Why We Picked It: I'll admit. Heavy Seas is an often forgotten about local brewery. They are well established and the Loose Cannon is a nice beer with a nice related family of beers. Plus, a pils was a nice addition to the style mix.
What Heavy Seas Says About It: Made with German malts and a plethora of European hops, Pounder Pils is an American interpretation of a classic European Style. Named the "Best in Show" award in the Brewers Association of Maryland's 2019 Maryland Craft Beer Competition.
ABV: 5%
IBU: 38
Website: https://www.hsbeer.com/
What Heavy Seas Says About Heavy Seas: We have a pretty clear sense of purpose, make beers that taste exactly the way they should. Every time. No frills. No fluff. We weren’t created by Baltimore’s original craft brewer to be thought leaders, or to thump our chests, or to see who we could outdo. We started this revolution for one reason only: to make ridiculously good beer without any of the ridiculousness.
No matter how popular craft brewing gets, we believe in the craft of brewing. And to us, making beer that people can drink and actually enjoy is what keeps us cranking.
Where we come from, really good beer doesn’t need to be something it’s not. In fact, it never should be. Turns out, really good beer isn’t tricky after all. It boils down to a simple recipe everybody else seems to have forgotten: make it drinkable, make it approachable, execute to the highest possible standards, and have some fun. That’s not just what matters most—it’s the only thing that matters at all.
Where we come from, really good beer doesn’t need to be something it’s not. In fact, it never should be. Turns out, really good beer isn’t tricky after all. It boils down to a simple recipe everybody else seems to have forgotten: make it drinkable, make it approachable, execute to the highest possible standards, and have some fun. That’s not just what matters most—it’s the only thing that matters at all.
I know this brewer, it's products and I've even met the owner Hugh.
ReplyDeleteI like their beers, love what they say about themselves and their philosophy. I just don't think there's anything exceptional about any of their beers. All at or slightly above average and would pick it out of a cooler.
The Pounder: not what I would consider a traditional Oils (as in well establisher Chech and German ones. It is not as smooth as those ones are and it has a more (a lot more) pronounced wheat flavor. I actually stopped and poured it into a glass and it has a great color.
With all that said, I conclude I actually like this one more than all the other beers from this brewer, including lose cannon.
I give this 4.2 of 5 Chech porn stars.
This is a nice change from some of the stronger or sour beers we've had. the flavor kind of reminds me of a Boddington's without the creamy wonder. I think I have usually had some of Heavy seas heavier IPA's and usually they are bit too much for my tastes. This was surprisingly enjoyable I'll take another.
ReplyDeleteNot going to lie to you. I've never been a Heavy Seas fan. None of their beers have really stood out to me. The Loose Cannon is nice only because it has a higher alcohol content. But I think the main problem is the association I now have for this brewery with the ill-conceived and ill-fated Piratz Tavern. Pretty obvious why Piratz had to choose these beers, but I wonder if Heavy Seas signed off. We ended up there a couple of horrible times when the Quarryhouse was closed for fires or floods or maybe it was just open earlier and sometimes you just need a beer at 4 pm on a Thursday. Anyway, that place was horrible. They sold the Loose Cannons for an obscene price for 2002. And what a freak show. Also have ended up at the Heavy Seas tasting room in Rosslyn a couple of times. Horribly generic, like it was ripped from Terminal A of BWI. The best part of the "brewhouse" is that they sometimes featured a couple of decent beers from other breweries. Probably a bad sign or your brewhouse. But maybe I shouldn't hold that against them either since all of Rosslyn feels like Terminal A of BWI.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on to this specific beer. It's definitely a pilsner. Already down to a maximum of 3 stars. But this one has some extra characteristics that I am not digging. It really smells and tastes like bread. Yeast specifically I guess? I mean, I know beer and bread are related and I use them both for my daily carb consumption, but it's rare that every sip makes me think I'm eating bread. The malts also taste "unfinished." Maybe even the hops. Reminds me of my few homebrewing attempts when I open the kit and get a whiff of the ingredients and think to myself, how can this become beer? Well, this beer tonight is what I always dreaded.
The 16 ounces was nice. I drank it pretty quickly sitting in the 90 degree heat on the porch. Definitely improved as I drunk it. But it's only a run of foul sours that will keep this out of the bottom quartile. I give it 2 out of 5 Edward Teachs.
