Pivo Hoppy Pils - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

dubinsky

California

4.48/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

When I heard that FW was producing a Pilsner I was first ecstatic and later a bit hesitant. I’m not a huge fan of Solace and find their lower body and abv offerings a bit of a letdown. Lets see how this does. Bottle dated 5/9/13 consumed 6/18/13 into a snifter glass

A – Pours a clear straw yellow color with a light, frothy finger high head which crept down the sides of the glass very quickly after the pour, leaving behind some light lacing. Decent retention as the remaining head clings to the side of the glass

S – Very clean and grassy, like I have come to expect from a top-notch pilsner. The initial aroma really reminds me of Prima Pils, which is my current baseline for great Pilsners. Slight breadiness is evident from the yeast, but overall this is dominated by grassy, citrusy, and slightly tropical notes. The fact that this is dry hopped is not very evident as I have come to expect with Pale Ales and IPA’s which are fermented in similar fashion. Overall though, this is a great smelling beer that my mouth started to water as soon as I smelled it.

T – Wow, this is super crisp, clean and refreshing. What a well-orchestrated malt bill with a perfect dosage of hops. There taste profile begins very dry, with lemonade like citrus, followed by a slight breadiness, and finished with a nice dryness again. This variety of hops is very unusual to me, but I’m finding them way more appealing than the usual Czech or German varietals. Clean malt bill, touches of cracker grains and a drizzle of honey.

M – Very fine, but nicely spiky carbonation with a rather thick mouth feel for the style of this beer. The hops provide for a nice, light bitterness that feels crisp and clean.

O – Overall, this is a huge surprise for me from an excellent brewery who is known for bold and heavy flavors. The fact that they took a beer that is so tough to brew and made an excellent example of this only speaks to how good a brewery FW really is. This is now officially replacing Prima as my go to pils. I plan on keeping an ongoing rotation of this in my fridge all year round.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 01:21:47 | More by dubinsky

magictacosinus

California

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I've already had this 3-4 times before I'm reviewing it here. It's quite good. Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a pokal glass. Bottling date is "05/09/13."

Pours a bright, golden color with plenty of carbonation. The bubbles rise in a champagne-like manner to the top the glass, which is coated by a thickened, frothy white head. Lacing is fabulous, and the entire effect is very appealing. Head retention is surprisingly good, considering the style and ABV at hand here. Looks as great as any good German pilsner I've ever had.

Definitely not as hoppy as advertised on the aroma, but indeed, it is undeniably a German/Czech pilsner model with a West Coast twist, even here. This is evident by the grassy, slightly zesty texture, although the Saphir hops themselves are fooling my brain somewhat into thinking that this is a good German pils offering. Underneath the initial grassy, dried leafy hoppiness, there's a light tinge of residual sugars, as well as light white grape-y flavors that soon follow. Very crisp and refreshing. Definitely above average for the style here.

The flavor definitely brings forward the hops, but they meld really well with the crisp, golden grains to make a very, very satisfying experience. At first there's a rush of grassy, slightly dried hops, then a light cracker flavor mixed with a dash of honey, white faded raisins, and lemons. The barley flavor follows after in a pleasing sensation that adds body and thickness to the beer. Not as delicate as you might think - these FW hops are setting the bar the right way, although it still tastes pretty traditional when rated to style. Clean, creamy, but very full, especially in light of the excellent carbonation at hand. Perhaps the best pilsner that's come out of California.

This is great stuff, and absolutely perfect for the warmer weather. Pilsners are hard to make, especially in this caliber, and it's remarkable that a brewery like FW churned one out, of all breweries. Could be my new favorite American made offering in the style. I will be buying more six packs of these for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 01:40:35 | More by magictacosinus

beertunes

Washington

3.76/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a beautifully clean, clear, bright golden yellow color with about 1/2 inch of white head that decent retention and good lacing.

The aroma was mostly nice earthy grains, with a an even, balanced dose of hops in the background. The taste profile was pretty much the same, with the grains having the lead and the hops supplying a nice counter-point.

The body was crisp, clean, light and refreshing. Drinkability was excellent, several would go down easily. Overall, an excellent brew. This could be the craft beer with the reach to truly start getting mainstream AAL drinkers into better beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2013 20:26:02 | More by beertunes

rawfish

California

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear straw with a big fluffy finger and a half high head. Leaves alot of messy lacing on the glass with very good retention overall.

Bread dough and yeast beneath a clean grassy and citrus hops. Mild fruit complexity, the grainy malt really comes out as this one warms. Could be a bit more bright and snappy.

Clean malt bill, touches of cracker grains and a drizzle of honey. Hops provide medium bitterness with a grassy and lemon flavor that lays it on lightly. Finishes soapy with lingering bready malt.

