Beer – #574 – Harrington’s – Brewers’ Selection Strong Pilsner

Harrington’s – Brewers’ Selection Strong Pilsner.

An elegantly smooth Pilsner style with a refreshing, tangy finish

So then we get to uncomplicated beer, uncomplicated music, uncomplicated maths and complications at a gathering

Back to the standard 500ml of beer, with 6.5% ABV, 195 calories a serve size, the bottle is 2.6 standard drink units

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) in the style that is Pilsener and they do that in Christchurch, New Zealand

Man who need a haircut smiles

We’ve led out with a strong golden pilsner a modern take on a traditional Bohemian Pils style.

You might call it almost an Imperial Golden Pils – loaded with gorgeous German malts, New Zealand hops, our special Harrington’s yeast and some of the best water in the country.

What could go wrong? Well nothing except more confusion over another Harrington’s beer called Anvil. But that’s another story right. OR perhaps a beer called “Strongman” Someone needs to sort this out. Someone not me, right?

Not much given away on opening this, faint very faint aroma of grass and yeast.

Cloudy yellow pour with a head like an ice-cream float, it’s enormous. The beer really is well carbonated and it really is strangely cloudy for a beer of this style.

The head is dense, that’s almost a meal in itself.

Then there is the taste.

Of which there appears none. I might have sold that short I’m getting orange and lemon notes.

I’m not sure where to go with this. I don’t think it’s that good.

There isn’t much by way of ‘taste’ and it finishes on an unusually sweet finish. Where are the hops?

I can see why a brewer might think this was a pinnacle beer, it has no hard edges and drinks well as a quaffer. It doesn’t though showcase the style in a way that you’d get from a German sourced of the same style for instance.

I don’t want to sound angry but this really is tedious. I think it’s ok to have an expectation and be disappointed with the delivery.

Good thing though is that this isn’t challenging to drink in any way, it’s a great drinking beer for a thirst, and the slightly higher ABV might get you to your happy place slightly quicker.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. Fantastic looking beer, lots of interesting in the glass, great head, great lacing, and a soft and palatable drinking profile. Had no problems finishing the bottle, thought I might have liked another, and if out and this was on tap, and on the right occasion I would.

It did go well with the dinner which was a Miso Chicken Vegetable thing, and that can’t be bad.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Not for the style, but for the alcohol.
Would I have another? Not something to consider really.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? There are other ways to get to a happy place cheaper is all I want to say.

Note: I was provided this beer by the brewer to try and review, without catches, this is 1 of 12 should you wonder about the sudden love of a brewer out of the blue.

Musically the dial spun and this popped up “Erasure” the album “The Violet Flame” Listen here This a track called “Elevation”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxbCYslKjLA

Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of singer and songwriter Andy Bell and songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke, between them in the past Yazoo and Depeche Mode.

PILSENER

While the definition of “pilsner” is open to much debate in the beer community, it generally refers to pale, hoppy lagers, ranging from 28 IBUs and up.