Mildura Brewery - Stefanos Pilsner

[iralosavic]

Tried this beer out for the first time last night and I felt it warranted a new topic; what a sensational local example! I'd happily pay the $57 for a case in preference of Budvar or the likes.

Anyone else tried it? It's perhaps on the low side of bitterness for the style, but not at any cost to the balance of flavours. The grassy mild malt tones are perfectly accented by a start to finish wave of bright saaz character.

I obviously highly recommend it and am proud to be a fellow Victorian.​

 

[tipsy]

It was a long time ago when I had it, but I remember enjoying it a lot.

 

[iralosavic]

I'd love to make a pilsner with the same qualities. I'm guessing 100% imported German Pilsner and a generous regime of saaz, but how to get the grassiness I wonder?

 

[JDW81]

I'd love to make a pilsner with the same qualities. I'm guessing 100% imported German Pilsner and a generous regime of saaz, but how to get the grassiness I wonder?

I haven't had the pilsner, but I've had a couple of the others and thought they were ok. They didn't knock my socks off, but I'd happily settle in for a session on them.

 

[thedragon]

Back in February we did a trip up to mildura for a wedding. Around the ceremony we spent quite a bit of time in the brewery. It's an awesome brewing set up they have there - kinda reminded me of a prestige car show room, just with brewing equipment.

On the main the beers were ok: as you'd expect from a commercial set up. I'd have been happy to drink them all day.

The exception was the pilsner, which was an exceptional drop. From memory it was a crisp beer, hopped with cascade and saas. Hmmm, might have to pick one up on the way home from work!

 

[iralosavic]

I guess taste is personal and my own preference for a pilsner is a light to light medium body with a definite, but not dominant malt presence, harmoniously balanced with saaz flavour and aroma from beginning to end. I consider grassiness and a bit of corniness (not too much) a bonus that adds some interest and moreishness to it. Budvar, for example leans a little towards bitterness in it's balance and lacks the grass character that I personally like. So Stefanos ticks all boxes for me. I haven't tried any of their other beers, but Pilsner is a competitive style and they nailed it in my view.