Home Beer Review North Island Pilsner by North Island Beer

North Island Pilsner by North Island Beer

by Rob
2 comments

North Island Pilsner is brewed up in the cold lands of Hokkaido by North Island Beer and is a 5% pilsner style beer. It is one of the first beers that North Island Beer made and North Island Pilsner is part of the regular range of their beers. I’ve seen it both on draft in various bars and also in bottled form. It is supposedly best drunk between 5°c and 7°c though that is a bit warm for our liking.

North Island Pilsner

One of the first beers North Island brewed.

North Island Pilsner Aroma and Taste

North Island Pilsner poured out reasonably well though it’s a pilsner so it would be pretty much impossible not to get some kind of life out of a pilsner. However, that would be doing this beer a disservice as right from the off, North Island Pilsner let off an enjoyable aroma of hops and grassiness that other pilsners don’t quite hit. The clear golden body was expected though it seemed to be more lightly carbonated than other pilsners *ahem* Asahi *ahem*.

I did read what North Island said about how to serve their beer, though 5°c and 7°c seemed a bit high for liking, I had chilled North Island Pilsner to 3°c as that what our fridge said. It was certainly crisp at that temperature though devoid of much flavour so I took heed and let it warm a bit. Not much, but just enough.

And you know what? North Island Pilsner was much better for it. Mea Culpa. I was wrong. The hops gave it a subtle bitter edge that allowed the crisp aftertaste to provide more of a bite to a style of beer that is poorly represented in Japan. While the body is thinner than other styles, it’s that same thinness that lets the crisp tartness refresh your taste buds and have you coming back for more.

North Island Pilsner One Line Review

North Island Pilsner is a pilsner done good and is highly recommended due to the flavours that permeate through a usually bland style of beer.

Where to Buy North Island Pilsner

North Island Pilsner can bought from the North Island Beer homepage here. It can also be bought from Craftbeers.jp here and also at CraftLiquors here as part of a variety pack.

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2 comments

Oliver June 3, 2016 - 9:46 pm

I fully agree. A pilsner that is very well done, with the right balance of hops and bitterness. Strongly recommended. I got my bottle from Le Collier inside Tokyo Station.

Reply
Rob June 9, 2016 - 6:48 am

Thanks, Oliver for letting us know.
Le Collier is a great place to find Japanese craft beer though not been there in a few months or so now, what with Liquors Hasegawa / World Beer Market / Kameya sorting us out for beer at the moment.
Hopefully they will have some more limited editions in stock next week.

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