Czech Style Pilsner by Moat Mountain Brewing Co.
As we New Hampshire folk settle into spring and summer months, our tastes change. We look for lighter fare and things that won’t weigh us down as we move about getting chores done and preparing for the few summer months that provide so much joy in our lives. We also appreciate a lighter beer that will go with this lifestyle.
Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Company are located at 3378 White Mountain Highway (Rt 16) in North Conway, NH. Their food is great and worth a visit. Although they still brew on premises where their eatery and original location are (smaller batch seasonals for the restaurant and growler fills), their newest brewery upgrade is a state-of-the-art “barn” and artfully done. This place is their main 20 barrel brewery created in 2013. They added the canning line in the following year. It is not open to the public though. You can find out more about their offerings with a name search on Facebook or at their website: www.moatmountain.com
Moat’s Czech Pils is a luscious and velvety golden yellow beer that needs a larger than normal volume of a 16 oz pint glass. Since the can is 16 oz and the rich white head that occurs when poured, you will need a 22 oz glass to fully enjoy this brew. It is bright and beautiful. The head is sparkling white. And the balance of slight maltiness and low hop bittering make this an exceptionally drinkable beer. There are slight hints of spice with a smooth, dry finish. Since the foamy head maintains over a longer than normal period of time, the carbonation will also be realized in each sip of this crisp and lovely style.
Pilsners are made with lager yeast and are fermented at between 43-55°F while ales are fermented from 60-78°F. This colder temperature helps as a clarifier in the final product, yielding a distinctive clarity.
At 4.9% ABV, Czech Pils isn’t bragging about being big. But if you understand Moat’s purpose of brewing this Bohemian Lager style true to form, then you will appreciate it even more. BeerAdvocate.com gives this one a “very good” rating of 85 out of 100 scoring. Most other contributors chime in with 4+ ratings.
Make sure and also try the other offerings from Moat Mt such as Iron Mike Pale Ale, Bone Shaker Brown, East Intervale IPA and Hell Yes! Helles Lager, all in 16 oz cans.
You can purchase them at Hannaford’s and Case-n-Keg, 5 Mill St, Meredith just to name a few locations… brewed in New Hampshire for all to love!
Jim MacMillan is the owner of WonByOne Design of Meredith, NH, and is an avid imbiber of craft brews and a home brewer as well. Send him your recommendations and brew news to wickedbrews@weirs.com.
