Simpler Times Pilsner - Minhas Craft Brewery

KrausenRingKing

3.38/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm not sure if this is a German Style Pilsner. I think this is more of an American Pre-Prohibition style Pilsner. The use of adjuncts is present as which it should be with an American Pilsner. The color, aroma, body and hop character are where they should be for this style. I don't see that it's that bad of a beer. If I were offered Bud, Miller, Coors or any other macro-brew and this I would choose this all day long. I like my PBR and I would have to add this along side of my PBR as an after yard beer.

For 3.99 I'm not sure as why some people are bashing it. What did you really expect for 3.99? I mean really....It's 3.99 for 6 beers. Find that in any bar or pub. Anyway....It's an easy drinker that actually has some flavor compared to most cheapsters in a can. I'm not goanna fluff up the review with a bunch of adjectives either. Find a Trader Joes and pick up a 6-er. If you don't like it hand it out as a courtesy beer for those that show up and never bring anything.

Serving type: can

04-03-2012 16:29:04 | More by KrausenRingKing

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Rudzud for supplying this interesting beer that I can have a fun review with.

As it gushes out of the can in spurts, it forces a fluffy pillowy 1 finger head to rise up out of the glass, and fades at a medium pace leaving a huge messy lacing that looks like the head threw up on the sides of the glass, and leaves a... dare I say, Belgian looking fluffy head covering. The beer itself is a semi clear chill hazed golden yellow colored, that is actually fairly hazy.

Nose is like a 12 year old tried to make a pilsner, yeah there's faint hints of straw, and it tickles a slight aroma section of my brain that makes me thing of lager, but just falls about 10 miles short in the marathon of pilsners. malts come in flat and light, with a bit of pilsner malt and cracked straw but just a hint of aromatic like malt. Bit it gets a bit weird, like straw sat in putrid water for a while and just festered. Then the bad lager comes through, a bit of metallic and soured like fruit lager, very unhappy lager yeast, and somehow a bit like mineral and chlorine loaded bath water. Weird, but overall not horrible.

Taste starts even worse than the nose... awck, ewww, blech! I really want to spit it out but for science I need to review it!!! I'll type as quick as possible. Pool water blended with bath water, and some hay and maybe a hint of malt in there, all sitting for months to almost rotting but not quite. It has a rice pudding like flavor as well, with a light fluff. Then lager, metallic still, a bit of a bitter unhappy lager, almost dandelion flavored. Weird flavors and icky flavors with good... wait not really good, just weird. A bad bittering finish with dry sticky and putrid water flavors, but there are some weird hops that try to pop in with a light grassy flavor but more like dried grass that a horse just rubbed his ass on.

Mouth is lighter bodied, a bit gritty and weird feeling, and lots of carbonation, like they tried to overcarbonate it to make up for the bad taste.

Overall pretty bad but not horrible, not coors light or Bud level of terribleness, its more of a macro extract like beer but a bit higher level than the crappy crap that's usually out there.

Serving type: can

03-10-2012 02:22:11 | More by jlindros

flagmantho

Washington

3.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz can into a Pilsner glass.

Appearance: pale gold hue with a light effervescence. Head poured a pretty dramatic 3 fingers of frothy white foam. Not too bad, if a bit pale.

Smell: light malt with a bit of plastic. Not terrible, but this seems like it has got some adjuncts to it which are less than authentic to the style.

Taste: light malt with a little bit of noble hop character and a light but perceptible bitterness. Not a great beer, but mostly without major flaws.

Mouthfeel: light body with a decent level of carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: as I said, it's not a great beer, but it is palatable and moderately drinkable. For a beer in this price range (like $2.50 for a six-pack), it's pretty damn good, actually.

Serving type: can

03-05-2012 20:55:30 | More by flagmantho

DocJitsu

California

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden yellow with a bubbly white head that tends to vanish quickly. Leaves some lacing as the head disappears. Light malty and mild Belgian yeast aromas. Decent mouthfeel and good carbonation. A pilsner that behaves like a lager, but well worth the few bucks I paid for a sixer of cans.

