Review: Brazen Hall Longsword Bohemian Pilsner

Grab a Longsword Pilsner, so named for how long it takes to brew and how clean it cuts. Brewed using traditional, slow methods to create a clean, crisp drinking experience that you will crave! Nothing is rushed here, and incredible patience is required on behalf of our brewer to produce this premium Bohemian style lager. This Pilsner is a must have with dinner, friends or in the battle! Ská! Flavours of crisp lemon all on a crusty malt base create a beer that is worth waiting for! Pour it long and slow, as is tradition, or quick if you don't have the same beer-guru level of patience as our brewer. It'll be delicious and refreshing either way! Ingredients: Pilsner and Bow Bayern Malt, Makers Malt, Sterling and Hersbruscker hops, Isar lager yeast. 5% ABV / 30 IBU

It's nice to see more Brazen Hall beer available in cans at LCs and vendors, out of all the Manitoban breweries they took the longest to finally package beer for retailers. I definitely enjoy going to the brewery's taproom but sometimes you don't want to travel all the way to Winnipeg for a beer, yknow? Especially with it being a 300km drive for me right now.

Appearance: Clear, fairly light with a straw body to it but also has a bit of a hue of honey to it. The carbonation in the body is definitely there but lighter than most lagers. The head is pretty thick at first with a white hue to it, gradually diminishing with a light amount of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Notes of honey, crisp malt with a bit of graininess, grassy hops, fairly light but has an aroma that has a very "barbecue gathering" kind of vibe to it, nondescript, tame, not at all aggressive.

Taste: The hops really come out to play this time around, quite bitter, surprisingly, with notes of pine, a bit floral but aggressive for those who want a crisp, light Pilsner. Fairly sweet with a bit of honey and sweet barley. Mouthfeel is fairly dry, crisp and a sharpness from hops, aftertaste is a hint of pear and hops.

Overall Thoughts: The hops are too aggressive for me for this beer, I love bitter hops but when I expect a light, grassy lager and hops dominate the malt, it needs a bit of tweaking. The hops linger for a good deal of time. That said, very easy to drink.

I'm hoping to be able to get back to Brazen Hall again sometime in the near future, their Nashville wings, brisket and maple peppered bacon are so good.