Samuel Adams Noble Pils

Just wondering if anyone has tried this yet? Bringing it in to my bar tomorrow in bottles.

http://www.samueladams.com/Promotions/Beerloverschoice2009/home.html

I tried it here in early Fall at a tasting/voting... they had this and an IPA. The IPA was solid, but it would have just blended in with the plethora of other "good" but indistinguishable IPA's IMO.

I voted for the Pils... crisp, clean, meets classic Pilsner bittering, but very balanced at the same time. It was a very satisfying beer.

There are not many commercial Pilsner's on the market nationwide, and it will be a welcome to have this, as it was very solid and exemplary of a good Pilsner.

Those are my thoughts, a few months removed, and from two 4 oz samples!

I have picked up 2 sixers of this in the last week. I simply love this beer. The hop aroma that springs from the bottle when you open it and the crispness of it in the glass are just fantastic. Very floral citrusy hop notes, not bitter and give such a great aftertaste. If your an IPA style hop-head you can still appreciate this beer. Although to be fair this is no were near as bitter or spicy as IPAs can be. Very drinkable! Love it!

-J

Anyone have any info/ideas on possibly cloning this?

I saw this last night at the grocery store and thought about picking it up. I went in with the mindset of getting an IPA. All they had was Harpoon IPA so I picked it up. Yeah, soo should have gotten the SA instead. They must not sell much of the Harpoon because the stuff was old, yo. I should probably take it back.

I'll pick up a sixxer of the SA next time through.

anyone seen this?

New series of barrel-aged beers to be released soon

The Boston Beer Co. is rolling out a new series of beers, the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection, that will be available in a limited number of markets but also at its Boston brewery — the first time the brewery has sold beer at its door.

The Barrel Room Collection includes New World Tripel (10% abv), American Kriek (Balaton cherries, 7%) and Stony Brook Red (9%), all aged in Eastern European oak barrels, originally used to age brandy in Italy and imparting subtle sweet, toasty notes.

“For years, we’ve been playing with barrels at the brewery, aging small batches of beer in our Barrel Room. Before now, these beers have only been available at beer festivals or to a few lucky visitors to our Boston Brewery,” founder Jim Koch said for a press release.

The beers will be available in Denver, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire for a suggested retail price of $9.99 per 750ml bottle.
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Haven't seen the Noble Pils. Matter of fact, it's been a while since I had seem the Hall Imp Pils too.

chelero said:

anyone seen this?

New series of barrel-aged beers to be released soon

The Boston Beer Co. is rolling out a new series of beers, the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection, that will be available in a limited number of markets but also at its Boston brewery — the first time the brewery has sold beer at its door.

The Barrel Room Collection includes New World Tripel (10% abv), American Kriek (Balaton cherries, 7%) and Stony Brook Red (9%), all aged in Eastern European oak barrels, originally used to age brandy in Italy and imparting subtle sweet, toasty notes.

“For years, we’ve been playing with barrels at the brewery, aging small batches of beer in our Barrel Room. Before now, these beers have only been available at beer festivals or to a few lucky visitors to our Boston Brewery,” founder Jim Koch said for a press release.

The beers will be available in Denver, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire for a suggested retail price of $9.99 per 750ml bottle.
Attached Images

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Have the American Kriek still in the fridge, but I drank the Stony Brook Red already. Really good IMO for the price. I'd definitely pick up another one.

I want to have Noble Pils babies. I love it so much.. I'm a man btw and I'll just deal with it.

Here's my thread on it if anyone wants to help me try to clone it.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/sa-noble-pils-154427/

Went to a Beer festival in GR on Sat and got to try the Nobel Pils. I thought it was pretty good. My sense of taste may have been skewed a bit by all of the other beer I was drinking, but I thought it was maybe the best PILS I've ever had. Nicely balanced and not too heavy. Lots of hop character.

I will be looking to get a 6-pack when I can find it locally.

Just bought a sixer of this tonight. I'd crack one open now if I didn't have to take my boy to basketball practice. Guess I'll just have to wait a few hours. I've been in a real pils mood lately so the timing is perfect.

Edit: Just finished my first one and I'm not overly impressed. It's a pils, no doubt, but not anything I haven't had before. It's crisp and refreshing with floral, herbal hop notes balanced with a bready malt character if I had to describe it, but nothing that blows me away. This probably would have been my favorite beer 10 years ago but I guess I've become very picky in my old age.

I'm not much for hoppy beers, so it wasn't my favorite SA. That said, I could see how people would really like it.

Was waiting at Chili's last night to pick up a take-out and the barkeep said they'd just tapped Noble Pils and he hadn't tried it yet. I was pretty impressed and I'm not generally a Sam Adams fan.

A truly good homebrew Pils is my unicorn. I try every Spring, and while they're steadily getting better, they are nowhere close to this. Does motivate me to start working up a recipe for this year's attempt though. All 5 noble hops are used. Hmm....

