Hargreaves Hill Ballarat Bohemian Pilsner

Formerly brewed at Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company
Style: Pilsener
Steels Creek, Victoria, Australia

Serve in Flute, Footed Pilsner

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Tap at Beer Deluxe. (Pretty sure this is brewed at U of Ballarat.) Presents much like any old Euro-lager in terms of appearance and aroma, and in the scheme of local lagers this can only be a good thing. In the complete absence of any fermentation weirdness (hats off) the aroma is fairly plain - very little hop, but some nice clean pils malt. The flavour is similarly proportioned - very clean, with lean malt and light bitterness except that it has a MASSIVE hop pellet flavour. It doesn’t speak of any particular variety (German noble if I had to guess) nearly as much as it does of that threshed up hop pellet character that you taste in some beers. It’s actually quite nice, but just completely out of character and proportion to the rest of the beer. It similarly distorts the mouthfeel - seems like it would normally be fine but the blast of flavour mid-palate throws you a bit. Certainly well-brewed, just needs some recipes tweaks I think. Zero finesse, but enjoyable nonetheless. That said, I drank this at the same time as a 2 Bros Chief and I kept going back to the Chief. It’s not often I go for an amber lager over a pils.

Tried this on tap at their restaurant in the Yarra Glen and there it was called Hargreaves Hill Ballarat Bohemian Pilsener, cos it was brewed at Ballarat U. Pale golden colour with short head but lacing. Crisp taste, some citrus, a little sulphur on the nose, prominent bitterness but not harsh.