BJCP 2021 / X5
New Zealand Pilsner
A pale, dry, clean lager with New Zealand hop character and a light malt base.
- Drink fresh
- pale color
- standard strength
- bottom fermented
- lagered
Serve: 38 to 44F, Pilsner glass
OG1.120
1.044 to 1.056FG1.030
1.009 to 1.014IBU120
25 to 45SRM40
2 to 6ABV14%
4.5 to 5.8%Taste it in order
Aroma
12 pts- Moderate to strong tropical, citrus and gooseberry hops
- A green, grassy edge is possible
- Restrained but present malt
- Vague
- Hoppy
- Better
- Tropical hop over clean malt
- Best
- Moderate-strong passion fruit, gooseberry and citrus hops with a faint green edge over light grainy malt, very faint sulfur
Appearance
3 pts- Straw to deep gold
- Bright and clear
- Thick, lasting white head
- Vague
- Gold
- Better
- Bright gold, big head
- Best
- Yellow-gold, brilliantly clear, thick white head that lasts
Flavor
20 pts- Firm, clean hop bitterness
- Hop flavor echoing the aroma
- Grainy, bready malt with a dry, bitter finish
- Vague
- Bitter
- Better
- Tropical hop, dry finish
- Best
- Passion fruit and gooseberry hop flavor with firm clean bitterness over cracker malt, dry bitter finish
Mouthfeel
5 pts- Medium-light to medium body
- Medium to medium-high carbonation
- Smooth
- Vague
- Crisp
- Better
- Smooth and crisp
- Best
- Medium-light body, medium-high carbonation, smooth with no harshness
Overall Impression
10 ptsLifts it
- Hop freshness
- Clean fermentation
Drops it
- Fermentation esters
- Haze
Writing tip
Separate the hop fruit from bitterness. Example: 'Gooseberry and passion fruit hops, clean cracker malt, firm dry bitterness.'
Pour these
- PilsnerEmerson'sDunedin pilsner with tropical hops
- Port Road PilsnerPanheadBright, bitter and fruity
- Mot EurekaTuataraHop-forward NZ pilsner
Often confused with
- 5D German PilsGerman Pils has noble hop spice
- 2A International Pale LagerInternational Pale Lager is lighter on hops
Fine here
- Sulfur: A faint trace is fine in a fresh lager
Ruinous here
- Estery: Fermentation fruit esters
- Diacetyl: Butter
- Light-struck: Skunk
Style names, numbers and vital statistics follow the BJCP 2021 beer guidelines. Descriptions and example choices are our own. Check a beer is still made before you hunt for it.