Session Beer Spotlight #4: North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner

I was actually planning to write about Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse today, because I'd heard it was a session beer, only to find out that it is 5% and therefore exceeds the cutoff of 4.5% ABV as set forth by the Session Beer Project (which I find entirely reasonable as a cutoff, I'm just disappointed the Berliner Weisse doesn't qualify, because that is a tasty beer with a very interesting history.)

However, I also tasted another beer today that actually does qualify as a session beer, so I am still on schedule with my Session-Beer-A-Day-Writeup project. That beer is North Coast's Scrimshaw Pilsner, and at 4.4% ABV, it qualifies with a tenth of a point to spare! It's a traditionally brewed Pilsner that uses German hops (Hallertauer and Tettnang) and Munich malt.

Today began a stretch of humid days in the 80s that is supposed to last all week long here in New Orleans. Very fitting that Tom and I enjoyed a beer so well suited for the weather! It has a crisp and pleasant bitterness that points to hops in the background. Light bodied, dry finish, and a grainy malt aroma and flavor. Balanced and subtle. Very refreshing and a welcome post-lunch beverage on a warm spring afternoon.

This is probably what one would expect to taste in a session beer, I imagine. Doesn't mean it's not really good though. Also note, North Coast's Blue Star Great American Wheat Beer also qualifies as sessionable at 4.5% ABV on the nose. I'm not a huge fan of the straight ahead American wheat beer style like Blue Star, so I'll let the wheatheads among us take that one on.

Tomorrow I hope to tackle one or two of High & Mighty's quirky beers.