P.S. Why does the can say Puerto Rico on it? Seriously.
I agree, I always to like the idea of Heavy Seas. It was local, probably one of the first local, the first that got wide spread distribution....its just eh most of the time. I keep trying to like it, but eh.
DeleteFirst, I have been looking forward to this beer since I got the original box of 24. When I saw the large can and the name pounder, I just assumed it was going to be a light take on a pilsner and today being another hot day at the beach I was ready to crack it open and chug it like water. I love a good light beer on a hot day. I think Theodore had mentioned recently liking Mexican beers, cracking an ice cold lighter flavored on a 100 degree day sounded like it would really hit the spot!!
ReplyDeleteThis was not that, I smelled it and through, huh smells like a real pilsner and had a sip and it was. Who would have guessed?!?!! That said it was fine Baltimore take on a German Beer....I guess?
2.8 out of 5 Teddy Ramos'
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For reference .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbZa4B3dNRg
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P.S. I am a sample man with a sample mind, if a beer says Pounder I want to just drink the whole thing in 2 sips, don't do some play on words about the weight of a cannon ball or whater. Me like things simple.
If I may, pounders with flavor.
DeleteBTW, I'm really into mules, if I can figure out 24 different versions and how to package it, I'll do a 24 DOM (days of mules) LOL.
PSS we're down to 5 days. These go by too fast.
We were making a lot of mules before this started. We infused a few vodkas and started to get a little creative. Its a fun drink for sure.
DeleteI find both Heavy Seas and pils pretty boring. This did nothing to change my mind. Even after 100-degree day on the beach, this cold pils was pretty uninspiring. This actually reminds me of what beer was like before the microbrewery revolution, and what I drank more gin back in the day. 1.76 out of 4 blahs.
ReplyDeleteFirst time I had interest in heavy seas was when I met the main sales/marketing guy at Victoria GP long time ago [- no idea ? Maybe 10 years ago?]. Must have been +10 years because it was Clipper back then.
ReplyDeleteI think I liked them more as clipper!! He invited me to visit. I was fascinated as it was the first I knew of a local brewery to visit. Most I had were OK but unnecessarily high octane. I was not surprised by the subsequent rebranding of 'heavy seas' because I already had developed an association with the brand as high octane. I didnt actually visit. As a European I just don't drive to a brewery.
I remember one year tasting their Marzen and it was really good. I love the real deal Octoberfest, and this one year they nailed it. Again probably about 8 or 9 years ago. Still never made it to the brewery after all, and I have never chosen a heavy seas over anything else since.
But this beer is not good. You know this when you realize you opend the can 25 minutes ago and the glass is half full [ always :) ]. The Germans and the Czechs, and the Belgians and the Brits have been brewing and optimizing great beer for centuries, and its always optimal when you're there, rather than the the export versions - many of which we get are pasteurized of cousre. IMHFgO it's sacrilege to make any kind of comparison of this shite to German or Czech beer. 2/5 . This pint may still be in my glass for another 30 minutes [yawn]
oops, forgot I'm no longer European
DeleteSo I noticed in the brewery comments above this was 'Best in Show'. Hmm. I'd take that as seriously as a Christopher Guest / Eugene Levy movie
DeleteKev - How much do you think I can bench press?
Delete7 bassett hounds
DeleteFirst, love the comment thread on this one. There seems to be nothing that can stoke the passions of this group than Heavy Seas.
ReplyDeleteWell, I liked it. Although again I was prepared not to. I remember discovering Heavy Seas (or Clipper City as Kev points out) and really liked their Loose Cannon but their other varieties not so much. This one concerned me as I have noticed a trend among craft breweries to make “regular beer.” (Exhibit A: “Regular Beer” by DuClaw - a total “shite” beer if there ever was one, from what is otherwise a very good brewery.) If I want “regular beer,” I know where to find it, and I know I will most likely not like it very much. Anyway, I approached this beer thinking it maybe some attempt to make “regular beer,” but alas, No! I thought it was crisp and tasty and while not a typical Pils, I liked the flavor. Not sure given the current choices I would pick this up at the store with my own pocket money, but if I am at a barb-a-que some day I might grab one of these.
2.95/4.00 Shites.
Excellent pilsner. Very refreshing. A taste of genuine pilsner style without going overboard on the hop bitterness. In other words, a good gateway pilsner.
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