Sail & Anchor Fremantle Pilsener

Brewed by Sail & Anchor Brewery
Style: Pilsener
Fremantle, Australia

The old notes have resurfaced and this one was clearly one that failed to impress. This is a tyical example of a dumbed down Euro pils with no discernible hop presence but for the harshness of POR. Thin and brackish, too gassy and astringent on the back palate.

After having to grin and bare it with a pint of ’None and Buckley’s’ whilst the S & A bar vibrated around me with life I ordered one of these noting half the bar was drinking IPA. Was I game after the barmaid blew me off with her take on GOOD service. Side by side the same in looks as the Wheat beer; clear medium gold with a lot of fluttering carbonation raising a decent white fluff. Lemon meringue pie come to mind in the aroma, with a lick of butter and fresh cut grass. Similarly slick and buttery in the mouth (flavour of the month as it wasn’t the first of the weekend!), with just enough grassy hops to keep it from being left on the bar half empty. Light peppery notes come in in the back end before a rather crisp, lightly bitter swallow that was cleaner than the palate. There was little aftertaste to it so on a Summer’s day you could fall asleep drinking a dozen schooners of it. Not my thing, though!

Clear yellow gold, slightly soapy aroma. Refreshingly crisp, but short on character-- very little hop presence at all, especially compared to the stand-out IPA.

Called into the Sail to revisit the IPA but noticed that this was a new one on tap so this had to be my first up try. Very clear golden body with a good looking but short lasting white head. Initial pleasant bitterness in the taste, it doesn’t seem to stay around for too long so makes you keep drinking it, hint of oily sweetness on the finish. Not a big pilsener or anything but certainly one that I could have a session of.