Chesbay
Lager/Chesapeake Bay Premium Pilsner
Review Date 11/15/2001
Try?
Re-buy?
Wow! Was I ever
surprised to see this beer still around. Back in my very early days as a
beer enthusiast, Chesbay Golden Pilsner was one of the very first microbrews
I ever tried. A friend brought it to me from a trip he had made down the
Atlantic coast. I still recall the
bottle to this day, short and stubby, silver and gold with a seagull
emblazoned on it.
The beer itself was a little less memorable. I recall regarding it as one of the worst beers I had ever tasted at the time. I don’t remember why. Could it have been that it was a bit more sophisticated than my taste buds were at the time? Possibly, but I doubt it. I was already sipping strong stouts, imbibing impressive India Pale Ales and bathing my buds in bold bocks in those days. Most likely I got a bad batch, or the beer just wasn’t very good at first. Hey, it happens.
Apparently Chesapeake Bay Brewing, makers of Chesbay beers, have got their act together. Their Chesapeake Bay Premium Pilsner (aka Chesbay Lager) is a very tasty brew. The brewery touts the use of German malts and hops in this beer and claims to lager the brew for at least four weeks. It is less hoppy then one would expect for a German style pils, however.
A few years ago, Chesapeake Bay Brewing merged with two other local
microbrewers: Rock Creek and Potomac River Brewing. Local to their
headquarters in Laplata, Maryland, that is, since most of the company’s
beers are brewed in a facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. Is the company
still profitable? When I took these tasting notes and first posted this
review, I thought the company had no web presence, and a trip to subsidiary
Rock Creek Brewing’s URL (www.rcbrew.com which still appears on labels of
that company’s beer) reveals the domain is for sale and links to a porn
site. However, Brooke Baldridge, Retail Manager for Chesbay e-mailed me and
there is in fact an impressive website online: www.chesbaybrewing.com.
Good to hear that the company is doing well, because this is great beer. Chesbay Lager pours to a deep golden color with a light fizzy head formation and an appetizing toasted malt nose. The brew has a medium body full with sweet toasty malt and rich and chewy toffee notes. The finish balances nicely and leads slightly to bitter. A very delicious lager indeed, delicious with stuffed cabbage rolls and fresh baked bread.
The beer itself was a little less memorable. I recall regarding it as one of the worst beers I had ever tasted at the time. I don’t remember why. Could it have been that it was a bit more sophisticated than my taste buds were at the time? Possibly, but I doubt it. I was already sipping strong stouts, imbibing impressive India Pale Ales and bathing my buds in bold bocks in those days. Most likely I got a bad batch, or the beer just wasn’t very good at first. Hey, it happens.
Apparently Chesapeake Bay Brewing, makers of Chesbay beers, have got their act together. Their Chesapeake Bay Premium Pilsner (aka Chesbay Lager) is a very tasty brew. The brewery touts the use of German malts and hops in this beer and claims to lager the brew for at least four weeks. It is less hoppy then one would expect for a German style pils, however.
Good to hear that the company is doing well, because this is great beer. Chesbay Lager pours to a deep golden color with a light fizzy head formation and an appetizing toasted malt nose. The brew has a medium body full with sweet toasty malt and rich and chewy toffee notes. The finish balances nicely and leads slightly to bitter. A very delicious lager indeed, delicious with stuffed cabbage rolls and fresh baked bread.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
