Howe Sound Pilsner Plunge

Brewed by Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co.
Style: Pilsener
Squamish, Canada

On tap - pours a cloudy yellow. Aroma is slightly grassy and hoppy. Flavour is grainy, a little bitter - quite thin-bodied. Decent, but unmemorable pilsner.

Pint on tap at Sailor Hagar’s in North Vancouver. Sailor Hagar’s beers are now brewed by Howe Sound Brewing and are Howe Sound beers under sudonyms. This one is sold as Sailor Hagar’s Honey Pilsner. Appearance: Orangey gold and slightly opaque, with a vibrant bubbly white head that quickly recedes to a gentle ring, but leaves lots of lacing. Aroma: Not overpowering, but inviting. Subtle honey, and the kind of crisp hop aroma you can only get from a good quality pilsner. Taste: Crisp and refreshing, with subtle honey and a big hop flavour. Lots of bitterness and some tart citrus flavours from the hops. This beer shows how both a honey lager and a pilsner should be made, unlike many others in the Pacific northwest. Pilsners in the PNW tend to be a little sweet for the style, but this beer from Howe Sound only has subtle sweetness from the honey, with no other unfortunate sweetness. It is very tempered with the hops, so the overall flavour is bitter, not sweet, with the honey adding complexity and flavour rather than rich sweetness. The finish is very long and bitter, only slightly dry, with hints of honey and subtle grassiness from the Saaz hops, and is intensely rewarding. One of the nicest pilsners anywhere in the world. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and faintly silky from the honey. Drinkability: Very moreish. Simply not possible to only have one of these exceptional pilsners.

Draught at the brewpub
Correctly brewed, it shows some crispy malt and good hopping, more the flavor and the finish than the aroma. There is also a light apple aroma.

Light grassy notes to the honey sweet aroma. Somewhat hazy yellow blonde body is topped by a decent, white, fine bubbled head that recedes to a lasting cover with some spotty lacing. Honey sweetness, some grain and a surprising bitterness that is quite enjoyable. Medium light body with quite strong, effervescent carbonation. Although I’m not finding a lot of pilsner character to this beer, I’m quite happy drinking it all the same. Tulip glass. Just above fridge temperature. 1L swing-top bottle (Purchased at the brewpub, Mar-08).

Honey colored with a foamy head and lots of lace. Light and husky with some grassy qualities. Bitter with some grass and citrus. Toasted malts. Thin and a touch watery with a finish of bitter hops.

(Draught) Sampled at the brewpub on December 9, 2006. Thin white foamy head with a clear yellow body. Nose and flavour are decent and finishes with a mild graininess. Good stuff for a pils

Deep golden, nice lasting white head.Good Saaz hop aroma, not really noticeable in the taste which is nothing but light malt.

Nice pils. Probably a different batch then the others had. Nice saaz hops in the aroma, lasting head with a golden slightly hazed body. Nice hop balance and little caramel malts. Nice smooth finish with a tinge of bitterness.