Before there was Spotted Cow, there was Edel Pils.
My memory is that I first tasted New Glarus beer in the late summer or early fall of 1994 when my then girlfriend and I lived together in a flat on the isthmus. She had recently turned 21 and celebrated having attained the age of majority by heading to Pinkus McBride and bringing home a 6-pack of Edel Pils by this new brewery just south of town. I was an instant fan of the beer and remain one of the brewery nearly 29 years later.
At some point, Edel Pils disappeared, its place usurped by Spotted Cow, although it has returned periodically over the years. Overall, though, the pilsner just didn't seem to have a big place in the New Glarus line-up for a long time. Unfortunately, when the brewery revamped their website fairly recently, the "Beers We Have Known and Loved" section went away so I am relying on my imperfect memory here. Hometown Blonde was a pils and a really tasty one but, alas, just like Edel Pils, it came and went.
About 5 years ago, they released a limited edition pilsner called Mistral which featured the eponymous hop from France. Things seemed quiet on the pilsner front for a spell and then last year came 22 Pils, brewed with a variety of malts and flavored with a new (or newish, anyway) German variety of hops called Diamant.
As a consumer, it seemed that there were some pilsner wheels turning down in New Glarus, but they were grinding slowly. However, this means they were grinding fine and this spring we got Pilsner, a new seasonal, named with typical Wisconsin reserve and humility.
It seems that Brewmaster Dan pieced this one together with ingredients from various pilsner brewing traditions. It's a bit German and a bit Czech; a bit old school and a bit neu. Malts are double-decocted in Central European brewing tradition and then joined with a panoply of mostly newer hops: Diamant, Mittelfrüh, Saphir, Select, and Hallertau Blanc. It seems that 22 Pils was merely a trial run for this, Dan's latest attempt at the perfect pilsner. Is this his gesamtkunstbier?
Clear as day and a refulgent yellow, Pilsner looked wonderful in my footed New Glarus pilsner glass which I brought up from the basement for the occasion. There were some bubbles inside which floated upwards to the large, white head of frothy foam that proved to be in no hurry to dissipate. Even if the flavor wasn't right, at least it had the perfect pilsner appearance. The aroma was heavenly with traditional biscuit and grassy scents joined by a hint of something fruity, something like white grapes with a little pear.
My first sip revealed a light-medium body along with a good, firm fizziness to it. The grainy taste was mainly biscuity with just a hint of doughy sweetness. A bracing herbal hoppiness provided balance and crispness and there was also a melon-like fruitiness too. On the finish, the grainy taste went auf wiedersehen and allowed the herbal-fruity hop combo to come to the fore with those new-fangled ones giving a melon-pear taste. They also gave a very pleasant medium dryness and bitterness to the finale.
Ausgezeichnet!
This is a fine pilsner. Very fine, indeed. It has more maltiness than a German pils but less than a Czech one like Pilsner Urquell. It really tasted like Dan split it perfectly down the middle. Similarly, your tongue gets a bracing dose of Noble hop flavor here but also subtle fruity ones. To the best of my knowledge, 3 of the 5 hops used here (or listed on the label, anyway) impart fruity flavors and/or aromas and I really appreciate how they are all accents and not assertively trying to make this beer into Hawaiian Punch. They provide a nice counterpoint to the more traditional pilsner flavor but really, they're all working together here instead of one standing out. Just great. And my empty pilsner glass was left with some mighty fine lacing. Visual perfection.
I hope Brewmaster Dan continues his quest for the perfect pilsner and that he throws some rye into the next batch.
Junk food pairing: This is a wonderful, complex beer that demands a subtle food pairing. Try a bag of Lay's Cucumber potato chips with your Pilsner.
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