Russian River STS Pils
GABF Gold 2015.
3.6
171 reviews
Santa Rosa, United States
Community reviews
Pours clear daffodil with a good eggshell head. Aroma features crisp malt, sweet apple, a bit of resiny hops. Flavor delivers raw malt, apple, fresh hops. Texture provides decent body and peppy fizz. Give a STS.
Fairly bitter, dry lager. Straight forward profile but over hopped. That said reasonably crisp and clean, some malt, something floral. Plenty of bittering hops.
Keller-style Pils - 5.4%, golden, very light haze, light but noticeable hops, dry slight hop finish. Like a very light IPA, pretty good if in the mood for mild hoppy beer
Golden with a white head - Hoppy aroma with some citrus - Malt body with a good citrus hop flavour that has some bitterness - The hop with a citrus flavour goes into the finish with nice bitterness - This was good
Slightly hazy bright golden with a thick foamy sticky white head. Lovely grassy noble slightly peppery hop nose with a light pale biscuity malt backbone and a nice yeast character. Dry and crisp body with lovely sharp grassy hop bitterness, a little
Biscuity Lagery middle and an assertive bitter finish, at least for the style. Definitely hoppier than its Euro counterparts but true to California style has a bit of an attitude. But remains crispy and balanced and delightful.
Maybe the last batch of this discontinued Russian River classic (from March 2020). Now... this is a classic Pilsner, one of those that are perfectly made, so you aren't allowed to say "Oh but I don't like lagers", well this is your problem. I'm not a lager fan either but this, if there is one, is the perfect Pils. From one of the top world breweries. Boring? maybe, well it's pils, not a fruit juice IPA, not a crazy sour, not a pastry stout. So, let's just focus on the pilsner thingy!
It pours clear golden, visible carbonation and a frothy head with exceptional retention. Lacing is above imagination. The best you can think of.
Nose of bread dough, spices, lemon, smells like a lager, what the 80% of the world population (not involved with craft beer) would say is "smells like beer". It does. That's what lager should smell.
Moderate bitterness, just bitter hops, lager malts, bread dough. It's what you had your whole life, just brought up to perfection, without the oxidation you get with supermarket lagers, without their corn or rice. This is what a lager was intended like 500 years ago!
Crisp and refreshing, I wish I was eating German or Czech sausages now! Lingering bitterness for a long finish.
Massive. Someone would say it's boring. Well so, have a shandy!
Aroma: Initially yeast. Settles and is slightly floral. Aromas are low, slightly crisp, clean with a very low level of citrus. The malts are low but remind me of cracked.
Appearance: Pale yellow is appearance, crystal clear body. The head is thick, well retained, consists of mostly tiny bubbles, a few small scattered throughout. Lacing is strong.
Flavor: Malts are lightly toasted reminding me of crushed grain and toast. The hops provide a good bitterness to the beer and not a predominant flavor, if I were to pick one it would be grapefruit in the aftertaste. Balance is bitter, finish is semi dry. A touch of floral on the back of the tongue also noted.
Mouthfeel: Thin body, medium to high carbonation, no alcohol warmth. Is not creamy due to the carbonation. Low astringency noted from the bittering hops.
Overall: Crisp clean pilsner, good balance of malts with the bittering hops. As I continue to taste this beer it is an easy driving pill. Checks all the boxes, very good representation.
OK Pils. Pours a chalky yellow with a lot of head. Great beer on a hot day (like today.) Dry and yeasty. Should be drunk cold.
Strong Pils. Mild pale malt aromas. Nice lager yeast finish with cereal flavors. Clean.
On tap at Apex, pours a clear blonde with a small white head. Aroma brings out fresh hay, straw, biscuity malt, and a little grass. Flavour is crisp, with hay, straw, and crisp crackery malt. Nice grassy hop character, with a bone dry, crisp finish. Really nice pils.
Bottle - pours gold, white head - nose/taste of citrus, bread malt, pine - medium bodied. Perfect balance.
On tap at the brewery. Clear yellow pour with a white head. Crisp and clean Pilsner with all the classic characteristics. Good body and mouthfeel.
