Rio Grande Desert Pilsner - Sierra Blanca Brewing Company (Rio Grande)

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark yellow color with essentially no foam. The aroma is bready with lingering bitter hops. The palate is a tad disorganized. The grain have husky edges and a sweetish core. Together it moves toward the end, picking up a tinge of sulfur, toward the bitter end. The bitterness is fine, but it doesn't placate what preceded it. Still the beer is drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:34:53 | More by BeardedBoffin

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the airport "brewpub" in Albuquerque.

The beer pours a fairly pale gold color with decent head retention and light lacing. Don't pick up a whole lot on the nose, though what I get is nice... honey, sort of an overt grassiness, and very light pepper and citrus. The flavor profile generally replicates the nose, but there's just more of everything. This is a very well balanced pils, but with a nice clean, crisp, somewhat bitter finish. There's some underlying sweetness from the malt as well, but this beer has the requisite amount of hoppy bitterness to counter that modest sweetness very well. The finish is long, clean, crisp and quite satisfying.

Nothing extraordinary here, but a very solid, easy to enjoy beeer, that I was very happy to discover at the airport.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2012 14:38:50 | More by johnmichaelsen

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. Cloudy golden color with minimal head.

Smells like lemon cotton candy, if such a thing exists.

Fairly sweet throughout. Slight bitterness at the end. Not nearly bitter enough for the style, but still enjoyable.

Crisp, moderate carbonation and medium body.

I actually enjoyed this pilsener more than most because it isn't bitingly bitter. The lack of any head held it back but it was nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 20:33:22 | More by Fatehunter

ZenAgnostic

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. 0511 stamped on the bottom of the front label (I'm hoping that's the born on date, but it doesn't specify).

Appearance - Clear pale yellow-gold body. One finger white head that quickly dissipates into a thin lace. Good stick.

Smell - Sweet musky corn. Traces of honey.

Taste - Mild-moderate sweetness throughout, but still somehow has a dry feel. Perhaps the metallic notes and slight astringency are so thin and balanced that they don't present as off-characters, but rather give the beer some dynamic. Well done.

Mouthfeel - Coats the tongue, but isn't too sticky. Just solvent enough to remove itself. A bit acidic.

Overall Drinkability - Definitely an enjoyable take on the German pils. None like I've had before, and nowhere near the best, but has a profile of its own. Respect.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 21:23:43 | More by ZenAgnostic

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not a bad beer. Beer is yellow with a mild haze, nice white head, some lacing, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is weak but mildly sweet with the pilsen malt.

Beer is thin and wet on the palate, quenching overall, it is a good one for sure. I like the lead off sweetness and the wet finish, no aftertaste at all. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 13:44:05 | More by drabmuh

Jason

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

Nearly clear yellow golden color, tiny bubble lacing sticks very well. Hint of sulfur, grassy hops and sourbread maltiness in the nose. Very smooth with a bit of crispness in the middle, moderate sized body. Fresh oily hop flavor drops some bitterness on the palate. Grainy with some breadiness within, quick flash of tartness ... almost apple-like. Finished with a clean graininess and lingering bitter hop.

Not half bad, a little rough around the edges but it ends up being drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 01:38:41 | More by Jason

Kemmerlin

Colorado

4.8/5  rDev +31.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

It had a very light gold to straight up yellow color and consistent throughout the glass. It has citrus aroma like lemon and tastes of oranges. The feel is smooth with not an overwhelming presence of carbonation to disrupt the flavors. I really enjoyed drinking this beer and was pleasently surprised for what it had to offer in way of taste and smell. It was very hard ot resist gulping it down quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2007 20:18:28 | More by Kemmerlin

ElGordo

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden hue with a very small, pearl-white head. Not a whole lot of aroma, a little bit of sweet malt and a touch of hops, with a subtle background of malt and Saaz hops. Kind of hoppy for a pils, but more mellow than most other beers brewed with Saaz. Hop profile begins slightly floral and ends rather bitter. Although it's thoroughly Americanized, it's a decent pils.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2004 02:16:50 | More by ElGordo

nklatt

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm more an ale guy, but... Not fantastic, but a good alternative to Budweiser for locals. Probably best drunk with some spicy New Mexican food (green chile).

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2001 00:36:36 | More by nklatt