Pizza Port Panzer Imperial Pilsner

Lost and Found

I’ve lost track of the number of beer festivals I’ve been to. But I always remember the exciting moment when a beer festival find makes an appearance in my everyday life.

And that’s exactly what happened last weekend when I went out to dinner with a group of friends. Perusing the bottle list, my eyes alighted upon something vaguely familiar.

Then bingo, I remembered. Pizza Port’s Panzer Imperial Pilsner.

I tried this beer at the San Diego Festival of Beer earlier in the year. It was an unusual Pizza Port offering because the brewery isn’t known for lager style beers. I had scribbled down a bunch of positive words on my brochure after tasting it.

So I ordered a bottle from the restaurant to share.  My festival impression held true. It was an unusual pilsner, pouring a golden color but a little viscous. It had a nice combo of citrus and piney hops, kind of a vaguely sweet and biscuit-like middle, with a dry finish. And it paired perfectly with our grilled sardine appetizer.

I just wish I had shared more of it with my friends. At 9.5%, our big bottle was more than I could do justice to.

The Beer Details Brewer: Port Brewing/Lost Abbey (San Marcos, CA) Style: Pilsner ABV: 9.5% Cost: ~$10/ 22-ounce bottle

The Beer Extras Check out the tale of how this beer came to be. Can't find it? Here's another pilsner to try. Use this printable shopping list for great beer finds.

Want to try this beer? It has limited distribution, but if you live in southern California, try your local specialty bottle shops.

Erin Malone is a Thursday Happy Hour contributing editor, providing the what's-up of beer all over on Fridays. Which festival finds have you stumbled upon in real life? Let me know in the comments below. Or chat with me on Facebook.