Serving type: can

02-25-2012 23:44:48 | More by DocJitsu

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz can, unknown date. Served at around 45F.

Pours lightly hazy yellow/gold with a one finger white head that leaves some rings of lacing and holds a light cap.

Aroma is some grassy & floral hops with a touch of citrus (mostly lemon), sweet-smelling grain/cereal, hints of hay, corn and faintly metallic. Fair strength.

Flavor is not bad...some citrus/lemon and grassy hops, sweet grains, a bit of bitterness on the finish, basically no alcohol detected. Finishes fairly clean, if a bit sweet.

Mouthfeel is light bodied, a bit sticky, sharp scrubbing carbonation.

Not a bad cheap Pils at all. Yeah, a bit adjuncty, but surprising hop balance helps a lot. Crazy drinkable, I’m thirsty and this is hitting the spot. Considering the price, this is pretty good and my score reflects its price to performance ratio. Noticeably better than other beers in its price range, but certainly doesn't stack up to better and more expensive Pilsners.

Serving type: can

01-22-2012 23:54:36 | More by elgiacomo

UCLABrewN84

California

2.95/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden color with a 1 inch foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Random dots of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, light fruits, and alcohol. There is an almost artificial margarita smell to this one. Taste is of grains, corn flakes, alcohol, and some light fruity flavors. There is a mild bitterness in the back of the throat with each sip. This beer has a higher level of carbonation with a nice crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer but decent for the price ($0.50 a can). I could see myself stocking these for a party with non-craft beer drinkers.

Serving type: can

01-21-2012 02:48:47 | More by UCLABrewN84

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz can served in a pilsner glass.

L - clear bright yellow with a white head that left streaks of lacing.

S - grainy pilsner malt aroma.

T - starts out somewhat grainy with hints of hoppy bitterness turning grainy sweet on the finish.

F - medium bodied with crisp carbonation.

O - an average beer.

Serving type: can

01-08-2012 21:31:13 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.42/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Can into pils glass.

Very clear and bright golden yellow. Giant 4 fingers of white head. Some streaky spots of lace trail behind the settling bubbles on their way to becoming a thick collar around the edges. Some ameoba like blobs of dense bubbles play in the center of the glass like bacteria colonies on an agar plate.

Smells of some nice lemony citrus hops... Oh wait... Those lemony citrusy notes are actually quite solventy... Lightly sweet bready malt comes up too...
The taste is surprisingly not as bad as I had myself prepared for-- it certainly isn't good, but I won't give it an F that I expected after the nose! Very light touch of bitterness on the finish, but the finish is much sweeter than I had hoped.

The body is a little syrupy, but holds firm carbonation.

Overall-- Meh. This is better than the regular lager, but it is another beer I don't care to drink again.

Serving type: can

11-25-2011 23:04:58 | More by AleWatcher

jeffjeff1

California

3.03/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My wife picked this up for me the other day.

Appearance- yellow color, nice looking head but dissipates quickly

Smell- bready malt

Taste- bready malt

Mouthfeel- I would say it is light bodied.

Drinkability- I would drink it again. Very drinkable and easy to drink, not spectacular but still pretty good, not bad either. It is also cheaper than Bud and tastes better.

Serving type: can

11-13-2011 19:16:50 | More by jeffjeff1

bpk59

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a sixer and split it with Rudzud after our epic beer journey through New England (Ghoulschip release).

Poured into an Ommegang BPA Pint glass.

Color was hazy yellow/gold. Rather drab. Head was white and thin with little retention or lacing.

Smell was thin and one-dimensional - sweet and bready malts.

Taste isn't bad but isn't great. Dominated again by sweet malts without being cloying. Surprisingly drinkable and unsurprisingly generic.

Mouthfeel was typical of a cheap pils - fizzy and carbonated.

Overall this isn't an offensive or bad beer, it's just unspectacular. Rudzud said it exactly as I would - you get what you pay for, and this is definitely better than most of the swill in this price range (love that word).

Unremarkable but not bad by any means.