Perfectly clear and crisp golden body with the slightest dash of a haze, along with a relatively large and noticeable three to four centimetre tall, pure white head that stays afloat for a long time. Aroma of crisp grass, pine, light malts with some grain and a dash of hay towards the end. Light-bodied; Strong grassy and herbal flavours dominate with a lot of dry malts and some subtle hops along with a touch of sweetness and a clean, very easy-drinking yeast bite towards the end that showcases the malts as well. Aftertaste is pure and clean with the yeast and malt coming out front and centre and the hops not really showing nor any sweetness, graininess or character. Overall, a pretty understated and soft beer, and even though that's what you'd expect from the style, I was thinking that from the brewery you'd get a bit more character and depth, but that isn't the case here - this is easy drinking and a pure Pils without any real class. I sampled this tall, 50 cL (European-Styled) bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Beverly Hills (Los Angeles), California on 26-December-2019 for US$5,99 sampled in my hotel room here in San Diego, California on the turn of the decade on 31-December-2019 to celebrate the New Year and my family's trip to Hawai'i in the morning.
0,5 litre Bottle, from Holiday Wine Cellar, Escondido, Ca. Clear light Golden with white head. Malts, hops, yeast, Fruity, bitterness in The finnish.
Pale yellow with a white head. Potent noble hop aroma and flavors. Crisp biscuit malt backing. Most excellent.
yellow, hazy, hoppy, resiny, lemon peels , opened fermentation, soft carbonation, crispy,
Pours golden with high white head
Aroma: grass, hints of lemon
Taste: malt, grassy hops, lemon. Well balanced beer. Crisp and tart. Vey good pilsener representative
Golden with medium white head. Lots of lacing. Very nice pilsner aroma and taste.
At the brewery, smallish bubbly head, clear straw pale yellow color, clean malty, herbal vanila aroma, sweet honey bread maltiness, mellow herbal bitterness. Nice and easy to drink.
Orange color, middle foam size. Flower notes in aroma. Smooth taste. Very good pils.
Poured from the tap. Clear golden yellow with white head. Grain and pale malt with grassy hops.
On the afternoon of 26th March 2019 my wife and I tried four flights (of four beers) in the centre section of the Bagby Beer Company in Oceanside, two flights of their own beers and two flights of guests. This is one of those 16 beers. Light golden body, wispy white head. Standard Pils in every way, refreshing and easy to drink, very little aroma or actual taste. Light grainy nose and flavour if you sniff and dig deep enough. Just average really, surprised it's in the top 50 for the style, maybe the breweries name and fame have clouded some peoples scoring?
Looks awesome, nice clear straw body with a thick head. Aroma has a great dry grain smell. Taste starts mild, a hit of grapefruit bitterness in the middle to end. Long bitter finish. Texture is crisp. Wonderful.
Bottle. Pours hazy gold. Fruity, malty aroma, with some citrusy hops. Bitter dry floral hops, fresh bread. Long dry finish. Really smooth. Other than being slightly hazy, keller style, it's on par with Urquell, maybe even more enjoyable. This brewery is insane!
Golden with a large head. Aroma of bread, sea air, grass, very delicate. Light bodied, soft mouthfeel, very drinkable. Excellent pilsner.
A good Pilsner with a little hoppy bitterness. Not much of that bready pils spice.
July 27th, 2015 - The fourth beer on the Russian River is the STS Pils. Very light and pale in color like a light labrador's coat, it's also very hard to smell. Once again, the raucous aroma of the tasting room is playing havoc with my nose making good notes impossible to take. But the flavor is fascinating. It is buttery and ethereal, with the slightest hint of lemon and mascarpone cheese. There's even a solid overall dairy quality, which lends to a smooth and luxurious mouthfeel. I'm unsure what is happening but I love every angle of it.
Seriously solid pils. Solid enough on the hop aroma that it's almost not a pils. Golden pour with good head. Crisp AF. Tap at Monks Cafe.
Very enjoyable. Sass hop character done right. I like a little more cereal malt flavor and body. Drinks maybe a little thinks for me.
Bottle. Pours a clear, straw color, with a big, bubbly, white head. The aroma is lemon zest, pine needles, caramel, and cloves. Sweet and malty, with a sharp, grainy bitterness. Light body, with a crisp, clean mouthfeel. This is quite hoppy, but otherwise a straightforward and well made pilsener.