Beer Review: Southampton Keller Pils

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: This bottle of Southampton Keller Pils featured a straw gold body, but it wasn't very fluorescent. There was some darkish hues hiding within this beer. The body was also very hazy and foggy. There wasn't any crispness in this beer's look or color. The head was white and fluffy, but had weak retention and left some lacing that had trouble clinging to the glass. A big plus in my book was the visible carbonation that was rising towards the top of the glass with some speed. That lets me know there's a great chance of awesome texture ahead.

Smell: This beer had a strong aroma of yeast. This was the dominant scent. I typically prefer a layer or two of something else to filter it out somewhat. There was also a floral hoppiness that I was able to detect. This helped to distinguish a summery crispness that I was looking for and finally found.

Taste: Despite being a pilsner, the initial taste I got was sweet and lemony on the front. The textured mouth feel just added to that sensation. The finish was refreshing, but with a hint of hop bitterness. The floral notes I picked up in the aroma lingered and were noticeable in the aftertaste.

Overall Rating: 

This one was a roller coaster ride for me. It didn't look like a pretty, crisp beer at first. There were only a few good things I saw initially when I poured this beer. The smell was a bit too dominated by the yeast and had too few other things happening in that area. The taste I enjoyed as it was a little adventurous for a beer of this style. I was surprised to get some citrus and sweetness.