Elk Creek Penns Valley Pilsner

Brewed by Elk Creek Cafe and Aleworks
Style: Pilsener
Millheim, Pennsylvania USA

Serve in Flute, Footed Pilsner

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In short: A clean thirst pilsner. Nothing wrong here.
How: Tap at brewpub
The look: Clear blond body topped by a small white head
In long: Nose is mildly hoppy with noble grassy hops signature, not particularly Saazy although there’s probably some Saaz in there Taste is crisp crackery malts, fresh cereals with low sweetness sensation, then a moderate grassy/leafy hopping leading to a finish moderately dry and a bitterness of mild-medium intensity. As far as its personality is concerned equal part german pilsner, czech pilsner and americanized pilsner. A ‘no-style’ super clean thirst pilsner. Nothing revolutionary here, just the type of thirst I wish each brewpub had. I can understand why this beer has such low ratings, because we all know that “pilsners are lame” and I just used quotation marks to indicate that I am being sarcastic even though I know you guys are “smart enough” to know when I’m sarcastic.

Draft at smiling chameleon. Pours golden with an inch of white foam. Not a ton on the nose. Nice bursts of citrus hop flavor on the tongue. Finishes clean. Solid example of the style.

On tap at brewpub. Gold with thin white head. Aroma is grass/straw. Mouthfeel is thick and under carbonated for a pilsner. Flavor is straw with an odd pond-like finish. Perhaps the water supply is bad and should be filtered before brewing?

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear light yellow with a thick white head. Aroma of grainy malt and grassy hops. Flavor of grainy, bready malt with sweet fruit, cereals, and a touch of grassy, garlicky hops. A top notch pilsener - Elk Creek has certainly worked out the kinks from the 1st batch. 7/4/8/4/15 [3.8/5]

10 oz glass, at brewpub. Pours aslightly hazy light yellow body with a one finger foamy white head that had good retention. Light visible carbonation. Very doughy and bready malt nose, just a bit of DMS, minimal to no hops. The flavor is just not very clean at all. There’s a very heavy plasticy taste that overshadows the malt. Don’t know if it’s the hops doing something odd, but I doubt it. Finishes with a lingering soapy clinginess on the back end with moderate bitterness. It’s almost like there’s a taste of what I would imaging spoiled corn would taste like. Light and fizzy up front, with a bit ofd a doughy clinginess on the beck end. The finish lingers a biit longer than I’d like. Somethin’ weird going on here, and I don’t like it.

UPDATED: JUL 18, 2011 Sampled on draft at the brewery this beer poured a straw yellow color with a medium sized white head. The aroma was light crisp floral hops. The flavor was bitter, tart and crisp with faint floral and fruity hops. The finish was medium length bitter and tart floral hops. Ok.

12oz pour at the brewpub. Aroma gives away the continuing blemish on the face of this brewery. This smells like sour bleach-stained dirty socks. Ugh. And I was so hopeful for a clean, fresh snappy pils. Instead, I get the revolting house signature, which isn’t that far off from bile. Pours a rather murky, clouded darker gold, with a thin rim in white. Flavor is just as pungent as the aroma. There’s a strong, chemical overtone that’s harsh and disconcerting. It’s had to taste through the chem-haze to enjoy what little resemblance of malt and hops there actually is in this beer. Chlorine, or bleach, or glycol, I don’t know, but it comes across as an acerbic styrofoam. Infection? It’s gotten so bad I don’t even want to drink any of their beers anymore. I thought they were okay at first, but now they’re so bad that it’s not worth the money. On top of that, these beers make me feel ill. I never get a good, clean fresh beer buzz from their beers, just a sickly, clouded headache. Please, please fix this problem, because I love the food and atmosphere.