Serving type: can

11-08-2011 02:35:14 | More by bpk59

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up from a Trader Joes up in Portland, Maine after the Ghoulschip release. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a golden sun coloured hue with incredibly tiny particles suspended through the brew. Atop sat a fizzy one finger white head that faded relatively quickly to leave no lacing but a thin white halo and slight wisps.

S - Not getting much of anything here. Sweet malts and some baked bread aromas. Maybe some light grassy hops.

T - Average, at best, this stuff is more of the sweet malts and bread. Almost like an adjunct in that its just sweet and a little bit of bread or corn. Slight subtle bitterness on the end from your hops.

M - Well, its easy to drink. Fizzy in the mouth stuff is very gulpable. On the thin side, but, to be expected.

O - I paid $2.49 for a 6 pack and I can say I got what I expected. This stuff is incredibly cheap tasting, but, for the price its a solid option. I'd rather drink this than majority of the big beer swill you see everywhere else. Glad to try it.

Serving type: can

11-01-2011 16:33:52 | More by rudzud

bigdrewsmoove

South Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pleasantly surprised by this beer. $3.99 for a sixer is a hard to beat deal especially when the beer is actually pretty decent. Poured from a can into a pint glass. Nice lacing on the glass as this one goes down. Appearance is yellow with just a tad more copper than your average straw-colored American adjunct. Smell, honestly kind of turned off by the smell. You can tell this is going to be a little sweet but it smells a little funky. The sweet taste is what you'd expect form the smell minus the funky. The hops kind of throw the balance off a little towards the bitter side but it works just fine for me. Nice moutfeel on this one, good carbonation.

Not sure I could drink more than 3 or 4 of these at a time so I can't see it being a lawnmower beer, but for one or two after work this is a great beer. Probably will make a few more trips to Trader Joes to pick this one up again.

Serving type: can

09-09-2011 21:44:13 | More by bigdrewsmoove

Treath

California

1.02/5  rDev -66.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

**Beware: This beer gives instant headaches.**

A- Upon opening and pouring into a glass mug, this beer looks yellow with some head that disappears.

S- The smell is of tin and cheap beer.

T- Terrible. First, you taste a bittersweet taste (cheap) and then all of a sudden it turns into a nasty bitter metal chalky taste which lingers for a long time.

M- Bubbly and thin.

Overall- Not worth the $2.99, I rather drain pour this beer than give it to someone.
I got a headache from it in about 15 minutes.
This is a very unpleasant beer to drink. Never again.

Serving type: can

08-11-2011 19:54:33 | More by Treath

bark

Sweden

2.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

The colour is pale gold (8 EBC), the liquid is clear. The airy off-white head is 3 fingers high; it leaves lots of thick lacing when it slowly sinks down.

The smell is very sweet and malty with lots of French loaf and corn bread. Some flowery hops, sweet nutty golden syrup flavours and a touch of alcohol.

The taste is excessively sweet, it is more like drinking wort than beer. Some fruity hops without much bitterness, hints of cereals (Corn Flakes in milk) and sugar solution. The aftertaste is sweet with some bitter hints and some warming alcohol.

The carbonation is light, the small bubbles smooth. The liquid is very sticky, almost glue-like.

I don’t know. Is it supposed to have this extreme sweetness?

Serving type: can

08-10-2011 19:43:45 | More by bark

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.03/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours a golden grassy hue, crystal clear with a decent two-finger head that leaves sheets of lacing down my pils glass.

aroma of bread, pale malts, crackers, grain, straw, a hint of funk kind of like rubber cement. a hint of sweetness... inoffensive at best.

taste is pleasantly malty, with clean, crisp pilsner malts. a bit sweet with honey and a touch of brown sugar which is a bit odd, and a hint of some hops in the finish. not bad. slight citric hop finish that seems out of place.

mouth is clean, crisp, although fairly full for the style and abv. a touch syrupy and thick. fair though.

all in all, not bad... but not great by any stretch. for the price though, wow. can't really complain that much. it doesn't seem like a true german pilsner, but a six pack is cheaper than most singles, so I'm decently happy and will drink again.

