Enegren Rotating Hop Pilsner Brewed with Zappa Hops

Review Date 2/18/2023  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Pilsner   Brewery: Enegren   Country: USA   State: California   $ Per OZ: N/A   ABV: 4.8%

Here’s another entry in Enegren’s Rotating Hop Series of pilsners: Enegren Rotating Hop Series Pilsner Brewed with Zappa Hops. I have enjoyed each entry into this series, but this one was interesting indeed for the us of a hop variety called…Zappa?

From the label:

Our rotating hop Pilsner series is where we explore the subtle contributions of a wide variety of hops to the well-balanced, German-style Pilsner. We hop this beautiful lager with traditional hopping techniques, using the sane grain bill and hop profile for each brew. This is our 13^th rotation in the series featuring Zappa hops, which originated in the mountains of New Mexico & now exclusively grown in the Yakima Valley These hops give flavors & aromas of passionfruit, mints, spice, & tropical fruits.

This is the 13^th entry in the series? I will admit I have only had a few of them, but then Enegren beers are not sold here in Georgia and I have to get them theough Craftshack. If I lived in California, I would be all over every release from this wonderful brewery.

Of course, Zappa hops are named for rock legend Frank Zappa, who once said “You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of football team, or some nuclear weapons, but in the very least you need a beer.” Perhaps some hops wouldn’t hurt either, and while he is still not a country, Frank Zappa has had several beers named for his music by Lagunitas (Lumpy Gravy Ale, Freak Out Ale, and Kill Ugly Radio Ale). Now, he adds a hop variety to that list.

Enegren Rotating Hop Series Pilsner Brewed with Zappa Hops has ana lcohol content of 4.8% by volume with 35 IBUs. I paid $2.88 for my can from Craftshack.

Enegren Rotating Hop Series Pilsner Brewed with Zappa Hops pours to a pale yellow color with a thick head of creamy cauliflower foam and a nose of crisp biscuity malt and soft earthy hops. Taking a sip, the beer is crisp biscuity malty as the nose promised. It’s a bit creamy and screams fresh earthy hops. They are very grassy, lemony, and intensely minty bitter in the finish. The hops permeate the beer and really are the whole show here.

Enegren does it again. An outstanding pilsner, crisp biscuit malty, permeated with earthy grassy lemony hop aroma, and a long dry bitter finish. I did not get the fruit hops here they talk about from Zappa, but I did get the spice and mint. I would buy it again if I had the chance.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??