Taking their inspiration from the Czech Pilsner, Jim Koch and gang took in one step further. Normally, Pilners are brewed with one hop variety known as Saaz. This brew utilizes all five noble hops…hence the name. These hops are valued for there aromatic qualities. Most of them are grown in Germany with the exception of Saaz which is grown in the Czech Republic. The five are: Saaz, Hallertau, Hersbrucker, Spalt, and Tettnang. Their flavoring characteristics are different from US and have a lower alpha percentage (the higher the % the more bitter the hop). These hops impart a wide range of aromas and flavors, but I would say that the all have a common denominator of being earthy, subtle, and smooth.

Nobs (as I call it) has all the makings of a perfect Pils. It has a light gold color, consistent carbonation, an eggshell white head that is replenished, a sweet malt aroma, and a pronounced, crisp hop aroma. The hops provided a great opportunity for beer drinkers to learn and explore the noble varieties. With its complex nose I received hints of pine, citrus, honey, herbal spiciness, and it was a slight earthy pungency. The hops were both floral and fruity.

The taste was similar to Pilsner Urquell, but had more depth in the hop category. With a classic Sam Adams smooth finish I was left with a wonderful blend of earthy bitterness from the hops and a honey-like sweet malt aftertaste. At 5.2% ABV you could drink this all night. It does a great job of lifting away greasier foods and providing a crisp, refreshed palate.

ABV: 5.2%

Grade: A

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As you may have guessed these are not the specs of the beer I’m reviewing. They are in fact, some of the specs of the plane I find myself in as currently I am flying somewhere over central Ontario from Toronto to Chicago. At least 20,000 feet high up, straddling the atmosphere and the surface of the earth (I have no idea how far up the atmosphere is), I have a few companions along for the journey: the other dozen and half passengers on this twin prop jet, my computer, Ryan Adams (ipod), and the gratuitous Steam Whistle Premium Pilsner. This is a fine airline I’m flying I must say; a pleasant experience thus far.

As I began to partake in this fine pilsner it didn’t initially occur to me that I could review it. Shux, I thought, I wish I had brought this brew back stateside to ponder over and enjoy. However, later it dawned on me that with camera in tow, and the real glass cup the stewardess offered me, this was as good a place as any to do a review.

I have no aversion to beer in cans. It is quite European and up in Canada quite commonplace. Beers from the likes of Stella Artois to Red Stripe can be found in pint size cans at pretty much any liquor store. (However, I would have had a hard time doing a review without the glass.) I also have a small personal history with Steam Whistle. Picture a weathered, semi-circle, brick building large enough to house several locomotives. Now picture that building again in Canada’s largest city’s downtown. The only element that sets apart this building from the likes of skyscrapers like the CN tower is a beautiful field of tall, wild grasses and perfectly nestled park benches. A few years ago I immediately took notice of this structure from the Gardiner expressway, which runs between Lake Ontario and downtown Toronto (Chicagoans think Lake Shore Drive). This was the perfect backdrop for a documentary film (albeit quite amateur) that I had come to Toronto to film. All this to say Steam Whistle, the brewery that is housed in this ancient locomotive house, is nothing new to me. However, even on my last trip to Toronto almost a year ago I was not even close to the beer snob that I have become.

Considering my personal history with this company, despite it having nothing to do with actual taste, I will start out by saying that this is a wonderful and refreshing pilsner. Its appearance and pour are like that of any other pilsner. The taste is everything you hope for from a quality non-massed produced pilsner. It is crisp. It is the perfect balance of malt and hops for the style. I liken it to a well-cooked piece of fish that is perfectly seasoned. The seasoning being the hops and the fish being the malt. You want to taste the lightly malty taste that the barley brings and the hops in this beer allow for that. They do not run the show. They only bring forth the flavor they are meant to bring forth. And, last but not least, truly my favorite part of a pilsner, the yeast. What can I say? Yeast tastes and smells like yeast to me. But what makes this so pleasing is that it is refreshing and in perfect quantity.

I know many of my favorite ales and lagers await me in Chicago. Ryan Adams sings Dear Chicago, you’ll never guess… Although he goes on to sing about a beautiful women and love, I extrapolate something else, something entirely different and out of context.

Dear Chicago, you’ll never guess but I just had this incredible pilsner from the Canadian version of you. Well done Toronto.

ABV: 5%

Grade: B+

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At first pour, this true pilsner was clear and golden with a half finger frothy head that vanished following my first big sip. It smelled of traditional malts and barley with a smoky backdrop. The taste was malty and grainy that was balanced and flavorful. This brew was cold, crisp and smooth that finished well on the palate and left a sweet malty aftertaste that was quite pleasuring. Decent brew! Better if you like enjoying pilsners by the dozen.

ABV: 5.0%

Grade: B-

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So today I decided to go back to the beginning, my first beer of choice, St. Pauli Girl. And I have to say that while the memories are good, the beer is merely okay. The St. Pauli Brewery was originally built in the 17th Century on St. Paul’s Monastery. For a German lager with centuries of history, this lager drinks distinctly like the widely circulated American lagers. It pours a straw-yellow color with very little head. The taste is light with sweet malts and an edge of lemon zest. Perhaps the best word to describe this brew is thin; there is little depth or complexity. However without elaborate flavor profiles, the brew is left with an easy drinkability.

Ironically, a slogan for this beer is “You never forget your first girl.” I clearly did not forget, but I think I did glorify the memory just a bit. It’s certainly not bad, but nothing great either.

ABV: 4.9%

Grade: C

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