Blue Paddle Pilsner
Appearance The head is huge and deep. It showed some decent retention as it laced the glass. The body is a pretty yellow with an orange tint. Smell Yep, thats a pils. The soft, sophisticated floral hops mix with some spice and a light sweetness. So far, so good. Taste The grassy hops come out a little more in the taste along with a light sense of grain. The complexity is its strong point IMO. Everything works together quite well. Mouthfeel I know that many of the other reviews indicated a lot of carbonation here, but I dont find it typical of the style and certainly couldnt locate more than a moderate amount here (which is good, IMO). This Pils is light-bodied and very refreshing. Drinkability - A good pils is one of the smoothest brews on earth, and this one hits the mark. Of all the times Ive been prosted to the finish while living in Germany, pils is the only style I could do from a full glass. Make this a warmish and I could do the bottle. Yet another diverse accomplishment from this amazing brewery. Update I reviewed this a month after joining the site back in the fall of 2003 so thought it would be run to re-rate it with a 2004 vintage. I juggled a few scores around but still ended up with a solid 4.0. Good job, New Belgium. This is a hard style to nail.