Good carbonation that has the ability to leave a crisp feel when cold. Spicy clean hops cleanse the palate with a bit of soap and dryness.

A very good pilsner, crisp and refreshing but it also has some heft to it. Tasty and easy to put down, nice to see Firestone add a lager to the line-up, they did their quality and brand justice here.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 05:20:18 | More by rawfish

jdhowe

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Bottle dated 5/9/13

A: Pours a light golden color, clear, with 1.5 fingers of fluffy white head that dissipates to a film with some light lacing. Sparse bubbling continues from the base of the glass.

S: Crisp, clean aroma. Lightly spicy and fruity, and sweet as well. Citrusy hop character is abundant, which I can only think must be the Saphir hops touted on the packaging.

T: Starts smooth and sweet with a bit of citrus and a little bit of tangy character, followed by a body of bready malt. Finish is bitter with hops, contrasting the lingering breadiness.

M: Smooth, crisp, and easily drinkable, and well carbonated. A little something lingers from this that isn't as crisp and refreshing as I had hoped, but coats the inside of the mouth. I find that I want it to go away, so I take another sip, which doesn't really fix the problem.

O: A pretty good hoppy pilsner. I've wanted to try this one for a little while and finally got around to picking it up today. I'm a little disappointed, but mostly on the back of very high expectations for FW brews. This is another good one from them, though, if I do my best to decouple my expectations and my actual experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 20:33:48 | More by jdhowe

Greywulfken

New York

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: into a pilsener glass, crystal-clear straw-colored beer with a fat white head; sparse lace down the glass; a slight film atop the beer persistent to the end

S: floral, herbal and grassy hops; suggestions of fresh, pale malty grains, dry flowers, and earthy fields

T: crisp, hoppy; hints of lemon and spice; toasty malt impressions; I found this beer more enjoyable warmed for a bit out of the fridge - it brought out a lot of richer, deeper and earthier herbal flavors - presumably from the hops used (Hallertau-grown Magnum, Spalter Select, and German Saphir) - reminiscent of wet, musky grains

M: light, crisp, clean, sparkling, zesty cold - slight astringence; after warming, it felt more coating, bittering - fuller in body

O: Cold, this is a light, refreshing, highly drinkable brew. Warmed it had even greater character. Either way, a real class beer from a real class brewer. Fans of German pilseners will probably enjoy this tremendously.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 20:36:24 | More by Greywulfken

cosmicevan

New York

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle picked up locally the other day. Enjoyed from a Firestone walker snifter. brew pours a transparent straw yellow with a thin fizzy head that fizzled away kind of quickly leaving some fizzy patches on the surface. Smells of crisp hop. Taste is classic pilsner with some subtle bitterness on the finish and soft fruit notes on the top. toasted german malts. Easy drinker and nice pilsner. Not my favorite style but a great representation if the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 03:25:23 | More by cosmicevan

vkv822

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz: tulip
bottled on: 5-9-13

Clear, birght yellow with a foamy, white head. Dissipates to leave a thin foam across the surface.

Earthy, floral, herbal hops blend with a toasty, cracker malt backing.

Medium body, foamy fizzy carbonation.

Hop-forward, but still balanced, this is a nice take on a German pilsner without straying too far from the classic style. Very easy drinking, but with a complex flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 08:11:11 | More by vkv822

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.59/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've been waiting for this.

A crystal clear straw yellow with a dense, white head with excellent retention and lacing, this is great looking pilsner. The nose is pretty solid. Bright, pungent, earthy, lemony hops this is mildly fruity as well (melon?). The malt character is dry, but lacks snap that the my favorites have. A touch of DMS is perceived as well, as is some soap.

The palate opes quite crisp, with a pleasant, modest hoppy bitterness that's a blend of earth and lemon. Mineral character is low, accentuating the soft malt character, the mild DMS and unfortunately, the soap. Medium-light in body, moderately slick on the palate, this beer lacks the bitterness it needs to fully tie it together. Carbonation is high but quite creamy and pleasant. A touch watery on the finish, along with a little citrus, this beer is quite decent.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 06:17:17 | More by DefenCorps

elNopalero

Texas

4.74/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

From the bottle:

This just hit SF.

This pours a golden crystal clear color with light foaming and stunning clarity.
There’s a light, grassy aroma that just pops. Stunning flavor, with a great grassy hop character and a light toasted malt. There’s a light bittering with a touch of piney grass on the end. I stand by my earlier statements!

Previously, from the tap:

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is the best pils I’ve had from the state of California. (New second best? Trumer Pils at the source, two or three years ago.)

