Short's Pontius Road Pilsner - Short's Brewing Company

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.23/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours golden yellow, light white fizzy head.

A bit sweet and malty, faint floral hops

Has some bite in the flavor, maybe from the saaz. Lots of malt with a touch of sweetness on the finish.

Moderate carbonation with some bite

Overall, decent but lacks that pilsner hop flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 01:52:26 | More by hooliganlife

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

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

Clear as can be yellow. Decent carbonation. Has a hard time keeping any kind of head up. Small amount of yeast in the bottle- nice because the beer can continue lagering in storage. Smells like lager yeast, clean and faint. Impressive grainy pilsner flavors. Thin body and crisp finish. Has a distinct Chech Saaz character (I assume hop choice from grassy - peppery notes.) Mild bitterness, very refreshing. I usually don't drink excessively, but I gladly drink a bunch of these.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2012 02:53:17 | More by mlazzaro

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at lord hobo in boston

Pours a super clear golden straw color with a layering of white head. Dissolves quickly leaving little lacing or retention behind.

A snap of hops with grass and a touch of straw. Faint bitterness with a touch of fruit sweetness.

A little bitter with hints of corn up front. Light hoppy note followed by some straw and grainy hints. Milder malt backbone, very refreshing and crisp. Finishes quick and a bit dry.

Lighter medium body, decent carbonation, drinks super easy and plenty refreshing on the senses. This is a pretty nice pils that I'd definitely drink again - I also enjoyed the addition of corn to the brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 23:04:46 | More by xnicknj

oline73

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap at the brewpub. Poured into a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear golden color with fluffy off white head and a good amount of lacing.

Smell: Very mild with some sweet grain.

Taste: Again, quite mild. Some bready malt with a small amount of hop bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I think this would be a nice cookout beer if you just want to sip something you don't need to think about too much. I would say it was alright, but I probably won't have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 21:02:06 | More by oline73

Lillenk

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Grill One Eleven.

Appearance was a very nice golden color but a little cloudier than I would like to see from a Pilsner.

Smell was nice. Very typical smells of a pilsner. No off smells. Some hops in there too.

Taste was good. Very typical of the style. Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary but a good crisp sessionable beer.

Mouthfeel was great. Very light bodied. I could definately drink quite a few of these. Overall a pretty good beer experience.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2011 16:27:58 | More by Lillenk

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.38/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 6/29/2010. On tap at Shorts. The beer pours a cloudy bright yellow, almost neon yellow, with a white head. Aroma of grainy malt, sweet fruits, bitter and sweaty hops. Flavor of wheaty, grainy, dry malt with a crisp hoppy finish. Nice pilsener.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 01:29:00 | More by LilBeerDoctor

kbeals

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a snifter glass. Pale, golden yellow in color with about a figner of off-white slightly fizzy head. Good head retention but not much lacing.

S- A bit citrusy with a pretty good sweet malt bill. Not much else to it.

T- Has a relatively strong bitter, citrusy kick with a good malt taste to finish. A pretty well-balanced beer. I wish I had more familiarity with pilsners.

M- Light-medium body with a bit of carbonation. Goes down pretty easy.

D- Easy to drink. Not a real high ABV but a very tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2009 02:53:22 | More by kbeals

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewpub. Perle hops, santiem hops. Dry hopped. Yellow looks like ginger ale, and lacey. Medium mouthfeel. Served very cold, that's intentional. Very drinkable, alight bitterness and minerals, different than the Czech pils I have been having.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2009 11:49:04 | More by northyorksammy

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on-tap during the short's throwdown at the roadhouse, in brookline, ma, on april 24, 2009, the week of the craft brewers conference.

very pale yellow. slight haze. creamy head soon shrinks to wispy, foamy, thin layer, then just ring. splotchy rings of lace, with one nicer ring further down the glass.

bready aroma and hint of yeast. whiff of sulfur, with solid noble hop profile; herbal with peppery note.

taste: big hoppy bite! almost peppery again. crisp, bold bitterness, but balanced by a nice malt breadiness, almost sweet. crisp and hoppy.

light body, but resins give texture in the finish. lots of crisp carbonation to lift flavors and refresh.

not a typical czech pils. borders on german. on their website, short's just says "true american pilsner style beer". fair enough - and truer than miller lite can ever hope to be.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2009 10:30:17 | More by tai4ji2x

sarahspat

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had this one on tap at Cambridge House last night. Served in a Weizen glass (close enough, I guess).

