Catskill’s Ball Lightning Pilsner is being evaluated as a German pilsner (2015 BJCP Category 5D) although different sources of information put it somewhere in limbo land between German and Czech variants.
The nose opens with restrained grainy malt with subtle notes of honey. Low to moderate floral and delicate hops accompany the malt but the low pear and pepper distract from the delicateness of the beer. A bit of sulfur emerges as it warms. True to style in its appearance, the light golden color with brilliant clarity sits below a thin, white head.
The flavor is quite a bit more hop forward than the best examples of the style as the less than average intense grainy malt doesn’t support the above average hop bitterness. Also in the background is a light red delicious apple note. The delicate floral hops are mostly in the background due to the bitterness in the beer which lingers into the aftertaste after a dry finish.
This pilsner has several great qualities for the style and, in particular, the malt was delightful. Unfortunately, the hop bitterness was a tinge too high for even a German pils which had the tendency to overshadow the other delicate features of this style.