This poured with an amazing clarity as true to form. Golden straw in color it has a light grassy hop aroma which I love in a fresh pils and flavor just about everywhere. Crisp, clear, and with a bright, clean finish. It’s everything I want in a pils. Until I get back to Texas.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2013 06:48:15 | More by elNopalero

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle picked up tonight at the COOP.. Pours a very light straw golden with a short lasting white head that leaves only spotty lacing.. could use a lot more retention.

The nose is pretty standard American take on German pilsners... big grainy notes with a bitterness that doesn't translate well into hoppiness... Some minor grassy hops come through.

Flavor is again big and bitter.. something sorta "too minerally" for my liking.. nice maltiness and again a pretty present cut grass hoppiness.

Body and carbonation are about spot on... but the flavors/aromas come across as a bit forced.

3.5/3.5/3.5/4/3.5

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 05:26:00 | More by JohnGalt1

kojevergas

California

3.24/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

"Pivo Hoppy Pils." Served on-draught into a pilsner glass at South in Santa Monica. Cost was $3.00. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a one finger head of white colour, okay cream, decent thickness, and pretty good (~3 minute) retention. Body colour is a clear pale yellow. Standard fare for the style. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Pale malts. Surprisingly hoppy character for the style; prominent floral hop character. Crisp clean barley. An average strength aroma.

T: Crisp clean pale malt base. Floral hop character. Decent balance. Complex for a pilsner, but not shockingly so. Enjoyable. Not very subtle.

Mf: Smooth, wet, clean, and crisp. Slight overcarbonation. Good thickness. Good body. Suits the flavour profile.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable. I'd have it again. A surprisingly tasty pilsner from Firestone Walker.

High C+

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2013 20:36:56 | More by kojevergas

Zorro

California

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Clear pale yellow colored beer with a medium sized white head.

Smells hoppy and malty with a good toasted grain aroma. Biscuit malt aroma with a soft yeasty aroma. Smells a little like a fresh baked biscuit in a good way. Hop aroma is mostly grassy dry hay.

Starts out dry with a sharp hop bite and a mineral water flavor. Biscuit malt flavor is there from the smell. Slight lemon flavor from the hops and a hay taste. Hop bitterness is medium.

Mouthfeel is medium.

Overall a good domestic Pils. Mild with a nice hop zing that lets you know this is from Firestone and not Anheuser Busch.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 00:05:37 | More by Zorro

McStagger

California

3.44/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

New Firestone! Yay! And it's a lager?! Double yay!

A: Beautifully straw colored pour. Excellent clarity, moderate/moderate plus carbonation. Two fingers bleached head. Moderate dissipation. Good amount of sticky lacing.

S: Husked grain ,straw. Some spicy/zesty hoppiness in there as well. Crackery and biscuity tones.

T: Pretty hoppy, as far as the style is concerned. Starts out with a lemon zest tartness. Transitions into a fairly subdued malt middle, with bits of honeyed biscuit and floral/perfume notes. These carry through to the end, and the bitterness is aspirin like. Bit of soapiness in the aftertaste.

M: Light bodied, carbonation is subdued, a bit slick, but ultimately thin and a bit harsh.

O: Bit of a miss here. Unbalanced, without enough of the light pilsner malt sweetness to counter the hoppiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 07:32:24 | More by McStagger

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.54/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

the much hyped new beer drinkers pilsener from firestone, it didn't blow me away, ill say that. on tap at the new renegade publik house, it pours a perfectly clear, watery golden color, with an inch of white head that slowly dies. the nose is not nearly as hoppy as the press release declared, but I do get a bit more than the standard. American barley malt, on the light side, balanced. it is refreshing, but the hops don't quite take away the sweetness of the malt. very little bitterness to this, only a mild hop flavor, maybe leaning on the floral side, but this certainly does not redefine the genre as it was supposed to do. its plenty drinkable through, these go back like water after a jog. the body is ultra light, and the carbonation is robust. it just tastes like very other craft pilsener, there is nothing new or special about this one. too simple for me to get off on, but its well made like all firestone beers, but ill stick to their solace for summer time, assuming that one comes back around...

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 14:38:16 | More by StonedTrippin

RaulMondesi

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Crispy like a triscuit.

Raul's just chilling on the lay low, so he kept it cool with a pils. As far as a pilsner goes, this is exactly what Raul was looking for. Like Natalie Portman after a balet recital, this thang is glistening goodness. Clean and crisp. Clean and crisp...

Sign me up, yep!

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2013 04:22:07 | More by RaulMondesi

scottfrie

California

3.74/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On-tap in Davis.

