J.R. Brickman Pilsner - Brick Brewing Co. / Red Baron Lounge

DoctorStrangiato

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 473-ml can into a tall pilsner glass.

Appearance - brilliant yellow with plenty of carbonation and decent head.

Smell - very flowery, fresh aroma with a little bit of grassiness.

Taste - very well-rounded flavour, some sweet maltiness followed by a short, dry finish. Very good.

Mouthfeel - pretty smooth and clean. For all the carbonation in the glass, it wasn't too poppy.

Drinkability - great brew. This is for summertime, without a doubt, when it's really hot.

Serving type: can

02-22-2009 22:31:25 | More by DoctorStrangiato

mrmanning

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle- Served fridge temperature into a pils flute. Pours light gold, capped by a 1 inch cloud of tight bubbly foam. Heavy pils lace going on. Bubblegum hop aroma with good bread/cookie profile, malt and grassy notes. Light and pleasant hop flavours mingle well with subtle sweet herbal bread. Soft and gentle carbonation with a great lingering pils finish. I'm really suprised this is from Brick. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 15:34:37 | More by mrmanning

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

473 ml can, compliments of bobsy.
Poured a golden yellow color, white head which disappeared as fast as it formed, no lace or retention. Wet grass, flowery hops smell, decent. Grainy malt and grassy hop taste. Mild, slightly muted flavors. Medium body with lots of carbonation keep it light. Was looking for more crisp, dry finish. Good, drinkable beer, thanks for the opportunity to try this one.

Serving type: can

05-18-2009 16:13:11 | More by BigBry

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured out of a 473ml can into a Guinness pint glass.

Appearance: light golden yellow in colour with a thin, bubbly white head. Lots of carbonation in the body. Very fine lacing appears with each sip and quickly subsides thereafter. The head retains for about half the time it takes to drink the beer.

Smell: fairly interesting. Some corn, wheat, cereal grains, metallic notes, and yeast.

Taste: grainy malt and a subdued hop bitterness. The hops are almost undetectable. An average and undistinguished flavour, to say the least.

Mouthfeel: creamy, smooth body and a slick, wet finish. Definitely the strongest aspect of this beer.

Overall: a decent enough pilsner, mostly indistinct. I'm not sure why so many Ontario craft brewers 'hold back' on taste and boldness. A drinkable brew and not much more.

Serving type: can

01-31-2009 23:35:24 | More by cratez

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.88/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sweet corn yellow with melted butter borders. A good-sized crown of ivory colored foam looks fine atop the pristine liquid. The head maintains visual interest over time and lays down a more than respectable amount of lace. There's nothing wrong with the look.

The nose isn't bad either, although it is a bit grainy. Pale (and/or pilsner) malt is accented by musky, grassy hops that probably have their origins in Germany. No real nastiness is a positive of sorts.

Pilsner isn't the world's best pilsner, that much is certain. It's hard to believe that it's even Ontario's best, but then I know next to nothing about Canadian beer. Unfortunately, this offering has an underlying 'off' quality that reminds me of an adjunct lager. Who knows if adjuncts were used or not.

Sweet and bitter just sort of muddle along, neither one wanting to take control or even willingly cooperate. Simple grain combines with a lackluster hoppiness, and it all adds up to... nothing special. This isn't horrible beer and it isn't something that I have to force down, but one can is more than enough.

The mouthfeel is slightly better than average for the style. It stays well away from light and is properly bubbled (zesty, not buzzy). As a result, drinkability is respectable.

It's impossible to make an accurate call based on the strength (or weakness) of one beer, but Brick Brewing's claim of 'Ontario's Finest Craft Brewer' is... wait just a minute. On rereading, the can says 'Ontario's First Craft Brewer'. Hard to argue with that.

Serving type: can

01-28-2009 13:48:55 | More by BuckeyeNation

EatsTacos

Yukon (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This is a pretty well done, and easy drinking german pilsner. Short, fine head that was about 1 finger and didn't last. No lacing
Aroma is herbal hops and some light malt. Well balanced flavour with some citrus characteristics. Pleasant, easy drinking brew from a pretty small Ontario microbrew. Nothing too crazy

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2008 01:49:36 | More by EatsTacos

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Fairly well made and easy drinking beer. Looks quite good, bright yellow gold with a short head, surrenders some nice enough lace.

