Limb from Limb

Ghost Town Brewing — Oakland, CA

28 Oct 2022 · Stephen

West Coast Pilsner Ghost Town Brewing

5.3% ABV

Pale golden Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return –

3 / 4 I'd recommend trying it

Tasting Notes

Appearance Pale golden, clear with fine lively carbonation and a white head. Clean and bright in the glass — the West Coast pilsner tradition delivered faithfully, nothing hazy about it despite the aromatic hop bill.

Aroma The Nectaron and Citra combination hits immediately and generously. Mandarin and blood orange upfront — that's the Citra citrus brightness and the Hallertau Blanc wine-like character combining — followed by mango and tropical fruit from the Nectaron underneath. The Hallertau Blanc adds a floral, almost Sauvignon Blanc quality in the background that lifts the whole bouquet into something more refined than a straight American hop bill. Light, clean, bready grain sweetness underneath keeps it anchored as a pilsner.

Palate Light-bodied, crisp, and refreshing — bone chilling refreshment as Ghost Town advertises. The mandarin and mango carry through the middle, the Hallertau Blanc floral character softening the whole thing into a pillowy, fruit-forward palate that's genuinely more approachable than the hop list suggests. Drinkers consistently call it light, clean, bready, and a little hoppy — crushable, very good. The bartender's IPA comparison lands here too: there's more hop presence mid-palate than most pilsners dare, but it never tips over into IPA territory.

Finish Crisp, floral, and citrus-bitter — a Dutch drinker's one-line description, and it's accurate and complete. The Hallertau Blanc and Citra linger together on the back end, the blood orange and floral quality fading slowly into a clean, dry close. Medium-short length, refreshing throughout.

The Verdict

Another Cannibal Corpse reference, another Ghost Town pilsner that punches way above its style expectations. Limb from Limb is Ghost Town's most fruit-expressive pilsner — three modern aromatic hops on a clean lager canvas, delivering mandarin, mango, and blood orange with bone chilling crispness. The pilsner trying to be an IPA that succeeds at being both. Solid West Coast pils

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 28 Oct 2022