Nissos Pilsner: Easy Drinking Pils from Cyclades

Abv 5%

Like the early days in Belgium, if you want to experience the full range of local beers be prepared to sample a good many of them from the bottle. Athens Beer has some very nice drafts, but if you’re returning for a second night you’ll be running through their bottle list to find new discoveries. Fortunately, the bottle list can keep you busy through the second night and beyond if you choose to confine yourself to the Plaka area.

from the brewery website used for educational purposes

This pilsner won the silver medal in the Bohemian-style Pilsner category at European Beer Star, which isn’t the World Cup or the GABF, but does receive over 1600 beers from 42 countries to judge. We had just landed from Germany and our standards were pretty high and this one got our attention.

Tasting notes: Clean malt with herbal spicy and metallic hops. A bit of creaminess at the end. Easy to drink — a nicely echt pilsner beer that would not be out of place in Germany.

Food Pairings: The brewery recommends chicken, grilled meats, fish and green salads. They’ve pretty much got it, though there might just be enough crisp hop bitter to hold its own with Chinese dishes.

Beer Review # 0122 20170922

NEXT WE’LL FEATURE Voria Session Ale from Sparta