Aroma and taste seem to be well balanced. Hops, malt and grain all pleasantly there, nothing dominating anything else. Nice and even handed, worth a tipple, but not distinctive. Competent and safe to serve to your friends.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 00:05:20 | More by TerryW

SkinnyElvis

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to biegaman for this brew. Pour a clear yellow with a thin head. Smells faintly of hops. The taste is fairly hoppy for a pils but not as hoppy as the local pils (Troegs/Victory/Sly Fox) I am used to drinking in PA. Smooth mouthfeel plus low ABV makes this very drinkable. A perfect beer for a hot Father's Day afternoon. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2008 19:20:52 | More by SkinnyElvis

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

341ml bottle
5.0% ABV

I tried this beer on April 30, 2008 after purchasing an assorted 6 pack of Ontario Craft Brews from one of my local LCBO outlets. The beer poured a translucent orange-gold with a thin white rocky head that lasted. The aroma was typically Brick with some malty tones, some yeasty tones, and a little bit of hops. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, with some mild carbonation. The flavour was a nice balance of malts and hops, and was very good for a bottom-fermented beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 05:35:30 | More by cyrenaica

GodOfBeer

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice hazy golden colour with a nice fluffy head that slowly dissapates.

Bready smell, with some citrus and grassy notes.

Not much here that stands out, sort of grassy, fairly bitter, citrusy/watery aftertaste but decent overall.

Perfect carbonation and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2008 21:37:45 | More by GodOfBeer

plaugher

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this on a whim at a local specialty store, Premier Wine & Spirits. Hadn't noticed it here before, but apparently it had been stocked for quite a while (given that another reviewer picked a bottle up at least a year ago).

This is my first Brick product, and the fella at the counter had spoken highly of their products, so expectations were raised. This did not disappoint.

Nice, golden appearance with a uniform head that lasted longer than I'd expected.

Light, crisp taste with a bit of a citrus-esque aftertaste. Lots of flavour. A welcome change from most of the local products.

Some bubbling and the mouth, and it goes down smoothly. Dangerously smooth, as it disappeared relatively quickly.

Eminently drinkable (tastes great, less filling), and a likely occasional insert into my summer drinking. I suspect that this will be a good balcony brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2008 21:59:56 | More by plaugher

atomicbolt

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brick's local to my university, so I've always had a soft spot for this brewer, and this is probably my favourite among their main line of beers (although Waterloo Dark's also pretty satisfying). I actually picked this one up as part of an Ontario Craft Brewers mixed 6 pack through the LCBO, and it's fitting that Brick decided to include this as their offering into the pack since it's their strong offering.

A nice clear golden colour, with a fizzy small head that died down shortly, looks like a pretty good pilsner. A mostly bready smell, but with some sharper herbal and citrus hints. The taste is smooth and malty. Goes down with some herbal bitterness that's quite smooth and pleasant with a bit of a citrusy twang in the aftertaste. Fairly drinkable.

Overall a strong pilsner. My preferred Brick beer, out of the big 3 in the "JR Brickman" series. I'll probably be guzzling these when I head on a Brick tour in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2007 08:24:04 | More by atomicbolt

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear straw color with a solid creamy head. Nose is floral with a solid maltiness and a touch of lemon. There's some booziness in this as well. Body is light and carbonation not overpowering. There's a lemony/metallic twinge and a solid smooth malt. Finishes dry with a lingering bitterness. Very clean, smooth pils.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2007 02:00:54 | More by allergictomacros

MMansfield

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a single at Premier Wine & Spirits in Halifax.

Appearance: Poured a delightful crystal clear golden straw colour with a modest bone white head, leaves plenty of lacing. Resides to a thin layer.

Aroma: Sturdy malts, buttered bread, herbs and light floral German hops. Smells like very decent pils.

Taste: Sturdy malts are quite apparent. Very light tasting with a noticeable herbal quality in the finish. Nice moderate bittering.

Mouthfeel: Very soft. Drinkability is quite high.

Final Statement: I like this pils a lot. Far and away my favourite of the three Brick brews I have tried thus far. A sixer for a may deck session may be in order.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2007 23:27:39 | More by MMansfield

drinkininthewood

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Heres the story. i was at my fiance's- cousins- wedding at Whistle bear golf course and when the bar opened i noticed that the golf course was sponserd by Molson...well....im not a big fan of Molson, and the only other beer there was cans of heineken. So i asked for the J.R. Brikman pilsner, the one beer that looked different. It was and excellent choice, and one that im glad i made. So i went out the next weekend and bought a six-pack to re-visit this beer to make sure it was for real, and thus, here i am.

served from 341ml bottle

A- nice clear(a little cloudy if you look really hard) yellow colour, nice creamy head that sticks around for a minute or two leaving a thin layer of bubbles and a little lace around the glass.

