Judge’s Review: 92 Rating – Pickerel by Moniker Brewery

International Pale Lager | Year-Round | USA

By Brian Eichhorn

Judges Rating: 92
Aroma: 22
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 38
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 18

Pickerel by Moniker Brewery is a Japanese Rice lager that I’m evaluating as a 1B American Lager. Into the glass it pours a pale straw color with the faintest of hazes and a persistent ring of fine white bubbles. Certainly looks the part.
The nose is quite interesting and almost perfumy with a subtle jasmine or lilac-type aroma and a very minimal suggestion of grain. Seems quite clean on the nose from a fermentation perspective, just oddly perfumy. On initial taste, it’s super light-bodied with the perfumy notes leading the way. There’s just enough bitterness to balance it out. Even with the perfumy notes, it never seems soapy at all, which is nice. I also get a bit of cut melon. The finish is quite dry and that’s where the grain and rice really pop with crackery notes alongside a suggestion of steamed rice.
My only real negative here is that the alcohol seems quite high, particularly for how dry this lager is. It’s warming in the chest and really impacts the overall drinkability. Though it’s super clean, maybe a bit less gravity to start with would really make this a banger. Dry and crisp in the finish with a slight spicy edge. Great stuff, but just wish the ABV was a skosh lower.