I finally tried this last night. I was expecting a fair amount of hop flavor but WOW...it was like a million hop gnomes punching my taste buds. I totally enjoyed this brew. I passed it over the first few times because I underestimated how tasty a pils can really be.

Does anyone suppose this was dry hopped with all 5 nobles?

I am generally a fan of Sam Adams, but even I was blown away by this... such a sublime, subtle, yet bitter and hoppy taste all at once. Beats the heck out of Steigl Pils for me, and that was my personal gold standard before...

Picked up a sixer from the grocery store. Brilliant gold color, nice Sam Adams head. Aroma was really floral, with a hint of rubber tire (weird I thought). Spicy noble hops. Taste was straight pilsner malt. I like it.

After reading this thread and I went out and bought a 12er last night. At first I thought it tasted a bit too grassy but after the first beer I guess I got used to it and started enjoying them. It is a pretty good beer.

I just tried this myself and thought it was very good. Definatelly had a nice spicy hop note to it, but rather than another pale ale it is a very clear true pilsner. Very refreshing, wish this wasn't only a seasonal becuase this would be a great summer beer to drink all day.

Very drinkable, subtle citrusy hop flavor. I like it.

just got a sixer of this tonight and i have to say it is one of my favorite SA beers and i pretty much like all of SA that i have had but this one is pretty damn awsome.

the bowling alley my work league plays at has it on tap. Good stuff!

On my second sixer of this, and I've gotta say... after a decade of being a SA fan, this may be their most style-perfect offering to date.... fantastic.

Had a few pints of it over the weekend...preety good on tap! Its No Prima Pils though IMO

I saw it at Wally-World yesterday. I almost picked it up, but the $8.99 price tag kind of changed my mind. I'm thinking now that I should have given it a try.

$8.99 high or low? 50% of the beers I buy cost at least that much per bottle.

Yeah, this stuff is good. I tasted some good pilsners when on vacation in Germany, but it is just not a style that travels well.

Prima Pils is great but it to me definitely has an American spin on it.

This beer seems to me, as best as I can remember, what a fresh pilsner would taste like if you bought it in Germany.

I wonder if this beer is too hoppy to have a mass market appeal? I think it would be worth keeping in the year round line up just for the fact that it is hard to get a fresh pilsner that is true to style in most markets.

I rarely buy beer anymore (prefer to drink my own) but I would buy this regularly.

jkarp said:

$8.99 high or low? 50% of the beers I buy cost at least that much per bottle.

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Well, I have paid quite a bit more for beer too, but my thinking at the time was: "why am I standing here thinking about buying an $8.99 six pack when I've already got a fridge full at home?"

So I guilt tripped myself out of buying it, but I'm thinking now, after reading these reviews, that I probably should have tried it.

kornbread said:

So I guilt tripped myself out of buying it, but I'm thinking now, after reading these reviews, that I probably should have tried it.

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Don't beat yourself up, just get a 12'er next time to make up for it...

Seriously, in the "world of pilsners", there are better ones, but as far as the BBC goes, this is, IMO, the first time they've really tried to emulate a style for what it's supposed to be, not what they think they can get away with and still give it mass appeal. Their flagship Boston Lager isn't *really* a Vienna Lager... their Cherry Wheat isn't *really* a wheat... their Cranberry "Lambic" isn't *really* a Lambic... but this is DEFINITELY a Pils. A really, really good one.

I got a 6er at the store and I must say that the on-tap version was better. It's still pretty good, and I'd order it over many beers, but there are many more that I'd rather have. I think I've just grown accustomed to ales.

I really liked it, but I am a huge hop fan.
@Kornbread - its worth a try.

Alot of you guys noting how close to style this is... but I wouldn't have said so.. are pilsners in germany really that hoppy? I've never had one nearly so. Yeah I've been to Germany, Austria, Switz, lots of Eastern Europe including living 8 months in Brno, Czech Republic. Nothing had so much hop flavor as this.
Now I ain't knockin it one bit! Its the American way, take something and make it better! But I don't know about "to style". JMO! That said I am picking up 2 or 3 CASES of this stuff... and I brew 10 gallons every week!

Budzu said:

Alot of you guys noting how close to style this is... but I wouldn't have said so.. are pilsners in germany really that hoppy? I've never had one nearly so. Yeah I've been to Germany, Austria, Switz, lots of Eastern Europe including living 8 months in Brno, Czech Republic. Nothing had so much hop flavor as this.
Now I ain't knockin it one bit! Its the American way, take something and make it better! But I don't know about "to style". JMO! That said I am picking up 2 or 3 CASES of this stuff... and I brew 10 gallons every week!

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While there aren't too many commercial examples, German Pils can be quite bitter. If you look at the guidelines, they can be up to 45 IBUs. For a beer this light (probably mostly pils malt) that can translate into a very hoppy beer.

I've seen this a few times in the store, now I'm very intrigued to pick up a 6er!



