7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

New Limited Edition, sold in 22 oz. bombers. I picked this up at the Downers Grove restaurant. Label also shows it as a "Brewmaster’s Reserve," and has a best by Nov. ’09 date. Pours a clear, golden Pils body with a short layer of foam. Smell is something on the order of a better malt liquor: I smell alcohol and malts, but none of the nasty medicinal or adjunct note. Taste is pretty nice; I get a nice, strong, slightly toasty Pils malt taste. Very warming altogether on the tongue, and not just from alcohol. Label on current offering lists Hallertau, and the spicy bitterness of a good German hop load is evident, although it doesn’t bring itself up to IIPA standards. Very slight yeasty dough taste. Worthy to stand up to any American brewpub iteration of this style, maybe a little less fully rounded than Sam Adams’ version. But a big leap over the imported Euro diesels. A good deal at $7 per.