Emersons Pilsner (Organic)

Brewed by Emersons Brewing Company
Style: Pilsener
Dunedin, New Zealand

Serve in Flute, Footed Pilsner

(bottle shared by OSLO) Pours a hazy light gold with a soapy light white head. Strong floral hop scent, with some biscuit, cookie dough, and on occasion the smell of green olives which prompted me to lower the aroma score. The taste is very nice, with a solid sweet undertone (could be peach-like), coupled with a dry cracker-like flavor towards the finish. Hops are present as well, but they show up towards the finish providing a pleasant lingering bitterness on the tongue, with some mineral flavor appearing right before this bitterness. Mouthfeel doesn’t get any better than this on a pilsener, as it stays light while remaining creamy, which prompts further sips. Never was really all that excited about this style, but now that I’ve tried one that’s masterfully brewed, I’d like to try more. Thanks Al!

Bottle 500ml. Great pilsner. Aroma is floral, with also grass, apple, and banana. Taste is sweet, with lingering bitterness, and average duration. Creamy palate, with medium body. Yellow and bubbly, it has a white creamy head.

Bottle. Pours with an average foamy head over a clear light straw body. Excellent lacing. Light floral aroma and light floral-tropical fruit flavour that reveals a soft mouth filling bitterness. Clean.

UPDATED: MAY 2, 2011 Bottle, 500ml. Pale gold, large tight white head, fair bit of carbonation. The head lasts very well. Smells grassy and spicy. Some wood chips and blackcurrants too. Flavour is a little sour to go with supporting light, biscuity malts and fruits (berries, apricots). Mouth-puckering hop bitterness at the end. Not an imitation of a Czech or German Pilsener. I was going to say it’s a bit austere and I wouldn’t want a second now had I bought one, but it’s become quite a bit more approachable as it warms a little in the glass.

[moved rate of non-organic version, returned score to what it was]

Bottle. Clear golden pour with a large, white long-lasting head. Nose is hoppy and has notes of citrus, pine, malt and grass. Flavour is quite similar but has stronger notes of lemon, grapefruit, caramel and malt. Medium body with a long bitter finish. Very good pilsener, one of the best I’ve tried, but I kind of expected that from Emerson’s.

Bottle at Brew on Quay in downtown Auckland. Pours a pale, slightly cloudy, yellow-gold with a huge white head and a lot of visible carbonation. Embodies its ’organic’ label well, with a very earthy aroma of hops, malt, and straw. The flavor starts earthy, too, with straw and wood chips, and then finishes sweet and almost tangy with a little bit of a bite. Crisp, light-bodied, and bubbly in the mouth from such active carbonation. I was thrilled to see this rated so highly in class because it’s the best pilsner I’ve ever had.

Pours light cloudy yellow with a white head. Aroma is malt, hoppy, citrus and blackberries. Flavour is light malt, grape, citrus and blackberries. Nice.

UPDATED: MAY 23, 2011 A very good pilsner and perfect summer drinking. Nice hoppy nose, lots of things happening. Mouthfeel is a little fizzy, but smooth and well balanced. Goes down really well. Top stuff.