Light yellow golden body with a one-inch foamy white head that faded into a faint collar. Complex spotty lace was left down the glass. The nose is light with hints of cracked grains and earthy hops. Clean overall. The taste follows the nose with earth hops, a touch of sweet fruit citrus, faint bubblegum yeast, and crisp minerals. Crispy clean medium body with even carbonation. A solid pilsner. Could be dryer but its got a great flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 16:26:40 | More by scottfrie

champ103

Texas

4.46/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Pinthouse Pizza. They had this listed as "Pivo Pilz." BA has a "Pivo", and a "Pilz" listed separately. Which to choose...

A: Pours basically clear, maybe a bit of haze. Yellow in color. A two finger white head forms with some lace.
S: Very clean lager yeast. Spicy, peppery, bready malts. Toasted cereal grains. A light grassy bitterness lingers. Simple, and excellent.
T: A great, clean lager yeast with simple flavors. Spicy, peppery, bread and biscuit. Toasted grains. A light and subtle floral, lemony, grassy bitterness. I love it.
M/D: A light to medium body. So crisp, clean, and dry. Easy and enjoyable to drink. All day with this.

An excellent example of the style. Amazing in its simplicity, and incredibly enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 15:29:35 | More by champ103

TheSixthRing

California

3.71/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Had on tap at Final Gravity in Roseville, CA

Appearance - A crystal clear, straw yellow, this brew was served to me in a tall, 14oz pilsner glass with a white finger width head. Good retention. Leaves solid lacing around the glass, sip after sip.

Smell - Grainy aroma. Slight grassy bitterness.

Taste - Clean grain malt bill. Touches on honey. Moderate grass hop bitterness near the finish. Finishes crisp and clean.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body with fair carbonation. Easy, clean finish.

Overall - Really good pilsner. Maybe not as hoppy as advertized? Still, clean and flavorful. I'd definitely drink it again, and again, and again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 21:44:30 | More by TheSixthRing

popery

California

4.19/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Nice little pils from FW. Pours a bright, clear pale gold. No haze. Good head. Lots of fine bubbles. Good lacing. Aroma has grassy hops with some fresh grain notes. Hay, lemons, earth round things out. Taste is mildly bitter but there's a bit of light malt sugariness to it. The malt flavor is a touch grainy but not bad. A little too much sweetness. Finish is fairly clean. Mouthfeel could be lightened further but it's pretty good. I'd just prefer pils to be ultra crisp. This is a nice beer and it's always good to see American breweries take on lager styles.

Edit: Tried from the bottle and enjoyed it more.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2013 22:04:13 | More by popery

JupiterJesus

California

3.13/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

Thin, prickly body that wasn't satisfying to drink. Simple pils flavor but lacks the drinkability of a classic example. Also lacks the complexity and full body of a Prima. Overall forgettable, like a generic brewpub blonde. It isn't badly made, but there are a number of other pale lagers I'd go with first.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2013 07:57:04 | More by JupiterJesus

FosterJM

California

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1536th Review on BA
Draft to 6oz Snifter

@Firestone Walker, Paso Robles

App- It was more of a buttery looking yellow with a bit of a golden center. A small amount of bubbles on the top but did have some coming up from the center. A bit of a nice looking cling line as well.

Smell- Im not normally a pils fan but this one was more of a pils/ipa combo. The lemon notes were very subtle but the addition of the malt/hop combo made this a fresh and clean aromatic beer.

Taste- This was one very good pils. Had the standard pils notes but also added a layer with the hops and malt I wasnt expecting. The beer was a little spicy from the dry hopping. Very clean and crisp.

Mouth- A lighter medium body with a lighter carbonation to it. A little dry and a little crisp. Clean malt with a bit of spicy hops and a pilsner malt balance.

Drink- This was good. I really enjoyed this one. Hopefully the bottle version will be as good next year.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2012 02:12:23 | More by FosterJM

BucannonXC5

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a tap into am imperial pint glass (20 oz.) at Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles, Calif., on Aug. 9, 2012 for $5.50. One finger of head when I got it that was white and frothy. Lots of bubbles coming up underneath in the middle. Beer color was honey golden pale clear. Lots of foamy retention throughout on the sides and the top.

Smelled honey, spices (couldn’t put my finger on it), hops, cloves, Circus Peanuts, Christmas pine and lemon grass.

Tasted similar to the nose, but had to work for it. Got corn, slight lemon grass, honey, hay and wheat. Maybe a gracious 3.5.

Light body. Creamy texture. Above average-to-average carbonation. Abrupt clean finish. Crisp, watery and refreshing.

Very good for a pilsner and a great start for my first Firestone experience (in Paso Robles).

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 09:02:01 | More by BucannonXC5

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours a clear golden yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, grass, and hay. Taste is much the same with a mild herbal bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty, refreshing, and very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 02:13:28 | More by UCLABrewN84