Orange Blossom Pilsner

Name: Orange Blossom Pilsner
Style: Pilsner (more of a hybrid between pilsner and mead)
Brewery: Thomas Creek Brewery/Orlando Brewing Partners
City of Origin: Greenville, SC/Orlando, FL

Poured a bottle of Orange Blossom Pilsner (OBP) into a pilsner glass, where it glowed golden-yellow with a thin white head that quickly dissipated and left little lacing. Very much echoes the look of light American lagers. A very strong suggestion of honey sweetness in the aroma leaves just a little room for a floral hops bouquet and a hint of citrus. The first sip of OBP hinted at the underlying malts, but was quickly dominated by a mead-like honey sweetness. A few sips into the beer though, you could taste the pilsner malt and noble-style german hops underneath the cloying floral meadiness. With a pilsner, you expect the hops to stand out a little more, but here, they just can't win the flavor battle with the floral honey notes. Not entirely a bad thing, this rounds the beer out and smooths out the bitterness. Orange Blossom Pilsner has a little more body to it, compared to most German or American pilsners, and though definitely a good, easy drinking summer beer, could perhaps use a little bit more carbonation to add lightness to the rather sweet finish.