For those of you that are not aware, Adam Firestone, one of the founders of the Firestone Walker Brewing Company, is part of the Firestone family, the same people that founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1900. In addition to Craft Beer, members of the Firestone family are also involved in winemaking and distilling (the Firestone clan sound like my kind of people!).

While I can’t say much about the quality of the Firestone family’s wine and whisky endeavors, my experiences with their Craft Beers have yet to disappoint me, so when I saw that The Foodery had their Pivo Hoppy Pilsner in stock during a recent lunchtime beer run, I picked up a bottle for a review. 

Before we get to my impressions of this beer, here are a few words about the Pivo Hoppy Pilsner taken directly from the Firestone Walker website:

Everything we love about classic German Pilsner with a hoppy Bohemian twist.  Pils is a bright straw colored lager beer with playful carbonation topped with beautiful white foam lace.  Delicate lightly toasted malt flavors underscore noble German hop character.  Hallertau-grown Magnum hops deliver the lupulin foundation while generous amounts of Spalter Select hops bring  floral aromatic and spicy herbal notes. As a twist on the traditional Pils, we dry hop with German Saphir for a touch of bergamot zest and lemongrass. A refreshing, light-bodied and hop-driven Pils.

And now for my tasting notes…

• Appearance: Crystal clear with a pale, golden yellow color. Oodles of translucent, fast rising bubbles floating to the surface. Thin bead of off white foam and a wee bit of clingy lacing.
• Aroma: Very fresh and floral smelling. Subtle notes of honey and citrus with an almost fresh herb scent lingering in the background. I’m thinking chives with a hint of celery.
• Taste: Smooth and silky carbonation with a light mouthfeel. A touch of honey sweetness at the onset with a mild hop bitterness immediately following. As you approach the finish, a good bit of those mellow herbal notes come through. Very crisp and clean aftertaste.
• ABV: 5.3%

Pivo Pils is crisp, clean, and refreshing without being boring. While I could have easily finished off this beer in under a minute, I took my time and drank it over the course of an hour. In addition to being delicious from start to finish, Pivo Pils was also super tasty once it warmed up to room temperature (try doing that with a glass of standard issue Bud/Miller/Coors). I highly recommend giving it a try.