Serving type: can

07-14-2011 05:25:47 | More by djeucalyptus

Reidrover

Oregon

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz can from a 6-pack from Trader Joes,Salem. $3.99
Nice straw colured lager with a nice enough thick creamy white head.
Ok, pleasant malty/bready aromas,maybe a touch of grassy hop.
Taste is mainlly malty..some slight grassy hop and a strange fruit like bitterness..just odd,but not bad.
Ok on the palate..strange bitterness lingers..its not hops..like bitter-lemon.
Average beer..not really a pilsner, but OK.

Serving type: can

07-01-2011 03:38:36 | More by Reidrover

flexabull

California

3.23/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright gold color with a pretty nice white head.

Aromas are grassy, corn like, and some sweet creamy malts.

Taste is creamy, lightly corn sweet, dough like, with some light grassiness. Finish is dry, with thick mouthfeel, and some herbal hoppiness.

Mouthfeel is ok, but it might be a bit to thick for the style.

Overall, not a bad little beer, and this price is right. This might be a cheap summer sixer that I take hiking and camping.

Serving type: can

07-01-2011 02:21:46 | More by flexabull

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A: I wouldn’t call it hazy or cloudy, but it pours out a not quite clear honey body with a one finger, spongy head of generic white.

S: Frosted flakes with watered down white grape juice. A little apple works its way in. A slight sweetness, reminiscent of simple syrup dominates the end of the nose.

T: Fried rice with a mild fruitiness. There is an unfriendly sour pungency that comes in at the middle and then mineral water at the very end.

M: Light bodied but not entirely smooth, the beer doesn’t quite roll down and stalls right before the swallow and ends on a milky note.

O: There are a lot of pictures of The Band during the Big Pink era sitting back, laughing, playing, creating while drinking Piels Real Draft. Simpler Times reminds me of what I think that beer would have been. Maybe it just has to do with the name and how I want to associate this beer with those pictures, a simpler time of just being at the top of your game and creating something timeless. Is this beer timeless? No. But, it’s the times you have and the people you’re with while drinking this that matter. Back yard bbq’s, acoustic guitar songs, the sun setting, a baseball game on somewhere in the background… At least I’d like to think so.

Serving type: can

06-20-2011 23:14:57 | More by phantomwyse

minterro

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Trader Joes

A: Fluffy white head that fades quickly leaving behind a mosaic of scatter foam. Mild quantities bubbles rising to the surface. The liquid is a darker straw or golden color.

S: sweet malty tones

T: lemon-ish citrus malt, hints of metallic, not super complex but pleasant. Finishes with earthy tones.

M: Crisp clean. Light body

O: pretty good for the price, nice relaxing beer. I've probably have bought it 4 or 5 times now, so I enjoy it and would recommend it

Serving type: can

06-06-2011 20:47:05 | More by minterro

ithacabaron

California

3.55/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a perfect, slightly hazy maize with a low, foamy, coherent head. Glows a bit.

Aromas of hard candy, banana nectar, and yeast come through. Not very pilsnery, but not unpleasant.

Taste is bright and mildly acidic; notes of tonic water come to mind. There's some decent hop bitterness here, but no hop flavor. Still, what's here is crisp, and presents a drying finish. The lingering aftertaste isn't great, but that's what the next sip is for.

Mouthfeel is okay; you can feel the scrubbing bubbles in your mouth. Would be perfect to cut through the grease of some Carolina-sauced ribs.

All in all, not bad, and a great deal for the price point at 50 cents a can. Surely I've drank far worse. In some perverse way, it's so jarring to have actual hop bitterness in a cheap beer, and it may have hurt my review; rather than comparing this to its true price-point competition -- Natural Ice, Icehouse, High Life -- I find myself yearning for a Prima Pils. And perhaps that's not fair. I'll put it this way -- the beer was worth the 2.99 that I spent on the six pack. You can draw your own conclusions from there.