2A. German Pilsner (Pils)

Aroma: Typically features a light grainy Pils malt character (sometimes Graham cracker-like) and distinctive flowery or spicy noble hops. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. May have an initial sulfury aroma (from water and/or yeast) and a low background note of DMS (from Pils malt).

Appearance: Straw to light gold, brilliant to very clear, with a creamy, long-lasting white head.

Flavor: Crisp and bitter, with a dry to medium-dry finish. Moderate to moderately-low yet well attenuated maltiness, although some grainy flavors and slight Pils malt sweetness are acceptable. Hop bitterness dominates taste and continues through the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but should only be derived from German noble hops. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, medium to high carbonation.

Overall Impression: Crisp, clean, refreshing beer that prominently features noble German hop bitterness accentuated by sulfates in the water.

Comments: Drier and crisper than a Bohemian Pilsener with a bitterness that tends to linger more in the aftertaste due to higher attenuation and higher-sulfate water. Lighter in body and color, and with higher carbonation than a Bohemian Pilsener. Modern examples of German Pilsners tend to become paler in color, drier in finish, and more bitter as you move from South to North in Germany.

History: A copy of Bohemian Pilsener adapted to brewing conditions in Germany.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt, German hop varieties (especially noble varieties such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger and Spalt for taste and aroma), medium sulfate water, German lager yeast.

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.044 – 1.050
IBUs: 25 – 45 FG: 1.008 – 1.013
SRM: 2 – 5 ABV: 4.4 – 5.2%
Commercial Examples: Victory Prima Pils, Bitburger, Warsteiner, Trumer Pils, Old Dominion Tupper’s Hop Pocket Pils, König Pilsener, Jever Pils, Left Hand Polestar Pilsner, Holsten Pils, Spaten Pils, Brooklyn Pilsner

Doh.. I'm recognized BJCP, I should've remembered the line "Hop bitterness dominates taste and continues through the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but should only be derived from German noble hops."
So yeah this thing totally nails it, on the "high" side of hop flavor for sure, but isn't that the only way to make a beer?
Not that it has a higher than usual bitterness, but that hop flavor is SO big in the Noble Pils that it really put itself in its own category in my mind. But I guess it really is to style!

Like I said, I haven't tried it, so it could very well be out of style. In any case, since its on the high side of a pils, it would probably get dinged. A overly hoppy IPA (is there such thing?) wouldn't, but judges probablly aren't used to a pils with so much hop character, even if the guidelines say its possible

Just finished my first glass. I liked it. Opening another.

I just picked up a sixer, and am having one now...Trouble is, I have a head cold and really can't taste crap, so I'm not going to have another until I can smell.

My first impression from the first sip was "cornchips" it came off like Fritos. Like I said, I'm stopped up. But I am getting a definite hop bitterness. But that's pretty much all I got.

I'll report more in a couple days.

Revvy said:

I just picked up a sixer, and am having one now...Trouble is, I have a head cold and really can't taste crap, so I'm not going to have another until I can smell.

My first impression from the first sip was "cornchips" it came off like Fritos. Like I said, I'm stopped up. But I am getting a definite hop bitterness. But that's pretty much all I got.

I'll report more in a couple days.

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I had a head cold 2 weeks ago and had my first taste of Laphroaig whisky. If you aren't familiar with Scotch whisky, this is one of the most intensely smoky Islay Whiskys. I detected absolutely no smoke. Head colds absolutely mess with your taste/smell. Get well soon Rev!

Had a friend over this weekend for a weekly dinner get-together thing... but the only thing we had on tap was our Coffee Oatmeal Stout. Delicious as it may be, we needed something else... at least something better fit for the pizza we were making. Went to the local Raley's and was extra surprised to see this. It looked delicious, it was the last 12-pack and it was pretty much the style I was looking for... seemed perfect to me.

I was delighted even further after tasting it! Clean, crisp, light but still full of flavor. The five noble hops blend together for a mellow bouquet when the cap is popped and upon drinking they provide a clean/floral/citrusy flavor.

Also, being new it's on sale everywhere so I'll be a happy returning customer. Sam Adams may not make the best but for a big company they certainly make a better brew than the swill you get from BMC.

Cheers!

Not really faithful to either Bohemian or German Pilsner as it has the malt character of the former with the finish of the later (and German hops, or mostly).

Hop character probably exceeds most continental examples (although similar maybe to a Prima Pils) but the bitterness is typical. Sulfate water like some German examples.

Great beer but not a classic German Pils due to the malt character and not a classic Bohemian Pils due to the hopping and sulfate water.

Well I tried another one the other day with stuffed head, and still had a cornchip aroma/taste. Today I am now starting to smell again, so hopefully I can see what all th discussion has been about.

I am writting this while trying the Noble Pils for the first time. As I am a big hop fan I like it quite a bit but I agree with some past comments that there is a noticable grass flavor, likely from the hops. It also seems to deviate quite a bit from the classic Czech and German pils flavors due to the hoppiness. I guess you could call it an American Pils as we seem to hop up everything.