There was about an inch of white, soft-looking head which quickly retreated. Left a few bits of lace here and there. The beer looks exactly what you would expect a pilsner to look like. Very clear, light golden yellow color.

The nose is pleasant and features light floral scents and deep, sweet fruitiness.

Lemon peel dominates the flavor; this beer has a bitter bite to it. There is also a kind of an elusive malty sweetness lurking in the background. I was never able to put my finger on any other specific flavors. The finish is very dry with a medium-light mouthfeel and just the right amount of carbonation. Much more hoppy than malty.

I deducted points from the drinkability because it made my mouth uncomfortably dry. Despite the pleasant flavor, I found it a little difficult to drink the whole glass.

This is maybe my third craft pilsner ever, so I'm definitely not an expert on the style, but this one might be my least favorite. It's not a bad beer at all, just didn't really have the crispness I was looking for.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2009 14:24:17 | More by sarahspat

Gigantis

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a pitcher of this split between 3 of us.

A lovely blaze of bright, dirty sunshine/gold with a tidal wave of foamy white riding high above. This beer looked extremely appetizing in the pitcher and it poured well into the pils glasses provided to us by Logan's Alley. It left tattered curtains down my long glass.

The aroma was nice and clean - a little hint of citrus zest.

The taste starts off clean and floral. Dry malt taste lingers afterwards. There is a hop kiss to end each drink. I found the light bitterness to be the best thing about the taste of this pils.

This is light-medium beer all the way. The carbonation is just right and the floral, just-barely-there bitterness feels very good. I kind of felt that the taste sat on my tongue a bit too long though. Not quite dry enough.

Very drinkable. It has that crisp clean taste that leaves you wanting a little bit more. I could have probably finished the entire pitcher with not a second thought.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2009 21:00:48 | More by Gigantis

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Slows in Detroit this week. The beer was clear and golden/straw colored, maybe a little hazy, with a very thin head. The smell was more malty than hoppy, actually a little bready and clean. The taste was likewise malty, no real hops flavors picked up except a touch of bitterness. Medium body, this is easy to gulp, crisp and refreshing, not as hoppy as I'd like though.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2008 22:32:40 | More by TurdFurgison

brentk56

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a clear golden color and a modest head that nevertheless litters the pint glass with a few shards of lace

Smell: Floral and grainy

Taste: Opens with a crisp, bready quality that quickly forges forward to a grainy bitterness; after the swallow, it really comes into its own, with a crisp floral, but not sweet, finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with prickly carbonation

Drinkability: The floral finish on this beer makes it eminently quaffable; when combined with the bitter character, it makes the beer sublime

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2008 02:23:27 | More by brentk56

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.71/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: very light straw yellow color. mostly clear but with just a slight haze to it. small white head that doesn't leave much behind.

Smell: weak, almost hard to find. mostly grassy/grainy notes. some slight spicy hop

Taste: grassy/graininess, pilsner malts, hops, slightly spice, some slight muskiness to it. pretty well balanced and tasty.

Mouthfeel: a little lacking on the carbonation. more crispness would make this beer better. not quite as clean as i'd like either. but mostly refreshing and very light

overall: I wasn't expecting a ton out of Short's on this style, but i was pleasantly surprised. i found a very light and still pretty tasty beer

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 02:24:44 | More by SportsandJorts

tectactoe

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Served in a bottle from Old Chicago, just trying to get something light and easy to wash my food down with. Pours a very light, golden-straw color, mostly clear throughout, with a tiny chill haze sifting through the middle of the brew. The soapy, bubbling white head settles quickly at an eighth-inch or so, minimal lacing left behind.