S- Quality hops and malt

T- very good. soild tasting pilsner in my opinion. Theres lots of mineral flavors, a little floral hops, buttery smoothness, finishes very solid with nice bitterness.

M-light/medium bodied, average carbonation, smooth

D- pretty nice, not too filling

Overall i really like this beer. I'd say that its better than Steam Whistle pilsner. I really like Brick brewery and there opperations, if Jim Brickman didnt start this brewery we probably wouldnt have has many Craft breweries that there are in Canada today>thanx Mr.Brickman

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2007 01:05:49 | More by drinkininthewood

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm re reviwing here as I recently had a special tasting of this beer at the brewery...first from a fresh unpasturized keg and second as a zwyckel bier, fresh and unfiltered right from the fermenter.

The sad part of this great lager is that both dissolved co2 and semipasturizing in the botttled product takes away a noticable amount of the rich flavor this brew is capable of.

On tap you get a shimmering hazed golden lager with a white sticky cap that will hold up a dime and stacks out of the glass...excellent look to it.

The aromas are straight forward but pungent...bread, biscuit, light floral tones and some herbal-lemony tones.

The flavor profile of the unfiltered and unpasturized versions is mich like the botled version but more intense...mire bready malts more herbal hopping and a neat lemony ting in the drying finish.

Probably the best micro lager in Ontario or certainly the equal to King...but for my taste much better on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2006 17:19:31 | More by pootz

Frozensoul327

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Light golden appearance with some note of cloudiness. Uniform head of white foam totaled as high as an inch, but calmed to 1/8 of an inch and remained consistant. Bubbles rise from the bottom of the beer, kind of like a cheap champagne.

S: Noble and rich hops with a fine buttery malt note. Hints of fermented grain and a touch of biscuits. Nice.

T: A pleasureable suprise. Lots of flavor. Medium bodied hops and grain blend with an array of dry hops and buttery husk and bread. Dry toward the finish. Outstanding.

M: Slightly bubbly on the palate, this one was easy going down. Not watery, but light and fluffy, if you will.

D: Good. This is an excellent example of a German Pilsner.

Notes: Highly Recommended. Worth getting next time i'm in Canada. Special thanks to Pootz for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2006 01:23:32 | More by Frozensoul327

ThirdCoast

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving Type: A 341 mL bottle poured into a glass.

A: A nice honey amber color, with a slight head a small lacing.

S: Clean, sweet, fresh, malty, citrus fruits. Nice.

T: Clean, citrus, bitter, grassy, earthy.

M: Stings a bit, but goes down smooth with a slight after taste.

D: Not my favorite from brick, but not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2006 21:08:31 | More by ThirdCoast

Mandrake

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very light clear yellow, with just a wisp of a fizzy head that is gone in an instant, but leaves behind a little lacing as I drink. Smell is classic pilsner, a hint of grain and some muted hoppiness alongside some light fruits and a touch of grass. Flavour is along the same lines, very traditional, with the hops present but not overwhelming the obviously strong malt base. Grains and a but of grass in the finish accompany some citrus and a very nice sweet note in the middle. Mouthfeel is crisp, well carbonated, and refreshing, and drinkability is very good. A welcome offering from Brick, well suited to the style and entirely worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 00:25:28 | More by Mandrake

fisherman34

Manitoba (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Medium gold in colour with average carbonation. Somewhat bready aroma, with secondary notes of mild fruit. More bread in the mouth with some well integrated flavors of toast, herbal hops, and a bit of citrus. There’s a bit of a bitter grassy flourish at the end which saves it from the fat palate syndrome that so many North American pilsners fall prey to. It’s not quite in the same league as the best European counterparts (or Prima Pils), but it’s definitely getting there. Good stuff. Thanks pootz

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2006 20:53:54 | More by fisherman34

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.1/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Presentation: I felt so happy that I had my little bottle opener with, but a real nerd when I struggled with the brass crown cap which has the picture of a wild boars head on it, because it turned out to be friggin twist off!!! 341ml brown glass bottle has a gold edged dark green metallic label on the neck and chest. Listed as “J.R.Brickman Pilsner” with a listed strength of 5% alc./vol. Actually this is from the Brick Brewing Company and labeled as “Founder’s Series”. Picked up a Six-Pack of these (because I couldn’t get singles in The Beer Store in Kincardine, Ontario). The six bottles arrived in a rather nifty looking sealed box which had a gold sticker confirming that this beer won “Best Pilsner at the 2006 Ontario Brewing Awards” and also has the following words on the lid:

“Brick Brewery’s story is a simple one of love between a man and his beer. Jim Brickman figured there were as many tastes as people and if he wanted to make a great beer he’d better listen to a few of them. So, in 1979 Jim began a journey of discovery that would take him to 68 Breweries in 29 Countries where he would learn the craft necessary to launch Brick Brewery, Ontario’s first craft brewer.

