Geisterfaust

Ghost Town Brewing — Oakland, Ca

8 Jul 2022 · Stephen

Pilsner Ghost Town Brewing

5.6% ABV

28 IBU

Pale straw Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return –

3 / 4 I'd recommend trying it

Tasting Notes

Appearance Pale golden, brilliantly clear with fine persistent carbonation and a white head. Classic pilsner presentation — clean, bright, and luminous. Looks exactly like summer should look in a glass.

Aroma A slightly sweet, toasty malt character leads the nose — warm grain and a faint bready sweetness that's distinctly more malt-forward than Cave Dweller or Ataraxia. Behind the malt, the hop character comes through as spicy and floral — think herbal, slightly earthy, with a floral quality that suggests German or continental hop influence rather than purely American or New Zealand varieties. It's a more classic pilsner nose than most of Ghost Town's West Coast pils offerings, and that's exactly the point.

Palate Crisp and refreshing as Ghost Town promises. Medium-light body with the toasty malt sweetness carrying through the middle — more malt presence here than Cave Dweller's hop-dominant single-malt approach. The spicy floral hop bite builds through the mid-palate, assertive enough to balance the malt without overpowering it. One drinker describes it as solid and tasty, with just the right amount of bitterness — described as bitter but delivering exactly the right amount — and that balance is the defining characteristic. The 28 IBU sits perfectly between too assertive and too gentle.

Finish Clean, moderately bitter, with the spicy floral hop note lingering alongside a faint toasty malt sweetness. Medium length, resolving completely without harshness. The kind of finish that conjures a warm afternoon and makes you reach for another without thinking about it — the specter of bygone summer revelry doing exactly what Ghost Town says it does.

The Verdict

Geisterfaust is Ghost Town's pilsner anchor — the one with the deepest following, the widest reach, and the most enduring character. Spicy floral hops, toasty malt sweetness, crisp body, clean finish. The ghost fist lands every time and you never see it coming.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 8 Jul 2022