Grand River Hannenberg Pils

Brewed by Grand River Brewing
Style: Pilsener
Cambridge, Canada

Serve in Flute, Footed Pilsner

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On tap at Volo. Golden yellow, small white head. Pleasant aroma - some nice subtle hops, some sweetness, some fruity notes as well. Taste -is very good - really refreshing light malt with just a perfect bite of hops. Very refreshing, light to medium bodied, perfectly carbonated. I cannot describe the subtle intricacies of this beer or style but I can tell you, as someone who likes his strong hoppy in your face beers, this one blew me away in its simplicity- it is perfectly crafted, very drinkable, very refreshing, and very falvourful. It will please hardcore geeks and casual drinkers alike. In fact, on Volo’s Patio this past weekend, I had a party of 8 drinking several pints of it each based on my recommendation (they came in looking for Blue Light and Stella). Another winner Grand River, easily the best and most exciting brewery in the Province right now.

UPDATED: MAY 12, 2008 Fresh growler from the brewery. With a San Francisco yeast, 4.5% ABV & 13 IBU’s, I was a little skeptical of the Pilsner title, but I think it’s actually closer than the Creemore Lager which weighs in at 22 IBUs (they consider it a Bohemian Pilsner). And I really love the Hallertau Mittelfruh and Hersbruker hops. Personally, I think it boarders on the common/steam style, though it’ll blow away an Anchor Steam any day (and the fruitiness is probably more from the melanoidins in the malt than the esters from the yeast). The brewer has really put the "art" in artisanal, rising above any style guidelines. Bronze with an off-white head, some retention, great lacing. Grassy, spicy, floral hop aroma, slight fruitiness, with hints of metallic minerals, toffee & bready malt. Spicy, grassy, floral hop flavour; fruit bread with a slight graininess; touch of mineral flavour; balanced bitterness with a slight caramel sweetness. Very refined balance. I thought a Pils from this brewer would be A LOT more hop-forward. Moderate body is creamy (very impressive for its weight) with a crisp finish and a light sweetness in the aftertaste. Incredibly drinkable. This could be a serious gateway beer (with similarities to Creemore & Sam Adams). It’ll appeal to the masses, yet the quality and depth of subtle flavours should also appeal to the serious beer geek, making it a great sessional brew.

UPDATED: SEP 22, 2011 growler fresh from the brewery. bottled yesterday so thats pretty fresh! pours golden with a small white head. soft but steady carbonation. aromas are sweet bread with grassy hops, and yeast showing in the nose. very distinct grand river aromas but still very pilsnerish. flavours are sweet breadiness, somewhat doughy, yeast crosses the palate, then the hops come in to bitter out the finish. id love to know the hops profile used in this one. the balance and drinkablity are there and this is very sessionable. a solid brew for the summer.///////////////////////////// currently a really sloppy mess most of the time, when it gets proper conditioning its still drinkable but its no where near as good as it used to be

UPDATED: MAY 12, 2008 A bit of colour, San Francisco yeast, bubbles.Good bitterness and malt on top of the already naturally bitter hard water of the area.Hallenteau hops and German malts. Sampled at the brewery On tap at The Winking Judge with the Grand River Brewing owner Robert Hannenberg. First sample had pleasant aroma that none of us including Bill the judge identify, though there is some ppper. Second pint was totally neutral. yellowish with dissipitating white foam. Some citrus and the constant Grand River bitterness. The unfiltered pre-edition was a bit more interesting and complex in fruit that Robert puts down to apricot. This would be great on cask.

UPDATED: MAY 14, 2008 Draught. At Volo. Mostly clear gold pour with a small white head. Clean, refeshing, appealing aroma, sweet and light; floral hops, light fruity banana/apple malt, with dashes of yeast and spice - reminded me of a hefe-pils cross. The taste was also quite light, a perfect patio beer, crisp, floral and just the right amount of bitterness to balance out the sweetness. The mouthfeel seemed a bit slick - this really is light-bodied - with a whisper of astringency. This would be terrific on cask, it reminded me on the palate of the better cask English golden ales - lightly malty, with just the right amount of hop bitterness in the finish. Very refreshing, and another solid offering from Grand River.