Rock lager

Who's up for some tenuously-connected lagers? Of course you are. It's probably better to think of these as a random cross-section rather than exploring any actual theme. But there might be a theme...

I assume that WhiteField named Oldtown after the Phil Lynott song, although the Staré Město of Prague might equally have something to do with it. This is a Czech-style pilsner, made with Bohemian barley and Saaz hops. There are immediate points off for the haze: this is very much the unfiltered sort of pilsner, and I tend not to enjoy them as much as the pin-bright ones.

The aroma is surprisingly fruity, with uncharacteristic pear and apricot. The herbal hops are reduced to a background player. It's pretty strong for the style, at 5.4% ABV, and leverages this into a satisfyingly big body, akin to a Festbier. The flavour doesn't quite measure up, unfortunately. The hops are very muted, lacking the grassy sharpness that I particularly look forward to from Saaz. There's little evidence of the fruit from the aroma, so it's the malt that's the centrepiece here. Admittedly, that is enjoyable, with a wholesome bready richness. As a Helles or Kellerbier it would be pretty good, but it doesn't hit the mark for me as a pils. It needs polishing up and some more hops for that.

We're off to Germany next, for a palate calibration. The musical connection for this one is a little more obvious: Trooper: Progressive Lager is one of the beers officially endorsed by Iron Maiden. I had thought these were all brewed by Robinson's in England but this is via Crew Republic, that most unBavarian of Bavarian breweries. Here in the post-craft era, they're still going. That's as much of a surprise as discovering that Iron Maiden are too.

This one isn't very clear either, but there's considerably less murk than in the previous. They don't tell us what the hops are, but I'm guessing they're not classical noble varieties as there's more than a hint of American citrus about this. The aroma is zesty while the flavour centres on a summery lemonade spritz. That it's a lager is almost incidental to this, the format providing a clean base for the hops but it's not really a headline feature. It's a fine drinking beer, and tastes lighter that its 5% ABV. I guess by calling it a "progressive" lager, they just mean it tastes like American pale ale, which is disappointing to an extent. The overall experience was still pretty good, however.

And the only musical connection for the next one is that it's from Foxes Rock. I hadn't noticed that Pearse Lyons brewery had added an Italian Pilsner to their core range, available in Tesco alongside beers they make especially for the chain.

And it's hazy again. Can nobody make clear lager any more? It does, at least, have a proper pilsner aroma, redolent of freshly cut grass. Crispness and fizz follows, though there's a pleasing softness to the texture: it's a little thin but not watery, with sufficient bounce to the pillowy malt. The hop flavour isn't exactly full-on, and it's apparent that we're dealing with a beer designed for a supermarket price point. What's there is good, however, with a twin stream of classic noble hop grassiness meeting a seam of more modern lemon and lime. You don't get long with either and it all fades away quite quickly, leaving nothing much of note behind. This is no classic, of the style nor of beer in general, but the fact that Pearse Lyons is brewing a pilsner in the chic Italian mode to be sold in Irish supermarkets is a positive sign. That the result tastes good is a bonus. The brewery may be on the verge of joining Boyne Brewhouse as another Carlow sub-brand, and if that happens, consider this my pitch for keeping the Italian Pilsner in the range.

None of these turned out quite as I expected, and the lack of clarity and crispness left me a little unsatisfied. This rock 'n' roll rebellion has gone too far, quite frankly. Get a haircut and clean up your lagers.