Wolferstetter: Josef Groll Pils (Germany: Pilsner: 4.9% ABV)
Visual: Pale yellow. Very heavily filled with small bubbled carbonation. Small bubbled mounded white head.
Nose: Vanilla. Caramel popcorn. Crisp hop bitterness. Lightly peppery. Slight orange zest.
Body: Slightly oily, but still crisp. Lightly bready. Vanilla. Soft orange.
Finish: Lightly oily. Moderate bitterness. Popcorn. Slight vanilla. Charred oak that grows over time. Palma violets. Light grassy.
Conclusion: The problem I find with a good Pils, in doing drinking notes that is, is that a good pils is often a matter of doing a few simple things very well, and that can be hard to write about. That seems double true for German Pilsner – it feels like Bohemian Pils, while not better or worse, are fancier so easier to write about.
So, what I am saying, is that I enjoyed this, but I am having a hard time writing about it so basically just waffling.
Sorry.
So, it is crisp but not super crisp. On the oilier side of a Pilsner but not heavily so – I appreciate the extra grip it gives without hurting the drinkability.
Flavour wise, soft vanilla, popcorn, moderate bitterness. A simple mix, but slips down oh so easily. A few little twists on that, the noble hop palma violet touch, some soft orange freshness, and popcorn feel to the moderate bitterness.
It uses those little extras as a spice around a solidly drinkable core and back to what I first said with that slight oiliness but still crisp – that is what makes it work, that finely tuned balance is what makes it so drinkable. Everything else is just gravy.
Very easy drinking, very enjoyable.
Background: Another German brewery where I had to google to get the correct spelling as I just could not tell from the font. A me problem, not them, but a common issue I have with German breweries. Another beer from Independent Spirit’s massive German selection that I have not encountered before so know little about it. I was thinking I hadn’t had many German style Pils for a while, saw this, so grabbed to give a go. Sometimes it is that simple for my choices. For once I didn’t note down my backing music while drinking. Erm. Ooops. Trust me it was amazing, I Have impeccable taste in music and not at all cringe honest.
