Elm City Pilsner

Elm City Pilsner
6 pack at Maximum Beverage $9.39++ 5% ABV

Purchased at Connecticut Beverage Mart, New Britain

Friends, family and careful readers know: I am a huge fan of New England Brewing. However, I’ll admit that many of their beers may not be for everyone. Their lineup of IPAs are not shy with the hops. Some are pretty hardcore – especially a couple of their draft only offerings.

But the pilsner is NEB’s tamest beer in many ways. After all, it’s just a 5% pils, right? Well, sorta. Since this is a NEB beer, it’s not “just a pilsner,” it’s a really, really, really good pilsner.

In fact, this is first pilsner in my life that I said to myself, “wow! pilsners can be delicious and complex!” NEB has opened my eyes to a style I didn’t know existed: real German pilsners with body and flavor. There are hops and citrus and a pleasant grassiness to this beer. It is, in a word, refreshing.

NEB Says:

Here you have a craft brewed German Pilsner. At NEB we brew this traditional style with traditional German malt and noble hops. Clean, dry and hoppy! We protect our delicate yet flavorful pilsner by packaging it in this protective, lined can. Drink it. It’s good.

I dig that; “Drink it. It’s good.” I should just write that for all my positive reviews and be done with them. I know most people would probably like that. But no… I’m me and I have to do what I do. So what should I do with this one?

Guesses? Come on… it’s an easy one!

American-Elm-TreesThe story of the “Elm City!” Man, it’s like you people don’t even know me.

The familiar story is that New Haven is the Elm City (NEB is on the New Haven border in the Amity section of Woodbridge) because there are large elms lining the town green. Or along Yale’s streets. Or maybe there were and they all died from Dutch Elm Disease like most elms in America.

That’s all sort of true. New Haven was dubbed the Elm City when the first public tree planting program made it a home for many mighty American elms. Dutch Elm Disease later decimated the elm population in the mid-20th century.

Mysteriously, a few of the city’s elms survived the onslaught. Today, volunteers collect seeds and saplings from these apparently resistant elms in an effort to replant the city’s storied trees.

At this time, we don’t really know how successful the replanting will be (Dutch Elm disease is still real and really deadly), but urban gardeners all have their fingers crossed.

If you’ve never seen a mature elm tree (beyond this picture here), they are majestic and beautiful trees. And dare I make the leap to say that Elm City Pilsner is a majestic and beautiful beer?

I do dare.

Overall Rating: A
Rating vs. Similar style: A+

Beer Advocate’s Reviews of Elm City Pilsner
New England Brewing Company
CTMQ Reviews of NEB Beers
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