Judge’s Review: 93 Rating – West Coast Pilsner by pFriem Family Brewers

International Pale Lager | Seasonal | USA

By Scott Birdwell

Judges Rating: 93.00
Aroma: 22.00
Appearance: 5.00
Flavor: 37.00
Mouthfeel: 10.00
Overall Impression: 19.00

pFriem West Coast Pilsner is described on the brewery’s website as: “a fruit-inspired hop blend delivering a splash of notes reminiscent of peach, mango, and tangerine, all riding on a wave of crisp refreshment.” As there is no “West Coast Pilsner” category on the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines, I am scoring this beer as a Category 2A, International Pale Lager. And, regardless of the “fit” of the category, this is a very lovely beer, indeed!
The beer pours lively with a pale straw hue and an ever-so-light haze in the glass. It forms a lingering puffy white head. The aroma does beckon to the above-mentioned peach, mango and tangerine description: stone fruit and tropical fruit. I initially detected some slight DMS (dimethyl sulfide), a pardonable offense in low levels for this style. This dissipates very rapidly, though, and you are left with an enticing invitation to dive in. I accepted the challenge.
Initial taste is true to the “peach, mango, and tangerine” stone and tropical fruit notes promised in the aroma. These fruit/hop notes dominate the flavor but never cross over the line to “bitterness.” I do detect a hint of diacetyl, again, pardonable at this low a level for a lager. This becomes more noticeable if you commit the sin of allowing this beer to warm up. Overall, the beer is well balanced, with just enough malt to balance out the hops in the beer. The finish is very clean. 
On the palate, the beer is medium to full bodied, with a lively, refreshing amount of carbonation. The malt lends a bit of creaminess, with no astringency to speak of. I can’t say I detected any appreciable amount of alcoholic warmth here but wouldn’t expect any from a 4.5 – 5% ABV pilsner beer. 
Overall, I find this to be a very pleasing, medium-strength pilsner. It drinks very easily, and I would make sure to stock my refrigerator with some of this were it available in my market! The balance is superb. The fruit character of the hops softens the bitterness. I was surprised to find that this was a 34 IBU lager (more than I would have guessed). The more I drink, the better I like this.