The aroma is.... nothing. Smells like glass. Or maybe I'm just smelling the glass. In all seriousness, this was served a bit cold - my assumption is that the aroma of this beer isn't incredibly powerful to begin with, so chilling it to just-above-freezing temps are going to muzzle it completely. Bingo! Within the next few minutes or so of warming up, some aromas finally emerge from the golden brew; light corn and grains with a mild chalkiness in the air. Hops are present but lacking - there isn't much zest or zing in this thing at all. Pretty subdued and just boring overall. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's a pilsner - I've had wonderful smelling pilsners before... but this is just far too weak.

Luckily the taste actually provides somewhat of a sensory indication that this liquid is something other than water. Heavy amount of grains up front with an industrial sized backbone laden of pilsner malt; lightly sweetness with some steely hints in the background. Some mild corn and cereal grains take you down a path that leads to a raunchy, highly musky hop bitterness that hits your palate quickly about halfway through; borderline astringent at times. Crispy, somewhat clean, and finishing with a good sample of lager yeast - it leaves the mouth coated with it when finished. Body is light and thin, highly carbonated to provide a good "snap" and a clean, dry finish.

Well this one tasted much better than it smelled, mostly because it smelled almost like an empty glass. Refreshing overall, though the musky hops could lend a hand to a head-scratching astringency it seems. Good to wash a meal down with, which is pretty much all I was looking for. Just wish it had something to offer my nostrils - they felt left out.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 11:42:13 | More by tectactoe

czfreeman

Michigan

4.61/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just moved to MI. First Shorts beer I've bought, except for a Soft Parade last night.
Pours a nice golden light Pilsner tone. Light fluffy head, good carbonation.
Smells nice, crisp, bready.Pepper, bittering hops, floral notes. Slightly musty grains, clean, sharp, very good Pilsner.
Flavor is crisp.Bread, citrus, pepper, bittering hops, smooth grainy body, great hop balance and the sharp spicy peper notes with the perfect body and carbonation create one of the best Pils I've ever had.
After living in Germany for several years, I've tried many a Pils. Normally the American versions are so hopped they almost come off as APA's, and sometimes German Pils are a touch too sweet.
This is the perfect balance and really one of the best versions of the style I've tried.The relatively low rating on here puzzles me.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:42:53 | More by czfreeman

wingman14

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a bubbly bright straw yellow with a snow white head. Smell is sweet, malt and yeast with some earthy smells. Taste isn't sweet as the smell would suggest, taste starts bitter with malty tones. The bitter tastes like it came from hops. No yeast flavors some earthy ones are there. A medium light body, very smooth, great carbonation. A nice beer, good balance, bitter without huge hop flavor, tasty beer

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 20:22:02 | More by wingman14

CHickman

New York

3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazy yellow color with a massive 2 finger foamy snow white head that faded slowly and was full of tight bubbles, leaving good lacing and foamy rings as it went. There were 10 rings of foam when I finished drinking this.

Smells herbal with flowers, light grains, funk, grass, husk, sweet malt, caramel, biscuit and lemon zest. Pretty mild nose, which is bland, standard and true to the style.

Tastes like it smells, with grass, herbs, lemon zest, flowers, light grains, yeast funk, vegetable husk, sweet malt, caramel, biscuit and wet bread like cardboard. There seems to be a little spice bite, but no real hop presence.

Mouthfeel is light and crisp with light fizzy carbonation, a light body and a sweet finish that’s on the grainy side.

Above average, but the lack of hops was a let down and made this a bit boring. Highly drinkable, and better than most macro brews, this is like a craft beer training bra and worth unsnapping.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:16:51 | More by CHickman

JDizzle

Indiana

3.15/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a tulip.

Looks like a cloudy wheat beer. Not much head, but golden yellow that doesn't look like the normal pilsner. Very nice, but weird?!

