Spirit Guide Czech Pilsner
Spirit Guide returns for perhaps its final journey in our little cosmic universe - this time as a 10 degree Czech-inspired Pilsner.
4.4% ABV
Spirit Guide is back for perhaps its final voyage in our little cosmic universe. Since our first rendition of this unique Pilsner we have centered the utilization of Haná malt - a historic and particularly important landrace barley variety hailing from the Moravia region of Bohemia. This special barley laid the foundation for what we now refer to as Pilsner beer. Today we have the awesome opportunity to utilize this singular grain in the brewhouse thanks to the wizards over at Admiral Maltings who have diligently floor-malted this heirloom barley for a modern revival.
In prior years we have paired Haná malt with a selection of other unique landrace grains such as California-grown Atlas 6 Row, Floriani Red malted corn, and Wheat to make somewhat of a hybrid between a pre-prohibition era American Pilsner and a Czech inspired Pils. This year we streamlined the grist to showcase the Haná variety in all its glory. We also lowered our original gravity to 10 degrees Plato to pay homage to some of the most popular offerings in Czech brewing culture.
The result is a delicate and welcoming Pilsner that reflects both European (particularly Czech) flavor and terroir while also expressing the unique influence of small-batch old world malting techniques. Admiral remains one of only a handful of malt houses in the United States dedicated to the craft of floor-malting and perhaps the only malt house stateside executing this technique at scale.
An intensive step mash and “mini decoction” was performed to coax as much depth from the grain as possible. Often smaller beers such as this have potential to present thin or lacking in body - not here - we have created a balanced and full flavored Pilsner that begs for multi pour session.
We’re enjoying the pleasant herbal influence from Czech grown Saaz hops utilized in abundance throughout the kettle and whirlpool. Fermentation was conducted with our house lager strain at 48F until attenuation was complete. We then allow the beer to mature slowly in secondary lager vessels until it has achieved brilliant clarity and a crisp edge of carbonation. Spunded during fermentation (as always) and gently transferred to secondary, we captured only naturally occurring CO2 from fermentation (for a sturdy 2.80 vol carbonation level)
We hope you enjoy this offering as much as we do. We see this beer as a distinctive reflection of our approach brewing. Quality ingredients with a story to tell, paired with intentional process and technique. A snapshot of both terroir, and time. An expression of people and place. The result of process and passion. A cosmic shepherd. A spirit guide, if you will.
Our Distinctive Rarities series presents small batch creations that serve as one-off delights focused on both novel and traditional approaches to classic and emerging styles. These beers are designed to be ephemeral and short lived but well enjoyed. These offerings will focus on experimental techniques/ingredients, and celebrate the changing of seasons and the rewards of harvest.