Serving type: can

06-06-2011 06:20:09 | More by ithacabaron

ddahlen

Minnesota

2.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured out of a 12 oz can from a six pack into a US Pint glass with about 2 inches of head and a clear straw color.
The nose has mild hints of lemony citrus and mineral notes. Think wet rocks.
The taste is very mild with some bready malt and some scant bitterness.
The mouthfeel is light bodied and crisp. Definitely what I'd expect for the style.
Overall, this is a decent brew which is somewhat appealing at the price point and the fact that it's canned. Not necessarily a standalone brew I'd drink, but definitely would be appealing for a summer BBQ.

Serving type: can

06-05-2011 03:19:21 | More by ddahlen

chinchill

South Carolina

2.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a flavorful economy brew with nice Pils hops but a slight metallic off-taste that also appears in the aroma. The mouthfeel is normal for style with plenty of carbonation.

O - with a very low cost, this beer is a somewhat good value; otherwise not recommended.

Available in cans at Trader Joes.

Serving type: can

05-29-2011 03:15:56 | More by chinchill

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 12oz can to Bruges hybrid glass on 5/17/11
*From notes

A: Perky, brilliant pale gold, though it's a good bit darker then most within the German Pils classification. A standard pour yields a 1.5 finger head and better lacing then I'd expected, though it dies rather quickly.

S: Lemony-limey citrus, yet it doesn't come across overly acidic.

T: The nose doesn't lie, as I get a good dose of lemon marange and malt on the fore to mid. The finish showcases a bit of grassy biscuitiness.

M: Quite smooth and rich. The forced carbonation isn't overly brash and it all makes for an easy drinking lager.

O: Simpler Times Pils was an unexpected and enjoyable surprise. Is it a classical German Pils? Nope, though it certainly is an easy drinking summertime lawnmower beer. All things considered, this a budget friendly session lager you don't have to feel ashamed to keep in the fridge. Thumbs up.

Serving type: can

05-18-2011 16:56:39 | More by Rhettroactive

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.55/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

"Everything is simpler than you think, and at the same time more complex than you imagine."

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sweet corn yellow with pastel lemon edges and a decent looking lid of bone colored froth that has enough stickiness to grace the pint glass with small shards of sudsy lace.

The nose struggles to be average... and falls short. Thankfully, it isn't powerful enough to get into too much trouble. A whiff of sweetish pale grains, hints of musky hops and metallic overtones is the sum total.

Given Minhas's rather dubious reputation, it's no wonder that the can reads 'Simpler Times Brewing Company'. Attempting to hide their identity is probably the only way they can sell any beer at all. So much for trying to avoid preconceived notions before the first sip.

Simpler Times Pilsner doesn' taste much like a German pilsner. Then again, neither does Budweiser, Miller High Life and Coors. It tastes like an adjunct lager and is as boring as they come. At least it isn't as gotta-spit-it-out bad as some of what these guys brew.

Simple is the operative word. The beer is slightly sweet, slightly corny-grainy, slightly musky-bitter, not as metallic as feared... and that's it. Assuming there's nothing else available, keep it ice cold and you'll be fine.

The body/mouthfeel is okay in terms of size, but the bubbles fade too quickly within each mouthful, which gives the finish a lackluster feel. The flavor is lackluster too, so there's a bit of synergy there.

Minhas Brewery Simpler Times Pilsner is cheap (read: inexpensive) beer that tastes cheap (read: not good). It's a sad and pathetic state of affairs that I would still prefer this stuff to the most popular lagers in America, circa 2011.

Serving type: can

04-12-2011 11:44:34 | More by BuckeyeNation

psychoholicagogo

Oregon

2.85/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Simply put this is a cheap american pilsener made primarily for ease in drinking on a warm summer day. Flavor wise it has no extraordinary qualities, but no real flaws either. Mild, soft malt flavors with a simple and somewhat thin body. Refreshing in that it lacks the metallic flavors a lot of other heavily adjuncted beers have. I'm convinced this is the same beer as their lager, only lacking in said adjuncts.

Serving type: can

03-18-2011 15:32:54 | More by psychoholicagogo