Judge’s Review: 86 Rating – Richter’s Pilsner by Goat Island Brewing

Pre-Prohibition Lager | Year-Round | United States

By Michael McGuire

Judges Rating: 86
Aroma: 20
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 36
Mouthfeel: 7
Overall Impression: 18

Richter’s Pilsner by Goat Island Brewing is a Pre-Prohibition Lager and was judged as such (BJCP sub-style 27, Historical Beer — Pre-Prohibition Lager). It poured mostly clear and pale golden into the glass, forming a modest white head with sustained retention. Its aroma featured light hop bitterness up front, along with mildly grainy malt notes and what seemed to be a few corn ones (DMS). The flavor profile included the same combination of hop bitterness (more pronounced than the aroma suggests) and grainy maltiness, resulting in a crisp and pleasantly bitter brew. The overall effect emphasized fresh, simple, and mostly balanced ingredients including lager yeast and a dissipating touch of sulfur in the finish, which is not uncommon in traditional lager brewing. This produced a highly drinkable beer that might strike some drinkers as a bit old-fashioned, or even a throwback to older simpler times, as historical style renditions often are.