Emerson's Pilsner (Organic)
Brewed in the tradition of German Pilseners, it is crisp with a delicate malt flavour and a lingering bitter finish.
3.7
170 reviews
Dunedin, New Zealand
Community reviews
500mL bottle, 4.9% ABV. Pours a clear pale straw colour with a thin white head. Citrusy, extremely grassy and slightly vegetal aroma with some malt in the background. The flavour is acidic, slightly fruity and decently bitter. Average carbonation, light bodied, dry bitter finish with a strange lingering burning sensation.
Really aromatic "New Zealand" Pilsner - aromas of white flowers, grass, hay and a hint of bubble gum.
Thanks to OSLO for sharing. This was stellar. Smooth lager yeast and malts on the aroma with the subtlest floral hints. A very hazy yellow body with wisps of white head. The body followed similar patterns but with a hop flavor not present earlier. A smooth malty finish with a bit of candy sugar.
[Bottle purchased in Perth, Australia] Pours pale golden with a small off-white head. Aroma is very fruity with a lot of peach, some pineapple and notes of kiwi. Taste has the same fruit profiles, with the perfect amount of bitterness and a crackery malt backbone that balances it well. Medium-thin mouthfeel, smooth, and has a dry finish. From now on, probably will be what I think of when I hear the term session beer. Just all around a great beer and exceeded my expectations.
(bottle shared by OSLO) Pours a hazy light gold with a soapy light white head. Strong floral hop scent, with some biscuit, cookie dough, and on occasion the smell of green olives which prompted me to lower the aroma score. The taste is very nice, with a solid sweet undertone (could be peach-like), coupled with a dry cracker-like flavor towards the finish. Hops are present as well, but they show up towards the finish providing a pleasant lingering bitterness on the tongue, with some mineral flavor appearing right before this bitterness. Mouthfeel doesn’t get any better than this on a pilsener, as it stays light while remaining creamy, which prompts further sips. Never was really all that excited about this style, but now that I’ve tried one that’s masterfully brewed, I’d like to try more. Thanks Al!
Bottle 500ml. Great pilsner. Aroma is floral, with also grass, apple, and banana. Taste is sweet, with lingering bitterness, and average duration. Creamy palate, with medium body. Yellow and bubbly, it has a white creamy head.
Bottle. Pours with an average foamy head over a clear light straw body. Excellent lacing. Light floral aroma and light floral-tropical fruit flavour that reveals a soft mouth filling bitterness. Clean.
Bottle, 500ml. Pale gold, large tight white head, fair bit of carbonation. The head lasts very well. Smells grassy and spicy. Some wood chips and blackcurrants too. Flavour is a little sour to go with supporting light, biscuity malts and fruits (berries, apricots). Mouth-puckering hop bitterness at the end. Not an imitation of a Czech or German Pilsener. I was going to say it’s a bit austere and I wouldn’t want a second now had I bought one, but it’s become quite a bit more approachable as it warms a little in the glass.
[moved rate of non-organic version, returned score to what it was]
Bottle. Clear golden pour with a large, white long-lasting head. Nose is hoppy and has notes of citrus, pine, malt and grass. Flavour is quite similar but has stronger notes of lemon, grapefruit, caramel and malt. Medium body with a long bitter finish. Very good pilsener, one of the best I’ve tried, but I kind of expected that from Emerson’s.
Bottle at Brew on Quay in downtown Auckland. Pours a pale, slightly cloudy, yellow-gold with a huge white head and a lot of visible carbonation. Embodies its ’organic’ label well, with a very earthy aroma of hops, malt, and straw. The flavor starts earthy, too, with straw and wood chips, and then finishes sweet and almost tangy with a little bit of a bite. Crisp, light-bodied, and bubbly in the mouth from such active carbonation. I was thrilled to see this rated so highly in class because it’s the best pilsner I’ve ever had.
Pours light cloudy yellow with a white head. Aroma is malt, hoppy, citrus and blackberries. Flavour is light malt, grape, citrus and blackberries. Nice.
A very good pilsner and perfect summer drinking. Nice hoppy nose, lots of things happening. Mouthfeel is a little fizzy, but smooth and well balanced. Goes down really well. Top stuff.
can’t believe I havent rated this one yet! one of the best all year beers in NZ, for beergeeks and laymen alike.
rumor has it in NZ that this is actually top fermented, but I’m not sure I agree, there is definitely some sulphur in the aroma along with malt and passionfruit. The flavor is malty with some passionfruit again. kinda sweet but perfectly balanced with the bitterness.
Bottle, first tried at Cafe Pravda. pale golden and slightly hazy. Flavour and aroma are dominated by passionfruit hops. Very nice.
