just a downright good quality Pils. Very grassy and earthy in its initial flavor, with some nice bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Although it is a Pils and supposed to be light, my one and only complaint about this beer is the slightly thin mouthfeel. There's some good carbonation, however, which certainly does help.

Drinkability: An absolute perfect session beer. The taste is spot on for a Pils, and offers a nice mix of simple flavors that are absolutely perfect when relaxing on a cold winters night. Simply put, a quality beer that I would recommend to anybody.

Serving type: can

12-31-2009 02:40:20 | More by krisandajt

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice light and bright golden yellow color, with full merangue like head and great retention and lacing. Smell is of grass, freshly dried grains and light note of lemon. Taste follows scent with the grassy and freshly dried grains complimented well by a lemony note, which at times seems to get in the way. Fully carbonated, light body, refreshing. Would love to revisit this beer and have this replace the BMC light products at future non-beer head gatherings.

Serving type: can

12-28-2009 14:49:20 | More by rfgetz

bob3701

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The can I had was about two years old.
It was volital to pour getting a hugh head which part of it never disappeared and was stiff. It laced really well and had the great German pilsner aroma. It also had a great old world taste to it. I really enjoyed this brew and regret taking 2 years to open it.

Serving type: can

11-24-2009 01:31:21 | More by bob3701

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to BanditBrewingCo for providing this as an extra in a recent trade.

My God the head on this beer is ultra creamy and like egg whites beaten to stiff peaks. The head does slowly fade and leaves hunks of lacing inside the pilsner glass. The beer is a bright brass gold color with nice clarity. Slow rising carbonation moves towards the surface.

Aroma is of light dough, some yeast, and a touch of grass..

Flavor is nice. Nice hop punch towards the end. Light grains, a moment of bread, some light spice and then a lingering bitterness from some hops. Well done.

Mouth feel is very smooth. Carbonation is actually a little light. Refreshing. Very light body Almost a little powder texture in the finish.

Very easy drinking. Goes down quickly.

Serving type: can

11-14-2009 22:11:43 | More by Reagan1984

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour - Very light golden, almost yellow in appearance. Cry stal clear with plenty of bubble streaming upwards towards a very fluffy, almost chunky white creamy head.

Aroma - Slightly sweet and slightly sour smelling. The smell of a great pilsener has never been something I really get excited about, it just seems to lack something. Lets just say aroma is not the defining character in my opinion.

Taste - Very crisp, bitter and . The Saaz hops, I presume, give this a character that is almost acrid, I guess that sounds bad but its just very different than the type of flavor profile other hops provide. Its a touch sweet andvery dry in the finish. Great hop presence and perfect carbonation make this a very refreshing beer.

Overall - You want a good German Pilsener in a can? This is it.

Would I buy more of it? - Its a tough call, I might try a pint on draft at the brewery but I don't think I'd buy more cans. Its not that isn't a good beer, its just the style that I don't go crazy over.

Serving type: can

11-09-2009 03:23:36 | More by indiapaleale

Chinon01

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Solid foamy head and brilliant golden color. Dotted lacing.

Nose - Solid malts and green grassy noble hops.

Taste - Aggressively hopped with broad metallic finish. A very lean beer. The malts in the nose are not present in the taste.

Mouthfeel & Drinkability - Mouthfeel is good due to the malts. Drinkability is great. Lean yet with enough softness to make it approachable.

This is the most authentic tasting North German pilsner brewed in America that I've had. Quite nice.

Serving type: growler

11-01-2009 04:13:39 | More by Chinon01

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can served in a pilsner glass.

Semi-hazed golden yellow color with a white head that left swirls and spots of lacing behind.
The aroma is that of a German brewed beer, Euro hops and malts.
The taste is good and nicely balanced all the way through.
The feel is crisp, clean, light & refreshing.
Goes down easy.

Serving type: can

10-02-2009 00:13:57 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

asabreed

New York

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. can into a pint glass.

Appearance: Light golden color with lots of bubbles, along with a hugely frothy and creamy head, with huge rings of lacing bulging out from the glass. Prettiest Pils I've seen in a while.

Smell: Honey, big honey at first, along with some lempon and herbal tea, some fresh yeast or dough, and spicy and leafy hop bouquet. Light and aromatic and refreshing, though there seems to be a bit of a feigned honey-like character that keeps running through it and gets more evident as it warms. That's slightly off-putting enough to get it bumped down a notch here.

Taste: Less of a honey bite and more of a leafy hop character coupled with the Pils malts, though light than I expected, which isn't a bad thing necessarily. Nice herbal citrus tea flavors too as it finishes semi-dry and fairly light and spritzy.

Mouthfeel: Light and spritzy, yet it maintains a good balance between the creaminess and carbonation.

Drinkability: Light and refreshing, and flavorful without being too much. Easily and highly sessionable for the summer months. I'll be returning to this I imagine.

Serving type: can

09-24-2009 18:12:56 | More by asabreed

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy dark golden yellow color with a 2 finger frothy white head with good retention that slowly fades into a lasting ring.

Pilsner malt aroma with a very nice earthy hop presence. Hints of straw and grass are very subtle providing a nice balance.

Creamy medium body that is clean and crisp with a earthy hop presence and smooth pilsner malt backbone. Very quaffable and well balanced with a slightly dry earthy finish.

Flavor is very similar to aroma with a silky, creamy pilsner malt body with hints of grass and straw and a crisp earthy subtle hop presence that provides an excellent balance. Slightly dry finish. A very nice session beer that is perfect for drinking outside in the warmer months.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2009 04:50:17 | More by corby112

KCHopHead

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is the best pilsner I've had yet. Maybe some disagree, but sometimes the situations you drink make the drink better. Also the fact that I can't get this around here helps.

Appearance and smell were nothing too fancy. This is a pilsner. The taste (for a pilsner) was very full and robust. You tasted the hop sharpness but also the pilsner malt was nice and light to the taste. The carbonation was nice and high (not too high) for this light beverage. I really which I had a case of this stuff.

Serving type: can

08-06-2009 14:07:15 | More by KCHopHead

deaconoflove

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ap. Dark golden with a nice dense head. The head receded, but the lacing hangs on. Nice.
Sm. Not exceptional, beer.
Ta. Crisp, tart, with a nicely bitter finish.
Mf. Mild carbonation, smooth.
Dr. Very much so. Easy, crisp, and light, but full of flavor.

Serving type: can

08-02-2009 22:13:34 | More by deaconoflove

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Straw golden body. Good sized white head. Quickly receding, but leaves behind nice lacy evidence.

S: Soft floral and grassy euro hops. Lightly grainy.

T: The hops are much more pronounced in the flavor profile than in the nose. Nicely ramped up floral and grassy hops. Nice amount of bitterness at the finish.

M: Smooth with a crisp bitter kick in the pants at the end.

D: One of the top, for sure. The cans are a nice touch as well.

Serving type: can

07-03-2009 20:06:30 | More by callmemickey