Smells like an earthy pungent flower bomb. Not too sure what the hell this is?? It's grassy, but smells a bit like rotten milk...

Really off for a pilsner. It has a lot of herbal tendancies that don't mingle well with my palate. It's bitter on the end, but has an earthy grassy floral punch in the middle.

Mouthfeel is thin and has a taste that lingers, and I'm not that gratefull about it.

Will not buy again. The last few Shorts beers I have had have been a let down.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 02:11:16 | More by JDizzle

dfillius

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass
A: Moderate pour yields 3/4 finger of fizzy tight white head with fair retention. Chill hazy? Straw blonde liquid. I'd prefer it to be clearer.
S: Lemongrass, jasmine flower, pungent herbal/sulfur compound/garlic. Very nice! No off aroma or skunk. Slight honey.
T: Bitterness is aggressive. Starts out with a flavor void hat seems to suck bitterness into it. Bitterness dominates. Too much bitterness I'd say though. Later on as it warms, however, a good malt base is apparent.
M: A bit thin and green/starchy. Very bitter. Maybe that's why it is hazy. Dry.
O: I like this. I enjoy a pint, but I probably won't actually buy 6. Maybe for a party. tasty, but too bitter.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:42:35 | More by dfillius

KDawg

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from bottle into a 1L krug. Pours a hazy yellow/gold color with a smaller head.

Crisp and balanced aromas of crackers, citrus, and grains. Nice aromas, but lacking some depth.

Lighter bodied with a very smooth feel. Crisp with very good notes of grains, noble hops and citrus'.

A really good pilsner. Nice and balanced with good crispness on both the smell and taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:15:02 | More by KDawg

Alextricity

Michigan

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

Bottled 3/13/12 and poured 9/29/12

Appearance: A murky yellow color with a thin head that leaves surprisingly decent lacing.

Smell: A very light hop aroma... maybe even a bit of wheat-like smells as well.

Taste/feel: As expected, mild. Drinks a lot like a light beer. The biggest thing about this beer that I don't care for is that instant it hits the tongue. It feels like carbonated water, and that's really it. But once the taste comes out, it's not too bad. There's a decent bit of hops and even some spices in there. A very mild aroma and taste, but that's what's expected with this style. It gets better as you get to the bottom of the glass, but still a pretty ordinary beer -- would make a GREAT beer for Summer.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 22:39:16 | More by Alextricity

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light yellow, hazy color, and inviting. Smell is muted and not very distinct, but it smells like this is beer. Tastes is very good, light, not heavy on the palate, actively, refreshingly carbonation, and then bitter enough to know that hops are there, and then dry and fruity, almost lemony, with some sour-ish notes that make it feel a bit like a hoppier farm ale or saison. Overall I like this a lot for a pilsner, which usually isn't in the fridge. I could see getting a six or a bottle of these from time to time. Nice offering

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 23:46:33 | More by Bitter_Echo

birchstick

Missouri

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

Pouts filtered yellow with a nice head. Nose is lots of grain malts with slight grass presence. Taste is the same - lots of grainyalts throughout and ends with a slight grass bitterness. Pretty solid take on the pilsner, might be the most true to style I have from America. Although this is a pretty short review, the sentence prior to this one sums up my feelings on this beer...not über complex, but delicious and true to style.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 00:54:56 | More by birchstick

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deuane shared this bottle with me and orangesol. My first Short's experience.

A - Pours with a clear and lively body...it was tinted golden yellow with a slightly cold haze...the head was bubbly and white in color...it settled to a thin cap and left nice lacing

S - Light nose with bright lemon leading the way...grassy hops provide another level...overall the nose was light and crisp

T - Those grassy notes from the nose carry over to the palate...it comes in the form of noble hops and some earthy grains...the middle is a bit thin, but there is subtle lemon coming through...the hops come back in the finish and have some citrus rind bitterness

M - Light bodied...crisp and bitter

O - Not a bad intro to Short's, but not what I was expecting...a decent Pils, but nothing overwhelming

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 19:09:59 | More by thain709