Crystal clear pale amber pour with a small head that leaves nice lacing.
Aroma is very floral and grassy with some sweet peach and pale malts in the background. Some faint diacetyl later on.
Flavours are mostly green floral hops, sweet biscuity malts and and assertive hoppy bitterness.
Carbonation is slightly too high but otherwise mouthfeel is fine.
An excellent example of the style.
Pours golden, complex nose of honey, biscuits, passionfruit and spring onion (which is odd but nice all at once). RIch bitterness with more spring onion from the riwaka and a nice palate cleansing sweetness.
Bottle, 50cl. Pours a pale yellow beer with an offwhite head. The aroma is hops, blackberries and citrus. The flavor is malt, blackberries and citrus. The palate is bitterness with a little fruit. Overall this beer is good, and with a lot aromahops.
On Tap.
Pours clear yellow,orange.
Aroma of big saaz like hops,floral,passionfuit.
Tastes of mid malt with mid hop saaz like flavour finishing with a nice stronge bitterness.
Overall a nice pilsinser,well balanced with good bitterness, only fault is the malt finishes a bit thin. Also taste like the fermentation might have been a bit hot.
Draught. Pours clear golden with a small white head. Aroma of sweet malt, citrus, herbs and honey. The flavour is malt, citrus and herbs. Clean and crisp mouthfeel with a smooth finish. A great Pils.
Yellow colored brew. Really nice pilsener, got all what it takes. Nice herbal aroma, crispy, hoppy flavor. Some spices and very much taste.
Bottle 50 cl. thin yellow cloudy body with a huge white fluffy lasting head. The nose is rather piney with notes of mustard-seeds, freah figs and peaches. The taste is huge when thinking this is a pilsner. I taste melons, lots of fresh hops the contributes with great sweet bitterness, there is some coriander and pinecones, vanilla and pineapple. Very balanced. Has a high carbonation that gives a fizzy and nice palate and smooth mouthfeel. Great pilsner... and then it is organic.. thumps up.
500mL bottle. Aromas of lemongrass, grapefruit, passionfruit, coriander and hops. A pale yellow and green colour with a thin white head and great lacing.
Beautiful, complex flavours of grassy hops and fruit such as pear and grapefruit with a honey sweetness and floral tones. A dry finish with malt. Crisp and clean on the palate, with absolutely perfect carbonation! Amazing!
Bottle at Mortens.....Dødsglogg. Cloudy yellow - white head. Nice hoppy, light malty, citrus, grassy, light soapy, light sweetness, lovely crispy. Very nice !!!
[From Vinens Verden.] Hazy darkgolden with huge white head. Notes of herbal flowers, grapehops, crisp and bitter, very uncommen for the style almost like an IPA-pils, maybe cascade. A new taster for the speeches.
500ml bottle. Pours clear straw colour with excellent white head. Aroma is full of fresh life and is dominated by freshly cut grass fileds and hay, sweet hop citrus. Very inviting beer! Flavour is crisp and clean: bread flavoured malt and grassy hop tones mix superbly on a medium to light palate. Good bitter finish that invites the next sip almost immediately, which is a good indication that it is an excellent beer.
50cl bottle @ Svinetsverden, Odense. Pours pale yellow with a small egg white head & lacings. Nose is of hops - fresh & citrussy. Taste is crispy & again hoppy, grassy with a fine bready maltyness. Crisp, elegant & quaffable! Pleasant bitter end! Great pils:-)
Who would have thought that a pilsner could be as crisp as this?! The colour is less than pale and the head low, but the aroma reaks of spring and corn fields. The flavour is very inviting too, nicely hopped on a biscuit maltiness. Superb!
(EBF 2008) omwehat hazy pale golden color, white head. Malty cereal aroma. Bready flavor with some grassy hops.
500ml bottle BB Aug 09.
Remarkably pale golden body, bit of hazy, thin white foam leaving some decent lace in its wake.
Nose is particularly fruity hops, you’d have to say those fantastic NZ varieties are at play here; passionfruit, mango and pineapple tropical fruitiness, bit of bitter orange and ripe peach in there too, a detectable bit of pilsner maltiness makes its way in there too.
Lean body, soft carbonation, smooth texture, bitterness is quite prominant from the word go.
Palate is in excellent balance; big tropical fruit hops, lychee, grapefruit, passionfruit, pineapple, orange juice, a bit of spice, subtle vegetably greens, mixed in with some sweet grainy malt, bit of toastiness. Finishes quite sweet, with the bitterness fitting in quite well.
Tremenously nice lager. Love NZ hops and this beer showcases them very well.
Sampled at EBF08.
Pale golden, slightly hazy.
Light cereal maltiness.
Dry, floury bitterness.