Sly Fox Pikeland Pils

Beer: Pikeland Pils
Brewery: Sly Fox Brewing Company
Style: German-style Pilsner
ABV: 4.9%

 Serving Style: Can
Glassware: Pint glass
Drinking Establishment: The Old Bay, New Brunswick, NJ
Primary Consumer: Ally
Consumption Companion: Joe from the George St. Co-op

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OVERALL RATING:

Sight: Clear straw yellow, with a 1-finger head that recedes rather quickly.

Smell: Sweet, like Gummy Bears, or apple cider, with grassy and metallic notes as well.

Flavor: Not as sweet as it smells.  Mostly the grassy flavor comes through, with a very mild citrus note and a slight hop aftertaste.

Feel: Syrupy mouthfeel.  Low carbonation.

Concluding Remark: I really wanted this Sly Fox Pilsner to taste like a Gummy Bear, but it doesn’t.  Not even a watered-down Gummy Bear.  In fact, it doesn’t really taste like much.  It has maybe a slight taste of cider, but weakly so.  However, as Joe remarked, there’s no strong flavor, but it’s not necessarily offensive.  And it comes in a can, and as the Oskar Blues Brewery tells us, that’s a pretty good thing.

And on second thought, maybe Gummy Bear-flavored beer would be kinda gross.

Victory Prima Pils

Beer: Prima Pils
Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Style: German-style Pilsner
ABV: 5.3%

 Serving Style: Bottle
Glassware: Pilsner glass
Drinking Establishment: The Fant Mansion
Secondary Consumer: Ally
Primary Consumer: James, Ally’s bro-in-law

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OVERALL RATING:

Sight: Slightly cloudy golden yellow.  Fluffy white 1-finger head that recedes to a smattering of bubbles.

Smell: James says it smells like a Bud.  Unfortunately, yes, it does have that generic beer aroma.

Flavor: It tastes much better than it smells–a clean flavor of hops, with a bitterness that lingers on the back of the tongue.

Feel: Crisp, with moderate carbonation.

Concluding Remark: This Pilsner from Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing Company is pretty straightforward–clean, crisp, and smooth, with hops dominating the flavor profile.  Nothing too flashy or exciting going on here, but the Prima Pils is a decent representation of that classic Pilsner taste.

TYIB REVIEW OFF: Troegenator Double Bock

What happens when Get Blitzed Day rolls around and the ladies at The Year in Beer both want to get blitzed on the same brew?  Well, a TYIB Review Off, of course!  Read on to get a double review of this Double Bock from Pennyslvania-based brewery Tröegs.

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REVIEW OFF: THE BEER

Beer:  Troegenator
Brewery: Tröegs Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.2%

REVIEW OFF: CONTESTANT 1, ALLY

Serving Style: Bottle
Glassware: Tulip glass
Drinking Establishment: Stuff Yer Face, New Brunswick, NJ
Primary Consumer: Ally

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OVERALL RATING:

Sight: Dark amber, like maple syrup.  Foamy white head that recedes quickly.

Scent: Sweet malts, with notes of figs and raisins.

Flavor: Malty sweetness balanced with bitter hops, with some citrus zest, raisins, and other dried fruit flavors lingering in there as well.

Feel:  Rich, crisp, with moderate carbonation.

Concluding remarks:  Chocolate isn’t the only amazing edible being produced in Hershey, Pennsylvania; Tröegs Brewing Company is releasing some pretty great brews that rank highly on the Pint Glass Scale–not least among them their version of the Doppelbock.  Winner of many a medal at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, the Troegenator is a well-balanced Bock that lives up to the monastic tradition of being “liquid bread.”  It’s a substantial beer, but very drinkable, and the bitter hops and sweet malts complement each other nicely.

REVIEW OFF: CONTESTANT 2, KERENSA

Serving Style: Bottle
Glassware: Pilsner glass
Drinking Establishment: Kerensa’s kitchen
Primary Consumer: Kerensa

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OVERALL RATING:

Sight: Murky, dark mahogany body with no head.

Scent: Sweet dark pumpernickel bread with a bit of raisins and a lingering note of alcohol.

Flavor: The ‘Nator tastes like liquid creme brûlée bread pudding. (Now if only that existed in food form.) There is a very slight smoke presence, too.

Feel: Thin body with little carbonation. It feels warm from the alcohol content.

Concluding remarks:  This is the best Doppelbock I’ve had this month. As there is little carbonation, the complex yet balanced flavor takes the spotlight. The alcohol note is hidden in taste, but you’ll feel Tröegs’s brew in your cheeks. All in all, this Bock is exceptionally delicious.

Yuengling Bock

Beer:  Bock Beer
Brewery: Yuengling Brewery
Style: Bock
ABV: 5.1%

 Serving Style: Bottle
Glassware: Pilsner glass
Drinking Establishment: Ally’s apartment
Primary Consumer: Ally

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OVERALL RATING:

Sight: Reddish and golden amber hues.  1/2-finger off-white head that quickly settles to a light dusting of carbonation with decent lacing.

Scent: Sweet and malty, with some notes of alcohol.

Flavor: Not as flavorful as the aroma suggests; it’s a weak attempt at some malts, with a note of cereal and some sweetness at the end.  Kind of seltzery as well.  And just like seltzer, it’s pretty darn bland.

Feel:  Thin and somewhat watery.  Sharp, moderate-to-high carbonation that tickles the mouth and throat.

Concluding remarks: For the longest time, I never really considered that Yuengling Brewery–America’s oldest brewery, as it proudly proclaims on every can and bottle–made anything but its Traditional Lager.  When someone said, “I’ll have a Yuengling,” I had only one drink it mind.  So, when I discovered this Bock on the shelves of my local liquor store (shout out to Cedar Grove Wine & Liquors!), I was stoked.  But then I brought it home and tried it…and was a whole lot less stoked.  I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting: the Yuengling Lager isn’t anything to write home about–it’s your better-than-average, found-at-most-northeast-bars, cheap-but-decent brew; and the label of the Bock even proclaims it “tastes good”–not that it’s great, or that it’ll blow your mind, i.e. no false advertising.  Nevertheless, I hoped for more from this simple Pennsylvania brewery, and was disappointed by this dull, flavorless beer.  I guess it wouldn’t be completely out of left field to say this is the Bock equivalent of what Yuengling does for the Lager; and so, if you find it somewhere for very cheap, and your only other choices are Bud Light, Miller Light, and Heineken, go for it.

And for the record, Yuengling also makes a Porter, a Black-and-Tan, an Ale, and what it nebulously refers to as its Premium Beer.