Almost three decades on, Jim and the fine folks at Brick are still relentlessly committed to listening and brewing. The J.R.Brickman Founder’s Series is hand-crafted using only the finest natural ingredients: pure Formosa spring water, malted barley, imported hops, and yeast. We hope you enjoy it!”

Appearance: Poured into my ultra expensive plastic Hotel cup the beer actually looks rather good. Big creamy white head rises quickly, this is highly carbonated. The smooth cap hangs around and never dips below a ¼” thick covering. Pale golden body turns milky white when swirled thanks to the high conditioning. Looks pretty good.

Nose: Grainy malts, crisp floral hops though low key in strength, they seem to be muted by the stronger fresh bread a soft dough aromas. Not bad but rather weak in strength.

Taste: Gentle sweetness, soft floral character, bitterness is delicate but the bready taste is strong again. Finish is soft and rounded, tries to be crisp but fails and ends fuzzy in texture. Rounded ending is fresh but does not last long.

Mouthfeel: The high carbonation lends a creamy feel, which I take to. It seems to accentuate the already strong breaded malts and doughy yeast though. Sadly this takes away the crisp bitterness that you would normally expect.

Drinkability: Well I have a Six-Pack, but I’m in no rush to finish it all…..though I will as I already managed two bottles tonight, however “hotel travel boredom” may partly be responsible for that.

Overall: Maybe I wanted to hate this before I even tried it? It is probably more that I had low expectations of this beer, despite it being Ontario’s first craft brewery of some 25 years standing. Actually, if I am honest, and I should be, this isn’t all that bad, it’s relatively clean and easy going and despite the stronger bread tastes taking over with a fluffy texture, it still offers a far better alternative than the many brands and variants available from the US big three and Canada’s equivalents.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2006 03:01:48 | More by TheLongBeachBum

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden, lots of bubbles rising to the surface, big thick white head that stays forever, lots of lace on the glass, looks about as good as a pilsner gets. Smell is citrusy, some floral, vanilla/caramel, not bad. Taste is sweet up front, smooth maltiness int the middle, citrus and caramel, with a floral kick at the end. Mouthfeel is light bodied with medium carbonation. Decent and refreshing pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2006 20:42:33 | More by Viggo

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

At the brewery. The least liked of the new Brickman series. small head. A world of difference from the special pilsner produced by Jim a few years ago. floral aroma. Carbonation too much, harsh finish. Saaz hops but came through as too eno mineral waters.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2006 03:19:57 | More by northyorksammy

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: Clear gold, with a touch of fluffy, white head. No retention, but it does try to lace.

S: Smells like a pilsner. Bready malt, with some nice hop aroma (nobel, continental origins?); Grassy, floral (slight fresh/clean soap), earthy & metallic.

T: Bready malt & nice hop profile (floral, grass, earth). Slight sweetness, with a crisp finish. A German might use a little more hops for flavour & bitterness. As it warms to room temp, there is more of that soapy-saaz flavour.

M: Body is on the light side of moderate; carbonation also moderate.

D: Quite quaffable.

Thanks Len!

I had another, almost a year later, and it seem to have a little corn flavour now?

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2006 21:55:20 | More by Derek

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Fancy label, proudly proclaiming the craft brewed nature of this beer, though there is no actual info ABOUT the beer. I dislike labels like this.

It pours light gold with a pure white head with good retention. Lacing is good. The aroma is light with some floral hops, malt dough and tangyness. The taste is nicely hoppy, but a little lacking in hop flavor complexity, its hoppy but not resiny or 'thick'. Bitterness is low. Bready malts show abundantly. Theres also a bit of buttery diacetyl and some tartness. The mouthfeel is light and highly carbonated.

This is a decent pilsner and the best Brick beer Ive yet tried, it lacks the hop character of King Pilsner though. if it didnt have the tart flavor, I would rate it higher.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2006 02:00:25 | More by CAMRAhardliner