New Glarus Unplugged Bohemian Lager

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle: Poured a golden color lager with a nice foamy head with limited retention and some light lacing. Aroma of floral hops is more dominating then what I had anticipated with some light sweet malt. Taste is easily drinkable with loads of floral hops with a dry aft3ratse and some nice malt that is lightly sweet – a touch of cardboard is noticeable but not too bad and totally understandable since this is not a fresh sample. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Well made if maybe a touch too heavy to drink loads of.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

My first sample of a 12 oz New Glarus beer - courtesy of pfoxyjohn (as well as the next 13 New Glarus beers I'll review). Thanks John! This was a good start - deserving of it's beerpal rank as one of the best pilseners. As was the case with many of the NG beers, it was textbook for the style, with a little extra either in the nose or flavor to put it over the top. This was a deliciously refreshing beer, brewed in unlined oak. Very clean aroma and flavors, but not subtle. The expertly balanced bouqet preceded a nice body for a lager, and a clean refreshing malty taste with just a hint of balancing hops. Well done! Off the top of my head, I've only liked Deschutes (retired from bottles) Pine Mnt Pils better...and Victory Prima was close. This would prove to be a great start to our sampling of 7 NG beers last Thursday...

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Courtesy of pfoxyjohn. Light head and a golden yellow color. Sharp hop bite on this guy. Finishes very dry. The malty sweetness is very well balanced with the hoppy presence, which makes for a really unique taste. I am generally uninterested in this style, but this was quite delicious. Thanks John!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 7

first beer from my trade with John (pfoxyjohn) .. actually drank this minutes after receiving my package, was the perfect chilled temp, funny enough ... Lots of pleasing crisp pilsner aromas .. soapy yet firm head .. .nice clean flavours, well balanced and clean.. . reminds me of simpler joy filled times .. a nice very well made lager, the BMC companies should really be worried if this is ever brewed in mass.. . what are the dynamo gonna do??

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Thanks to pfoxyjohn for this one. Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. Aroma is mostly malts with a bit of hops. The flavor is well-balanced but there isn't anything outstanding about it. I would like to try this one again to get a better taste.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Another New Glarus offering from pfoxyjohn. Pours a beautiful clear gold with a tall white head that is sustained and leaves a copious amount of nice lacing. Very good carbonation. Aromas of sweet malts, a little fruitiness and ample hops. Taste is balanced with a sweet, honey maltiness cut with a nice hops bitterness - not at all thin - very hearty. Thank you again John!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

This is one of the most highly anticipated beers of the year for me. A solid pour produces an almost two-finger thick, frothy, pale tan colored head in my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass. The beer is a clear, orange tinged, gold color that shows an almost brilliantly clear, bright, rich gold hue when held up to the light (more color than a German Pils, but not quite as much as the darker, traditional Bohemian versions). The aroma has a nice spiciness to it and is definitely influenced heavily by the hops; aromas of hay, lemon zest and a nice savory herbal note are noticeable. The malt plays a definitive role here too though, with aromas of biscuit-like malt, grain sweetened cracker notes, a touch of honey-like malt towards the finish and perhaps even a hint of ripe melon. This definitely has a nice chewy malt and hop nose to it; exactly what one would expect from a good Bohemian interpretation.

This has a light medium heft to it that coats the palate with some lightly sweet malt character. The hop notes easily cut through this though, providing a staunch bitterness and a nice herbal note both of which linger on in the long finish. This definitely has a nice, savory, spicy, hop character to it that fully expresses itself on the palate. The malt plays a supporting role in the flavor (more so than it did in the aroma), but does contribute a substantial impact to the mouthfeel as well as contributing back end flavors of buttery malt, grassy / lightly toasted grain, honey-like malt notes that become noticeable in the finish, . This has some definite notes of lemon zest that become more noticeable as the beer warms up, this also has a certain palate coating character that makes me think of oak-barrel derived tannins (though it could just be green hop notes, but I don't think so, at least not entirely). I really like how the zing (bitterness, spice and herbal notes) of the hop character is lightly held in check by the textured, soft, yet inviting, malt backbone.

This is easily the best beer I have had from New Glarus. A simple, yet substantial Bohemian Pilsner, complex in its sparse ingredient choices; this beer grows on me more and more as I work my way through this beer. This is just so quaffable, a 12oz bottle isn't nearly enough and I would definitely love to have a couple 6 packs of this in my fridge.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Pours a clear golden colour with a creamy white head. Aroma has soft fresh citrus fruit. Lemon, lime and noticeable pear. Mouthfeel is moderately malty, not overdone. Taste is fresh and clean, satisfying.Usually I'm not a big fan of this style but this brew is incredibly tasty and filling.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

OK, now this is everything you'd dream the ideal 'Bohemian Lager' to be. Pours from the red foil-capped Unplugged bottle a clear, bright, deep rich golden color with a good-sized foamy white head that leaves abstract tracings of itself down the glass. Presumably the triple decoction results in a deeper color than german-style pilsners, as well as enhancing this brew's complex character. The nose is robust; sweetish honey-tinged malt, fresh grain up front with lingering grass/earth/wood aromas. Medium-bodied and lightly carbonated. The taste of smooth and rich malt flavor yields to a well-balanced crisp Saaz edge. Grass, honey and oak tinged flavors appear; it then finishes full and complex - long and dry, lightly bitter, with a light tang on the tongue. Wonderful - I could drink this all night. MUSIC: 'Dreaming, I Am' and 'Who Needs to Dream' by Bob Mould. As it happens, I gave Bob a ride into Madtown from the airport prior to his Forward Music Fest appearance last Friday; I would've offered him this dream of a beer but, alas, the old man can still rock but he's given up drinking...